Minnesota Sports Forum

First, assume everyone is healthy and able to play game one...

Rubio
LaVine
Wiggins
Muhammad
Towns
This is the "small" lineup. Can you say fast break? This I would pay to see and my favorite atm.

Rubio
Martin
Wiggins
Towns
PEK

Possibly the day one starting lineup.

Tyus
LaVine
Muhammad
Bjelica
Dieng
I could see this as a pressing 2nd unit.

Omg, there are actual combinations that might actually work and not make you want to wretch.

Thank you Flip.

Everyone healthy opening day lineup:

Rubio
Martin (I prefer Lavine get the starts but don't think Flip goes that direction opening day)
Wiggins
KG
Towns

On the Funkadelic Flip tossed out the possibility of Wiggins and Bazz starting at the wings...

Can KG teach Bazz to play defense?

60WinTim wrote:On the Funkadelic Flip tossed out the possibility of Wiggins and Bazz starting at the wings...

That's intriguing, Tim. Robson called for the same thing in his column today.

I think Flip gives LaVine every chance to beat out Martin at the 2, and since he isn't going to start 3 20 year olds (like I said in another thread, he saw too much of that late last season!), I think Towns starts the season backing up KG and Pek. I think Flip wants to get Towns a lot of minutes, but this way puts less pressure on him...after all, it's tough to go from playing 20 minutes a game in college to starting on an NBA team.

That starting five lends itself to a nice rotation too, that allows Flip to limit KG's and Pek's minutes. Towns subs in for KG at the 8 minute mark of the first period, and then moves over to take Pek's place at C at the end of the quarter, with whoever emerges as our next best option at PF (AB, Payne or Bjelica) starting the second quarter at PF.

But if Pek isn't ready to go at the start of the season, Flip will start Towns, KG, Wiggins, Rubio and either Martin or Zach.

TheSP wrote:Everyone healthy opening day lineup:

Rubio
Martin (I prefer Lavine get the starts but don't think Flip goes that direction opening day)
Wiggins
KG
Towns

Yep, I think this is exactly what you will see until Martin gets hurt.

CoolBreeze44 wrote:

TheSP wrote:Everyone healthy opening day lineup:

Rubio
Martin (I prefer Lavine get the starts but don't think Flip goes that direction opening day)
Wiggins
KG
Towns

Yep, I think this is exactly what you will see until Martin gets hurt.

Hmm...phenom said he thought he heard on the Funkadelic today that Flip plans to limit Pek to 15 minutes. That seems to support what most of you are predicting...that Towns will start at C from day 1.

I still think it's going to be tough for Flip to not start Pek if he is truly healthy. Flip has a lot of $ and a lot of ego tied up in Pek, and he needs him to justify his $60 million contract. But I think Flip is telling us now that Pek is not going to be healthy by saying he is going to limit him to 15 minutes. I'm always in favor of giving the new guys a shot, so I kind of like the idea of Towns starting next to KG.

I dont really expect Pek to start ever again unless it is out of necessity.

longstrangetrip wrote:

60WinTim wrote:On the Funkadelic Flip tossed out the possibility of Wiggins and Bazz starting at the wings...

That's intriguing, Tim. Robson called for the same thing in his column today.

I think Flip gives LaVine every chance to beat out Martin at the 2, and since he isn't going to start 3 20 year olds (like I said in another thread, he saw too much of that late last season!), I think Towns starts the season backing up KG and Pek. I think Flip wants to get Towns a lot of minutes, but this way puts less pressure on him...after all, it's tough to go from playing 20 minutes a game in college to starting on an NBA team.

That starting five lends itself to a nice rotation too, that allows Flip to limit KG's and Pek's minutes. Towns subs in for KG at the 8 minute mark of the first period, and then moves over to take Pek's place at C at the end of the quarter, with whoever emerges as our next best option at PF (AB, Payne or Bjelica) starting the second quarter at PF.

But if Pek isn't ready to go at the start of the season, Flip will start Towns, KG, Wiggins, Rubio and either Martin or Zach.

I'll add that the reason Bazz and Wiggins starting was discussed was because Brit's column was brought up and Flip laid out the arguement for Bazz playing with Wiggins that Brit has been saying for months. Brit would be happy to know Flip knows that's a legit option. Lol

monsterpile wrote:

longstrangetrip wrote:

60WinTim wrote:On the Funkadelic Flip tossed out the possibility of Wiggins and Bazz starting at the wings...

That's intriguing, Tim. Robson called for the same thing in his column today.

I think Flip gives LaVine every chance to beat out Martin at the 2, and since he isn't going to start 3 20 year olds (like I said in another thread, he saw too much of that late last season!), I think Towns starts the season backing up KG and Pek. I think Flip wants to get Towns a lot of minutes, but this way puts less pressure on him...after all, it's tough to go from playing 20 minutes a game in college to starting on an NBA team.

That starting five lends itself to a nice rotation too, that allows Flip to limit KG's and Pek's minutes. Towns subs in for KG at the 8 minute mark of the first period, and then moves over to take Pek's place at C at the end of the quarter, with whoever emerges as our next best option at PF (AB, Payne or Bjelica) starting the second quarter at PF.

But if Pek isn't ready to go at the start of the season, Flip will start Towns, KG, Wiggins, Rubio and either Martin or Zach.

I'll add that the reason Bazz and Wiggins starting was discussed was because Brit's column was brought up and Flip laid out the arguement for Bazz playing with Wiggins that Brit has been saying for months. Brit would be happy to know Flip knows that's a legit option. Lol

Flip was just trying to be politically correct in his response. His main point was that everybody has to earn their spot/time. So he wasn't going to preclude Bazz from having a chance to start, just like Martin or Zach.