01-05-2021, 08:54 PM
(01-05-2021, 08:21 PM)StepBackJay Wrote: THJ has a whole career you can look at. I have seen enough btwn this year and last year to make my own conclusions. I was pro-THJ last year and I do think he will settle into a good year here. But he's a guy you need to upgrade. Powell you can't really upgrade, I think J Rich is a much better fit as a true 3D guy next to Luka. And J Rich doesn't have to shoot well every night to have an impact. Nights when THJ isn't shooting well he is garbage. I like that you are indignant in defense of THJ the night after he goes 8/10 but lets see you come here and defense him the next time he goes 1/9. I don't think we will have to wait that long, especially with KP out. Again my position isn't that we shouldn't play THJ at all, its that he is the guy to upgrade on this roster. Mavs need a true playmaker/scorer in that spot to get to the next level.
You will notice that I have questioned the anti THJ agenda since the beginning of the season but always pointed out his bad team defense. No one was as hard on Richardson when he went 1/10 against the Hornets or 5/14 against the Bulls. In fact in the same game the entire board was going off on THJ. Meanwhile Richardson was happily bricking just as badly. Right now it just feels like he is the new shinny toy. THJ on the other hand is what he always has been. A good but streaky shooter. I just think it is really telling that we have multiple pages of THJ bashing after a bad game from him and a short "well finally he did something good" after a great game.
I expect Richardson to improve and overall I think he is the better player but based on everything we have seen I just don´t agree with the anti THJ agenda. It feels like every single time the Mavs are struggling it is THJs or Powells fault. That´s just lazy.
It would be more interesting to figure out why the Luka-Richardson duo is not working as good as we all thought prior to the season. Or why the team as a whole (except for Maxi and THJ) is shooting as badly. Why Richardson hasn´t shown any of his playmaking skills.
Personally I see a lot of similarities to Delon Wright last year. Richardson hasn´t figured out his role in RCs offense and cannot find a rhythm. Sometimes he is overly agressive. Sometimes he refuses to shoot. Difference is that Richardson is simply more talented than Wright. This time it is worth it to go through some growing pains and hope that he finds his role.
THJ on the other hand is playing as expected and I think a willing shooter that pulls the trigger on any catch and shoot opportunity is really important for Luka. The Mavs offense is not looking good when Luka is surrounded by 3-4 guys that aren´t willing to shoot. The Mavs need someone that can take 12-15 FGA, 5-10 3s per game. Especially as long as KP is out.
I also don´t think it will be easy to replace THJs production. Shooting is pricy and there aren´t a lot of guys that can match his volume/percentages.