5. Tighten The Rotation — For Good
It’s not a stretch to say that Brooklyn Nets interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo has struggled to figure out what to do with this rotation, specifically at the power forward position. While Reggie Evans seems to be the ironclad starter at power forward, figuring out how to split the remainder of the minutes at four between Kris Humphries, Mirza Teletovic, Andray Blatche, and Gerald Wallace.
First it was giving Humphries a chance. There was some talk of the alleged Blatche-Lopez combo, which we’ve seen in spurts. Then it was giving Teletovic a shot off the bench, which flamed out. Now it looks like Kris Humphries is getting another shot in the rotation, and after two relatively solid games, he might be slowly regaining his spot in the rotation.
And that’s a good thing — because until the Nets figure out a combination and roll with it, it’ll be difficult for them to build the on-floor chemistry they’ll need to earn a series win. The best teams in the NBA have solidified rotations — the Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, and Indiana Pacers are just a few examples of rosters that have rotational stability that the Brooklyn Nets don’t.
Though I’ve been a strong proponent of playing Wallace at power forward more (in that I think the need for a traditional power forward is somewhat overrated in today’s NBA), Wallace plays the bulk of minutes at small forward and throws his body around enough that extended minutes at power forward may be a detriment to his long-term health. (Besides, Carlesimo has said on numerous occasions that he wants to go big as much as possible.) On the flip side, Blatche plays the bulk of his minutes at backup center, and while he’s proven a good fit next to Lopez in limited time, there’s still a chunk of minutes left over. Teletovic had a shot, and shot terribly.
That leaves Humphries, who’s not too far removed from consecutive double-double seasons. Even after losing his starting spot and later his rotation spot, Humphries is this team’s best option at this point to fill the rotation. That said, if Carlesimo doesn’t stick with Humphries, he at least has to stick with something.
| Previous: 4 of 5 |
Full List:
1: Fix the Pick-and-Roll | 2: Get Brook Lopez involved late | 3: Stop Pretending C.J. Watson is a point guard | 4: Shoot more 3’s | 5: Figure out the rotation — for good
