Most probable starting lineup and rotation

[akula1488]

I expect Horford and SGA to be in the starting lineup; what about the rest? also can this team get double digit wins in the upcoming season?

[bbms]

I thought SGA and Dort on the backcourt was a given.

Am I wrong?

[ThunderBolt]

George Hill mentioned he was willing to come off the bench in his media day interview. I would guess that probably happens.

[bbms]

Early prediction:

SGA
Dort
Bazley
Muscala
Horford

I think it's an underdog group to beat 0.500. I think betting over this would be pretty profitable.

[jambalaya]

If they only care about the future (and tanking), then go young:

Maledon / SGA / Jackson or Dort or Pokusevski / Bazley / Brown or Leaf

If you want better starts and really arent ready to rely totally on SGA despite the talk, then:

Hill SGA Ariza Bazley Horford

They could go in between but that would essentially mean not really choosing a clear direction to me.

Maybe they start with latter and go to former after 15-25 losses.


SGA next to Dort is sort of in between next to Hill or Maledon, but do they want Dort going for 25-30% usage? Do they want to let something get in the way of 30% SGA usage? I am pretty sure Dort is going for 25-30% usage starter or not but it would be more noticeable, interfering with SGA (and Bazley) if done as starter.

If you don't think Dort is a 25-30% usage guy or not on the team you are trying to build, then either don't let him do it again or only let him do it a brief time before putting it back on shelf for 3 months, a year or two.

[bbms]

If they only care about the future (and tanking), then go young:

Maledon / SGA / Jackson or Dort or Pokusevski / Bazley / Brown or Leaf

When was the last time the Thunder started someone like Maledon, Jackson or Pokusevski? Even Westbrook and Harden, former top 5 picks on really bad teams, didn't get a starting 5 position on their rookie season. The only one I remember was Durant.

I believe they share my feeling that it would be very risky, from a mental and health standpoint. Young player careers can be flushed out of toiled with a bad start. Not a good way of managing youth, IMO. Thunder never worked like this.

My bet is that they'll allow Maledon to compete for minutes right away as he tries to pick up NBA rotations. The reason is that he already has full pro seasons under his belt, and his body conditioning seems to be NBA material right now. Poku's curve seems steeper, likely to spend the most time on G-League, working on his body.

Hill SGA Ariza Bazley Horford

Why do you think Ariza will play next season? Any update on his opt-out status? If Ariza plays then I'm calling my bookie tomorrow, because this team is going to be competitive against the popular perspective of a tanking effort.

SGA next to Dort is sort of in between next to Hill or Maledon, but do they want Dort going for 25-30% usage? Do they want to let something get in the way of 30% SGA usage? I am pretty sure Dort is going for 25-30% usage starter or not but it would be more noticeable, interfering with SGA (and Bazley) if done as starter.

I don't understand why is it necessary for Dort to eat 25-30% usage. Thunder started him 28 games in 2019/20 regular season for 14% USG. Other former Thunder players had a similar role of Dort on the 5-man lineup, never with such a huge usage on longer stretches.

More likely they'll go through a more competent offensive player, like Horford, Bazley, Hill, or Muscala to distribute the CP3 void.

Another question for you or anyone interested: is Dort a 2 or a 3 in the long run for this team?

[getrichordie]

Jerome/SGA/Dort/Bazley/Horford

[jambalaya]

Dort, 24% usage in playoffs and 36% in game 6.

Jeff Green also started right away. Yeah it would be unusual. Unusual since the last tank / new beginning.

[getrichordie]

Dort, 24% usage in playoffs and 36% in game 6.

Jeff Green also started right away.

As did Sabonis.

[jambalaya]

Yeah I was about to add that but my internet is slow.

You don't have to start Maledon beside SGA, but I'd want to see him with SGA as much as possible before next summer (draft, extension, trades, free agency) and maybe with Dort and with Baxley and / Pokusevski. And against starters because that is what you might see as the future. But do it 20-40-60-73-100 games in as they will.

[retrobro90]

Hill/SGA/Dort/Bazley/Horford

[ThunderBolt]

SGA, Dort, Jackson, Bazley and Horford.

[getrichordie]

I really don't understand why we are just boiling it down to Maledon v. Hill if we are starting another guy who has ball-handling/playmaking skills beside SGA. We have another really talented guard on the roster in Ty Jerome who can make a ton of passes, handle the ball, and isn't afraid to shoot it from deep. He's more ready than Maledon, I'd argue. Fun fact: Maledon had 2nd highest foul rate out of all draft prospects this year.

[getrichordie]

SGA, Dort, Jackson, Bazley and Horford.

If Justin Jackson has made significant strides, I'm okay with this, but man he just makes so many mistakes on both sides of the balI. He'll be a RFA after this season and I'm just skeptical he plays anywhere close to starter level. Just not sure if it's a wise investment of role and playing time.

[ThunderBolt]

I really don't understand why we are just boiling it down to Maledon v. Hill if we are starting another guy who has ball-handling/playmaking skills beside SGA. We have another really talented guard on the roster in Ty Jerome who can make a ton of passes, handle the ball, and isn't afraid to shoot it from deep. He's more ready than Maledon, I'd argue. Fun fact: Maledon had 2nd highest foul rate out of all draft prospects this year.

I also don’t think the thunder signed Jackson as a guy just to sit on the bench. What’s up with jerome’s shooting? It’s pretty inconsistent for a shooter. Same size is small but he had some inconsistencies in college too.

[ThunderBolt]

SGA, Dort, Jackson, Bazley and Horford.

If Justin Jackson has made significant strides, I'm okay with this, but man he just makes so many mistakes on both sides of the balI. He'll be a RFA after this season and I'm just skeptical he plays anywhere close to starter level. Just not sure if it's a wise investment of role and playing time.

Jackson is bad but it just feels like we will be trying to rehab the value of him, leaf, Jackson and Jerome.

[getrichordie]

I really don't understand why we are just boiling it down to Maledon v. Hill if we are starting another guy who has ball-handling/playmaking skills beside SGA. We have another really talented guard on the roster in Ty Jerome who can make a ton of passes, handle the ball, and isn't afraid to shoot it from deep. He's more ready than Maledon, I'd argue. Fun fact: Maledon had 2nd highest foul rate out of all draft prospects this year.

I also don’t think the thunder signed Jackson as a guy just to sit on the bench. What’s up with jerome’s shooting? It’s pretty inconsistent for a shooter. Same size is small but he had some inconsistencies in college too.

He's only played 328 minutes in the NBA so there's not a large enough sample size for me to feel comfortable enough to say he's inconsistent. I just think it's tough for a guy to get in rhythm when he's played about 10 minutes a night on average (a la Jeremy Lamb). He was a career 39.2% 3P shooter in college, so I think he improves with a more consistent role. He was just in a crowded guard situation in PHX.

Frank Jackson could have a more meaningful role than I've anticipated. It just seems to me that they just want to get a look at him and have him compete with Maledon for back-up point guard. While Jackson probably has more scoring upside than Ty Jerome, I think Jerome is a guy who can be successful without the ball in his hands as well as with the ball in his hands and his defense is markedly better than Jackson and Maledon's at this point, IMO. It just feels like Jerome fits what Daigneault has been preaching -- pace and space.

[ThunderBolt]

Spoiler:

I really don't understand why we are just boiling it down to Maledon v. Hill if we are starting another guy who has ball-handling/playmaking skills beside SGA. We have another really talented guard on the roster in Ty Jerome who can make a ton of passes, handle the ball, and isn't afraid to shoot it from deep. He's more ready than Maledon, I'd argue. Fun fact: Maledon had 2nd highest foul rate out of all draft prospects this year.

I also don’t think the thunder signed Jackson as a guy just to sit on the bench. What’s up with jerome’s shooting? It’s pretty inconsistent for a shooter. Same size is small but he had some inconsistencies in college too.

He's only played 328 minutes in the NBA so there's not a large enough sample size for me to feel comfortable enough to say he's inconsistent. I just think it's tough for a guy to get in rhythm when he's played about 10 minutes a night on average (a la Jeremy Lamb). He was a career 39.2% 3P shooter in college, so I think he improves with a more consistent role. He was just in a crowded guard situation in PHX.

Frank Jackson could have a more meaningful role than I've anticipated. It just seems to me that they just want to get a look at him and have him compete with Maledon for back-up point guard. While Jackson probably has more scoring upside than Ty Jerome, I think Jerome is a guy who can be successful without the ball in his hands as well as with the ball in his hands and his defense is markedly better than Jackson and Maledon's at this point, IMO. It just feels like Jerome fits what Daigneault has been preaching -- pace and space.

I think he’s a good shooter. I’m just wondering if he’s great. Shooting 73% on free throws his final year in college was odd to me. I know very little about him. I think he’s more likely to succeed here than TJ Leaf.

It would be nice to see pace and space show up on the court. For the most part, every coach says that. I never hear a coach say they want to slow the slowest team in the league. Seeing it manifest itself on the court seems to be more dictated by personnel.

[bbms]

I really don't understand why we are just boiling it down to Maledon v. Hill if we are starting another guy who has ball-handling/playmaking skills beside SGA. We have another really talented guard on the roster in Ty Jerome who can make a ton of passes, handle the ball, and isn't afraid to shoot it from deep. He's more ready than Maledon, I'd argue. Fun fact: Maledon had 2nd highest foul rate out of all draft prospects this year.

Looked like a reclamation project to me. I wouldn't expect much out of the former 22-year old rookie. I see a player that dribbles high and releases the ball low on jump shots.

I like his effort, patience on the PNR, and he doesn't seem to have tunnel vision. But from that to a positive NBA player... might be a stretch.

I also think SGA, Jerome, Maledon are such similar and redundant players, don't think they should be stacked with each other all that much.

[getrichordie]

I really don't understand why we are just boiling it down to Maledon v. Hill if we are starting another guy who has ball-handling/playmaking skills beside SGA. We have another really talented guard on the roster in Ty Jerome who can make a ton of passes, handle the ball, and isn't afraid to shoot it from deep. He's more ready than Maledon, I'd argue. Fun fact: Maledon had 2nd highest foul rate out of all draft prospects this year.

Looked like a reclamation project to me. I wouldn't expect much out of the former 22-year old rookie. I see a player that dribbles high and releases the ball low on jump shots.

I like his effort, patience on the PNR, and he doesn't seem to have tunnel vision. But from that to a positive NBA player... might be a stretch.

I also think SGA, Jerome, Maledon are such similar and redundant players, don't think they should be stacked with each other all that much.

How can someone be a reclamation project after playing only 328 minutes as a rookie? He was the 24th pick last year and got lost in a crowded guard rotation in Phoenix. That's just a strange, strange view to have on a guy who hasn't seen much run.