Analysis Spurs rotations and depth chart

[scott]

Man, no matter what you think of Fox... you'd better hope the guy you just maxed is a non-negotiable starter.

 

[Robz4000]

Man, no matter what you think of Fox... you'd better hope the guy you just maxed is a non-negotiable starter.

I almost listed him but I worry about his hamstring tbh; might be best to ease him in. If he blows his achilles that contract instantly becomes the worst in the league imo.

 

[timtonymanu]

I see this being a team where the lineup changes depending on matchups, much like how they did when they would switch between starting Tiago or BoBo in the playoffs next to Timmy.

Should be:
Fox/Castle or Harper/Champ/Barnes/Wemby
Castle or Harper/Vassell/KJ/Sochan/Kornet
J-Mac/Waters/Bryant/Olynyk/Biyombo
Ingram/DJG/Minix (Two way)

Would be nice to trade Sochan if Bryant shows to be a legitimate rotation player.

 

[Fireball]

What are expectations with regards to minutes distribution?

Based on last years minutes I expect the following to start the season (expecting Fox playing soon)

Name - Minutes - potential trend as season goes on
Wemby - 34 - consistent
Fox - 32 - up
Vassell - 28 - consistent
Barnes - 26 - down
Castle - 24 - consistent
Johnson - 24 - consistent
Kornet - 20 - consistent
Champagnie - 20 - down
Harper - 16 - up
Sochan - 16 - down

That would leave only garbage time minutes for Olynyk and Bryant. I don't see how Bryant could show he is a rotation player without major injuries in the Guard/forward position.

 

[OK Computer]

Wemby - 30 mins
Fox - 28
Castle - 28
Harper - 24
Vassell - 24
Champagnie - 24
Keldon - 24
Kornet - 22
Sochan - 20
Barnes - 16 - I think we will see the decline

After this season, need to find a new player to take Vassell’s 24 minutes and Sochan’s 20 minutes (if he doesn’t become a net positive player, not necessarily a shooter).

I think Bryant (if he becomes an NBA player) replacing Vassell in the rotation is more ideal than replacing Sochan. I like a lineup of Fox (or Harper), Castle, Bryant, Sochan, and Wemby playing together vs a lineup of Fox (or Harper), Castle, Vassell, Sochan, Wemby.

 

[OK Computer]

Now that I’m starting to think about it, I think folks will be surprised when we trot out Bryant and Sochan together when Sochan becomes healthy, because people will be expecting Bryant to be someone who only subs in for Sochan.

 

[Area 51.247]

I sure hope we get to see some Fox-Harper-Castle-Korndog-Wemby minutes. I think that will be a fun lineup, especially if Korndog is given a green light to fire up threes from time to time (and he can make them) and the guards can be average shooters.

Area 51.247 where defense is non-negotiable!

Can see that as as a closing lineup in tight games. Enough offense to take up time off the clock and score, then play shut down defense.

 

[Guru of Nothing]

If minute allocation were up to me *AND* I had to push out a 10-man rotation, I'd like to start with something along these lines, with the freindship crew being on short leashes:

32 minutes - Wemby
32 minutes - Fox
32 minutes - Castle
32 minutes - Harper ... expect him to get up to speed fast.
24 minutes - Champ
23 minutes - Kornet
20 minutes - Vassell
15 minutes - Sochan
15 minutes - Barnes
15 minutes - Keldon

...with Carter Bryant and Waters applying pressure to wings for playing time, and KO too. For CB to emerge (and he will), at least one of Sochan, Barnes, or KJ *has* to go, and I fully expect one to be dealt during the season ... or maybe any day now.

 

[ambchang]

Wemby and Fox are penciled in for 32 a game.
Castle should start off with about 24, then work his way up to about 30
Harper should start off with about 16 ,then work his way up to about 30
So the three guards would have the PG and SG minutes all taken by the end of the year.
Vassell should start off at around 24, then draw down to 15
Sochan should start off around 20, then draw down to 15
KJ should start off with 20, then draw down to 12
Barnes should start off with 30, then draw down to 15
Champ should start off with 24, then increase to 30
Korndog should start off with 16, then increase to 24
Carter should start off with 48 minutes in G-League, then go to the big leagues and get 10-12 at the end of the season.

 

[sfernald]

Vassell got 31 minutes a game last year and you guys really think he’s going to get 5-10 minutes less? Is this what you think or what you are hoping? He should be better this year no?

 

[Arguendo]

Do we have any injury updates for Oly/Sochan/McLaughlin? Anyone seen anything?
Could really use Oly(or Sochan) against Dallas and I really want McLaughlin back by opening tip.

 

[Shmurs]

That’s…one way to do it.

But there’s not really any such thing as a “bench unit” or whatever. Players trickle in and out at various positions. There’s no general protocol for exploiting benches. It’s just case by case depending on team. Like if a team from Texas decides to only have 1 center on their roster for like half a season…plan for that bench.

 

[Arguendo]

Vassell got 31 minutes a game last year and you guys really think he’s going to get 5-10 minutes less? Is this what you think or what you are hoping? He should be better this year no?

I expect him to be better, but losing 5mpg is reasonable once Fox gets back. Vassell got a lot of those minutes without Fox and Harper wasn't here.
Castle got 29mpg post-AS and 30mpg as starter, that shouldn't go down. CP3 got 28mpg, I see Vassell right around there when everyone's healthy and the season avg will be higher with off-nights/injuries.
33 Fox/15 Harper
28 Vassell/10 Castle/10 Harper
20 Castle/28 Champ + Keldon

I think something like that for the small rotation when healthy, adjusted up/down based on performance and fit

 

[Exstatic]

I don’t know when people started getting the idea that the Spurs run a 10 man rotation. They don’t, and they never have. They run eight. That pretty normal, unless you’re Mike D’Antoni, and then it’s 6.5.

 

[DAF86]

I don’t know when people started getting the idea that the Spurs run a 10 man rotation. They don’t, and they never have. They run eight. That pretty normal, unless you’re Mike D’Antoni, and then it’s 6.5.

They have been running a 10 men rotation since, at least, 2012, tbh.

 

[MacNeacail]

It will all be a moot point (as to how we find enough minutes for everybody). I'm expecting at least 1-2 players injured at any time and for the Spurs to play it safe and keep them out even if it's not bad.

 

[Guru of Nothing]

Do we call it the Lithium lineup (as in, has three electrons) if/when we see the three guard offense of Fox/Castle/Harper?

 

[spurraider21]

Do we call it the Lithium lineup (as in, has three electrons) if/when we see the three guard offense of Fox/Castle/Harper?

no.

 

[DTW]

As long as these absences are, as per the reports, only the first few games, they probably go with an 8 man rotation to open the season.

Wembanyama/Kornet
Barnes/Wembanyama/Johnson
Champagnie/Johnson
Vassell/Castle
Castle/Harper

Maybe Bryant gets spot minutes, but either way expect a heavy dose of double big vs the Mavericks and Pelicans.

 

[STAT88]

The only guarantees are the guard and center rotations. The forward rotation will be interesting to watch play out.

Guard rotation
Fox-Castle-Harper
Easy to split those 96 minutes with 32 minutes each. Maybe Harper is around 28 but that’s negligible.

Center rotation
Wemby-Kornet
32 mins for Vic and 16 for Kornet.

Forward rotation
This is where it gets interesting. There’s only 96 minutes available yet you have 6 guys who will be expecting 15-25 minutes a night but all have serious flaws in their game when it comes to winning basketball.

PF (38mins): I’ve allowed 10 mins to Kornet in the double bug lineup with Wemby. That leaves 38 mins to split between Barnes, Olynyk, Sochan at the 4. I’d lean towards starting Olynyk unless it turns out his 3 point shot isnt there or his defense has fallen off.

SF (48 mins): Champ, Vassell, Keldon at the 3. Still doesn’t account for Carter Bryant. I’d give Champ the start.

I’m pretty certain the Spurs brass are aware they need to find their medium term to long term 4 and 3 (for the next 3-5 years) to take the next step to true contendership. Doesn’t need to be rushed and done this year, but regardless of how the Spurs go this season, the FO will get aggressive next off season imo to take the next step. How aggressive depends on how this season plays out.

 

[CGD]

As long as these absences are, as per the reports, only the first few games, they probably go with an 8 man rotation to open the season.

Wembanyama/Kornet
Barnes/Wembanyama/Johnson
Champagnie/Johnson
Vassell/Castle
Castle/Harper

Maybe Bryant gets spot minutes, but either way expect a heavy dose of double big vs the Mavericks and Pelicans.

True, but we’re all eager to see what it looks like when the team is whole. My hope is Mitch doesn’t stick with Barnes too long. I know he has his warts, but I can’t see them NOT starting Sochan at the 4 (unless they want to start with French Vanilla).

I’m thinking:

Fox-Vassell-Champ-Sochan-Wemby

 

[sfernald]

Best defensive lineup this year?

Harper/Castle/Bryant/Sochan/Wemby

 

[spurraider21]

So… assuming Dallas proceeds to start the big lineup they’ve shown in the last 2 games with Flagg, Klay, PJ, Davis, Lively… i think we need to start Korndog and bench Barnes.

Castle defends point Flagg, Julian and Devin defend the wings, you probably open with Vic guarding Davis and Luke on Lively. If Vic gets a quick foul you switch his assignment with Kornet.

Starting Barnes at the 4… i don’t see how we don’t just get demolished in the paint and on the boards.

 

[scott]

So… assuming Dallas proceeds to start the big lineup they’ve shown in the last 2 games with Flagg, Klay, PJ, Davis, Lively… i think we need to start Korndog and bench Barnes.

Castle defends point Flagg, Julian and Devin defend the wings, you probably open with Vic guarding Davis and Luke on Lively. If Vic gets a quick foul you switch his assignment with Kornet.

Starting Barnes at the 4… i don’t see how we don’t just get demolished in the paint and on the boards.

I kind of like the idea of attacking that lineup with some stretches of Castle/Harper/Devin/Champ/Wemby and just running them off the court. Steph and Dylan penetrating to the rack might pick up some cheap fouls on AD and Lively.

Nothing something run heavy minutes on, but enough to change it up and make their guys run. They’ll hurt us on the glass, for sure, though. Too bad we don’t have Fox for this one, because his penetration would really open things up IMO

 

[spurraider21]

I kind of like the idea of attacking that lineup with some stretches of Castle/Harper/Devin/Champ/Wemby and just running them off the court. Steph and Dylan penetrating to the rack might pick up some cheap fouls on AD and Lively.

Nothing something run heavy minutes on, but enough to change it up and make their guys run. They’ll hurt us on the glass, for sure, though. Too bad we don’t have Fox for this one, because his penetration would really open things up IMO

they're going to be driving against Flagg who can recover and block from behind while going into great shotblockers in AD/Lively. going to be very daunting