5 Most Controversial New Starters in the NBA for the 2012-13 Season

Thabo Sefolosha spent most of his early career coming off the bench for the Chicago Bulls. It wasn't until his stiff on-ball defense earned him enough attention for the Oklahoma City Thunder to put him in their starting unit.

Never mind that he starts in front of a better all-around player in James Harden. From a basketball perspective, having more defense in the starting lineup and more offense coming off the bench makes a lot of sense.

A similar logic eventually caused the Memphis Grizzlies to start Tony Allen instead of O.J. Mayo. It also convinced Gregg Popovich to play Danny Green as his starting shooting guard, with options such as Manu Ginobili and Stephen Jackson coming off the bench.

This season, there once again will be some lineup decisions that confound some and impress others.

Here are five new starters who will generate plenty of buzz, not all positive.

Michael Beasley, F (Phoenix Suns)

Michael Beasley has been a starter before—the question is if he's ready to be one again.

The Phoenix Suns certainly didn't sign Beasley so he could play the kind of limited role the Minnesota Timberwolves gave him in his fourth season. After playing more than 32 minutes a game in his first year with Minnesota, Beasley was relegated to the second unit and just 23 minutes per contest.

The 23-year-old already has shown signs of the talent that earned him the second overall selection in the 2008 draft. On the other hand, his inconsistent effort and one-dimensionality clearly made him expendable in the eyes of the Timberwolves and Miami Heat before.

In Phoenix, Beasley will be expected to start and make an impact as the young team embarks upon the post-Steve Nash era. If Beasley struggles, the Suns could take some heat.

Ronnie Brewer, SG (New York Knicks)

Much like Thabo Sefolosha and Tony Allen, Ronnie Brewer will bring a defensive edge to a unit that already has plenty of scoring ability.

He'll reportedly start at shooting guard for Mike Woodson as soon as he recovers from knee surgery, which may be in time for the season opener.

There probably shouldn't be much discussion about whether Brewer should start, but that won't stop some from lobbying for the more offensively inclined J.R. Smith to take his job. Brewer is known for his on-ball defense first and foremost.

Those are the kinds of skills that NYC needs in its starting lineup—it already has plenty of scoring between Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire. On the other hand, Brewer's lack of range will make it more difficult to spread the floor for Anthony and Stoudemire.

If the Knicks get off to a slow start, Brewer may not last in that starting unit for too long.

Omer Asik, C (Houston Rockets)

Omer Asik has started just two games over the course of his two-year career.

He'll be asked to start a lot more after the Houston Rockets gave him a three-year deal worth $25 million. 

Many will argue that it's about time. After all, Asik came off the bench during his tenure with the Chicago Bulls because Joakim Noah was playing in front of him. When he did play, Asik rebounded and defended as well as most starting centers.

But he did so for under 15 minutes a game last season. We don't know how he'll hold up with increased playing time, and we don't know if he's a good enough scorer for Kevin McHale to leave him on the floor for long stretches.

Rockets fans will keep a close eye on this situation.

Kyle Korver, SF (Atlanta Hawks)

Kyle Korver hasn't officially been named the Atlanta Hawks' starting small forward just yet, but who else do they have?

Moving Josh Smith from the power forward spot would thin out Atlanta's interior rotation and mitigate Smith's advantage against slower forwards. Alternatively, head coach Larry Drew could use a shooting guard like Anthony Morrow, but that would make for a pretty undersized starting lineup.

Korver seems to be the best all-around option, but that doesn't mean fans will be especially satisfied with the scenario.

A fantastic shooter by any measure, Korver won't do much else on either end of the floor. He's not mobile enough to defend elite swingmen, and he's not quick enough to succeed as a slasher. He'll play his role well, but the Hawks will almost certainly continue looking for solutions on the wing this year and/or next.

O.J. Mayo, SG (Dallas Mavericks)

O.J. Mayo actually started his career in the Memphis Grizzlies' starting lineup, but spent his last two seasons as the team's sixth man.

He performed much better as a starter, averaging 18.5 and 17.5 points per game in his first and second seasons before seeing that figure drop to under 13 in each of his last two campaigns.

In reality, Mayo is probably poised for a big season with the Dallas Mavericks thanks to his increased role.

Nevertheless, not everyone will see it that way.

The moment he struggles, some will doubt whether Mayo is really deserving of the starting gig and whether the Mavs made the right decision investing in something of a reclamation project.

Ill-founded though those doubts may be, don't be surprised to hear them. A little patience should go a long way with Mayo, and the Mavericks will look good for having shown some faith in him—even if it takes a little while.