LSMF and Dal showing us how to work a thread here. Good stuff to both you gents.
I'd like to focus a bit on the SG spot, which I believe should shape up to a Roddy vs Butler showdown.
Offensively, I think Butler and Roddy are somewhat competitive as shooting guards and and are somewhat interchangeable. Roddy has growth potential and Butler should be more adjusted so I think both should play better at the two than last year (and also get better as the year goes on). That said, I don't start them both because if JET/JJB are going to take smaller roles on the team, Butler/Beaubois have the best chance of filling their scoring void off the pine. Otherwise, JET is the defacto 6th man again as nobody off the bench will average 10+ ppg).
Defensively, Marion earns his keep as a starter as his minutes should be aligned to when guys like Kobe, Melo and Durant are on the court. As far as Butler vs Roddy, it makes more sense for Roddy to start as he can cover the scuttlebugs and helps keep us from a tiny bench which would promote the diminutive 3-PG play. If Butler were to start next to Marion, our top non-center bench guys would all be combo guards or small twos: Beaubois, JET, JJB. With Roddy starting, the backup team has more size and can play a more traditional line-up. The B-team becomes less about playing anybody that can play but teaming people who can play together. Starter-wise, with a Kidd/Roddy/Marion combo, after Marion picks up the ace, the remaining two opposing offensive players would be assigned accordingly by size and speed to Roddy/Kidd. If we're playing the Lakers, Kidd would pick up Artest and Roddy would take Blake/Fish. I'd have it like this on most nights:
PG Kidd
SG Roddy
SF Marion
PF Dirk
C Haywood
-
6th Butler
7th Chandler
8th JET
-
9-12: JJB/Dojo/DeShawn/Mahinimi depending on fouls, injuries, opponent, etc.
Come closing time, I think you run with Kidd/Roddy/Butler/Dirk/Center to generate offense (if you haven't gone small already to do so). I don't think the 6th man move is a big move for Butler actually or atleast not a strange move for the Dirk-era Mavericks. Witness:
-NVE: Ex-All Star/9-year starter, comes to Dallas at around 30 years old, firmly plugged in as 6th man by his second season and rocked that role (2002-2003).
-Van Horn sort of counts though he only played 80-odd games between two seasons for us (starting only three). He mostly started before joining Dallas (2004). He was technically a 7th man for us because of this guy....
-Stack: He made being a part-timer full-time work. Same story: ex-All Star/10-year starter, comes to Dallas at around 30-31 years old and becomes the 6th man from the get. Carried the mantle from 2004-2007.
-JET: Never an All-Star, came to Dallas earlier and started regularly but basically was converted to a 6th man in 2007 when Stack got phased out and when JET himself hit the big three-oh. He's carried it from 2007-2010.
And shoot, Cebric Ceballos was probably the cro magnon of this turnstile. Ex-All Star/joined in 1998 around 30 and became mostly a bench dude. Timmy Hardaway also gets a shout out for his bench work and for ushering in the NVE era. And Tawn! (Now I'm just looking at reference sites). So now... come on down, Caron Butler!
Here's Butler: Ex-All/Star/8-year starter, moved to Dallas and turns 31 next year. Time for the switcharoo?
