Quote:
Originally Posted by G-Man
Sure, THJ has had a string of bad shooting games, yet he is still shooting 38% from 3 for the season. And there are good reasons he keeps getting minutes.
What Kidd, and the rest of the league knows is that Tim can be ice cold, then drop 4 threes in a row at any time. As long as he is in the game, teams have to commit to defend him, to make sure he doesn't get hot. That helps create the space that Luka and Kyrie need to get inside and do damage. Tim is not the guy they want to sag off of. Nobody in the NBA respects Hardy enough to commit to stopping him. He's just as likely to stop himself. He's getting better but he's not ready yet.
If THJ stays out of his slump, he'll be very valuable in the playoffs. I don't have a lot of faith he'll get hot at the right time, but part of Kidd's job is to get him to be effective by then. That's why he keeps getting minutes. No matter how much fans complain.
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All of that is true, and yet, I'll be relieved when THJ is no longer a Maverick, whenever that day is. He's a lot like Jerry Stackhouse, for better and for worse. It's not just that he gets ice cold, its that he makes bad decisions. He's just as likely to lose the game as he is to win it, maybe more. Stack had his big nights too, but I tell you, I was very relieved when basically the first think Carlisle did when he became coach was take Stack out of the rotation.
Every team needs a reliable 6th man who can come in and give you 15-20 points off the bench. Hardy may be not be there yet, but I think he could be if he had the minutes. But even if he isn't that guy, I just trust him more than THJ. The fact that Kidd obviously trusts THJ more than Hardy may be all that matters, but it doesn't make him right.