This is just a defensive question, so I'll only put ath/sp/d skills.

Substitute question for opposing guard. I have a So SF with better IQ and D skills but lacking speed. I plan on putting SF at SG2 substitute but would like to get opinions.
SF ATH 55, SP 56, DEF 67, IQ B
G ATH 43, SP 70, DEF 44 IQ D-

1. Would you start the SF?

2. Assuming all other skills to be equal accept the IQ, what would have to be the difference in speed between G and SF before you started the G if you would (G has green Def and should improve quickly throughout the season, so this is for later consideration)?

Thanks

100% I'd start the SF.

I read this forever ago by AEjones and it has always kind of been my 'gold standard' for guards. ATH + Speed. So SF = 111. G = 113. Pretty small difference.

Then you get into the difference in D. 67 vs 44 is a very big difference. Throw in a B IQ vs D- (people undervalue IQ a lot) and the SF is the clear favorite for me.

Question 2. The speed difference would have to be significant. If the SF speed was high 20's low 30's I'd probably start the G because then you are getting ATH + Speed SF = 80-90 ish vs G = 113. 20-30 points is a big difference.

Leaving out stamina in this equation "could" be overlooking something. If one player is 90 ST and the other is 60 ST, that could change the decision depending which player has each number

In a vacuum, Meikle is a solidly better defender than Dawson at the 2 because of the huge DEF gap and a much better defender at the 3. SPD matters relatively more at the 2 though. A guy with 59 spd like Meikle (who brings nothing else to the table) should never be playing at the 2 on a D1 NT team though.

To make up for 23 Def, 2 letters grades of IQ, and 12 points of ath purely from a defensive perspective you'd theoretically need a speed difference of between 65-70.

always have to check out the rest of your team before I respond, since these questions are impossible to answer "in a vacuum" because there is never a situation that is actually in a vaccum.

I found that the SF (meikle) is a mid-tier skill SO with 83 WE and the SG (dawson) looks like a top recruit who could be really good with good but lower 65 WE.

Your team is not that competitive for an NT spot anyways so I would definitely start the guard (it's not close). Killeen and White are better options than both of them. So I think Killeen, White, Dawson should start. I'd stick Dawson at the 3 for sure given the low BH/PA/IQ. And I like starting freshmen at the 3, it's less defensively intensive than the 2 against the average team (especially when you don't need to worry about the 5 star SF teams who you will lose to anyways)>

Speed is really, really important at the 1/2, probably twice the amount of ATH. As Hockey outlined, Meikle is a solidly better defender than Dawson at the 2 because of the huge DEF gap and a much better defender at the 3 (since his speed deficiency means less). But Killeen and White are two of your best players and Dawson must be started for development reasons (he'll be much stronger than Meikle at the 3 defensively soon enough, probably by the end of the season).

I know you just asked a defensive question but note that Dawson is an elite shooter (good for 7-8 PPG even as a FR) and Killeen brings nothing on the offensive end. You have no guard depth so Meikle should be deployed as a supersub at the 2/3. No idea who your backup PG is. It should probably be White. You should to design your depth chart so if Meikle and Dawson are on the court at the same time Meikle plays the 3 and Dawson plays the 2. I can help with that.

Completely unrelated, I think it's cool that you have a John Jenkins on your Vandy roster when one of the best players in actual Vandy history was...John Jenkins.

I would definitely play the SF at SF. I might not play him at SG unless I played zone because of SPD. I might try him at SG, but if the Opponent's SG has high SPD and BH, he will get beat often .. then again, so will the 44 DEF, D- IQ guy. I would probably try the SF at SG.