So we know where we sit until the end of the season pretty much...
A few very minor questions linger...
Will Barbosa get surgery...
Will Ajinca get useful minutes...
Who the hell stole Bargnani's jersey and played against Chicago...
But we more or less can foresee the rest of the season.
Knowing what we know, this is my take on how the Raps should finish out the season.
Starters
8 Jose Calderon G 6-3 210
10 DeMar DeRozan G 6-7 220
0 James Johnson SF 6-9 220
32 Ed Davis PF 6-10 225
7 Andrea Bargnani C-PF 7-0 250
Bench (in order of entering the game, not necessarily minutes usage)
15 Amir Johnson PF 6-9 210
24 Sonny Weems SF 6-6 203
32 Jerryd Bayless G 6-3 200
00 Alexis Ajinca C 7-2 248
28 Leandro Barbosa G 6-3 202
14 Julian Wright SF 6-8 225
09 Joey Dorsey PF-C 6-8 268
30 Reggie Evans PF 6-8 245
50 Solomon Alabi C 7-1 251
Injured
11 Linas Kleiza SF 6-8 245
Starters Strategy:
Jose is our number one PG, no question he is required for heavy minutes...
Demar is our future All Star at the 2...
Johnson is a good all around player with a defense first mindset, best option to start at SF until we draft Terrence Jones, Harrison Barnes or Derrick Williams...
Ed Davis continues to add to the defensive balance this starting lineup needs...
Bargnani (love it or hate it) will start as long as he is a Raptor...
Substitutions:
1. Whichever of Davis or Bargnani is having the worse start, Amir replaces... If he comes in for a struggling Bargnani I also substitute Weems for James Johnson to maintain scoring...
2. When Jose needs a rest I bring in Bayless...
3. When Demar needs a rest I move Sonny to the 2 and bring James Johnson back into the SF spot...
*When Bayless is at the helm I would like to run a lineup of DeMar or Sonny at the 2 (whichever is in at the time), James Johnson at SF, Ed Davis at the 4 and Ajinca at C... Rationale-Bayless and DeRozan/Weems can attack, while the other three crash HEAVY on the boards...
I would sprinkle in minor minutes for Barbosa if he doesn't go for the surgery, and very minor minutes for Wright, Dorsey and Evans until all these guys are traded...
Interesting side note: In numerous games now I've watched how well Jose and Amir work together, it's beautiful, but also that Bayless has been quite willing to look for Davis and Ajinca when given the opportunity...
Anyways... that's my bit of coaching for the day...