Looking at our roster, there seems to be a lot of talent on paper, but there are also a number of question marks. Our starters are solid (even if Rondo and Perk will continue to show youthful mistakes on occasion). The bench, as discussed in various threads, is more questionable. Here it is:
C: Patrick O'Bryant (7'0", 3rd year)
PF: Leon Powe (6'8", 3rd year)
PF: Glen Davis (6'9", 2nd year)
PF: Brian Scalabrine (6'9", 8th year)
SF: Darius Miles (6'9", 6th year)
SF: Bill Walker (6'6", rookie)
SG: Tony Allen (6'4", 5th year)
SG: J.R. Giddens (6'5", rookie)
PG: Eddie House (6'1", 9th year)
PG: Gabe Pruitt (6'4", 2nd year)
Looking at that group of guys, the question I'm left asking is "What is Doc going to do with this?" From observation of Doc over his years in Boston, I think he's demonstrated four trends in his coaching: 1) love for "small ball", 2) preference for veterans, 3) a fairly inconsistent rotation, and 4) a tendency to "mass substitute" four or five bench players into the game at the same time.
Small ball: Looking at the roster, this seems to be one that is well-suited to small ball. In fact, Doc might not have any other choice, in that the team's only bench guy over 6'10" averaged 4.1 minutes per game last year. The bench seems to be fairly weak in terms of interior defense and rebounding, but has an abundance of athleticism. It's expected, then, that Doc will try to get the team out in transition, where athletic guys like Walker, Giddens, and Tony can finish. The question then becomes, does the bench have a point guard capable of leading that transition attack? The answer to that, at this point, seems to be no. Both House and Pruitt seem to be more "combo guards", and neither has demonstrated that they are a great transition point guard (or in Pruitt's case, a point guard at all). That doesn't mean the team can't run with its bench players, but it *does* suggest that Rondo should be playing a lot of minutes with these guys.
Veterans: These are in short supply on our bench as constituted. Only House, Scal, and perhaps Tony can be considered a true "veteran"; I don't count Miles in this group because he hasn't played in a couple of seasons, and when he was playing, he wasn't exactly demonstrating veteran behavior, either on or off the court. Does this lack of veterans suggest that Doc will go to Scal more? I know that that's not what many fans want to hear, but I think that's exactly what we're going to see. Scal has demonstrated the ability to play defense at a high level, and he has good positioning on the court. Unfortunately, he doesn't contribute much on the offensive end, which handicaps any bench unit he's a part of.
Inconsistent Rotations: I don't think there's any way that Doc, or any coach, could have a set rotation with this roster, at least immediately. House and Powe have probably "earned" minutes (although Doc wasn't in love with either player in last year's playoffs), and Tony seems to be a good bet to have a spot in the rotation. From there, nobody has consistently shown anything. There are a lot of players at about the same level, and there is a lot of overlap between the various positions. With so little differentiation between the players, I think it will be a real challenge in fitting guys into defined roles.
Mass substitutions: This one scares me a bit. While I think the problems created by not having enough vets and the lack of size on the bench are issues Doc has no control over, the management of substitution patterns will fall squarely on Doc's shoulders. Last season, Doc demonstrated a pattern of playing four or five bench guys at the same time. I think if he attempts to do that this year, the team is going to get murdered. Simply put, there isn't a group of four guys off of the bench that I'd be comfortable with having in the game at the same time. The bench guys are just too young and inconsistent, and they don't necessarily complement one another's talents well.
Does that mean the team is doomed? No. However, what it does suggest is that Doc needs to be very conscious of making sure that he has a better mix of starters and bench players on the floor at the same time this year. Not only will that provide for better results on the court, but it will also aid in the young guy's development. Bill Walker will be more successful playing alongside KG and Rondo than he will be next to Patrick O'Bryant and Eddie House. Tony, as mentioned before, is most effective when playing with the starters. I'm sure that will be the case with any of the young players. I think it's very important that Doc keep two of the "big three" on the court at all times, or at the very least make sure there are two starters in the game. There are enough minutes to accomplish this, so it will be on Doc's shoulders to bring it to fruition.
From my perspective, this off-season hasn't been ideal. However, at this point, things aren't going to change significantly, so it's time for the team to start thinking about the adjustments that need to be made. I'm fairly sympathetic to Doc, as the roster isn't a great fit for his coaching style. That being said, he's going to have to make the proper adjustments to put this team in an optimum position to succeed. I don't envy him, but if there are some growing pains at the beginning of the season, I think we should all remember the situation Doc has been put in, and try to be sympathetic before criticizing him too much. (That being said... growing pains are only acceptable if there is growth. Let's hope that Doc makes the adjustments he needs to to get this team to where it needs to be.)
