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[QUOTE="IthacaMatt, post: 5206431, member: 405"]
Nice, balanced write-up.  Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I agree about Cuffe.  I think he had his moments last year, and I think he could help us.  He and Carlos are kind of similar players; guys who keep the ball moving, PGs on the smaller side, and don't hunt their own shots.

If JJ is as bad defensively, and as unable as a facilitator, and not that great driving the ball to the rim, and doesn't get to the line, then on this team, he won't have to play 35 minutes a game.  He'll be lucky to get 25.

Everyone knows I don't think he's nearly as bad a player as the rest of you do.  In fact, I think he is going to be the key guy on this team this year.

But let's accept everyone's concerns.  If JJ underperforms, where will those extra minutes go?  If he's not making threes, then Moore or Taylor will get some of his minutes, whoever is playing best among them.

If we need someone to run half-court offense and JJ isn't getting it done in the minutes that he is the only PG on the court, then Carlos and Cuffe are competing for those minutes, and with Carlos already in the rotation, actually that means that Cuffe, and maybe eventually Westry, will eat into JJ's minutes.

Carlos is going to start, we pretty much know that now.  So, whether he plays 20 minutes or 30 depends on (a) how good is JJ at PG, (b) how good is Cuffe at PG, (c) can Westry be a secondary ball handler from the SF spot, like Copeland was, and (d) is Carlos a threat offensively; does the other team have to cover him from three?

There are quite a few unknowns in this group, but I think it's going to come together. You have enough guys who appear to be pretty good, so that a rotation emerges from among them by January, and it won't be a weakness of the team.
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