I just have a gut feeling we are going to cheap out with G league level guys, but I hope I am wrong
This is exactly what is going to happen. Or they just keep a roster spot open with Brad telling us they will look to add during the regular season or at the deadline (which they won't do).
I expect the roster is pretty much set with these. Maybe they add one more 2 way guy. Still concerning not to have much scoring off the bench and no real back up 4.
Brissett seems to be a hustle guy but I am not sure he can score like they need. Banton is a cheerleader.
White
Brogdan
PP
Brown
JT
AL
Rob
KP
Walsh
Brissett
Banton
Kornet
Hauser
Last Season Second Unit:
Brogdon - Pritchard - Hauser - Grant - RWill*
This Season Second Unit (so far):
Brogdon - Pritchard - Hauser - Brissett - Horford
*For most of the season, Kornet (804 min, 69 games, 0 starts) was the back up C. RWill (823 min) only played 35 games, started 20.
I get the sense that people are forgetting that we now can have Horford coming off the bench. That is an upgrade if you think of Horford as the replacement for Grant. The 5th bench slot was shared between RWill, Kornet, Griffin, and even Muscala, so no established role there. It was less important because we were mostly playing 1-big. So last season it was Grant and whoever, this season it is Horford and Brissett.
I don't disagree that one more bench piece would help, but I don't agree that we are worse than last season in any way.
I think that is good if everyone is healthy. We don't know if Brogdan is going to miss time right out of the gate. Rob always has an injury. Al won't play back to backs and KP is a guy who has injury history.
That doesn't leave a ton of options to pick up the slack. We don't know if PP can be a regular steady offensive contributor. Same with Hauser. Is Joe going to trust them?
Brissett...can he get you 10-12 points a game off the bench?
Just a lot of unknowns.
Well, yeah, if Brogdon and Horford both get hurt, then our bench won't be as good. But until someone does get hurt leading to missing a chunk of the season, the team looks good to me. And that is why you keep some roster flexibility as you go into the season. You don't know how it is going to go. But when whatever is going to happen, actually happens, you address it at that time. But you can't expect to have redundancy on top of redundancy at every position at the start of the season.
I am all for bringing in another bench player. I don't see Champagnie contributing so that is a slot that could be filled with a more useful player. I am fine with Kornet. I think he is useful enough as an end of the bench big. I am also fine to go into the season with 14 roster spots + 2-ways and the TPE in hand, if a solid deal does not present itself. That gives us some flexibility to address needs along the way, when they become needs.
