2020-2021 ROSTER TALK: Archived

[Jason Terry]

You and @"dirkfansince1998" are both missing my point (or maybe it's more accurate to say I didn't articulate it sufficiently). 

The point wasn't the arbitrary number 8. The point was that Carlisle KNOWS who his TOP guys are, and they all have roles that have been carefully defined through much regular season tweaking and experimentation. Whether he plays big, bigger, small, smaller, whatever...he does so by forming different combinations of his BEST, most plugged-in players. By contrast, the ongoing debate among Clippers fans (and I believe among the coaching staff, too) is more like: "should Mann be in the rotation? Should Rondo be ahead of Jackson? How does Batum fit in with all of this? What about Ibaka?"...etc. Partly because they've had so many players sit out for extended periods, and partly because Lue is quite obviously not (yet) near Carlisle's level, they do not KNOW the answers to these questions definitively. That was my point. 

I DO think there is a number (perhaps it varies based on roster construction) of players who can be played in a game effectively. But...

Could another person be added to the rotation in future seasons? Sure, but I don't think Markannen's people are trying to navigate him to Dallas (if that's in fact what they're doing) so that he can play 10 minutes in the playoffs behind Kleber. WE might want him in that role, and you might even think that's the ideal role for him, but I have a hard time imagining that's what HE wants, or that it's going to happen. 

You kind of support my point (the one I was trying to make) by NOT including a sexy, new guard in your example above. You have Brunson and Richardson playing all bench guard minutes, which they'd of course do if they're on the roster. I agree that there's room behind Kleber (where your X is) but NOT for a Collins-level or even a Markkanen-level guy. Now, a Batum, who would help and be ok with not playing every playoff game? Yeah, maybe. That's essentially a Melli upgrade, no?

Not to mention that none of this conversation deals with the fact that Powell (who you and I both like a lot) is being paid as a 4th or 5th starter or at least a celebrity bench guest and not really even in the real rotation against the Clippers. That might change in future rounds, but then again, maybe not. 

Most of YOUR stuff makes sense to me, and the point was directed (gently, I hope) at the posts that have NOBODY we like leaving and have Markannen, Dragic AND Batum (just random examples) incoming. That's ridiculous, imo. 

Moral of the story, for me, is this: the BIG names we discuss daily aren't coming here to be depth, they're (hypothetically) coming here for INCREASED opportunity. In other words, to take jobs away from guys like DFS, Kleber, Brunson, etc. That's fine, if it makes the team better.

Yes on it being a big impact in the series on knowing who we are. I kinda think the whole adversity section of the season with injuries/ineffectiveness/COVID/KP talk really made this team stronger and we know who we are. It’s showed for months now

I disagree with your example though. Markkanen is already a bench player. I think he would view himself as more of the 3rd big. Regular season i think he could even end starting several games and there’s plenty of minutes. The playoff minutes he would get would be 1. The DFS PF min 2. All of Melli’s min 3. Some of Maxi’s already too high min 4. And some of the Willie-Cauley-Powell min

That’s easily 20-25 playoff min right there. More than enough if he really wants to be here. If he’s actually the big Dirk fan and Luka bro that’s being reported then he can check the ego at the door. If not then on to the next one. LM can go to SA or OKC if he wants to have a big role on another team that’s going nowhere 

Then there’s the whole KP trade possibility that could that could turn LM’s opportunity from a good one to a great one