To play devils advocate, with him playing now we can protect ourselves in case another post goes down. We have some depth this year in our 4s and 5s, its not necessarily talented depth yet, but its depth. If there is one thing that this team has over last years, its the fact that they have more bodies available at the 4 and 5. Last year was Nash, Traylor, Calc and Salmonson. This year is Nash, Calc, Salmonson, Sheilds, Cashman, and Shanks. It prevents playing people out of position, we don't have to stick Benton or Coleman at the 4 for 5-10 a game. They can focus on their positions at the SF or guard when called upon. If Salmonson was healthy, im sure we would be complaining to why Cashman was only getting x minutes and not redshirting.
I'll ask this question. Who would you rather have at the 4: A raw 6'8 205 natural 4, a physical but shorter guard, or a little longer but gives up more weight SF?