Rotation?

[bird <birdwl@earthlink.net>]

Obie has mentioned that he'll play his "best nine players" (from the Globe 
article a few days ago, spotlighting Forte).  So, who are those nine 
(possibly ten) players?

1	Anderson
2	Pierce
3	Williams
4	Walker
5	Battie

Probably the starting five.  I wouldn't start EWill (or, if I did, wouldn'
t play him many minutes), but clearly Obie is impressed.  The center spot 
is open, I guess, but how clear is it that Battie is the guy who should be 
getting the bulk of the minutes there (and the backup PF minutes, too)?  I 
guess Kenny starts -- what else is there to say about that?

6	Johnson
7	Potapenko
8	Palacio

These are in no particular order, but you've got to think that JJ will get 
the most of the minutes of the rooks, and there needs to be a primary 
backup for both the center and pg spots, so here they are.  It's the rest 
I'm unsure about: you'd think K. Brown would get playing time, but they 
may want to go with Forte as both a pg and with Palacio or Kenny as the 
new-fangled undersized backcourt we're seeing a lot of these days.  For 
good or ill, I would also think that Blount will get minutes, too.  
McCarty will hopefully be the odd man out, but you never know.  Herren, 
McLeod, and R. Brown (the last two legitimately) are stashed on IR, 
leaving Waltah, Forte, K. Brown, and Blount to fight over a spot or two 
(9th and 10th men).  I'd go with:

9	K. Brown
10	Forte
11	Blount (as needed)

This isn't so bad.  A better lineup than we've seen in many years, except 
for last year's -- and if the injury bug can be kept away (a citronella 
burner, maybe?). Anderson and especially Battie can produce, making for a 
overall improvement, at least as far as those two are concerned.  As for 
the swingmen, short-term improvement is irrelevant, as the point is to 
develop the rookies into quality NBA players.  (What's likely to happen is 
a switch at some point in the season where Williams/McCarty's minutes get 
cut because the rooks are starting to come into their own -- hopefully 
that happens this season, anyway.)  I wonder who will end up getting the 
PT, though... .

(The Celtic "Tird",
  Celticus "tirdius")