08-19-2024, 05:09 PM
(08-19-2024, 01:09 PM)mvossman Wrote: 1 This is more a question of depth than who gets penciled in as the backup PF. Maxi is probably the guy penciled in there, but my guess is that Naji plays more actual minutes in that role.
2 The question is what happens when say both Maxi and PJ are out? My guess is that the forward rotation will be 2 of Naji/Luka/Klay for any meaningful minutes (assuming Omax is not ready). That makes the lineup a little smaller, but really with Lively/Gafford at center its bigger than anything they WCF team could put out there. What backup PF are going to get that we would rather have on the court than one of those three guys?
3 I agree with your first point that its not really about backup PF minutes (or in my mind the backup PF position at all). This team has enough size that they can afford to miss a couple of players and still put a reasonably sized team on the court. I'm not sure why folks are still obsessed with making this team bigger. In the playoffs our easiest series was against the biggest team in the NBA (and that was without Maxi for most of it). The teams we struggled with (OKC, Boston) played much smaller. Besides, Naji is bigger than DJJ, Klay is bigger than THJ and Grimes and Din are as big or bigger than Green, Exum and Hardy. We already got bigger.
1 They will have one or more players available to be backup PFs. I think Maxi will be in the mix, as will Naji.
....PS - I'm very "wait and see" on Naji being all that as a PF. He played the 3 in NO, not the 4.
FWIW my guess is that Maxi plays more mpg at PF than C, and Naji plays more mpg at SF than PF. I also figure Naji ends up with more minutes and mpg overall (more games played, and a few more mpg). But I think that will sort itself out based on who is playing better from game to game.
2 I'm not seeing Klay as a 4 as a planned role. But I really shy away from these what-if scenarios, because there are a million other factors that will be in play. For example, you say there's always plenty of size - yet Gafford and Lively will NOT both be available every game.
What they will do if multiple players are out, will be figure it out. EVERY position will be subject to weakness and odd fill-in's and stress on filling other positions when multiple players are missing.
3 " I'm not sure why folks are still obsessed with making this team bigger." -- I would say it as "retaining the size advantage we have and not squandering it with gimmick lineups."
Oh, and on paper, yes Naji is "taller" than DJJ and bulkier. But I am not persuaded he will ever play as tall. DJJ's super-jumping ability allowed him to be a problem for MUCH taller players, and I'm not persuaded Naji can have that impact. Especially with taller players. Or rebounding or blocking shots. Or above the rim lob threat. (I also keep in mind that by playing the 3, Naji at 6-7 usually had a natural height advantage that should have given him an edge -- but if you erase that edge by moving him to PF, his game might suffer.)