Game 12: Dallas (5-6) @ Utah (2-8), 11/14, 8:00 PM

[KillerLeft]

Agreed that:

1) Gafford sucks off the bench

But that’s a Gafford-problem. He’s playing worse than Lively and the solution can not be to continue to gift him the starting spot despite poor results. It’s on him to make a positive impact off the bench. If he doesn’t you throw in DP / Kleber here and there to create some competition.

2) footspeed has gotten worse but I think adding Lively already helps a lot on that front. So starting him is step 1 before I open up the Klay-thing. 

3) Yes, Gortman needs to get a shot. Even if it’s simply to put some pressure on Dinwiddie and Hardy. Neither has been close to a positive impact player so far. 

So I’d go to these changes first before I open up the can of worms of benching Klay

I'm on the same page with all of this, except I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that Gafford won't be good off the bench. He's a much better offensive player than defensive, and playing with Luka unlocks his offense, but...bench scoring has been an issue. Maybe he can develop some chemistry with Marshall on the pick and roll? Maybe Hardy or Dinwiddie? Maybe they can stagger Luka/Kyrie's minutes so that Luka still plays with him during a good portion of his minutes? 

IDK, but what's clear to me (I think) is that Lively is a much, much better choice to be the back line defender in any lineup that features Luka, Kyrie AND Thompson, simultaneously. For me, that points rather clearly to the idea that either Thompson or Gafford needs to go to the bench, and since I don't expect them to bench Thompson anytime soon (whether they should or not) and since Lively is clearly a starter-level guy, the choice seems easy.