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He really does. If Green can go on guys like Durant and Lebron, Murray has to be able to go up to Butler. Jimmy is a two-guard who's tough enough to play three. There shouldn't be a two-guard in the league Murray can't check. Danny shut Jimmy down in the season-opener last year. I don't expect DeJounte to do that, especially not the first time. But he's the ace now and has to be able to handle it. Pop would have gladly put George Hill on Butler, and Murray matches up better than Georgie does.
It was in the long post, but I'm pretty convinced DeRozan was the "third star" Pop offered to acquire. I think the delay was Toronto switching from seller to buyer. The deal just seems like Toronto was almost as keen to part with DeMar as to acquire Kawhi. Obviously, we'll never know, but if your idea is right, SA should have held the line at OG, Siakam or keeping Green. They just have no defense now, and Toronto wasn't in a position of strength, especially if the word had really gotten out that the Raps were shopping DeMar. They had so much more to lose.- Suspect they preferred Brown or Ingram (so long as the Lakers paid a tax for being the Lakers). If they truly wanted DeRozan, the only logical explanation for the delay was haggling over Anunoby because the actual trade was a no brainer for the Raptors.
It's the coach that clearly thinks guards on larger players makes sense. That's why I don't think he'll worry about having Gay's size on the first unit. He might do it for a number of reasons, but I hope you wouldn't be legit surprised if Pop ran three guards out of the gate.- This is the same coach who had Mills and Forbes guarding Thompson and Durant, yet you think Gay starting at SF would be a stretch? There's not a shortage of SF or wing minutes because White is unlikely to have as big a role as many assume or he should.
Cunningham's highest salary in his career was $3 Million. He's been to the playoffs three times in his career. He's not some high-stock guy who had his choice of places. That's even more true if the Spurs offered him several hundred-thousand bucks over the min. Maybe the dude signed on with the idea that he had a chance at a spot, but he definitely didn't sign on with a guarantee. I like Cun better than most dudes here seem to, but he's not getting minutes over any of the top 10/11 unless he shows out.- Considering Cunningham is in his prime, has been a rotation player for 7 seasons and a part time starter for 4, it's safe to say he's not joining a non contender to be buried on the deep bench. In small ball matchups, expect him to be the 4th big (at Poeltl's expense).
You're right, and in that long post I said as much. The point that I was making is that Bertans and Beli are the bottom two guys in the rotation if Poeltl (or in your theory Poeltl or Cunningham) have a fixed spot. If you also fix Beli, that means you have Murray, Mills, DeRozan, Aldridge, Gasol, Ginobili, Belinelli, Gay and Poeltl(/Cun) as the nine locks. Like sure, Bertans can slot into that last spot, but so can White, or Cun(/Poeltl) or Forbes or whomever the Spurs bring in for that last spot.- Belinelli isn't competing for a rotation spot. He's got that on lock. Whether you agree that he should or not, you should know better.
I disagree. They'd only have the one. Poe completely depends on someone feeding him and the others are guys whose percentages go way down when they have to dribble. Gay can get his own shot at least. He also gives a big skilled forward to cause match-up problems. No one in your proposed unit can threaten a defense like he can.- Maybe, but as long as Ginobili is playing, the ball is going to primarily be in his hands on the 2nd unit. Point is, the Raptors 2nd unit has a bunch of guys who can make plays in different ways and that Spurs one would too.
