2021-2022 ROSTER TALK: [ARCHIVED]

[mvossman]

There is a perception that the Luka/Brunson/RB trio was somehow ordained and the only way we ever played last year.  That group didn't show up in the starting lineup until game 53.  KP sat his last couple of games here and after that we only had two real bigs on the roster in Powell and Maxi.  Up to that point, we started two-bigs almost exclusively the entire time KP was here (available or not).  Mostly it was Powell/KP, but we also saw Powell/Maxi, Maxi/KP, WCS/KP and Moses/KP.

The turnaround started about a month before the first appearance of Luka/Brunson/Reggie when Brunson joined the starting lineup.  Late December and most of January was just a mess in terms of players being healthy.  Yes, RB took THJ's place among the starters in December, but Brunson wasn't starting yet.  That happened after Brunson played well in Luka's absence and when Luka returned, Brunson stayed and Reggie sat.  

If you think about it, Wood essentially replaces KP in the big rotation.  Any time we actually had three bigs (even when all weren't available), we started two of them.  We didn't start a single big (with very few exceptions) until KP was gone.  At that point, we really didn't have a choice.  I think the plan is three bigs, three wings and three ball handlers and mix and match as appropriate.  Sometimes that will be single big two and two.  Sometimes it will be two bigs (especially in the regular season).  The question is do we have the right nine on the bus with THJ and Powell (and occasionally Dinwiddie) the players we most often question.  Is there a TP-MLE player who really knocks one of those off the bus?  Powell?  Maybe?  But, probably not THJ or SD.  One of them has to be outgoing to truly get an upgrade.  Does trading THJ right now make sense coming off of injury?  Probably not.  Does Powell/Green really move the needle without adding a pick?  What does that leave?  It means we may be wrong about the Sacred Six from the playoff run being as Sacred as we thought.

I'm not saying we are not going the 2 big route, but the more minutes we do that the more minutes Dorian plays at the 3 and the fewer minutes for Bullock, THJ, Green and Frank to split.  It will make even more of a minutes crunch.  

I will also be really frustrated if they try to start Powell again.  I want to see Wood offense without someone clogging the lane.  The Wood/Maxi combo makes a lot of sense, but I have little interest seeing the Powell/Wood combo, especially to start games.