Thibs won’t rock the boat so Mitch, Randle, Barrett, Bullock and Payton will continue to start for the foreseeable future. Quickley, Rivers and Burks will all be staples in the rotation for bigger minutes. That’s 8.

I think when Toppin comes back real decisions will be made. For now both Knox and Noel will serve as 9th and 10th men. But once Obi returns he likely takes both of their minutes as backup 4/5 and leaves both of them fighting for spot minutes.

Robinson (30 mpg) Randle (34) Barrett (36) Bullock (26) Payton (30)
Total bench minutes available 84: Burks (24) Toppin (22) Rivers (20) Quickley (18)

Rivers probably fights for more minutes and Barrett plays some small ball 4 to accommodate the wing depth. I don’t see a path for minutes from Frank or DSJ and Knox and Noel will really be pinched. Obviously that’s with everyone healthy which may not happen often. But Thibs will have to make some tough decisions soon as I don’t see him going with more than 9 on a regular basis given the heavy minutes he gives to Randle and Barrett.

You add Quickley and Burks to the line up and it gives us more efficient firepower.

rotation

Robinson
Randle
Bullock/ Burks
Barrett
Payton
Noel
Burks/Bullock
Rivers
Quickley
Toppin

Knox is on the border right now

BRIGGS wrote:Glad you wrote this. I agree somewhat but I am open to replacing Bullock with Burcks.

You add Quickley and Burks to the line up and it gives us more efficient firepower.

rotation

Robinson
Randle
Bullock/ Burks
Barrett
Payton
Noel
Burks/Bullock
Rivers
Quickley
Toppin

Knox is on the border right now

I completely agree. I hope rivers or Burks ends up replacing Bullock and Bullock becomes a low minutes reserve. Obviously my hope is quickley earns a bigger role as well. But my point is thibs will stay with what’s working for now and the foreseeable future even with a full roster. Knox is very much on the border. I’m still not writing him off by any means. He is 21 and may be in and out of the rotation this year but have an off-season with Payne and come back better. He’s showing progress, just not enough to secure his role in what appears to be a crowded rotation.

But hopefully eventually the starting lineup is Mitch, Randle, Barrett, Burks and Quickley but it could be next year until we see that.

Knixkik wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:Glad you wrote this. I agree somewhat but I am open to replacing Bullock with Burcks.

You add Quickley and Burks to the line up and it gives us more efficient firepower.

rotation

Robinson
Randle
Bullock/ Burks
Barrett
Payton
Noel
Burks/Bullock
Rivers
Quickley
Toppin

Knox is on the border right now

I completely agree. I hope rivers or Burks ends up replacing Bullock and Bullock becomes a low minutes reserve. Obviously my hope is quickley earns a bigger role as well. But my point is thibs will stay with what’s working for now and the foreseeable future even with a full roster. Knox is very much on the border. I’m still not writing him off by any means. He is 21 and may be in and out of the rotation this year but have an off-season with Payne and come back better. He’s showing progress, just not enough to secure his role in what appears to be a crowded rotation.

But hopefully eventually the starting lineup is Mitch, Randle, Barrett, Burks and Quickley but it could be next year until we see that.

Also got to keep Noel in as the C back up. Hes done a very good job.

Once everyone is back, I'm sure those numbers will come down, at least slightly but hopefully his bench players aint on a short leash...

BRIGGS wrote:

Knixkik wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:Glad you wrote this. I agree somewhat but I am open to replacing Bullock with Burcks.

You add Quickley and Burks to the line up and it gives us more efficient firepower.

rotation

Robinson
Randle
Bullock/ Burks
Barrett
Payton
Noel
Burks/Bullock
Rivers
Quickley
Toppin

Knox is on the border right now

I completely agree. I hope rivers or Burks ends up replacing Bullock and Bullock becomes a low minutes reserve. Obviously my hope is quickley earns a bigger role as well. But my point is thibs will stay with what’s working for now and the foreseeable future even with a full roster. Knox is very much on the border. I’m still not writing him off by any means. He is 21 and may be in and out of the rotation this year but have an off-season with Payne and come back better. He’s showing progress, just not enough to secure his role in what appears to be a crowded rotation.

But hopefully eventually the starting lineup is Mitch, Randle, Barrett, Burks and Quickley but it could be next year until we see that.

Also got to keep Noel in as the C back up. Hes done a very good job.

Anyway I see the rotation like this:
PG: Elf/IQ
SG: RJ/Rivers
SF: Bullock/Knox
PF: Randle/Obi
C: Mitch
And those are gonna be your 9 guys. I suspect Noel out soon. He has not looked good. On the flip side Mitch is looking like a star player. His ability to follow our slashers to the basket really changes how defenses collapse on our guys. You cant leave Mitch to help or your getting dunked on or giving up an offensive board/put back and Mitch is really showing a positive impact on offense because of that. If he can learn to set a screen or pick he'll be a god

Also because of this suddenly Randle/Mitch are not such a bad spacing combo.

fishmike wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

Knixkik wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:Glad you wrote this. I agree somewhat but I am open to replacing Bullock with Burcks.

You add Quickley and Burks to the line up and it gives us more efficient firepower.

rotation

Robinson
Randle
Bullock/ Burks
Barrett
Payton
Noel
Burks/Bullock
Rivers
Quickley
Toppin

Knox is on the border right now

I completely agree. I hope rivers or Burks ends up replacing Bullock and Bullock becomes a low minutes reserve. Obviously my hope is quickley earns a bigger role as well. But my point is thibs will stay with what’s working for now and the foreseeable future even with a full roster. Knox is very much on the border. I’m still not writing him off by any means. He is 21 and may be in and out of the rotation this year but have an off-season with Payne and come back better. He’s showing progress, just not enough to secure his role in what appears to be a crowded rotation.

But hopefully eventually the starting lineup is Mitch, Randle, Barrett, Burks and Quickley but it could be next year until we see that.

Also got to keep Noel in as the C back up. Hes done a very good job.

literally no he has not. Noel has 90 minutes and is -10 this year. He's got b2b games where he was -8 and really outplayed. He's looked slow and stiff against faster guys. If Mitch is giving 30 minutes a night those back center minutes are going to go to Obi when he's back.

Anyway I see the rotation like this:
PG: Elf/IQ
SG: RJ/Rivers
SF: Bullock/Knox
PF: Randle/Obi
C: Mitch
And those are gonna be your 9 guys. I suspect Noel out soon. He has not looked good. On the flip side Mitch is looking like a star player. His ability to follow our slashers to the basket really changes how defenses collapse on our guys. You cant leave Mitch to help or your getting dunked on or giving up an offensive board/put back and Mitch is really showing a positive impact on offense because of that. If he can learn to set a screen or pick he'll be a god

Also because of this suddenly Randle/Mitch are not such a bad spacing combo.

You dont think Burks cracks the rotation when returns? I know it was only 2 games but he was averaging near 20 pts and was our best 3 ball shooter.

Burks had been a key to our bench scoring, but Rivers brings that and shot creation. Can’t see Thibs not valuing the shooting from Burks as a more traditional SG with R.J. playing a more traditional SF. Burks also held his own on D. He was used as a PG out of necessity, but with Quick and Rivers back, he doesn’t have to. Frank coming back would further help this issue.

I think Bullock is better off on the bench, where his inconsistency can hurt less when you also have Rivers, Quick, Knox and Frank to bring. But Burks has been a constant good performer when he plays.

Another variable is starting Rivers at the 1, but I don’t think that happens.