“I have no comment on that question. No comment,” Bass responded when asked if he cared whether he started. “We have to keep getting better as a team. I think (coach Doc Rivers) will make the best decision for the team.”
Rivers raised eyebrows earlier in the week when he speculated about employing different starting lineups. The variations could send Bass to the bench in favor of rookie power forward Jared Sullinger or free agent center Darko Milicic.
“We may go to a transitional starting lineup, you know, have three different lineups,” Rivers said Wednesday. “We put a lot of thought into it. We just will figure it out.”
via If he’s upset about role, Bass isn’t saying - BostonHerald.com
Now, I’m a pretty big fan of getting outside the box when it comes to lineups. Take two to three players of near equal value, even if one is a better scorer, and make some changes. Find what works best. Consider chemistry, and play style, and the balance of bench scoring. These are all worthy ideas.
But this is overthinking things.
Look, I get that Sullinger has looked good in preseason and maybe his knack for getting that right-side-righty layup high off the glass over a defender will maintain when he’s given the attention of starting fours. Maybe his natural physical liabilities in rebounding won’t be a problem and his hustle will simply overcome all.
It doesn’t change the fact that Brandon Bass is much, much, much better than Jared Sullinger and in particular, is at his best when Garnett is on the floor.
According to NBA.com, Bass and Garnett were 9 points better than their opponent per 100 possessions last season. Now, almost everyone was +5 or better with Garnett because he was incredible last season. But Garnett and Bass provided a killer combination for Rajon Rondo. He’d run the pick and pop with one, and the other would spread out for a jumper. The could crash the boards, negating their problems with boxing out over bigger defenders, but that was largely unnecessary, because Bass and KG lead the league in unguarded jumpshot field goal percentage last year according to Synergy Sports.
With Garnett on the court last year, lineups with Bass were +176. When Bass was on the floor and KG sat, they were -18.
A 194 point differential.
I get that the Celtics need a bench scorer, particularly in the frontcourt, but they’ll have Jeff Green (don’t laugh, they believe in him) who can slide to the four if necessary. If they’re playing KG as a five in the starters, they can play Green as a four for stretches with the reserves. And the second unit provides a softer set for Sullinger to thrive in.
It’s not that Darko and Sullinger are bad players... OK, it’s not that Sullinger is a bad player, but it’s that Bass is that much better. He finally found a place in Boston where he felt he was supported and appreciated, and he re-signed with them for less money than he’d make elsewhere on shorter-term deals. The move just doesn’t seem, on surface, to make sense for anyone.
