01-03-2024, 10:24 AM
(01-03-2024, 10:12 AM)mvossman Wrote: If the argument is that we should probably not be playing Timmy with Luka and Kyrie from a defensive perspective, I would agree. When everyone is healthy there are roughly 30 minutes a game of court time for Timmy to play while one of them is off, so there is no real need to play them together.
Tim is not a particularly good defender, but I think some of that number above is due to our undersized second unit. There has been discussion on another thread regarding using Timmy to get a bigger power forward that we can start, pushing DJJ to the second unit to replace Timmy. Unfortunately most of the options are primarily offensive, meaning that you are making the starting unit even better offensively, but worse defensively. I'm not sure having 3 non plus defenders in the starting lineup is a viable long term solution.
I think this only applies for regular season, to an extent. But when things get serious, there will be far less minutes with only one of Luka/Kyrie on the court. At that point you are either doomed with a line-up that can't play good defense or THJ becomes way overpaid for the available minutes where he makes sense.
That is why the logic has always been to bring a player that can provide his share offensively, even if it is in a different way, but it is a much better defender. Guys like Grant or Harris may not be all NBA defenders, but they are not any worse than THJ and they are in a position where Mavs really have a need. I don't think DJJ would be replacing Timmy. His minutes would be replaced by the new guy while DJJ keeps the minutes he already has. It is just that it would be way easier to play the new guy next to Luka/Kyrie compared to THJ.