Chicago Bulls: Should Ronnie Brewer Start at Shooting Guard over Rip Hamilton?

Ever since former Detroit Piston Richard "Rip" Hamilton was acquired through free agency by the Chicago Bulls, there have been questions about who will start at the shooting guard position: Hamilton or Ronnie Brewer. 

In the early going, Hamilton seemed to be awarded the job without much contest from Brewer. However, while Hamilton has struggled slightly in the early going, Brewer has come out very strong. So which player should start? 

Let's just look purely at numbers to start out with, stretched out to a pro-rated 36 minutes per game so that opportunity for numbers doesn't come into play.

Hamilton is averaging 15.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.3 steals on 43.4 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from three. Those numbers are solid, if unspectacular.

Brewer is averaging 15.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.7 steals on 64.7 percent shooting from the field, and has hit all four of his three-point attempts this season.

For the most part, Brewer trumps Hamilton in every statistical category. The obvious exception is assists, which is a well-documented strength of Hamilton's. So numerically, Brewer is usurping Hamilton easily. 

Hamilton definitely has his strengths. He is one of the best players in the league at shooting the mid-range ball, he is very fast up and down the floor, he is a more than solid defender and he is an excellent passer.

On the other side, Brewer is an absolutely elite defender at the shooting guard position, is solid at cutting to the basket and finishing at the rim and can cause turnovers. However, in addition to these abilities, Brewer has also shown tremendous improvement in his mid-range and long-range jump shots. We will have to see if those changes hold up, but right now he has been hitting the shot consistently. 

Which player fits better next to Derrick Rose, and which player fits better in the "Bench Mob" second rotation?

To me, Hamilton actually fits in better with the second rotation. Especially with the loss of C.J. Watson for an extended period of time due to an elbow injury, Hamilton could be a player who can fill the scoring void, keep the ball moving and play defense.

Brewer, if his jumper is for real, really could fit with either rotation. 

So to make the final call, I think Brewer should start and Hamilton come off the bench. Either way, Brewer should be rewarded with more playing time if he continues his high level of play.