Is there a world where AD and Nunn coming back elevates this team to a more competitive level on both ends? Gone would be WG’s minutes, for the most part. Less of Bradley and Reaves, one assumes…maybe even less Russ in critical situations?
Defense would improve as AD would become the starting 5 allowing LeBron to be a help/weakside defender as energy allowed him to be.
Three point shooting would improve, hopefully, with Nunn.
Rust would be a factor for both players but once that got resolved they’d have plenty of gas in the tank.
Since they’re not playing it’s all dream weaving and hogwash, though, so until they suit up this is where we’re at…
I’ve done the exact same thing and there is something there that could turn positive for us. Probably not enough to go all the way but you never know. If we could survive the play-in and take down the Suns in the first round, who’s to say we couldn’t go all the way. Would need to stay healthy but we’re due on that end.
Can’t hurt to have a little hope. And I do think it’s important for the team to continue to fight. We need to win to stay in the play-in tourney. Let’s put those teams who don’t want to face us in a 7-game series on notice to start worrying.
Here’s another way of looking at how AD and Nunn could change things if Vogel narrows the rotation to just 9-10 players going into the playoffs.
The big question is who falls out of the rotation when and if Davis and Nunn return? The answer to me is THT and Bradley. That’s who should become ICOEBG except for Frank Vogel’s distorted opinions.
Here is my 9-man rotation with a little Dwight when needed:
PG – Westbrook
SG – Monk
SF – Reaves
PF – James
CE – Davis
RPG – Nunn
RSG – Johnson
RSF – Gabriel
RPF – Anthony
RCE – Howard
BU1 – Augustin
BU2 – Bradley
BU3 – THT
BU4 – Ellington
BU5 – Ariza
Cut – Bazemore
Davis is Davis, and don’t hold your breath on Nunn.