Jamerson was really the only guy who consistently battled in the paint.
I haven’t listened to Cronin’s presser yet, but I’m sure there were comments about toughness. The issue isn’t toughness. I don’t question Dailey’s toughness, and I don’t question Tyler’s toughness. They just don’t have the strength yet to deal with guys like Steinbach. And speaking of Steinbach...where were we in that recruitment? He’s a beast. That’s exactly the type of player we needed to handle teams with big, physical posts like TKR. But I digress.
I get why Cronin is starting Booker. Frankly, it’s the same rationale for why Mara should’ve been starting last year. You’re trying to keep him engaged long-term, because if he can add strength, he could be a fantastic player next season. But the reality is that with this team, Jamerson needs major minutes. And he absolutely needs to be on the floor when Tyler is out there.
On a related note, I know people are down on Williams, but I think he needs to play. He’s another guy who’s actually battling in the paint, and right now we need anybody who can give us resistance down low.