Game 33: Dallas Mavericks (19-14) vs. Golden State Warriors (15-17) 132-122 WIN

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

I think Curry and Hardy are immaterial to the playoff rotation for a healthy team.  So, I don’t see the logjam.  it is just THJ and Green and both are needed.  

At full strength THJ currently rotates with Kyrie and Luka to provide two “scorers” on the floor.  THJ’s lack of creation and playmaking isn’t ideal for the role, but it is made up by the fact that…

Exum (who can play-make for others) and Green rotate as point of attack defenders.

GWill splits minutes with DJJ as bigger wing defenders.  Grant has gotten a few minutes as a small-ball center recently, but in this game against this team that didn’t happen.  Lively and someone will split center minutes even if Grant gets some.

To me, the rotation at full strength looks like:

Scorers (Luka, Irving and THJ)
POA Defense (Exum and Green)
Bigger Wing D (DJJ and GWill)
Center (Lively and someone….Powell has gotten the bulk of these minutes)

Everyone else is either developmental (OMax and Hardy) or here for injury protection or injured themselves.  To me, Green isn’t the one to jettison.  THJ’s spot would be better used by someone with a more diverse skill set that includes playmaking or defense or even better….both.  If we had a bigger player with that skill set, Green and Exum would be ideal for the remaining role

I agree with all this but I would add (and I know we kind of disagree on this front) that the players you have listed defending bigger wings aren’t really that big of wings themselves. I also think that while DJJ can defend off ball (you win) he’s also shown to be able to defend the point of attack in the event that Green is jettison so you don’t really lose that (in fact you get better there because Green is still just a POA defender on paper in my opinion, I want to see better screen navigation). You obviously have to consider Green vs DJJs contract though because while DJJ can help you survive losing Green this season he may be gone by next season. Overall I’m pro keeping Green into next season but trading him is something I’m way more open to now than I was in October.

Right now everything is kind of a good problem to have, it’s amazing they got the roster into this position based on where we were when we made the Kyrie trade. If I was the GM I’d be looking at Holmes/Hardy/SRP trades this deadline and then Hardaway/Maxi/FRP(s) trades this offseason to fill out the roster but there’s a lot of different ways to skin this cat right now is all I’m saying.