Bucks at Orlando

It makes you wonder if Forbes should be starting at the 2 guard spot.  That would allow DDV to come off the bench.    Forbes is a better 3pt shooter than DDV but clearly DDV is a better defender.  The issue I see is playing Augustin and Forbes together as they give up a lot defensively but perhaps that’s where Torrey Craig comes in.  I have to believe Pat C won’t get 15-20 mins per game if Craig is available?  

The real concern is if the Bucks face a team with several bigs and Giannis gets into foul trouble they are pretty thin in the front court.  Portis is really more offense minded and isn’t an solid rebounder or defender so if there’s one more roster spot  they need to address it’s the 4 or 5 spot.  Wilson and Nwora don’t fit that description so maybe they need to trade a guy like DJ W for another defensive minded big.

The problem is that other DJ Wilson, the Bucks have almost nothing to trade. All the draft picks are gone, and DJ Wilson's cap number only gets you to about 4.5 million. Thanasis is basically untradeable, so the only other piece they can probably package is Jaylen Adams at 1.7 million so that gets you to about 6.2 million. That doesn't even get you to get Robin Lopez back (7 million).

Is there a Marvin Williams type buyout guy that becomes available in a few months that could give them 10-12 minutes (or 6 fouls) at the 5 position?

@Tschmack posted:

It makes you wonder if Forbes should be starting at the 2 guard spot.  That would allow DDV to come off the bench.    Forbes is a better 3pt shooter than DDV but clearly DDV is a better defender.  The issue I see is playing Augustin and Forbes together as they give up a lot defensively but perhaps that’s where Torrey Craig comes in.  I have to believe Pat C won’t get 15-20 mins per game if Craig is available?

It’s an interesting proposition... DD would make the second unit better defensively.

What would it do to the rotation? You move Forbes into a starting role, DD is first off the bench... you get Portis more time with Giannis, try to keep Middleton and Giannis together so Giannis doesn’t see as much wall... and let Holiday ride back and forth until the 4th Q.

Portis is outplaying Lopez right now. Ride that and see where it goes.

Not that I would want to trade Lopez, but honestly you could make a case that Portis should be starting at PF and they move Giannis to C.  They have a lot more 3 pt options now with Augustin and Forbes and DJW and Nwora.  

In the playoffs against a team like Miami it’s pretty obvious that Lopez is a liability on the floor.  He’s a great rim protector, but that is neutralized against smaller, quicker, outside shooting minded bigs.  

It’s unfortunate that Robert Covington moved on to Portland because he’d be the perfect fit and the dollars are almost even to make that trade.  Sure, the Bucks get smaller, but they get an elite wing defender and someone can can still shoot.