Playoff Rotation

[mvossman]

Looking back at last year, I wanted to see what this year's potential playoff rotation would be. Since the Mavs are looking at buyout options, it's a fun exercise to see where the weakness might be. This isn't necessarily what I would do, rather a mix of what I would do and what they'll actually do.

Last year there were 10 players who played in 12 games or more (18 playoff games total)

Luka 36.8 mpg (15 Games)
Brunson 34.9 mpg
Bullock 39.3 mpg
DFS 38.2 mpg
Powell 13.8 mpg

Dinwiddie 27.8 mpg
Kleber 25.4 mpg
Bertans 10.7 mpg
Frank 10.4 mpg (12 Games)
Green 7.6 mpg (16 Games)

First half:

Luka_______12 _________       Kai______7______Luka___5____
Kai ___7___Green___5____     THJ__4__Hardy___5___Kai__3__
THJ___7___Bullock___5___      Bullock[i]______9_______THJ__3__[/i]
Green[i]___7___Wood__5___      Wood_____7_____Green___5___[/i]
Powell___7___Kleber__5__       Kleber_4_McGee__5__Kleber_3__


Second half:

Luka_______12 _________       [i]Kai___4___Luka______8_______[/i]
Kai ___7___Green___5____     THJ__4___Kai_______8________
THJ___7___Bullock___5___      Bullock[i]______9_______THJ__3__[/i]
Green _[i]__7___Wood__5___     Wood__4__Green_____8________[/i]
Powell___7___Kleber__5__       Kleber__4__McGee__5__Kleber_3_


Total minutes:

Luka 37
Kai 36
THJ 28
Green 37
Powell 14

Bullock 28
Maxi 24
Wood 21
McGee 10
Hardy 5

I think this is very close to the way it will play out.  I think the most under question is the big minutes.  Will McGee continue to show a pulse?  Will Wood force his way into bigger minutes or will the Wood/Kidd thing get worse?

The one thing I would change is more semantical than anything else.  I would argue that with that starting lineup Kai is the point guard and Luka is the Power Forward (or point forward if you will).  There is nobody else in that starting lineup with the size to guard power forwards, and it definitely won't be Green.  You can put Luka in the PG line when Kai is out as in all those cases there is a legit power forward on the floor.  That means Kai will always be in line 1 (backed up by Luka) and Green will always be in line 2 (backed up by Timmy and Hardy).  Line 3 will be Timmy starting but dominated by Bullock minutes.  Line 4 will be Luka backed up by Maxi (Maxi is more of power forward/perimeter player than Wood).  The center line will be Powell, Wood, McGee and Maxi.

You have a couple of minutes in the second quarter with Wood and McGee.  I would make those Wood/Maxi.  That changes the minutes to Maxi 26 and McGee 8.  I could live with that.