Injuries would force Udoka to mix it up...more than he likes and his favorite words 'Expedite things'.
What could go wrong? I guess something potentially crazy and unthinkable like one of the players in your proposed "lineup" having a season-ending injury without logging a single minute. It would be totally insane and unprecedented and unlikely, but it could in theory happen.
I think if you let Reed start, his confidence will continue to grow. Apples don’t grow over night. It takes time. I really think Reed will be our answer at PG and as a sniper.
Reed will have a major role on this team by default. He and Holiday are the only two actual guards on the roster who can walk without crutches. Reed will have every opportunity to prove himself as the starter. Unfortunately, he was pretty bad last season and it would be an extraordinary leap for him to become a decent starter this year. I think the most likely situation is that the Rockets add another guard on December 15th once they have some more flexibility. I anticipate a player like Dennis Schroeder being the temporary solution for the rest of this season. Reed can then develop as the backup. We're gonna lose plenty of games in the early part of this season because of our guard situation. Our frontcourt is as loaded as any in the NBA. The backcourt is depressing. (Amen is clearly a forward who we are praying can manage at SG).
I get why most people think being a starter means elevated pressure, but in this case I think Reed would actually have less on his plate as a starter... He wouldn't be counted on to be the primary creator on offense...Sengun and KD are going to demand a bulk of the defenses attention...and then Amen will likely be next in the pecking order...Plus there will be a lot loss defensive pressure on him on the perimeter while sharing the court with Amen. Let him and Bari be the first sub outs and then bring them back in with the bench crew.
I see this: PG Amen SG Finney-Smith SF Durant PF Jabari C Sengun 6th man Reed Bench Adams Eason Tate I think that will be the 9... I could see them try and pickup some more bench pieces at some point... the depth has taken a hit moving multiple players for Durant and FVV going down.
Amen was drafted as a point guard. He played it as a prep and all his draft profiles say he's best suited there. I'm not sure what you're seeing that says he's not capable of running an offense...
I mostly agree with this but Capela will load manage with Adams. Adams needs to save his body for when it matters most. I also see Okogie getting more burn than Tate, with Tari as 6th man.
I’m very confident Amen can handle a role where over 60% of the time his job is to get the ball to Sengun or Durant in a spot they like. The rest of the time Amen will Amen - which is to drive and dish/dunk. There are definitely easier minutes/matchups that will allow him to freelance a little more. I’m also confident in Reed. He seems to be an adult weight now even though he’s still not strong enough. Ime put him through a rigorous defensive mini camp of sorts this summer and he’s not an unwilling defender. 90% of his role will be to get the ball to Amen, Durant or Sengun asap or hit open 3’s. I genuinely think he’ll be ready for that before December 15.
I think alot will depend on how training camp goes but if Ime had to pick a starting lineup today I think he would go: PG: Amen SG: Durant SF: Tari PF: Jabari C: Sengun Either way I think the offense is going to be very Sengun centric the start of the season. DFS being injured is a big question mark when he gets healthy. If he starts over Eason or not. I think right now Eason would be the starter based on how much Ime likes, and trusts him. Reed probably is the first player off the bench though, and certainly is the player that Ime and Stone really want to make work more than anyone given how much they need the 3 point threat to space the floor. It's just the question of him being big enough to guard NBA players, and his handle under pressure to consistently be able to get the ball up the floor and get the offense going as fast as needed. Just understanding Ime and how much he views defense as important to what they do, I would bet money Tari starts over Reed to start the pre-season. We'll see what kind of camp and preseason he has though.
I agree with all of that but curious to see if his defensive effort drops if he is a more active part of the offense. I believe Amen can be more impactful offensively but would hate to see his all world defense suffer from it unless we find out he can do some elite things offensively.
