06-14-2024, 09:20 AM
(06-13-2024, 10:35 PM)RGP1981 Wrote: So with this lineup... who's playing defense on Shai, Antman, Booker/Beal, Fox, Morant, Jalen Brown, etc?
TBH, I'd rather go with Patrick Williams than Middleton in a lineup like this... because PWill is better suited to play defense on positions 2-3-4 (although he will have issues with the really quick perimeter guys too).
Anyway, I like the Celtics approach better... i.e., having 2x physically strong, 6'4"-6'6", two-way combo guards who can create, score, shoot, defend.
- Jrue, White, Luka, PJW, Lively/Gafford
Mavericks can't get those two guys of course, just listing to ask... how good does that lineup look?
Or stick with Luka/Kyrie duo but add a 3rd scorer to come off the bench to spell either of them (such as Coby White).
- Kyrie, DJJ, Luka, PJW, Lively/Gafford
- Coby, DJJ, Luka, PJW, Lively/Gafford
- Kyrie, Coby, DJJ, PJW, Lively/Gafford
To answer your question, probably Irving on guards and Washington on forwards. Obviously no one is stopping them, it is a collective team job.
Going for Williams, who's creating offense besides Luka or Kyrie? Another "3&D" player wouldn't solve our offensive issues. Middleton could play the SG along with Doncic or Kyrie with Jones coming off the bench to fill the SF void.
The 3rd scorer I'd love to add are Brogdon and McCollum, White is on the rise, probably expensive and wouldn't like coming off the bench (same with Lavine/Herro).
Maybe a Hunter/Bogdanovic for Kleber/Green/Hardaway/'25 DAL 1st solves some of our issues? Still like Middleton better as a 3rd scorer and long enough to not get bullied on D.
Doncic/Exum
Irving/Bogdanovic
Hunter/Jones?
Washington/Prosper
Lively/Gafford
We just paid a whole lot of money to a guy that went 9-29 (31%) on FG and 3-20 (15%) 3-pt% in both our win or go home elimination games last couple of playoffs. SMH