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MavKikiNYC · 11-15-2004, 12:26 AM

Before the season started, before Stackhouse got hot, I had begun to wonder if Fin might not be the best player to bring off the bench (allowing Howard to start at 3, and Daniels at 2). No question that Fin offers a lot to the team, but his bigger contribution is in terms of maturity, experience and leadership. He can still be a significant 3-point threat, but his dunk over Foyle notwithstanding, Fin's skills have always been somewhat limited because of unsure handles, and now he's beginning to show some signs of age.

I'm still marvelling a little bit over Stackhouse's weekend display. I have to admit that I really didn't know he still had this level of game in him. He was shooting with such absolute confidence--and it wasn't just standing outside and launching either. He would take the ball, measure the defender, and then rise and shoot. He also showed an ability to beat his man going to the hoop that I've don't ever recall Finley showing on a consitent basis. It was almost Jordan-esque, though on a much smaller scale.

This is both good news and bad news--good news in the short term, because Stackhouse's hot hand will help carry the Mavs through a rough patch of injuries; not-so-good-news in the longer term, because with this kind of performance, it may be difficult for Stackhouse to accept a 6th-man role, to convince himself that he doesn't have to start to be a major contributor. (OTOH, if Havlicek could play 6th man, so could Stackhouse.)

Short term, the Mavs need to let Finley take as long as he needs to heal his hamstrings, and when he's ready to come back, assess the personnel at the 2/3. If anyone else comes up injured, they too should be allowed as much time as necessary to heal without rushing back. T'hat's the luxury of depth.

If the starter question doesn't resolve itself naturally, if one player doesn't clearly establish himself as the more consistent, more productive performer, then at the very least no one (i.e. Stackhouse) is hurting his trade value by showing high-level skills.

11-15-2004, 12:26 AM	#30
MavKikiNYC Diamond Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 8,509	RE:Fin Vs. Stack Before the season started, before Stackhouse got hot, I had begun to wonder if Fin might not be the best player to bring off the bench (allowing Howard to start at 3, and Daniels at 2). No question that Fin offers a lot to the team, but his bigger contribution is in terms of maturity, experience and leadership. He can still be a significant 3-point threat, but his dunk over Foyle notwithstanding, Fin's skills have always been somewhat limited because of unsure handles, and now he's beginning to show some signs of age. I'm still marvelling a little bit over Stackhouse's weekend display. I have to admit that I really didn't know he still had this level of game in him. He was shooting with such absolute confidence--and it wasn't just standing outside and launching either. He would take the ball, measure the defender, and then rise and shoot. He also showed an ability to beat his man going to the hoop that I've don't ever recall Finley showing on a consitent basis. It was almost Jordan-esque, though on a much smaller scale. This is both good news and bad news--good news in the short term, because Stackhouse's hot hand will help carry the Mavs through a rough patch of injuries; not-so-good-news in the longer term, because with this kind of performance, it may be difficult for Stackhouse to accept a 6th-man role, to convince himself that he doesn't have to start to be a major contributor. (OTOH, if Havlicek could play 6th man, so could Stackhouse.) Short term, the Mavs need to let Finley take as long as he needs to heal his hamstrings, and when he's ready to come back, assess the personnel at the 2/3. If anyone else comes up injured, they too should be allowed as much time as necessary to heal without rushing back. T'hat's the luxury of depth. If the starter question doesn't resolve itself naturally, if one player doesn't clearly establish himself as the more consistent, more productive performer, then at the very least no one (i.e. Stackhouse) is hurting his trade value by showing high-level skills.