Send IT back to the bench and start Smart

[Tr1boy]

We will be harder to play this way.

IT has to bite the bullet and go back to being one of the top 3 6th man of the league.

We had a good advantage because of this

Smart on the other hand plays better the longer he plays. His energy level rises as the game tires out.

[alewilliam789]

Absolutely not. Smart has played like Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline. ad hasn't had near the impact that Isaiah Thomas has had. His defense also hasn't been as bad as it was.

[2short]

Not knocking Isaiah mmmbut our ball movement isn't as good when he's in.  I'd rather he comes off bench and does his thing of breaking down a defense.  Our offense isn't that good we need ball movement and everyone involved, look for easiest shot.
Smart turner crowder olynyk Johnson
You are welcome brad

[Denis998]

why bench your all star. Marcus needs to develop against weaker guards.

[Tr1boy]

Not knocking Isaiah mmmbut our ball movement isn't as good when he's in.  I'd rather he comes off bench and does his thing of breaking down a defense.  Our offense isn't that good we need ball movement and everyone involved, look for easiest shot.
Smart turner crowder olynyk Johnson
You are welcome brad

That looks good. 

Off the bench
Sullinger /zeller
Jerebko
Young/Hunter
Ab
IT

[crimson_stallion]

Not knocking Isaiah mmmbut our ball movement isn't as good when he's in.  I'd rather he comes off bench and does his thing of breaking down a defense.  Our offense isn't that good we need ball movement and everyone involved, look for easiest shot.
Smart turner crowder olynyk Johnson
You are welcome brad

That's just crazy.

This team plays infinitely better when Thomas is on the court.  Thomas and Johnson were the reason we built a huge lead against Memphis yesterday - the one that Brad Stevens (with help from Lee and Sully) managed to erase.  He was also the one single reason why we actually had a fighting chance at the end - he pretty much single-handedly fought to keep us going in the last 3 minutes.

In case you guys forget, we tried the whole "start Smart and bring Thomas off the bench" thing.  It didn't work.  Our starting lineup couldn't score to save their lives, and our bench (led by Thomas) had to keep bailing us out.

Now we have Thomas starting, and out starting lineup still isn't scoring well - but at leas it's scoring well enough to somewhat keep us in games. 

Do you remember when Bradley started going on that great scoring run?  And when Crowder started to grow offensively?  All that started happening once Thomas got moved into the starting lineup.  He is the only legitimate "creator of offense" we have on the team, and his ability to draw attention makes life easier for everybody else on the court.

How many easy interior buckets did Amir Johnson get yesterday as a result of off drive & dish plays by Thomas?  Almost every point point he scored came off Thomas' penetration.   

Anybody who thinks this team isn't MUCH better when Thomas is on the court is out of their mind. 

Sure, he's not perfect.  He plays high energy basketball, and from time to time that leads to high risk plays and the occasional questionable shot selection.  But most of the time he takes good shots and makes good plays.

But everybody (Smart, Bradley, Sully, Crowder, Lee, Olynyk - all of them) take forced / questionable shots sometimes.  At least with Thomas he actually has the ability to make them.

Honestly, Thomas is averaging nearly 7 assists per game despite being the primary scorer on a team that suffers from a major lack of offense.  I don't know how anybody can complain that ball movement stops when he's out there. 

[Chris22]

Bring in Rozier to backup the point.
Smart is not a point guard.

[droopdog7]

Bring in Rozier to backup the point.
Smart is not a point guard.

Yeah, well neither is rozier.

As for smart, people need to let him earn things rather than just give him things.  He's not a good basketball player and we might think about reducing his minutes rather than handing him a starting job.

[Tr1boy]

Bring in Rozier to backup the point.
Smart is not a point guard.

Yeah, well neither is rozier.

As for smart, people need to let him earn things rather than just give him things.  He's not a good basketball player and we might think about reducing his minutes rather than handing him a starting job.

Smart is still a much better defensively than IT regardless who is a better basketball player.

[GreenWarrior]

Bring in Rozier to backup the point.
Smart is not a point guard.

Yeah, well neither is rozier.

As for smart, people need to let him earn things rather than just give him things.  He's not a good basketball player and we might think about reducing his minutes rather than handing him a starting job.

how do you know what he's earned and hasn't earned? if that's what it comes down to? then if anything IT definitely should be coming off the bench. Smart was the starter until he got injured, but before that we have to assume Marcus "earned" that starting job. IT however didn't earn the starting job, he replaced the starter due to injury.

with all that aside I personally feel with this roster the line up shuffling is only going to help so much, because once you solve one issue you're faced with a new issue. the team needs a star and until that problem is solved shuffling the line up is just a band aid.

in an ideal world IT should be coming off the bench though.

[CroCorvus]

Agree.

IT is a hell of a player but it's better for us when he's coming from the bench.

[Tr1boy]

Bring in Rozier to backup the point.
Smart is not a point guard.

Yeah, well neither is rozier.

As for smart, people need to let him earn things rather than just give him things.  He's not a good basketball player and we might think about reducing his minutes rather than handing him a starting job.

how do you know what he's earned and hasn't earned? if that's what it comes down to? then if anything IT definitely should be coming off the bench. Smart was the starter until he got injured, but before that we have to assume Marcus "earned" that starting job. IT however didn't earn the starting job, he replaced the starter due to injury.

with all that aside I personally feel with this roster the line up shuffling is only going to help so much, because once you solve one issue you're faced with a new issue. the team needs a star and until that problem is solved shuffling the line up is just a band aid.

in an ideal world IT should be coming off the bench though.

I agree.  CBS needs to be careful bc the way things r going, guys will start playing injured

[Rosco917]

IMO, Thomas is an asset. I alway liked him coming off the bench, he's a pace changer, a spark... off the bench. He'll never be a starting PG on a serious contender. 

We need to see what our young players can do, the only way to do that, is play them. Give Smart enough rope to either develop, or hang himself. We have another draft coming shortly, with four more picks coming in less than a year. The entire NBA knows we can't keep all of our picks. Don't give other NBA teams the opportunity to fleece us, by us having to give away players we know nothing about.

We should want to see if Young, Rozier, RJ, and Mickey can play.

Making the playoff under the circumstances, short of Danny pulling off a masterful trade, could fools gold.

[Tr1boy]

IMO, Thomas is an asset. I alway liked him coming off the bench, he's a pace changer, a spark... off the bench. He'll never be a starting PG on a serious contender. 

We need to see what our young players can do, the only way to do that, is play them. Give Smart enough rope to either develop, or hang himself. We have another draft coming shortly, with four more picks coming in less than a year. The entire NBA knows we can't keep all of our picks. Don't give other NBA teams the opportunity to fleece us, by us having to give away players we know nothing about.

We should want to see if Young, Rozier, RJ, and Mickey can play.

Making the playoff under the circumstances, short of Danny pulling off a masterful trade, could fools gold.

Yup. Right now could be better for the future to trade IT, Johnson and Turner.  IT I would want to keep if he doesn't kick and scream he wants to start

[The_Truth]

So.. Smart comes back... we start losing... and now you want him to start instead of our best player?