MAVS NEWS:

[Smitty]

Perhaps. That's logical, since DP is really the only true C they have (I'm not counting Kelley). No one should.

OTOH if we see a lineup with PJW and Edwards (or OMax), wouldn't that be PJW at the 4 with the other being labeled the 5? Both are taller. No, not in my opinion. But again, it's semantics really.

If he wanted to, Kidd could certainly fill all the C/PF minutes, with something like DP and PJW playing longer minutes, and the rest being manned by Edwards (with perhaps some left over for OMax). I see it pretty clearly that Powell and PJ will get all 48 minutes at 5. Then PJ will get whatever's left at 4, that gets him to 36 minutes. In my breakdown it was Powell 22 minutes | PJW 26 minutes. That left 10 minutes (5 min each) at the start of the first and third for him to play the 4 alongside DP. I also think we'll consider Martin a 4 in this unique mix of players, at least defensively. He can guard up well, better than Naji and Klay.

But I'm wondering if we may see lineups with smaller players instead, including some with neither DP nor PJW, using the rest of the roster (PG, SG, SF guys) to fill at least 4 positions and maybe 5, and that we would see that used fairly early (say, early 2nd quarter) and perhaps more? That set of PG, SG, SF guys is now the strength of this team, with at least 4 who are starter caliber, and I'm thinking JK will try to lean into it. FWIW it's an old Nellie-type move that often had surprisingly-effective results. I think you're right. We'll definitely see different lineups throughout the next few weeks. I don't expect anything to be consistent or normal around here as they limp to the finish line. My attempt at a rotation was more or less showing how each player I thought worthy, could get real rotational minutes and offer some lineup combinations I thought would be effective until the Bigs come back, if ever.