My rough guestimate of our 10-man rotation to start the year with the team healthy as is. PG: Green (32) / Christopher (16) SG: Porter (32) / Mathews (16) SF: Gordon (24) / Martin (24) PF: Smith (24) / Tate (24) C: Sengun (28) / Favors (14) / Smith (6) I'm hoping we move EG to open up the rotation for the young guys. Slide EG out, push Tate up to SF, and plug Garuba/Eason in at backup PF.
KPJ(31)/Green(17) Green(14)/EG(16)/Tate(18) EG(12)/Martin(26)/Tate(10) Jabari(20)/Tari(28) Sengun(28)/Bruno(10)/Jabari(10) Breakdown: KPJ(31mins), Green(31mins), Jabari(30mins) Sengun(28mins), Tari(28mins), EG(28mins) Tate(28mins), Martin(26mins), Bruno(10mins)
My favorite rotation will be center when a bad free throw shooter has to match up with Sengun, Boban, Bruno, Garuba, Smith, Tate, WCS, Favors, and go to the free throw line 40 times.
Not bad but: • EG getting closer to 22-24min per game • Tate will get some minutes at the 4 • Tari will start slow and eventually play more as the season wears on. It will be hard to keep him off the court. • JC will have a role. With EG and Tari's minutes down from your breakdown, I see about 12min for someone to step in like a combination of JC and (fill in name here), depending on the need. Crazy how stacked the roster is suddenly and there will be some good players not getting on the court. No high end talent YET but a ton of potential
I desperately want Josh to get minutes, but I just don't see it since they refused to trade EG. Get EG out of the way, and there is about 28 minutes per game for JC.
Silas and Stone love EG. His minutes aren't going down. They've had multiple chances to trade him for picks, but won't budge. I don't agree with it, but he is a fixture. Tate has supposedly lost weight over the summer. He was already only 6'4". So, now he's short and lighter...if I see him at the 4 over Tari, I will lose it. Tari has earned to right to get just as much playing time as Jabari, in my opinion. Play him just as much as Jabari. JC will have a role whenever they get rid of EG. Those minutes should go to Josh. He's earned it, but EG is in the way. I feel bad for JC. He doesn't need anymore Gleague.
Tate isn't going to play SG. EG is probably only going to play 20-22 mpg. Using your minutes allocation, these two simple changes opens up 24 mpg for Christopher. The 3, 4, and 5 is where the minutes bloodshed happens.
Eric Gordon has never played less than 28 minutes per game in a season in his CAREER (14 seasons). Silas loves Eric. Eric's minutes aren't dropping. He should have been traded. I want Josh to get minutes, but I don't see where. Tate has played the 1 and the 2 for us before. I vividly remember him dropping 10 dimes as our point guard when everyone else was out. Media says he has worked on his 3 point shot, if true...why not give him minutes at the 2?
Josh Christopher has never played less than 18 mpg in his career. I expect the minutes come from EG, but he's getting minutes from someplace whether or not your mind can find a way. Tate can be a hub a the SF or PF. Your mind not comprehend it, but Tate isn't going to play without 2 guards on the court. Silas can love EG all he wants. Outside of Christopher's game just falling apart, there is no way Stone will allow Silas not to play Christopher.
Porter 30 Green 30 Gordon 25 Smith 30 Sengun 30 JC 20 Nix 20 Tate 20 Bruno/Martin/Eason 35 Used round numbers for simplicity. The big questions are how much C are they OK with Smith playing, and do they want an actual backup PG versus just playing without. If they want Smith playing mostly 4, one of the young players is likely out of the rotation in favor of Bruno. I suspect Nix will be in the rotation to start the season, and Bruno will play depending on matchup with Martin/Eason usually being in the rotation. Don't see any way Tate/JC aren't regulars, and I suspect Eason will soon force his way into that spot as well.
I'd rather not play any backup 5 and just run small ball with throwing our "forwards" at teams when Sengun sits. Garuba should get spot minute and that's about it for anyone else. Boban gets to be our victory cigar but I don't see any value to throwing Favors out there. Imagine Tate+Eason coming in right when Sengun/Gordon sights down. That sort of energy to just throw at teams is going to be sooo fun to watch.
Lucas “everyone gets a turn” Scoot and Bruno pick and roll from the top of the key with Smith in the corner while Eason sets a screen for Green on the back side. Lots of fundamental options would be fun to watch, too.
