Projected Starting Lineup

[Hobbesarable]

What do you think is the projected starting lineup for our Blazers?

5 - Freeland
4 - LA
3 - Batum
2 - Wes
1 - Lillard

Which players will have a key role as a reserve?
5 - Meyers
4 - Hickson
3 - Claver
2 - Barton
1 - Nolan

 

[dviss1]

Starters

5 - Leonard
4 - LA
3 - Batum
2 - Wesley
1 - Lillard

Kkey role players?
5 - Hickson (will be our 6th man IMO)
4 - Freeland
3 - Barton (I think he will surprise us)
2 - Nolan
1 - Claver (not expecting much at all but who knows? If he can be a spot up shooter he's FAR more athletic than Babbit will ever be.)

 

[RR7]

Lillard/Nolan
Wes/Barton
Batum
Aldridge/Hickson
Leonard/Freeland

9 man rotation, with a lot of smaller lineups, IMO, with Nolan and Lillard playing together, Wes at the 3. Barton at the 3 on occasion.

 

[THE HCP]

Not even going to reply! If you had read the god damn rules rookie........ you need at least 250 posts in order start a thread! Somebody lock this thread down ASAP!

 

[MARIS61]

What do you think is the projected starting lineup for our Blazers?

5 - Leonard
4 - LA
3 - Batum
2 - Wes
1 - Lillard

Which players will have a key role as a reserve?

Nolan

 

[THE HCP]

Maris! Don't reply to this thread!!!

 

[dviss1]

Maris! Don't reply to this thread!!!

Balls on your head for this.

How many times are YOU going to reply? You have 2x already. To add your wack comments you HAD to press the Reply button!



Rookie to the forum don't mean rookie to the team.

 

[Hobbesarable]

Not even going to reply! If you had read the god damn rules rookie........ you need at least 250 posts in order start a thread! Somebody lock this thread down ASAP!

Looks like I made a new friend!

 

[dviss1]

Looks like I made a new friend!

For once, I'd like to see a basketball related post from HCP.

 

[THE HCP]

For once, I'd like to see a basketball related post from HCP.

It's the off season son..... nothin' to talk about.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Man the rookies are tearing up HCP.

 

[dviss1]

It's the off season son..... nothin' to talk about.

Whatchu talkin' bout' money? This is BIG news right here :

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/223474/Nets_Sign_Andray_Blatche

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

PG: Damian Lillard
SG: Wesley Matthews
SF: Nicolas Batum
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge
C: Joel Freeland

I think/hope Meyers is the COTF but he showed in Vegas that he has a LONG way to go -- outside allyoops he was very, VERY raw.

 

[dviss1]

I think/hope Meyers is the COTF but he showed in Vegas that he has a LONG way to go -- outside allyoops he was very, VERY raw.

IMO That kid will be a MUCH better Shot Blocker and Rebounder than Freeland. We don't need scoring (especially from the post) from Meyers.
I also think that Freeland/Hickson would be better off the bench than Meyers/Hickson. Freeland/Aldridge starting means LOTS of missed opportunities for rebounds.
Without which, you cannot start a fast break.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

For once, I'd like to see a basketball related post from HCP.

Don't get your hopes up, I've been waiting for 3 years.

 

[ebott]

Starters

Meyers starts at center. Somebody's gotta play defense.
Aldridge is number 1 in the league for minutes played
Batum is going to disappoint, but wadayagonnado, start Luke Babbitt?
Mathews will be absolutely mediocre. Statistically the 15th best shooting guard.
Lillard wins rookie of the year

Backups

Hickson is the guy that should start but doesn't cause we need to start a center. I predict he plays twice as much as Meyers
Will Barton is the first guard off the bench. He's the black Rudy Fernandez. Meyers needs to elbow Trevor Ariza in the face to send a message.

HUGE DROP OFF

Nolan Smith is not an NBA quality player, but he's the only other guy that can play the point so he'll get plenty of burn.
Joel Freeland will wish he had stayed in Europe. He'll play like ten minutes a game and everybody will feel bad for him.

HUGER DROP OFF!!!!

Viktor Claver sucks
Luke Babbitt is the worst player in the league

 

[Pinwheel1]

IMO That kid will be a MUCH better Shot Blocker and Rebounder than Freeland. We don't need scoring (especially from the post) from Meyers.
I also think that Freeland/Hickson would be better off the bench than Meyers/Hickson. Freeland/Aldridge starting means LOTS of missed opportunities for rebounds.
Without which, you cannot start a fast break.

Another question is what is our line-up at the end of games? I think that will be LMA/Hickson.
But to start the game I think it will be either Freeland or Meyers. My guess is Meyers but he will get into foul trouble quickly and Freeland will be in early.

But I see LMA at center to close games, so depending on the score and the opponent, either Hickson or Claver could be at the 4 with Wes, Nic and Lillard.

 

[Natebishop3]

I still think the starters at the beginning of the season will be:

Lillard
Matthews
Batum
Aldridge
Hickson

That might change, but those are the five most logical choices in my opinion. The reason why I go with Hickson over Freeland or Leonard is because he is experienced and he's talented. The guy has shown he can produce as a starter in the league. While I think Freeland is probably a safe choice as well, I think Leonard is a ways off from starting. He showed me some stuff in the summer league, and I think he's further along than I originally anticipated, but if we want to win games and we're trying to put our best five on the floor, that five has to include Hickson.

 

[jlprk]

Curious. A thread about our centers, and not one mention of our only experienced center, Jared Jeffries.

 

[Mediocre Man]

I still think it will be

Lillard
Matthews
Batum
Aldridge
Hickson

 

[Eastoff]

Hickson starts over Meyers; Everyone else is obvious.

based off http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/9/1...terry-stotts-interviewed-on-blazers-courtside

We are going to push the tempo, I'm going to have our point guards push it up, and our wing guys will get out and run. I think our bigs, Meyers does a good job of running and LaMarcus is a very agile four man. J.J. Hickson is an athletic five man.

and

Now, whether it's because big men take more time or whatever, I don't want to say today that Meyers is going to come along slowly. If he's ready to start opening night, he'll start opening night. To say that he's going to be the starter opening night, I think that's too early to say too.

 

[BBert]

I agree Hickson starts over Meyers to start the season. Leonard will start at some point, after the AS break but hopefully he's ready sooner, like after 20 games. The rest are as was said obvious.

 

[illmatic99]

The only real debate is at C. I too think Hickson will start at first but get relegated to the bench after Leonard comes on late.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Who are our rotation players is also an interesting question...

Starters:
Hickson
LA
Batum
Wesley
Lillard

Other Rotation Players:
Leonard
Freeland (may get bumped out of rotation if Hickson plays the 5 well).
Barton
Nolan

Injury Insurance:
Claver
Babbitt

Practice Player Only:
Price (because he sucks)
Jeffries (because he's old)

Injured:
Pavlovic (isn't he injured?)
Williams

 

[Mediocre Man]

Rotation might deserve it's own thread. I'll get right on that......Things Mrs HCP says for $100, Alex




Oops

 

[RR7]

I think I'd start Leonard over Hickson, so that hickson can provide a scoring punch off the bench.
Lillard/Matthews/Batum/Aldridge/Hickson leaves
Nolan/Barton/Babbitt/Freeland/Leonard.

versus
Lillard/Matthews/Batum/Aldridge/Leonard
Nolan/Barton/Babbitt/Freeland/Hickson.

IU'm not necessarily trying to look at the whole team as a matter of units, and know that it is generally unlikely that all 5 bench players will be in at the same time. But I would think there is a good chance that the two bench bigs, whoever they may be, will likely see minutes together often, and I think Hickson and Freeland will pair better than leonard and Freeland, in getting SOME offense out of someone. With Leonard to the bench, I think it makes Nolan Smith as your primary source of offense there. Can't remember if it was Stotts or Olshey who commented on not necessarily having your best 5 starting?

 

[blue32]

Starters

Meyers starts at center. Somebody's gotta play defense.
Aldridge is number 1 in the league for minutes played
Batum is going to disappoint, but wadayagonnado, start Luke Babbitt?
Mathews will be absolutely mediocre. Statistically the 15th best shooting guard.
Lillard wins rookie of the year

Backups

Hickson is the guy that should start but doesn't cause we need to start a center. I predict he plays twice as much as Meyers
Will Barton is the first guard off the bench. He's the black Rudy Fernandez. Meyers needs to elbow Trevor Ariza in the face to send a message.

HUGE DROP OFF

Nolan Smith is not an NBA quality player, but he's the only other guy that can play the point so he'll get plenty of burn.
Joel Freeland will wish he had stayed in Europe. He'll play like ten minutes a game and everybody will feel bad for him.

HUGER DROP OFF!!!!

Viktor Claver sucks
Luke Babbitt is the worst player in the league

This....

And I wish E-Will wasn't hurt... /cry

 

[Pinwheel1]

I think I'd start Leonard over Hickson, so that hickson can provide a scoring punch off the bench.
Lillard/Matthews/Batum/Aldridge/Hickson leaves
Nolan/Barton/Babbitt/Freeland/Leonard.

versus
Lillard/Matthews/Batum/Aldridge/Leonard
Nolan/Barton/Babbitt/Freeland/Hickson.

IU'm not necessarily trying to look at the whole team as a matter of units, and know that it is generally unlikely that all 5 bench players will be in at the same time. But I would think there is a good chance that the two bench bigs, whoever they may be, will likely see minutes together often, and I think Hickson and Freeland will pair better than leonard and Freeland, in getting SOME offense out of someone. With Leonard to the bench, I think it makes Nolan Smith as your primary source of offense there. Can't remember if it was Stotts or Olshey who commented on not necessarily having your best 5 starting?

I agree. That's why I said I see Hickson finishing games but not necessarily starting them. He is a good option to provide a spark off the bench.

 

[RoyToy]

Price
Matthews
Batum
Aldridge
Leonard

 

[dviss1]

Curious. A thread about our centers, and not one mention of our only experienced center, Jared Jeffries.

That's because he's not and never has been a Center.

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/jared_jeffries/