So who starts?

[footey]

Has to be Brown.

[jambr380]

I'm with the consensus here. You have to go with the line-up that won 16 straight games to start the 2017-18 season. With Baynes already taking over for Morris, I don't think you are losing anything [at all] slotting Brown in for Smart - except maybe depth. Let's not all pretend that Brown hasn't already successfully done this for a whole season before.

Hayward, Morris, Rozier will be the main guys off the bench with game to game spot minutes for Wanamaker, Theis, and Ojeleye. Hopefully Smart comes back healthy soon!

[ozgod]

To me who starts is less important than who Smart's minutes will be allocated to. With our team I feel since we have a number of players who can start, it's not as important as it would be on other teams where there's a much bigger talent disparity from starters and the bench.

What I'd like to see is Gordon and Jaylen being the main beneficiaries of Smart's minutes. I'm sure Terry and Mook will see their shares increase as well though.

[Green-18]

I'm with the consensus here. You have to go with the line-up that won 16 straight games to start the 2017-18 season. With Baynes already taking over for Morris, I don't think you are losing anything [at all] slotting Brown in for Smart - except maybe depth. Let's not all pretend that Brown hasn't already successfully done this for a whole season before.

Hayward, Morris, Rozier will be the main guys off the bench with game to game spot minutes for Wanamaker, Theis, and Ojeleye. Hopefully Smart comes back healthy soon!

Same here.  I'm also hoping that Hayward can handle 32+ MPG off the bench.  Kyrie should be playing at least 38 minutes in any competitive playoff game.  This leaves plenty of flexibility for Brad to limit Rozier's minutes when he's struggling. 

[ozgod]

I'm with the consensus here. You have to go with the line-up that won 16 straight games to start the 2017-18 season. With Baynes already taking over for Morris, I don't think you are losing anything [at all] slotting Brown in for Smart - except maybe depth. Let's not all pretend that Brown hasn't already successfully done this for a whole season before.

Hayward, Morris, Rozier will be the main guys off the bench with game to game spot minutes for Wanamaker, Theis, and Ojeleye. Hopefully Smart comes back healthy soon!

Same here.  I'm also hoping that Hayward can handle 32+ MPG off the bench.  Kyrie should be playing at least 38 minutes in any competitive playoff game.  This leaves plenty of flexibility for Brad to limit Rozier's minutes when he's struggling.

He played 38 mins against Orlando, he should be ok.

[Green-18]

I'm with the consensus here. You have to go with the line-up that won 16 straight games to start the 2017-18 season. With Baynes already taking over for Morris, I don't think you are losing anything [at all] slotting Brown in for Smart - except maybe depth. Let's not all pretend that Brown hasn't already successfully done this for a whole season before.

Hayward, Morris, Rozier will be the main guys off the bench with game to game spot minutes for Wanamaker, Theis, and Ojeleye. Hopefully Smart comes back healthy soon!

Same here.  I'm also hoping that Hayward can handle 32+ MPG off the bench.  Kyrie should be playing at least 38 minutes in any competitive playoff game.  This leaves plenty of flexibility for Brad to limit Rozier's minutes when he's struggling.

He played 38 mins against Orlando, he should be ok.

Personally, I'd like to see Gordon get closer to 35 minutes.  The past few weeks was enough for me to be convinced. 

[Who]

Jaylen starts. The team needs his defensive quickness on the perimeter. Kyrie, Hayward & Tatum is middling in terms of defensive quicks. Makes C's vulnerable to athletic perimeter groups and puts extra pressure on the big men defensively.

[tonydelk]

Easy answer is Brown. 

What does CBS do?  depends on the matchups.  You an put Morris in the lineup and go really big.  Brown and Hayward off the bench seems to be working.  Rozier is a candidate because he does the same sort of things that Smart does albeit on a lesser level.  I don't think it's Hayward because he runs the 2nd unit so well you can't mess with it.  I do believe with Smart out Hayward gets 35 MPG. 

[timpiker]

I'd say Jaylen because of the D.  Remember in the last Pacer game, Marcus shut down Bogdanovich and we need that again.

[keevsnick]

I wouldn't say this is an easy call, but t me it should be Brown. First of all the Irving-Brown-Tatum-Horford-Baynes lineup is basically the same one that had success last payoffs (swapping Irving for Rozier). Sure, Irving has to play more on ball but that probably just means running a lot more high pick n roll which always seems to work well for us. Jaylen is better against SG on defense then Hayward is and Haywards ability to properly run an offense (Rozier is not a PG) is more valuable on the second unit.