I see Clark being mainly a defensive stopper with a few 18-20 foot shots, some garbage points, and decent rebounding. I agree that he has far more upside, but I think Lou’s atheleticism and energy should always have a place in the rotation

I just don’t see him being the same player having developed here. He probably wouldn’t have as good defense considering he would have been playing in 7SOL instead of with KG and a great defensive team. He probably would not have had the time or impetus to develop the still relatively mediocre shot that he has now. He might be better at leading a Nash style offense. The fact of the matter is he would be different and based on our reliance on Nash, I still think Nash would have been extended and we would have a more capable backup. On a side note, I despise the attitude with which Rondo plays the game as well, and despite his undeniable skill, he is one of my least favorite players in the league. I would almost go as far as to say I am glad how it worked out. Rondo is good enough that it is almost.

This is rather tangential, as I was merely trying to extol the virtues (I think) of getting young players playing time in which to develop. It is great to be around NBA players, practice with NBA players, even be great friends with NBA players, but there is no substitute to playing in an NBA game. It is the real way people are able to get feedback, and develop. Of course, there is always the danger of pushing a player too far too fast, which is why I promote gradually fazing in a player such as Clark. Last year with Porter, Dragic did not get playing time, and when he managed to get out there and made a mistake, he was yanked every time. This didn’t help him adjust to the game, or get over his mental frailty. When Gentry got the job (and this is why I like him) he put his trust in the second unit, and let them play. Later half of the season, they played much better and became an integral part of the team.

I also like the potential of going small with a lineup like you said. In fact, I really like the potential versatility of having Clark. You could go small, with Clark at the 4 and Lou or Amare or someone at the 5, or you could even go big, with Clark at the 3 or the 4, pairing with Lou or Duds as forwards and having Lopez at the 5. I would agree that Lopez would be the one to drop out of the rotation, as he could probably use another year to develop before being a consistent big minute player.

I never though I would say it, but we just do not have enough playing time to give to our many potential rotation players. Tucker could be in there, he has decent potential and could contribute, whatever forward is the one left out by the musical chairs will still be a player we want to play. I really only see Griffin being a true garbage time player (if he gets the 13th spot, which I think he will).

I like your quote thingumy.