Since nobody else will, The Opening Rotation
Well, Doc is convinced that he doesn't need a rotation (as rotations are for veteran teams) but I think we need to get our guys solid roles and minutes if they ever are going to come together as a team. So here is the rotation I would go with to start the season.
Center: Kendrick Perkins starts and Theo Ratliff backs him up. As much as I'm impressed by Michael Olowokandi's reemergence as an actual human being, I think he remains planted on the bench. If we have to get a third big man in the game, I would try Big Al Jefferson in the middle to see how he works. Because of this, Kandiman would likely be inactive in favor for PF Leon Powe. I don't think Powe will gain too much from going down to the D-League so I'd probably keep him active and have Kandiman in civies. So in the beginning, Perk starts, Theo's #2, and Big Al gets spot minutes.
Power Forward: I was really hoping that Big Al would earn this spot but I simply don't think he has. As the year's pass, he starts to seem like a shorter and now thinner version of Nice Guy Eddy Curry. While some people like a rip on Eddy because of how much Isiah gave up to get him, Curry is a decent enough big man who simply isn't consistent enough to be a starter. In Al's place, I'd start Ryan Gomes. Big Al would back up and the spot minutes would go to Leon Powe. I want to see what Leon can do early on. Last year, Gomes was relegated to the bench while Brian Scalabrine masqueraded as an NBA player. Let's see what Powe has to offer in the beginning of the season and work from there. I'm sure Doc will work his small ball lineup so that Pierce gets some minutes here but I think that ideas a disaster. Let's see what our personnel can deliver before we start with gimmick offenses.
Small Forward: Wally starts. Pierce backs up. The very few minutes that will be left will go to Tony Allen or Gerald Green. I don't like Szczerbiak but the fact is that we need his shooting/scoring ability on the court if Pierce isn't there. Right now, I'm not convinced that long stretches of a lineup sans our two highest paid players is going to help us win. I'd like to try to work Gerald into games but, for now, he needs to earn his minutes in practice.
Shooting Guard: Paul Pierce. Unless Wally comes out and we move Pierce to SF, The Truth will monopolize the minutes here. His backup is Delonte West, who will eat up the rest of the minutes. Doc is going to go with Telfair and Rondo at times but I'm not a fan of a backcourt that has almost no shooting ability whatsoever. If I was running the team, West would get the rest of the minutes with Tony Allen slipping in only if we need a defensive stopper.
Point Guard: Right now, I'd start Telfair but split the minutes 50/50 between him and Rondo. If there are any minutes left (which there really shouldn't be), Delonte gets them. Heading into this season, I'd like to think that running the ball will be a priority and I think having one of our two young runners on the floor at all times is key. To put Delonte in is to downshift a couple of gears. Unless we are getting absolutely killed because of a lack of perimeter shooting, I'd save West for backing up The Truth.
In the end, we would have a solid nine man rotation with Perkins, Gomes, Wally, Pierce, Telfair with Theo, Big Al, Rondo and West. Allen, Green, and Powe would get a couple of minutes here and there. The inactive players would be Kandiman, Veal, and Allan Ray (who'd likely be sent down to the D-League).
Center: Kendrick Perkins starts and Theo Ratliff backs him up. As much as I'm impressed by Michael Olowokandi's reemergence as an actual human being, I think he remains planted on the bench. If we have to get a third big man in the game, I would try Big Al Jefferson in the middle to see how he works. Because of this, Kandiman would likely be inactive in favor for PF Leon Powe. I don't think Powe will gain too much from going down to the D-League so I'd probably keep him active and have Kandiman in civies. So in the beginning, Perk starts, Theo's #2, and Big Al gets spot minutes.
Power Forward: I was really hoping that Big Al would earn this spot but I simply don't think he has. As the year's pass, he starts to seem like a shorter and now thinner version of Nice Guy Eddy Curry. While some people like a rip on Eddy because of how much Isiah gave up to get him, Curry is a decent enough big man who simply isn't consistent enough to be a starter. In Al's place, I'd start Ryan Gomes. Big Al would back up and the spot minutes would go to Leon Powe. I want to see what Leon can do early on. Last year, Gomes was relegated to the bench while Brian Scalabrine masqueraded as an NBA player. Let's see what Powe has to offer in the beginning of the season and work from there. I'm sure Doc will work his small ball lineup so that Pierce gets some minutes here but I think that ideas a disaster. Let's see what our personnel can deliver before we start with gimmick offenses.
Small Forward: Wally starts. Pierce backs up. The very few minutes that will be left will go to Tony Allen or Gerald Green. I don't like Szczerbiak but the fact is that we need his shooting/scoring ability on the court if Pierce isn't there. Right now, I'm not convinced that long stretches of a lineup sans our two highest paid players is going to help us win. I'd like to try to work Gerald into games but, for now, he needs to earn his minutes in practice.
Shooting Guard: Paul Pierce. Unless Wally comes out and we move Pierce to SF, The Truth will monopolize the minutes here. His backup is Delonte West, who will eat up the rest of the minutes. Doc is going to go with Telfair and Rondo at times but I'm not a fan of a backcourt that has almost no shooting ability whatsoever. If I was running the team, West would get the rest of the minutes with Tony Allen slipping in only if we need a defensive stopper.
Point Guard: Right now, I'd start Telfair but split the minutes 50/50 between him and Rondo. If there are any minutes left (which there really shouldn't be), Delonte gets them. Heading into this season, I'd like to think that running the ball will be a priority and I think having one of our two young runners on the floor at all times is key. To put Delonte in is to downshift a couple of gears. Unless we are getting absolutely killed because of a lack of perimeter shooting, I'd save West for backing up The Truth.
In the end, we would have a solid nine man rotation with Perkins, Gomes, Wally, Pierce, Telfair with Theo, Big Al, Rondo and West. Allen, Green, and Powe would get a couple of minutes here and there. The inactive players would be Kandiman, Veal, and Allan Ray (who'd likely be sent down to the D-League).
