Starting 5 -- Call it!

[Mediocre Man]

The center position is shaping up to be the most likely to be controversial.

With Leonard, I love how his size, energy and athleticism translated on the court in the one summer league game. But he's very raw, and he has a major rep for inconsistency. And he clearly is going to be a foul magnet.

Freeland is 5 years older and has a ton more experience playing basketball in a professional environment against grown men. If I had to put money on which of those two win out on opening night, I'd probably go with Freeland.

And then you've got 6'9 JJ Hickson. The smallest of the three, but also the most proven in the NBA, and he put up 20 PER in closing out last season with the Blazers. He's the guy I'm least excited to have protecting the rim (we lost 8 of the 10 games he started, although it's certainly not all on him).

That starting job seems wide open to me.

I don't know?

Assuming Leonard continues his assent away from other big white stiffs, he is probably the guy for years to come.

Freeland said himself he considers himself more of a stretch 4 than a 5

Hickson is the perfect stop gap, and has the potential to be a huge trade chip at the deadline

 

[Coast541]

I don't think Hickson starts, cause they need his offense in the second unit. Same reason why I think Leonard does start, because they will need very little from him offensively. It very well could be Freeland though.

 

[Natebishop3]

I don't know?

Assuming Leonard continues his assent away from other big white stiffs, he is probably the guy for years to come.

Freeland said himself he considers himself more of a stretch 4 than a 5

Hickson is the perfect stop gap, and has the potential to be a huge trade chip at the deadline

I was thinking about that and I don't think Hickson is as big of a trade chip as you think. He has no bird rights, he's on a one-year deal, and he's really not even making much money so he wouldn't qualify as a decent expiring deal.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Hickson at "center because LMA is afraid of the word"
LMA at "power forward who is always in the low post like a center but don't call me center because I cherish my knees"
Batum at "I wish I was in Minnesota, but small forward will have to do"
Matthews at "stand and shoot, guard some guys... guess I'm a shooting guard"
Lillard at "Roy"

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I was thinking about that and I don't think Hickson is as big of a trade chip as you think. He has no bird rights, he's on a one-year deal, and he's really not even making much money so he wouldn't qualify as a decent expiring deal.

We retained his Bird rights by signing him, I thought. I know I read that somewhere... not that that matters, but...

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I think the starting center is LaMarcus. After all, Chris Bosh was the starting center for the Heat, and LaMarcus is bigger than him.

 

[Mediocre Man]

I was thinking about that and I don't think Hickson is as big of a trade chip as you think. He has no bird rights, he's on a one-year deal, and he's really not even making much money so he wouldn't qualify as a decent expiring deal.

I think that is incorrect? Olshey mentioned that by signing Hickson to the one year deal they they got his Bird rights. Unless they can't be traded for some reason?

 

[Natebishop3]

We retained his Bird rights by signing him, I thought. I know I read that somewhere... not that that matters, but...

I don't think so, because we didn't extend him a qualifying offer. His cap hold came off our books and we lost our "rights" to him. We signed him to a one year deal just because.... well..... I'm not really sure. I guess just because we could and he accepted?

 

[Mediocre Man]

I don't think Hickson starts, cause they need his offense in the second unit. Same reason why I think Leonard does start, because they will need very little from him offensively. It very well could be Freeland though.

Hopefully we will get a real coach in here that doesn't play units, and instead always has a scorer on the floor

IMO, which isn't much I realize, is that Lillard, Batum, Aldridge, Williams, Hickson are all "scorers" Simply by rotating them out at different times from the 4 minute mark in the first and third to the 6 minute mark in the second and forth, we would always have a scorer on the floor

 

[Harry's Raincoat]

Mine would be (assuming currently signed players, rather than dreams):

Lillard - Matthews - Batum - Aldridge - Leonard

Smith - Williams - Babbitt - Hickson - Freeland as primary b/u's
Barton - Claver - Jeffries trying to earn PT

 

[Natebishop3]

I think that is incorrect? Olshey mentioned that by signing Hickson to the one year deal they they got his Bird rights. Unless they can't be traded for some reason?

Hey, if I'm wrong that's great. I would love to have bird rights to Hickson, but I don't see how we could have retained them after we decided not to tender him a QO and his cap hold came off our books.

 

[blue32]

Diebler, Williams, Claver, Freeland, Smith

 

[Coast541]

Hopefully we will get a real coach in here that doesn't play units, and instead always has a scorer on the floor

IMO, which isn't much I realize, is that Lillard, Batum, Aldridge, Williams, Hickson are all "scorers" Simply by rotating them out at different times from the 4 minute mark in the first and third to the 6 minute mark in the second and forth, we would always have a scorer on the floor

Yeah I agree. I kind of almost meant just keeping either Hickson or LMA on the floor, not so much second unit, but rotation.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Hey, if I'm wrong that's great. I would love to have bird rights to Hickson, but I don't see how we could have retained them after we decided not to tender him a QO and his cap hold came off our books.

That surprised me as well when Neil said it. He seemed pretty confident.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Hey, if I'm wrong that's great. I would love to have bird rights to Hickson, but I don't see how we could have retained them after we decided not to tender him a QO and his cap hold came off our books.

I have no idea? Just going by what Olshey said about his re-signing here a couple of days ago

 

[Eastoff]

Any ideas if Freeland and Hickson would work well together as the ambiguously center duo?

 

[Coast541]

This exception allows teams to exceed the cap in order to re-sign their own free agents, up to the player's maximum salary. Teams are said to have "Bird rights" to players who qualify. To qualify for this exception a player essentially must play for three seasons without clearing waivers or changing teams as a free agent, however there are nuances to this rule, which are explained in question number 32. This means a player can qualify by playing under three consecutive one-year contracts, a single contract of at least three years, or any equivalent combination. It also means that when a player is traded, his Bird rights are traded with him, and his new team can use the Larry Bird exception to re-sign him. These contracts can be up to five years in length, with raises up to 7.5% of the salary in the first season of the contract. Players who qualify for this exception are called "Qualifying Veteran Free Agents" in the CBA, and this exception is formally a component of the Veteran Free Agent exception.

Very possible because he never changed teams as a free agent, that we never lost his bird rights.

 

[Eastoff]

Very possible because he never changed teams as a free agent, that we never lost his bird rights.

As I recall, we had his bird rights but did not extend a qualifying offer. Then nobody seemed to jump on Hickson, and we lost out on Hibbert, so we went back to Hickson for a one year deal.

 

[Duckhook]

I'm a fan of starting Batum anywhere that I don't have to see him repeatedly step on the out-of-bounds line when he's trying to drive from out of the corner...

 

[Mediocre Man]

Yeah I agree. I kind of almost meant just keeping either Hickson or LMA on the floor, not so much second unit, but rotation.

I think that could easily be done, no matter who starts.

 

[Coast541]

As I recall, we had his bird rights but did not extend a qualifying offer. Then nobody seemed to jump on Hickson, and we lost out on Hibbert, so we went back to Hickson for a one year deal.

Yes, they had the hearing that originally determined we got his bird rights because he never "cleared" waivers with Sac and Bird Rights transferred for those picked up on waivers since players had no say. And since even though we did not extend a qualifying offer, and he became a free agent, he never "changed teams", therefore when resigning with us we kept his bird rights.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Any ideas if Freeland and Hickson would work well together as the ambiguously center duo?

Freeland calls himself a stretch 4, so it shouldn't be an issue

 

[Natebishop3]

I have no idea? Just going by what Olshey said about his re-signing here a couple of days ago

MAYBE it's that we lost the right to match because we didn't extend the QO, BUT we kept his bird rights? Where's Brian when you need him....

 

[Coast541]

I think that could easily be done, no matter who starts.

I just think it makes it more difficult if they both start, to pull Hickson out and then put him back in when they give LMA a small break. But possible yeah.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Hickson
Ewill
Lillard
LeMarcus
Leonard

would be one HELLL of a lineup!

Of course, a BELLL of a lineup has a ring to it.

 

[Rhal]

The starting linup will be lillard,batum,Wes,lma,hickson in whatever way you want to order them.
This year we really have to feature batum in a ball handeling roll more then he has been in the past. For anyone who thinks batums ball handeling isn't very good needs to watch him on the French team, he handles the ball a lot and he doesn't have bad hands. I'm not sure why he hasn't really taken advantage of it in the NBA but he can be a point forward much in the way pierce is. It is going to take a bit to get him adjusted to it in the NBA though.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Wizard Mentor]

The starting linup will be lillard,batum,Wes,lma,hickson in whatever way you want to order them.
This year we really have to feature batum in a ball handeling roll more then he has been in the past. For anyone who thinks batums ball handeling isn't very good needs to watch him on the French team, he handles the ball a lot and he doesn't have bad hands. I'm not sure why he hasn't really taken advantage of it in the NBA but he can be a point forward much in the way pierce is. It is going to take a bit to get him adjusted to it in the NBA though.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

Batum is my favorite blazer, so I really want to believe he'll take the next step. However, I just can't get the fact that in the playoffs the Suns put their worst defender (Steve Nash) on Batum, and Batum did squat, and it really hurt the team. The next time he drives left and does a step back will be his first.

 

[Eastoff]

I just think it makes it more difficult if they both start, to pull Hickson out and then put him back in when they give LMA a small break. But possible yeah.

This makes the most sense and giving Meyers Leonard some extra starting burn. Hickson as our 6th man/spark plug.

 

[magnifier661]

I think it goes like this:

PG: Lillard
SG: Matthews
SF: Batum
PF: Hickson
Center: Aldridge

 

[Eastoff]

I think it goes like this:

PG: Lillard
SG: Matthews
SF: Batum
PF: Hickson
Center: Aldridge

You're not going to be super optimistic and say EWill and Leonard start?