SG- Thabo. Gordon is better off the bench, and Thabo played better when he was a starter last season. In fact, Thabo should be getting a lot of minutes spreading his time among 1-3 positions. His effectiveness and production go hand in hand with how much PT he’s getting. He should be on floor at least 30 mins a game. Rotate Kirk and Ben among the 2 guard spots as needed till Hughes comes back and we can deal either or both.

SF- Deng. What other option is there? Oh, will he be able to post people up like he was supposed to last year? Any additional inside scoring is a plus.

PF- Tyrus Thomas, you may never be Amare Stoudamire…. but please be good for a double-double and 2 blocks a game. He’s trade bait come midseason if this team blows.

C- Gooden. His inside scoring will be needed. Damn the team is small.

PG- Rose… holy crap is he getting it quickly. He’s already the best player on the team.
SG- This is where I’m not sure. Hughes’ injury helps make this a little easier, and his injury also makes the team better. Gordon’s clearly the best guard, and I’ve been a pro-Gordon guy always, even more so with this bunch. We need his scoring. However, he’s clearly better off the bench. I can never understand it, and he claims he always wants to start, but he’s a better 6th man. Kirk’s shooting doesn’t look improved from last year, he’s like 4 of 20 from behind the arc. Plus like you said, he’s our 2nd best point guard. Thabo’s shot looks as flat as ever, to me that’s the biggest disappointment of the preseason. I really thought he’d get better offensively. There’s no doubt he’s terrific on the defensive end though, so he’s still valuable.
SF- Deng, although he hasn’t impressed this preseason. Im afraid this is what he is. He doesnt have that killer mentality like Rose and Gordon do.
PF- Tyrus looks like a double-double machine. He still makes stupid plays here and there, and has absolutely no touch, but he’s been a beast on the boards and makes things happen. The only way he’ll continue to mature and get better is by being on the floor. However, this is also Gooden’s natural position, so I don’t think he’s starting for sure just yet.
C- I really want Gooden’s offense on the floor, having a big man that can score consistently is huge for this team. Gooden’s been drilling 18 footers too. He should have a solid year. Problem is, he’s undersized for a C. Looking at our opening night lineup, I might rather have Noah on Bogut rather than Gooden. As for Noah, his +/- stats are usually near the top on the team each time he plays. It’s not pretty, but we play well when he’s on the floor.