But they might as well tank for the 2018 draft, as they won't have a 1st-rounder in 2019. Projected Starting Lineup: Tristan Thompson (C), Kevin Love (PF), LeBron James (SF), Jae Crowder (SG), Isaiah Thomas (PG). That should again hold true, as Joffrey Lauvergne's arrival likely won't displace 37-year-old Pau Gasol as starting center, while Tony Parker just MIGHT have one more year left in him as a regular starter...assuming Patty Mills doesn't put up breakout numbers while he's injured. Of course, the above is all small sample theatre, and overall as we showed they’ve washed out to a slight positive, but the trend continues with this lineup — they are struggling to get started. Fortunately, the backcourt is the only unquestioned aspect of this Suns team that may be headed to another early exit – Devin Booker's 70-point game in 2016-17 showed that he has arrived, while Eric Bledsoe, provided he's healthy, is one of the NBA's best two-way threats at the point, and arguably the Suns' best all-around player. Let's take a look at all 30 NBA teams and predict their starting lineups for the 2017-18 season, with a couple of things in mind. Goran Dragic returns at PG, where he remains quietly effective. Still, what they've got is pretty good, as the Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo, has solidified himself as one of the NBA's best players, period. With Gasol out … A couple of years ago, it was Luis Scola starting all year long, with Patrick Patterson coming off the bench. This season could see them enjoy better luck, and while it might not result in a deep postseason run, the Nuggets are definitely in better shape entering the 2017-18 season. Pacers fans, welcome to life after PG13. Now, again, that’s not what you want. Allen Crabbe, who arrived via trade with Portland, could potentially beat out Sean Kilpatrick and Spencer Dinwiddie as starting SG, while Rondae Hollis-Jefferson should continue to progress at the 3. Projected Starting Lineup: Nikola Vucevic (C), Aaron Gordon (PF), Jonathon Simmons (SF), Evan Fournier (SG), Elfrid Payton (PG). Let’s keep things in context here. The drop-off in talent from Chris Paul to Patrick Beverley is one of the first things you may notice from the starting lineup, but as you can also see, J.J. Redick's departure could also mean Austin Rivers finally getting promoted to a full-time starting job. Over in the backcourt, Evan Fournier continues to show improvement as the Magic's likely top scorer in 2017-18, while Elfrid Payton, despite his obvious offensive shortcomings, is guaranteed to play sticky defense at the point guard spot. Toronto Raptors Need Kyle Lowry Back in the Lineup Mar 03, 2017 by Chris Crouse in Player Breakdowns. Here are Poeltl’s on-court ratings when playing with, a) all three of Lowry, DeRozan and Serge, and, b) both Lowry and DeRozan, with or without Serge, to give a larger sample than the first one. Projected Starting Lineup: Dwight Howard (C), Frank Kaminsky (PF), Marvin Williams (SF), Nicolas Batum (SG), Kemba Walker (PG). Barring injury, there's no way Jimmy Buckets won't be making a big impact on both ends of the court for the Timberwolves in 2017-18 – it also helps that he's reuniting with his former Bulls coach, Tom Thibodeau and another ex-Bull, Taj Gibson. With that purpose of tanking in mind, it's no surprise that their projected starting lineup includes a third-year man (Willie Cauley-Stein), two second-year men (Buddy Hield and Skal Labissiere), and a rookie (Justin Jackson). Quarter | Minutes Played | Net Rating1st Q: 98 MP, -8.5 RTG2nd Q: 44 MP, +29.3 RTG3rd Q: 68 MP, -13.0 RTG4th Q: 17 MP, +19.9 RTG. Projected Starting Lineup: Steven Adams (C), Enes Kanter (PF), Paul George (SF), Andre Roberson (SG), Russell Westbrook (PG). Certainly, a player of Anthony Davis' caliber deserves to be in the playoffs on a regular basis. The C's definitely got the better end of their trade with the Cavs, as Kyrie Irving is arguably one of the NBA's top three PGs, and a more complete player than Isaiah Thomas. Projected Starting Lineup: Dewayne Dedmon (C), Ersan Ilyasova (PF), Kent Bazemore (SF), Marco Belinelli (SG), Dennis Schroder (PG). May 1, 2017 May 1, 2017 13 mins read As the Toronto Raptors set to tip off for their second-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, allow me a word on optimism: It’s good. Lineup | Minutes Played | Offensive Rating | Defensive Rating | Net RatingKL-DD-SI-JP: 27 MP, 89.8 ORTG, 115.9 DRTG, -26.1 RTGKL-DD-JP: 73 MP, 102.8 ORTG, 118.1 DRTG, -15.3 RTG. In any case, we’ve got a candidate for a maybe-somewhat-better lineup than the starters. Another bench unit killing other teams (in spite of the unit being completely different from the ones in years past). So... yeah, that’s not great. The starting lineup appears to be a problem. LT yung Milwaukee Bucks pinatugtog yung Barney theme song nung tinatawag na players ng Raptors HAHAHAHA And it really does seem to be an issue for the starters specifically at the start of each half. We have to wonder, though, about the lack of rebounding at the 4 – Marcus Morris, who arrived via trade with Detroit, can score, but is more of a natural SF. What Is The Toronto Raptors Starting Lineup And Float Fest 2017 Lineup ENJOY WITH GREAT DEALS AND LOW PRICES PRODUCTS HERE. For the record, Nogueira has the same issue. In the first quarter, Ibaka and Valanciunas carry usage rates of 24% and 23% respectively. But the big problem in Brooklyn is the team's dire lack of competent big men, following the Brook Lopez trade that got them Russell and...the grossly-overpaid Timofey Mozgov. Veteran bigs Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka both departed for the LA teams, after having been an important part of the Raptors’ 2019 NBA title run. Consider the following breakdown for the starting 4-some we talked about above. Then you've got Rajon Rondo, who's coming off an awful season with the Bulls – he's likely to start, but isn't likely either to be the same point guard he used to be with the Celtics. The small forward position seems likely to take care of itself, at least in the short term. McCollum (instead of Brandon Roy) in Portland's All-Time Team for NBA 2K18, but together with Damian Lillard, he makes up one-half of one of the NBA's most potent backcourts. But we've got to wonder whom Toronto has in mind to replace DeMarre Carroll at the 3. The Nets may be forced to start the mediocre Mozzy in the middle, with journeyman-caliber Trevor Booker being the closest they've got to a starting PF. How to fix the Raptors’ broken starting lineup, Flynn and Fred impress as Raptors beat Hornets 112-109. That’s a very high rate — the highest rate on the team right now is Valanciunas with 5.0 PF/36, Poeltl right behind him with an overall rate of 4.9 PF/36. Neither is Willy Hernangomez, who did, to his credit, surprise many with a late-season surge that led to a First Team All-Rookie berth. Everything worked for the most part when those five men were starting, which is why Washington mostly focused on retooling the bench. Or Milwaukee could do what they did last season and have Maker and Henson start, with Monroe as the team's sixth man. SB Nation NBA fans have some idea. Meanwhile, small forward Nikola Mirotic should have a bigger piece of the offensive pie as a full-time starter, while Robin Lopez should continue holding down the fort in the middle. Top Re: Official Raptors Training Camp Thread Don't expect changes, though, in the frontcourt positions, where Clint Capela is a rising star at center, Ryan Anderson a volume shooter from beyond the 3-point arc (albeit sorely lacking in traditional power forward areas), and Trevor Ariza a steady veteran still capable of providing threes and D. Projected Starting Lineup: Myles Turner (C), Domantas Sabonis (PF), Thaddeus Young (SF), Victor Oladipo (SG), Darren Collison (PG). Shop for Low Price Tampa Bay Lightning Starting Lineup And Toronto Raptors Starting Lineup 2017 . Anunoby, the No. The addition of Gordon Hayward via free agency offered an immediate big-time boost at the 3 spot, and Al Horford remains in place as a solid starter at center. Serge Ibaka may no longer be putting up unreal blocked shots numbers, but he's made up for that by being a fairly complete power forward, and one who's hopefully for keeps as a Raptor. Still, there's a huge drop-off in talent from Boogie and the Unibrow to expected starting SG Jrue Holiday (despite his being a natural PG) to the two other players likely to start on opening day. Thanks to his veteran smarts and defensive ability, Thabo Sefolosha looks to be the prime candidate, though Dante Exum may finally come through after a disappointing run thus far, injury-prone Alec Burks may reclaim his old form, and Donovan Mitchell may prove pleasantly surprising as the team's 13th-overall pick in the 2017 draft. Certainly, you want better than .500 ball from your starting unit. All this leaves us with is more questions, and fewer answers. We think Saric might get the nod, with Holmes serving as top frontcourt man off the bench. It’s also something that can get exploited in the starting lineup by the best guards on the opposing team, especially in conjunction with DeRozan’s general inability to navigate screens, and Lowry’s inconsistent effort in that area. The bad news... well, I’ll show you. Dion Waiters was re-signed after a career year where he helped the Heat to a 30-11 record in the second half of 2016-17, and a healthy Justise Winslow should re-assume his starting SF role, with James Johnson possibly serving as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate at both forward spots. Unique lists featuring pop culture, entertainment and crazy facts. Personally I think that although Poeltl has shown great promise and has really helped that bench unit, he’s just not physically ready for the starting bigs this league can throw at you. There is a third option worth exploring that, given the way the league is trending, could feasibly help the Raptors win games. Shop for Philadelphia Eagles Starting Lineup Super Bowl And Raptors Starting Lineup 2017 18 Philadelphia Eagles Starting Lineup Super Bowl And Raptors Starting HAHAHAHA PUTANGINA HAHAHAHA I LOVE THE PLAYOFFS HAHA — Ja Salazar (@_heyja) April 21, 2017. Obviously, the big news in Charlotte is that Dwight Howard, once unquestionably the NBA's best center, is making the Queen City his latest in a growing list of NBA stopovers. But we've got to wonder who's going to be starting at the 2. That’s even worse than the not-so-nice -69 net rating the starters managed in the 1st half. Forward, however, is still questionable for the Blazers, as Moe Harkless is a good defender, but hardly a top-tier player at the 3. Lorenzo "Enzo" Tanos is a freelance writer from Manila, Philippines whose articles have appeared, and continue to appear on sites such as The Inquisitr, Blasting News, Modern Readers, and others. Well, there have actually been a bunch of starting lineups due to injuries, but the two that have played by far the most minutes are Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas joined by one of Norman Powell or OG Anunoby. Speaking of defense, that's what Steven Adams will continue providing as he comes off a career season, while Enes Kanter will provide the exact opposite at power forward – he's just too good to be an instant-offense-and-rebounds guy off the bench. Please feel free to ask any questions about the stats presented above, and please comment about what you think should be done with the Raptors’ starting lineup, whether it is a rotation change or not. That means unless he finally gets his wish to be traded, he shall remain the unhappiest 20-plus-ppg scorer in recent memory, as he plays alongside future franchise player Kristaps Porzingis and a ragtag mix of has-beens (Joakim Noah, Michael Beasley) and never-would-bes (take your pick). They've got a couple quick-fix solutions in Brook Lopez and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who may likely start, but aren't likely to re-sign once their contracts come up in 2018, unless the Lakers actually make that big improvement and/or have been scared off by the fine they received for tampering with Paul George's contract. And so we (myself quite possibly the loudest) called for a change. All signs pointed to yes at the time, but we don’t know. McCollum (SG), Damian Lillard (PG). Harrison Barnes enjoyed a breakout 2016-17 season after being freed from the Golden State Warriors, and will remain the first offensive option. Do you completely bury Valanciunas, probably further damaging any limited trade value he might have? It remains to be seen how well Harden and CP3 will connect in the backcourt, but on paper, the Rockets just might have become the biggest threat to the Warriors in the Western Conference. How has that lineup done this year, overall? Projected Starting Lineup: Thon Maker (C), Greg Monroe (PF), Giannis Antetokounmpo (SF), Khris Middleton (SG), Malcolm Brogdon (PG). It was Malachi Flynn Showcase Night v2.0 as the Raptors downed the Hornets for the second straight time in preseason action. The Sixers might as well trade Okafor, lest he further get lost in the shuffle. Also, what happens to the rotation at C and PF if they pursue this? Hayward can also be moved to the 2, which would leave Brown and rookie Jayson Tatum to fight for minutes at the 3. As long as Gregg Popovich is coaching the San Antonio Spurs, you know that his team going deep in the playoffs with a tried-and-true veteran lineup is almost as guaranteed as death and taxes. The Utah Jazz are adjusting to life after Gordon Hayward by building up a lineup full of defensive stoppers. Projected Starting Lineup: Al Horford (C), Marcus Morris (PF), Gordon Hayward (SF), Jaylen Brown (SG), Kyrie Irving (PG). 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