Preseason Logjams to Watch

The NBA preseason is underway, which means we can start analyzing actual games.

Many teams seemingly have their rotation all set, but there are still a number of fluid situations just two weeks before the start of the regular season. Below, we take a look at few of the more interesting logjams across the league.

Philadelphia 76ers Frontcourt
The Sixers have three young centers on their roster: Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor. All three were drafted in the top half of the lottery. Now that all three are (almost) finally healthy, coach Brett Brown has to figure out how he will distribute minutes in an attempt to keep them all happy. Noel let his feeling be known on the eve of training camp, when he told reporters: “I don’t see a way of it working. It’s just a logjam. You’ve got three talented centers that can play 30-plus minutes a night and three centers can’t play 30 minutes a night. That’s that. Things need to be situated. Obviously, somebody’s got to be moved around. It’s a tough situation, but I can only say so much because I have no say and no power.”

Fortunately for the Sixers, Embiid has looked terrific in the limited minutes he has played. In addition, Okafor is ramping up his workouts and is in the final stages of rehab after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus. Is a trade inevitable? Ben Simmons being sidelined will open up minutes at power forward if Philly wants to attempt to play two bigs together, but that seems unlikely. As for the PF spot, Dario Saric has been impressive in the preseason and appears to be the favorite to start at the four spot on opening night.

Chicago Bulls Power Forward
The Bulls brought in big names Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo this offseason, but the issue in Chicago is long-range shooting. In today’s NBA, it’s more important than ever to have shooters who can space the floor and knock down threes. Last season, the Warriors and Cavaliers led the league in three-point attempts in the regular season. However, Rondo and Jimmy Butler attempted just 378 three-pointers combined last season. (In contrast, Steph Curry made 402 threes). Thus, the Bulls would ideally prefer to have Nikola Mirotic start alongside Rondo, Wade, Butler and Robin Lopez, with Taj Gibson coming off the bench. Mirotic was the only Bull to make more than 110 threes in 2015-16. However, Nikola has struggled this preseason and been outplayed by Gibson. Mirotic is shooting below 35 percent from the floor and 26.7 percent from behind-the-arc.

Bobby Portis has worlds of potential, but it is probably too soon to ask the 21-year-old to assume starter’s responsibilities. We’ll see whether coach Fred Hoiberg ultimately decides to start Gibson or Mirotic.

New Orleans Pelicans Backcourt
As Jrue Holiday takes time to deal with a heartbreaking personal matter, the starting point guard spot is up for grabs. Tim Frazier was the favorite at the start of the preseason, and has only increased the odds in his favor due to his stellar play. He’s averaging over eight points, eight assists and five rebounds per game, while shooting 66.7 percent from the floor. Langston Galloway will likely backup Frazier.

A nice competition is playing out at shooting guard as well. Both E’Twaun Moore and Buddy Hield have shot the lights out this preseason. Moore is averaging a team-high 17.7 points per contest, while shooting 61 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from three-point territory. Hield is second on the team in scoring, pouring in 17 points per game with a 52 percent/40 percent/100 percent slash line. The Pels may opt to start the veteran Moore, if only to ease Buddy’s rookie transition into the NBA.

Cleveland Cavaliers Backup Point Guard
When Mo Williams announced his retirement last month, the battle for the backup minutes behind Kyrie Irving began. After an impressive showing in the Las Vegas Summer League (15.3 PPG and 3.9 APG), 2016 second-round pick Kay Felder has picked up right where he left off. Felder is averaging nearly 26 minutes per game and 11 points per contest this preseason. He started on Monday night, scoring 15 points and dishing out six assists. The Cavs signed Markel Brown last month, but it appears Felder has secured the spot. However, if the Cavs fail to re-sign J.R. Smith, Brown and Jordan McRae could see minutes at off-guard behind Iman Shumpert.

Milwaukee Bucks Shooting Guard
Khris Middleton is slated to miss six months after tearing his hamstring, which leaves a gaping hole in the Bucks backcourt. Unproven youngsters Rashad Vaughn and Malcolm Brogdon are competing to be the starter. However, neither has shined in the preseason and they will likely end up splitting minutes, with both Michael Carter-Williams and Jason Terry also seeing some time out of position at the two-guard.

Miami HEAT Power Forward and Shooting Guard
Josh Richardson played well as a rookie and was expected to keep his starting gig this season; however, he partially tore his MCL on September 9 and may not be available at the start of the season. It was assumed the newly signed Dion Waiters would fill in should Richardson miss any time, but it was actually Tyler Johnson who started at shooting guard in Miami’s first two preseason games.

With Chris Bosh’s career potentially over, power forward is also an unknown at this point. It will likely either come down to Derrick Williams or Josh McRoberts. James Johnson and Luke Babbit could also earn some time at the four.

Memphis Grizzlies Power Forward
Head coach David Fizdale announced last month that JaMychal Green will be the team’s starting power forward this season, sending veteran Zach Randolph to the bench. Green hasn’t been overly impressive in the preseason, so we’ll see how long this lasts if Green struggles out of the gate or if Z-Bo is unhappy being the Sixth Man.

Boston Celtics Backcourt Backups
Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley are set as the starters, but with Evan Turner in Portland, Terry Rozier is looking forward to an uptick in minutes. Rozier hasn’t done much since being drafted 16th overall in the 2015 draft, but he’s hoping to make his mark in 2016-17. Marcus Smart has already established himself as an elite defender; he is now looking to prove he can contribute offensively as well, by shooting/scoring efficiently and distributing the ball as a playmaker. Rookie Jaylen Brown will also attempt to earn some playing time on the wing behind Jae Crowder. These three young bench players could play an important role in determining whether or not the C’s can unseat the Raptors as champs of the Atlantic Division.

Denver Nuggets Power Forward
Kenneth Faried has long been a fan favorite in the Mile High City. However, Denver’s front office and coaching staff doesn’t seem to hold the same affection for the burly big man, due primarily to Faried’s defensive limitations. The Nuggets have a glut of forwards (Jusuf Nurkic, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler), and the best resolution for all parties would likely be to trade Faried out of town, if they are able to get back something they like. It will be interesting to see if Denver is willing to start the promising Nurkic over Faried.

New York Knicks Final Roster Spot
The Knicks have 15 players with fully guaranteed contracts, but point guard Chasson Randle is not among those 15. This is significant because the Knicks currently only have two point guards on their roster. Furthermore, those two point guards (Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings) have had injury issues. Do the Knicks feel comfortable going into the season with such limited depth at such an important position? If Rose were to miss time due to either injury or his current trial, Sasha Vujacic would be New York’s back-up PG. For that reason, the Knicks may choose to waive a big, such as Lou Amundson or Marshall Plumlee, in order to clear space for Randle.