Curry to change the starting lineup.

The idea would be to keep his minutes up, but allocate them more with non-starters to optimize our overall attack. Rip needs the other starters so that he can run plays and get open. AI doesn't seem to need that, and it might be screwing with his rhythm as he feels awkward in that setup. At the end, since AI will be fully warmed up, then you go with him over Rip.

Either one off the bench would probably scare an opponent and make them design something specifically to counter. Maybe that would get them out of the comfort zone.

Excellent analysis.

Live by the superstar, die by the superstar. It's like a jigsaw puzzle we have to figure out by playoff time, and surely Joe anticipated the AI/Rip potential problem/opportunity before he made the trade. We all just have to hang on for the ride and it could be a really fun season. I've been whining about wanting more bench play for years. Could be MC is the anti-Flip. I'm all for that.

I mean seriously now why would you bring AI here, that kind of talent and desire, and sit him on the pine? That would be insane. Unless all you wanted out of him was his expiring contract which would be a cheap cheap way to treat someone of AI's caliber and would probably earn us league wide disdain. How does not starting AI get you any closer to great playoff performance? Joe Dumars will be a laughingstock if AI sits on the bench and plays minimal minutes just because no one wants to hurt Rip's feelings. Rip can still play alot. He and Tay can share minutes or something, I don't know. I just know it seems doable.

Pretty much. It's not a knock on AI. Rip can't carry the offense on the second unit. We've all seen what happens when he tries. AI can dominate the ball like he needs/wants to, and he will be able to score at will against other team's benches. I want Rip/AI seperated more, but with AI coming out first b/c his running game compliments the 2nd unit perfectly, and Arron and him have great chemistry. Put a big defensive 2 next to AI and he looks much better. AA can cover the mistakes and actually keep his own man in front of him.

This line-up would create havoc; AI/AA/Amir/other big/Tay

edited to add;

I think having Rip come off the bench would hurt his game more than his feelings. The whole point of inserting Stuck in the SL was to help Rip and the offense flow better.

AI/ AAron AfflAlo/ tAy/ Amir/ jAymAx

I'll call it our Canadian line b/c of all the A's.


That would be a pretty good lineup for chaos. Lots of offensive rebounding, fast breaking, and general mayhem.

Could also go Bynum/AI/AA/Amir/Max to go small and still remain tough defensively.


Ahh. So fun to pretend.

He only has one A in name...it's aRRon. But that would be a line-up of defensive tear down. Those guys are like a ove glove...keep all the heat of shots out of the basket.

The fact that we actually have that line-up and don't play it makes me want to get Curry a psychologist. Maybe he/she can delve into his past, and find some hidden trauma that makes him obsessed with small players.

Actually, we used something pretty close to this. Stuckey, Afflalo, JMAX, Amir, AI.

Then: Stuckey, Afflalo, JMAX, Amir, Rip

Then: Stuckey, Afflalo, JMAX, Amir, Tay

This was a whole quarter in all, and we did fantastic in that quarter.

Last we seen of it.

So its even worse. Curry has pretty much used this, and can't see any value in it. Now thats pretty darn bad.

Oop, made a correction. Sheed was not in with unit. Rip was for a bit.

Anyway, while on the subject. Amir and JMAX in at center and power forward together seems a bit small of a front line. But its no smaller than Tay and Sheed paired up. If Curry can pair up Tay and Sheed there, he can certainly manage to find situations where Amir and JMAX work.

When they were paired together this IIRC, they were fantastic. They seem to feed off each others energy. I don't have major problems with MC's rotation, but the lack of Amir is absolutely puzzling. I have no idea what happened. He went from playing in the 4th quarter against SAS and being great on the O glass to ??

He's very good at trapping the PNR and getting back to his man, and general on the PNR roll. And that's what we need. MC's lack of use of him and KB when needed is going to cause alot of problems if it continues and that one flaw could end being the flaw that makes the difference in our PO run.

A Christmas present;

Hunter planned to stay | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Must have been the mtg fraud.