If Pierce gets hurt, we're going to be struggling for production from the SF spot outside of Jeff Green.
And if Rondo gets hurt, we're going to be strugging for production from the entire team. Therefore, we need to trade for Chris Paul now...
If Rondo gets hurt, we've got players with point guard experience who can man the position (JET, Bradley when healthy, and probably Dooling). Those are all legit NBA players, guys who have played in big games.
If Pierce gets hurt, we've got *one* other guy on the team who has logged any meaningful time at small forward.
You see to think that Courtney Lee will be fine at small forward; I don't. And, I'm also not counting on ANY contributions from the rookie second-rounder.
There's three spots to use. Two, if/when Dooling returns. One, if you count Joseph. Why wouldn't you go for someone who can fill in the one roster spot where we're only two-deep right now?
What about if KG gets hurt... Can Bass carry us all the way? I dont think so.. still need to find another option if KG gets hurt..
What do you mean by "carry us all the way"?
If you mean, fill KG's shoes and carry us to #18 w/KG out for the season, then that player doesn't exist, at least not in someone we can get. So discussing such an option is moot.
If you mean fill in capably and play solid ball for 5-10 games if KG misses a few weeks with a nagging injury, then I think we already have that covered with Wilcox and Collins, though I admit it wouldn't kill us to have another seven footer.
That's my point.
You can't replace what KG brings to the team, or Pierce, or Rondo, but we've got guys that can play at the 4/5 if KG were to go down for a week or two. Bass, Wilcox, Sully, Collins, and even Jeff Green (a little) can all fill in as needed. There's depth in the frontcourt.
If Rondo goes out, the same. Terry, Dooling, Bradley; it's going to be a lot less pretty, and you might even see Pierce play a little point-forward (which he's pretty [dang] good at); we could survive missing Rondo for a few weeks, as we did last year (we were 9-5 last year in games that Rondo missed).
If Bradley takes a long while to come back, or has more issues, you've got Lee, you've got JET, and you've got Dooling. Even before AB returns, you're three-deep, if JET or Lee went out for a little while.
It's really just the SF position where one injury necessitates playing a guy out of position, or playing someone that's completely unproven (Joseph).
Incidentally, I'm not ready to award a roster spot to Joseph yet. I hope he makes it, but the only reason that Dionte Christmas is coming to camp with us (rather than getting paid a lot more money in Europe) is because he's been told he'll have a legitimate shot at making the 15-man roster. If Danny uses that 14th roster spot on anyone - another seven footer, or another wing - there will be only one spot between Joseph and XMas. Xmas wouldn't be here if he wasn't led to believe that he was going to be given the opportunity to win that roster spot, which could push Joseph out. Danny's 2nd rounders have always stuck around for at least a little while, but it wouldn't be unprecedented for a 2nd round pick to not make the team.
