I think you guys are putting way too much emphasis on pegging players into certain positions. Basketball has become a much more fluid and positionless game over the last handful of years. I think Barnes will play the best 5, regardless of position. James, Keon Johnson, and Pons are all long enough to switch everything and guard almost any position on the floor for a possession or 2. There aren't any dominant big men that you have to worry about them throwing the ball on the block and feasting all day.
Really I think it is a great problem to have. We can go big with Uros or play small with Pons at the 5 protecting the rim with our athleticism and length on the wings. Gives us the ability to match virtually any lineup and style of play.
It's just a way to describe which 5 go on the court together. Really the need of the 1 and 5 are dictated by matchups. If your opponent has a 6'10" or better 250 pound or more player, you really need to counter it. If a team doesn't use a traditional PG then you might try to match them or gain an advantage on offense with a small ball handler that adds more than you lose with a weakness in your defense.
1 through 5 is just a label. 50 years ago teams had 2 guards, 2 forwards, and a center. Then sometimes they had a point guard, 2 wings, a high post, and a low post. Then a PG, SG, SF, PF, and center/low post which is really just the same as the commonly used 1-5.
Less zone makes the labels less necessary as well. 1-3-1, 2-3, 1-2-2, 2-1-2, etc. kind of meant there needed to be names for the spots.
Barnes has built up a roster that runs his brand of man-to-man and most in the rotation cover multiple, often 3, of the "spots".
The great teams in the past often had a freakishly tall player that was surrounded by role players. Wilt, BR, Lew, Walton, Hakeem, Patrick, Ralph, Bowie, Turpin, Shaq, etc. It really got kind of boring and predictable. Post up down low and take advantage of the mismatch.
