11-30-2019, 02:49 PM
(11-30-2019, 02:29 PM)Fuerza1 Wrote: Wasn't it way too early to call THJ an inefficient chucker too? People forget THJ was injured too, I don't think he was cleared until September. Yet we called him an inefficient chucker and other mean things.
Seems like THJ has no room for error but KP is above any criticism. He's been cleared to play since February. I highly doubt his legs aren't there. He is missing wide open looks and forcing shots in the post.
Methinks you assume that no one watched THJ play basketball prior to this year, when many here have followed his career as NBA-wide fans. Oh, and Mavs fans got to see a fair amount of him last year prior to his injury. His reputation as one of the absolute worst chuckers in the league was rotundly well-established from the time of his departure from Atlanta until the beginning of this season. To say otherwise is a bad-faith revision of historical reality.
That said, I appreciate greatly that THJ has the humility and intelligence to adapt as a player. If he's the guy we've seen the past five games (and no, Luka, not "since the beginning of the season" - that's magnanimous, but it's also horse puckey), then he will be worth his contract (!!!) and a player who should stay here a while. My problem is with the manure you're spreading, not with THJ.
As for KP, people are willing to give him time because 1) he is coming back from a major injury, 2) his play on the defensive end and rebounding (especially compared to past years) is close to being above reproach, and 3) if he is long-term garbage on offense, then the sky will have indeed fallen, because we've committed $150 mil to him and he'll be untradeable for the comparable talent we would need to get back, which probably snowballs eventually into Luka demanding a trade. I would think we would both agree that KP needs to spend a Dirk-load of time in the gym working on his offensive game. I think it's clear watching the games that it's 80% or more mental. Players outside of Markell Fultz don't struggle that way if that's not the case.