Who starts doesn’t really matter. Who actually gets minutes does. That said, starting does matter in one way: I’d rather open with a strong defensive unit to set the tone and keep the other team from getting into an early rhythm. BB is a rhythm game, and you don’t want to gift anyone an easy path into it. That’s why I don’t love the idea of Sengun guarding a so-called non-shooter, only to watch that guy turn into a sniper that same night (even though I get the game plan). And it’s why the Harden years frustrated me at times. I had high expectations, but it drove me crazy seeing random guys go off and drop career highs on those Rockets teams.
