Projected Starting Lineup

[Reep]

PG: Damian Lillard=
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.

I also think Hickson will start, but remember that Leonard's only really bad game in Summer League was the night he was chucking his lunch and dinner during time outs. They guy was not feeling well.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

I totally forgot that Hickson was still on the roster.

After L.A. landed D12 and Nash everything became fuzzy.

 

[dviss1]

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?

QFT

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.

 

[THE HCP]

Dude, looking at our roster broken down like that........it's gonna be a loooooooong season FAMS!

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Dude, looking at our roster broken down like that........it's gonna be a loooooooong season FAMS!

Look on the bright side...

We can just blame Obama.

 

[THE HCP]

I bet Nic, Lillard and LA are in the top 10 in minutes played this season.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

The obvious starters are Aldridge, Batum and Lillard. I guess you add Wes to that, although Batum did best at 2G last season (that was Nate's Big Plan for the season that was derailed by injuries). So who's the fifth? It will be one of:
Leonard
Freeland
Hickson
Jeffries

From what Stotts has said, he sees Aldridge as playing Nowitzki's role in Dallace, which was always at PF, paired with a bigger center. He's even said that that plan means minutes for Leonard. My guess is that he'll actually start Leonard, but won't necessarily play him too many minutes. However, he could decide that it would be an insult to older, better players to do that.

Stotts has also said that he likes to start a role player (something that happened with him in his playing days). Trouble is, basically our entire roster is role players, so that doesn't help. But if I had to guess a surprise fave player he'll have, it would be Jeffries, because he's a very solid defender and plus/minus guy even if he has no offense whatsoever. However, Jeffries isn't a C - he's way too skinny. He's sort of Kirilenko-esque in build: tall but twig-like. So basically he can play SF or PF, which puts him in competition with our two best players. Unless Aldridge guards the centers, but that wouldn't fit with the Nowitzki narrative.

I think it's genuinely up in the air, and it will be decided in training camp. If Freeland or Hickson shows that they can even slow down opposing centers then the fifth starter spot is probably theirs for the taking. But Hickson's severe lack of D is likely to bump him to the role of bench spark.

Actually, now I look at Jeffries' stats, he weighs 240 and is 6'11". I can see him being the fifth starter. And he's a career 20mpg player, which is actually more than I thought...

[video=youtube;pV1vcckscGg]

 

[dviss1]

IMO Jefferies will get hardly any time at all. He will be fighting for minutes with Hickson, Freeland, and Leonard. I don't see many being left for him.

 

[dviss1]

Look on the bright side...

We can just blame Obama.

Might as well. He gets blamed for everything else he inherited. Our mediocre team might as well be his fault too.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

The obvious starters are Aldridge, Batum and Lillard. I guess you add Wes to that, although Batum did best at 2G last season (that was Nate's Big Plan for the season that was derailed by injuries). So who's the fifth? It will be one of:
Leonard
Freeland
Hickson
Jeffries

From what Stotts has said, he sees Aldridge as playing Nowitzki's role in Dallace, which was always at PF, paired with a bigger center. He's even said that that plan means minutes for Leonard. My guess is that he'll actually start Leonard, but won't necessarily play him too many minutes. However, he could decide that it would be an insult to older, better players to do that.

Stotts has also said that he likes to start a role player (something that happened with him in his playing days). Trouble is, basically our entire roster is role players, so that doesn't help. But if I had to guess a surprise fave player he'll have, it would be Jeffries, because he's a very solid defender and plus/minus guy even if he has no offense whatsoever. However, Jeffries isn't a C - he's way too skinny. He's sort of Kirilenko-esque in build: tall but twig-like. So basically he can play SF or PF, which puts him in competition with our two best players. Unless Aldridge guards the centers, but that wouldn't fit with the Nowitzki narrative.

I think it's genuinely up in the air, and it will be decided in training camp. If Freeland or Hickson shows that they can even slow down opposing centers then the fifth starter spot is probably theirs for the taking. But Hickson's severe lack of D is likely to bump him to the role of bench spark.

Actually, now I look at Jeffries' stats, he weighs 240 and is 6'11". I can see him being the fifth starter. And he's a career 20mpg player, which is actually more than I thought...

Why do you think Batum's best position last year was SG? Statistically, it wasn't. He shot and rebounded better at SF. He averaged 2.0 turnovers per 48 minutes at SF, and 4.8 turnovers per 48 minutes at SG. I think that's pretty glaring evidence that he is not better at SG, where he is expected to create more for himself and others. He's just not good at it.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Why do you think Batum's best position last year was SG? Statistically, it wasn't. He shot and rebounded better at SF. He averaged 2.0 turnovers per 48 minutes at SF, and 4.8 turnovers per 48 minutes at SG. I think that's pretty glaring evidence that he is not better at SG, where he is expected to create more for himself and others. He's just not good at it.

To be honest, I'm going simply on what I heard. Plus I vaguely remember him scoring more when that happened. Where are you getting stats that differentiate depending on position played?

 

[Hobbesarable]

To be honest, I'm going simply on what I heard. Plus I vaguely remember him scoring more when that happened. Where are you getting stats that differentiate depending on position played?

Here's a link for you:

http://www.82games.com/1112/11POR8.HTM

 

[THE HCP]

I thought Nic played great for us at the 2.

 

[THE HCP]

Better then anybody else!

 

[Denny Crane]

Lillard, Matthews, LMA, Hickson, and Batum

An 8-man rotation with Babbit, Leonard, and Price off the bench. I'd play Batum at SG some. You've got development minutes for Leonard, and Freeland - and maybe Barton.

 

[THE HCP]

Lillard, Matthews, LMA, Hickson, and Batum

An 8-man rotation with Babbit, Leonard, and Price off the bench. I'd play Batum at SG some. You've got development minutes for Leonard, and Freeland - and maybe Barton.

After all this time, I honestly still know nothing about Freeland and Claver or what to expect form them.

 

[Denny Crane]

Well, I think you should start your best 5 players and try to build up a lead.

I'm not a huge fan of Omer Asik, but he was used very well. Maybe you can do the same thing for Freeland.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

I thought Nic played great for us at the 2.

He could play the 2 if we had any decent SFs on our roster, but we don't.

 

[Nate Dogg]

I think Babbitt will get the same amount of playing time as last year.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Here's a link for you:

http://www.82games.com/1112/11POR8.HTM

Thanks!

I guess he scored slightly more because he took a LOT more shots. More assists but a LOT more turnovers. More blocks (unsurprisingly, I guess). Still better at SF.

But what is asked of the SG and the SF is entirely relative to the coach. For a lot of coaches, those two positions are pretty much interchangeable. And it's not even the case that you defend different people necessarily, because the best wing defender usually defends the best wing player on the other team, whatever position they're assigned. Both Batum and Wesley have taken turns on Kobe, sometimes when the other is in the game.

Pretty clear he shouldn't be at PF, though...

 

[Rastapopoulos]

He could play the 2 if we had any decent SFs on our roster, but we don't.

We don't know what Claver will be like. He's actually an ideal "Nate" SF: plays solid defense, can hit the three, doesn't demand the ball.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

After all this time, I honestly still know nothing about Freeland and Claver or what to expect form them.

Whose fault is that? There's a TON of video footage out there. Of course, most of it isn't against NBA players, but it still gives you an idea of what their styles of play are.

Click here for Freeland.
Or lots more here.

Here's a tribute video for Claver made by his Spanish team after he signed with the Blazers (classy, eh?)
[video=youtube;QuA2jgSK9z8]

Here's other stuff.

 

[Blazer4ever]

Other than a minute or two in garbage time with the Spanish team, I've got to see him only once for Valencia and he didn't really impress me, not sure I would have even noticed him if he wasn't already a Blazers pick. He seemed too lethargic and passive. Does have skills, a refined player but I was somewhat disappointed.

Freeland I've never seen play. I've always been skeptical about him for some reason but today I've found out he was 3rd in the spanish league and 5th in the euroleague in Rebounds per game last season. That's encouraging.

 

[dviss1]

Lillard, Matthews, LMA, Hickson, and Batum

An 8-man rotation with Babbit, Leonard, and Price off the bench. I'd play Batum at SG some. You've got development minutes for Leonard, and Freeland - and maybe Barton.

There's no way that Babbit gets more time than Claver. Price??? Hilarious. That cat is injury insurance nothing more. We have way more interest vested in seeing Nolan at backup.

 

[Denny Crane]

There's no way that Babbit gets more time than Claver. Price??? Hilarious. That cat is injury insurance nothing more. We have way more interest vested in seeing Nolan at backup.

Nolan Smith is a PG?

And I think Babbit is pretty good for a 2nd unit player at this point in his development.

Claver and Freeland are going to have a tough time staying out of foul trouble. The NBA game is that much faster than they're used to.

 

[dviss1]

Nolan Smith is a PG?

And I think Babbit is pretty good for a 2nd unit player at this point in his development.

Claver and Freeland are going to have a tough time staying out of foul trouble. The NBA game is that much faster than they're used to.

Again, Babbit is GARBAGE. He's never played significant minutes, nor has he shown he is a capable backup. I'll bet dollars to doughnuts he is either traded or option not picked up in the offseason. Whatever you say about Nolan still doesn't mean he won't be the 1st guy to spell Lillard. He IS our backup. Price won't sniff 3-5 mins per. Say what you want about are Euros too (Freeland/Claver) but they will see 10-15 mins per game. Freeland even more since we only have one C.

These are my predictions. Chastise me after they don't come true. But watch, they will.

 

[jlprk]

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.

Actually, now I look at Jeffries' stats, he weighs 240 and is 6'11". I can see him being the fifth starter. And he's a career 20mpg player, which is actually more than I thought...

NOW we're startin' to wise up! At first Jeffries will get the most minutes at center. Freeland will equal him later and Leonard never will, this season. As for who starts, who cares, I'm talkin' bout minutes!

 

[jlprk]

IMO Jefferies will get hardly any time at all. He will be fighting for minutes with Hickson, Freeland, and Leonard. I don't see many being left for him.

If Hickson plays like he played last year in LA's absence, I would REALLY consider Trading LA.

I agree with you on Hickson (and Babbitt) but Jeffries will be our most foul-free center with height.