[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally posted by: grndmstr_c

You seem to have decided that I'm running around trying to tear down your boy by manufacturing statistical arguments that I would never think of using with other players, and I don't know what else to tell you in that respect other than that: 1) you obviously are misunderstanding my intentions and underestimating my integrity, 2) you need to chill out and accept a little bit of the criticism Devin's been earning with his rookie play, and 3) you need to show a little more faith in your boy by acknowledging a little bit of the praise his primary competition for PT (that being Terry) has been earning with his veteran play. If you want to argue that you think Devin's going to pick it up sooner rather than later, or that making a change in the starting lineup would be a bad move for psychological reasons or the like, be my guest, but you're not even worth having this discussion with if all you can think to do is dismiss a very fair and transparent set of statistics that I've brought to the table by calling the statistics names (just because they're inanimate mathematical constructions doesn't mean they don't have feelings) and offering nothing substantive in their place. Devin deserves a better fan. Maybe when he starts playing better I'll take over for you.

Now, as for the bit about being able to make a positive stat case for any player in the league, you're just putting your own bias on display there. First, outside of the numbers I provided for your edification from this game, the stats I've been presenting have been based on the season as a whole, which constitutes a somewhat larger sample size than 5 minutes, thank you very much. Second, .3489 on field goal defense (ah, the old make-it-seem-ridiculous-by-stretching-it-out-to-four-decimal-places trick; very original) doesn't amount to a hill of beans unless the player in question can get the offense to produce, and that's where Devin has struggled. His defensive impact looks a bit better than JT's (allowing 100.8 points per 100 posessions as compared to 103.4), but on offense the Mavs are scoring only 100.3 points per 100 posessions with Devin on the floor, but are putting up 110.1 with Terry. Third, I defy you to go and look up Antoine Walker's stats on 82games and make any kind of a positive case for him.

Well, isn't Walker the exception to every rule? LOL. I know you aren't bashing Harris, but if I thought Terry was producing big time off the bench, you'd have a case. He played better vs. Memphis, and if he has another solid game over Harris, then yeah, start him. Niether is getting the point position right now. Honestly, I think we can safely agree that Nelson is the problem. I love signing two centers who won't get the light of day in Benga and Pavel. Even if Terry was great, maybe Nellie just doesn't like him.