I was hoping that training camp/preseason games would have given Udoka enough time to figure out a starting lineup and rotation going into the regular season, but it really doesn’t look like he has a clue at this point. Seems pretty obvious that starting Timelord and Horford together was not going to work. It’s clear that Smart is not a point guard and that Schroder needs to start so that the team can run an offense. Seemed obvious that playing small ball was not a good idea and that Grant should never be starting or getting major minutes like he did in the season opener.
I understand that it’s early and Udoka is still trying to figure things out, however, he needs to do so fast before the players lose confidence in him.
This assessment looks premature to me. The starting lineup and rotations were in fact settled on from the beginning of the season, at least.
There's been a lot of reaction to smallball lineups on here, but in fact the ones with Grant at center haven't logged many minutes - about 3 in the Toronto game, for example, and the team was -1 in that stretch. Hardly a disaster.
'Smart is not a point guard' - I don't know what he is, but as coaches used to say, 'He's a basketball player.' What I'd point out about your statement is that it comes from an assumption that you've got to have a player fulfilling a certain set of tasks; I think that you've got it the wrong way around.
A team needs certain tasks performed, especially, when we're talking about point guards, you need to create shots for your shooters. Once upon a time a point guard - the player who had the ball at the point of attack - someone who could dribble and pass and therefore get the ball to another player who could score, was the one who did that. But there's no law in the universe that says you have to do it that way, or that you have to do it every play.
Last season Tatum already had an assist% over 20 - that's in the Marcus Smart range. Jaylen's was 16.5%. Those two players are emerging - were
already emerging - as triple threats.
One of the great assets of Smart is his versatility. When we say that we are usually talking about switchability on defense; but on offense he can play on or off the ball. It was good to see the return of Marcus Smart post-ups; it's a good role for him.
You prefer to start Schröder, which was my choice before the season; but Marcus does what he's so good at. It's a long season and a lot can change, but it does make sense to use Dennis off the bench to push up the tempo against bench players and fatigued starters. To be continued.
Have you reconsidered your claim about Grant Williams yet? You said, "...[he] should never be starting or getting major minutes". I'd disagree. In fact I'd say that the role that Ime has for him is one of the things that's really working in this early season.