Predict the center rotation for 2021-2022

[parsnips33]

Who starts? How many minutes for Looney, Wiseman, Draymond, Bjelica, etc at center? Does Kuminga get any run as a small ball 5?

[Mylie10]

Looney starts 20-25
Wiseman 20-25
Bjelica bouncing from pf to center 15
Draymond 48 minutes per game

[TB]

Something like this for our bigs if everyone is healthy. But there is going to be garbage time and rest days and injuries that will provide plenty of minutes here and there for Kuminga or any of the guys not taking that particular game off.

Dray (22) Otto (16) JTA (5) Bjelica (5)
Wiseman (20) Looney (15) Dray (8) Bjelica (5)

[FNQ]

No way Wiseman starts.. how crazy would it be to put him in the exact same situation he failed in last year? ‘Oh you’re injured in the offseason again, still raw, and failed in this exact position last year? Well I’m feelin lucky so…’

[TB]

I think Looney starts unless we get Simmons, in which case I wouldn't be surprised if Bjelica starts.

I've got Wiseman leading the minutes though, even if he isn't starting each half.

[GunnerWRX]

Looney starts 20-25
Wiseman 20-25
Bjelica bouncing from pf to center 15
Draymond 48 minutes per game

Pretty much it. Looney will start.

Looney will be the first or second starter to sub out. Wiseman will get some run with the starters, then the bench as the remaining starters sub out. Steph plays nearly the whole 1st quarter anyway.

If he does well, he will get more minutes and eventually (hopefully) replace Looney in the starting lineup.

[parsnips33]

I think Looney starts unless we get Simmons, in which case I wouldn't be surprised if Bjelica starts.

I've got Wiseman leading the minutes though, even if he isn't starting each half.

I imagine Porter would get the start if we got Simmons. Seems like Draymond and Simmons would be the 2 "bigs" at least to start games

[Samurai]

As the team stands now, Looney is the clear starter. Knows the system, knows where to be, and knows how to set screens for Curry. Wiseman is much more athletic and explosive so having his energy, particularly with the 2nd unit, could turn that group into a shot of adrenaline for a change of pace. The idea of JW and JK sprinting the court to fill the lanes on a fast break could be really exciting. I could see Belly on the court with Draymond a lot to give us another 3-point threat in an effort to keep the defense from clogging the lane, which will inevitably happen if Dray and Looney are together too long. Belly can help offset Dray's lack of shooting and Dray's defense can help cover when Belly is beaten off the dribble.

[floppymoose]

If Klay and Looney are 100% in the playoffs GS is going to surprise.

[clyde21]

if Wiseman starts the season as C1 someone is smokin that good kush on Kerr's staff

no time to babysit this year, simplify his role off the bench, we just need his size, come in from the bench use size to protect the paint and grab a few boards, anything extra is icing on the cake but we better not repeat last year's failed experiment.

[Commodor]

I am in the camp that Wiseman should be a starter for development's sake. He needs to hone his screens for Curry/Klay and get his timing down for alley-oops.

Looney off the bench with Igs-Poole-OPJ-Beli-JTA as the primary bench mob works pretty well with all that spacing. I assume Moody/Kuminga/Mulder/Lee will play pretty sparingly for most of the year.

If we want to compete and ignore development it should be Looney starting and likely will be.

[Mob Byers]

I think Looney will get 20 mpg MAX

28 minutes split between Wiseman/Green/Bjelica

[The-Power]

If Wiseman comes into training camp much improved, outplays Looney and shows synergy with the starters, then why shouldn't he start? Yes, you don't just start him and hope for the best. He has to earn his spot. But if he does, then there's absolutely no reason not to start him just because he struggled last season.

If you want to win, you reward players for playing well. Especially at a position that is wide open and up for grabs. I'm not saying it's likely that Wiseman has turned the corner already under once again adverse off-season circumstances but I see no point in ruling out that he starts in the case that he convinces the coaches that he actually has settled in.

Also, starting really doesn't matter all that much if you expect two players to play significant minutes anyway. In that case, it's about line-ups and game strategies you think will work best. Looney certainly has the benefit of the doubt next to Curry and Dray but there might be other reasons to prefer him coming off the bench and Wiseman starting, too (provided Wiseman understands and executes his role better).

Off the bench, his experience could help the younger players of the second unit, he could play against smaller and more mobile bigs off the bench and he could have more of a decision-making role that otherwise is occupied by Draymond (whereas Wiseman could just play off of Curry and Green á la McGee on offense).

As a starter, he would have the benefit of the experience of playing with Curry and Green effectively and he is the safer option to not have the team trail early because of hiccups in the execution of the game plan, as he knows his role and Kerr's basketball. The second unit might also be more PnR-heavy which would help Wiseman more than Looney.

Of course, all of this matters only if Wiseman shows noticeable improvement once the team gets seriously together. But if he does, the decision who to start should be based primarily on those kind of considerations.

[lars_rosenberg]

If Wiseman comes into training camp much improved, outplays Looney and shows synergy with the starters, then why shouldn't he start?

That's not a reasonable expectation.
Obviously if he deserves to start he'll get the spot, but it's unlikely it will happen at all the start of the season.

[The-Power]

If Wiseman comes into training camp much improved, outplays Looney and shows synergy with the starters, then why shouldn't he start?

That's not a reasonable expectation.
Obviously if he deserves to start he'll get the spot, but it's unlikely it will happen at all the start of the season.

I mentioned in the very next paragraph that I don't think it's very likely. I just don't understand the ‘no way you can start Wiseman’ crowd even if he did indeed show up much improved and outplayed Looney.

[FNQ]

If Wiseman comes into training camp much improved, outplays Looney and shows synergy with the starters, then why shouldn't he start?

That's not a reasonable expectation.
Obviously if he deserves to start he'll get the spot, but it's unlikely it will happen at all the start of the season.

I mentioned in the very next paragraph that I don't think it's very likely. I just don't understand the ‘no way you can start Wiseman’ crowd even if he did indeed show up much improved and outplayed Looney.

Because Looney annihilated him last year in games that count, so Wiseman should need more than a good camp to unseat the incumbent, if nothing else out of respect for the veteran who played well. If Wiseman has improved, he'll take the role

[Outside]

I am firmly in the Wiseman doesn't start camp. Besides not working well last year and giving him (and us) PTSD, he needs lowered expectations and to build confidence against the other team's second unit instead of starters. The offense works differently for the bench mob versus the starters, and he fits better with that. I'd define his role this way:

1. Rebound
2. Do what Draymond says
3. Rebound
4. Keep moving on offense
5. Rebound
6. Set screens
7. After setting the screen, rolllllll goddamit
8. Follow-slam misses by teammates (which is also rebounding)
9. Use post moves (notice the plural)
10. Take the occasional midrange shot or three

[Coxy]

We could even roll with Draymond starting at C, and bring Otto Porter on to play the 2nd forward spot if he is fit enough. It'll depend on the matchups a lot.

[Outside]

We could even roll with Draymond starting at C, and bring Otto Porter on to play the 2nd forward spot if he is fit enough. It'll depend on the matchups a lot.

I'm not for that. Draymond at center is limited minutes, death lineup only stuff. Not even that much in the regular season, mostly for the postseason. Draymond's career has a limited lifespan, probably more limited than Steph.

If we are to hope for any more real championship contention, we have to preserve Steph, Klay, and Dray as the championship core. I desperately want another title, a non-KD title. They don't need that to validate themselves as one of the great dynasties in NBA history, but man, that would be sweet validation indeed. I love these guys, that's what I want for them (and of course, selfishly for me). Extending Draymond's effectiveness as long as possible is key to that, as is Klay recovering to near the form he had when he tore his ACL. Regular season minutes at center for Draymond are counterproductive to that goal.

On a side note, Klay was AWESOME in the finals against the Raptors. He was the best he'd ever been. If he didn't tear his ACL, the Warriors had a real chance to win that series. Steph in some ways is better than he's ever been. If we extend Draymond's peak for another three years and Klay can come back like KD came back, then this **** is real. Likely not this season, but next season and the season after.

[The-Power]

That's not a reasonable expectation.
Obviously if he deserves to start he'll get the spot, but it's unlikely it will happen at all the start of the season.

I mentioned in the very next paragraph that I don't think it's very likely. I just don't understand the ‘no way you can start Wiseman’ crowd even if he did indeed show up much improved and outplayed Looney.

Because Looney annihilated him last year in games that count, so Wiseman should need more than a good camp to unseat the incumbent, if nothing else out of respect for the veteran who played well. If Wiseman has improved, he'll take the role

So let's assume Wiseman shows up and plays great in the line-ups with the starters and looks generally much improved, and the coaching stuff believes he's going to be better than Looney this season as the starting Center. So we don't start him in order to ‘show respect’ to a career-back up Center who has to play limited minutes and might not even care about starting, fully expecting that a bunch of games into the season we'll have to flip everything over again and change starting line-ups? Seems awfully cumbersome to get out of the way to not start the guy to start the season. Again: this is based on the aforementioned assumption, and not necessarily what I predict will actually happen; it's a hypothetical for the time being.

Also, we all agree that both players will split minutes next season, don't we? So even if Looney is still more impactful than Wiseman, Wiseman will still get his minutes. What if the coaches believed that pairing Wiseman with the starters to start games and having Looney come off the bench is a better strategy for whatever reasons (see my longer post for some possible thoughts)? In that case, the fact that Looney ‘annihilated’ Wiseman last year is pretty irrelevant because the minutes are going to be split either way and all you do is pick the timing of when to play Looney instead of Wiseman and make use of his superior impact (i.e. we're not talking about a competition for minutes but about strategic timing, because Looney's minutes are capped now matter what).