"Coming into this season, there was no doubt about what the starting lineup would be, there was no doubt about how Sandro Mamukelashvili would be used, and there was no doubt that the second unit would need a point guard, Jamal Shead, to handle the ball. Two big questions remained, I think, and they were: How much would Collin Murray-Boyles, the forward, play on this very forward-y team? Who will ascend to the #1 off-ball bench guard between Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Ja'Kobe Walter, and perhaps even... Jamison Battle?"
"Also, we need to acknowledge what is expected of this role, because it's far different than it was last year. For those who thought that Brandon Ingram's arrival would severely hamper Scottie Barnes' and RJ Barrett's ability to get shots up, or touches, that's not been the case, the shots have mostly been usurped from the low-volume bench guards, turning them into even lower volume bench guards."
The starting lineup and Sandro Mamukelashvili's role were predetermined, and the second unit requires Jamal Shead as the ball-handler. Two main uncertainties remain: Collin Murray-Boyles' playing time on a forward-heavy roster and which player will become the top off-ball bench guard among Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Ja'Kobe Walter, and Jamison Battle. The bench guard role now demands fewer touches and shots after roster changes, reducing the quartet's combined touches from roughly 120 to 54 per game and shots from 34 to 12. Gradey Dick appears most harmed by the reduced offensive volume. Jamison Battle has been defensively serviceable and remarkably efficient from three.
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