10-31-2022, 12:05 PM
(10-31-2022, 10:07 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: Maxi tends to only play about 24 a game. So, if you stagger with 30 minute Wood, there just isn’t enough time for much overlap. So far, it is the overlap minutes that have worked best.
I think mvossman is probably closer. The team has shown zero inclination to play Wood as a solo big except in very brief spurts against bench units. The one time they tried it, Kidd told the media “see, I knew it wouldn’t work”. I’ve thought there could be some kind of adjustment as time went on and Wood got more comfortable in our system. That may still happen, but the early evidence just isn’t good (if we are talking about what is happening vs. what some think should happen).
Thanks to Sefant and 1998 for adding to the discussion. I really like the idea of Maxi/Wood/DFS/Bullock (or Green) and Luka starting and getting about 24 minutes as a unit. That leaves about 6-8 minutes of Wood as the solo-big during transitions. If you try to map out the full rotation, you run into an issue. You kind of have to start DFS and you kind of have to play him at PF when Powell is in and Maxi and Wood are out and when Wood is in as the solo-big. Dorian can’t play 48 minutes and we don’t really have another PF. Short of trading for someone like Crowder, the solution is more Powell/McGee playing with Wood. Short of that, it is hard to start Maxi/Wood and make sense of the rest of the rotation.
One other note on the Powell numbers. Not that I want to disrespect what he’s done the last two games, but it has come against Orlando and OKC. I like Luka and DP running PnR against bench units. I’m not ready to start him full time against good teams. McGee isn’t working either and as illustrated above, it is hard to make Maxi/Wood starting a thing unless DFS goes to the bench or Powell/McGee and Maxi eat up all of the Center minutes. The other logical possibility is Wood/DFS starting at C/PF, but as I’ve said several times, Kidd has shown zero inclination toward that.
I'm thinking you could give DFS a breather when Max/Wood/Luka are on the court. He could play 6 with them to start the game and 6 with them to finish. The rest of his time would be playing power forward. Maybe Bertans can give him a few minutes breather from that?