Ranking the west's position starters compared to the Wolves

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Thanks for that work, Mikkeman...very revealing. I think the conclusion you draw...that the Wolves don't have any superstars, but also have balance and decent talent top to bottom in their starting lineup...can be taken even further. I think some of the next 8 in the ratings may be a little underrated. What I am suggesting is that there won't be nearly the same level of dropoff this year from the starters to the reserves, and that guys like Dieng, Williams, Bennett, Brewer and Bud are not going to perform that much worse than the guys in front of them.

This is both good and bad. On the positive side, we shouldn't have to leave the room this year when Flip goes to his bench...a lot of reserves are going to be effective and fun to watch. On the negative side, though, you generally win with stars in the NBA, and with the Wolves' highest ranked player #66, it's easy to see why the experts are predicting less than 30 wins. Also, the roster balance is going to be challenging for Flip as he tries to find minutes. Last year, it was clear which 5 guys deserved the most minutes, but this year there may be 7-8 reserves who think they should be getting regular minutes. I don't think guys like Robinson, Hummel and LaVine will have a big problem with waiting for their time, but I have some concerns about JJ and Bazz, both who probably think they should be getting 20-25 minutes a game. Flip's going to have to work some magic to keep everyone happy.