MAVS NEWS:

[mvossman]

This is about wanting both PJW and Flagg in the starting lineup. You could see this coming in June, subject only to Flagg's ability to handle the ball under pressure. But he's shown that's not an issue, and his size and ability to run and attack the basket are huge challenges for the other team. 

PJW has been great, even better than last year. I think they expect their bigger lineup will put pressure on the opponents to adapt to it and make lineup changes, rather than the other way around. 

I think DAR also made the question easy. IMO he played himself out of realistic consideration for a possible starting role (his defense was horrendous early on, making the whole defense porous as a result, though it looked to me like it began to improve a bit in later games). 

But I think the roles and minutes at PG will be VERY fluid as they try to find their way for the first month. I think BW is 100% ready to go, and may play as many minutes or more than DAR because he defends and he is smart with his shot selection. They like him a LOT. Exum (once he's healthy) may be used at SG more than PG depending on Max's ability to play well. DAR may be in the same boat. When Kyrie returns, who knows?

If the question becomes "we have too many good guards" then is that a problem? 

On whether Flagg can do the job of PG - it's not going to look like the way Luka plays it, but this is stuff Flagg has been doing since he was 15. Flagg is already a good ball handler, that's not an issue, and no he won't crumble if he's pressured. But they will LITERALLY have almost anyone bringing the ball up the floor, and almost anyone initiating the offense, and it will "flow" from one player to another - no rigid need for only this person or that to be The Ball Handler or The Shooter or The Dunker. The offense won't be static. 

The main question for the offense imo will be shot selection and whether they can hit the good shots when they get them (because I think they will get great shots all the time, if they work at it).

I came away from that preseason with very different impression than you.  Dlo was not great, but he was better than the alternatives.  I saw nothing to suggest it would be a good idea to play Flagg at PG.  Brandon Williams was a two way last season with a small sample of quality play, and we got to see all of 3 minutes of garbage time in the preseason.  It will be a huge win if he turns into a quality rotational player, but its asking an awful lot for him to be starting.  

I'm not sure where this confidence that they will get great shots all the time comes from?  They will have poor spacing and limited creation.  There was little to no evidence of this "flow" offense generating a lot of good looks in the preseason.  Its going to be a struggle with this team, especially until Kyrie comes back.