Brooks and Lowry to BOTH start?

[Dash]

Houston - “We have to go best player and not be dogmatic about traditional position designations. Only $35MM on the floor to start year.”

 

- Rockets GM Daryl Morey via Twitter, September 18

 

That quote, perhaps more than any other, allows fans invaluable insight into the mindset possessed by the Houston Rockets’ staff as the team kicks off its training camp for the 2009-10 season. With go-to guys Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady on the shelf to begin the year, the coming campaign promises to be a grand basketball experiment of sorts, with plenty of positional shape-shifting sure to take place in the days and weeks to come.

 

But if any team is prepared to handle such a non-traditional approach to filling out the lineup card, surely the Rockets would be that club. After all, we’re talking about the same team which trotted out a 6-6 center (Chuck Hayes) against the largest frontline in the NBA (the Lakers’ trio of Andre Bynum, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol) for four games in May and still managed to come away with a 2-2 split and plenty of well-earned respect.

 

That sort of creative thinking borne of necessity was not merely limited to the painted area. Head Coach Rick Adelman also dabbled with a diminutive but lightning-quick backcourt pairing featuring fellow 6-footers Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry. The results were largely positive during the regular season, as the Rockets outscored opponents 161-148 (+8.8/48 minutes) during 71 minutes of play with that particular duo on the floor. And while that’s clearly not a combination Houston can employ all the time, the Brooks-Lowry pairing does speak to the Rockets’ willingness to put its most effective players on the court – regardless of whether or not they fit into the preconceived notions of what a traditional NBA lineup should look like.

 

Link

 

Interesting, Morey and the coaching staff have been really high on Lowry over the summer.

 

This is a snip from the article on Pritchard's moneyball system.

 

Protrade's Top 10

The players in the 2006 NBA Draft that the Trail Blazers' draft consultant mathematically concluded had the greatest perceived chance of success by their third season.

 

Rank, Player Draft Position Drafted by Notable

 

1. Kyle Lowry 24 Memphis Played in only 10 games after breaking wrist in November.

 

2. Tyrus Thomas 4 Portland* Averaged 5.2 points and 3.7 rebounds in 72 games.

 

3. Rajon Rondo 21 Boston Second among rookies with average of 3.8 assists.

 

4. Mardy Collins 29 New York Averaged 4.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in 52 games.

 

5. Brandon Roy 6 Minnesota** Named Rookie of the Year; started 55 of 57 games played.

 

6. Paul Millsap 47 Utah Voted to NBA's All-Rookie Second Team.

 

7. Shelden Williams 5 Atlanta Led all rookies in rebounding with 5.4 per game.

 

8. Cedric Simmons 15 New Orleans Averaged 2.9 points in 43 games.

 

9. Daniel Gibson 42 Cleveland Averaged 13.5 points in Eastern Conference Finals.

 

10. Shawne Williams 17 Indiana Averaged 3.9 points and shot 47 percent from the field in 46 games.

 

* Traded to Chicago for No. 2 pick LaMarcus Aldridge (ranked 22nd by Protrade)

 

** Traded to Portland for No. 7 pick Randy Foye."

[ChosenOne]

I am not sure about this. I love lowery and brooks but starting both might not work.