06-17-2024, 12:56 PM
(06-17-2024, 11:49 AM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: The issue with THJ has nothing to do with whether he's that guy who missed everything in game 3 or the guy who hit everything in game 4. Rather, it's that he's the only guy on roster who doesn't have to ability to play defense with the intensity which the Gafford/PJ trades brought to this franchise, and which has been their winning bread-and-butter ever since. I just don't know that the Mavs can afford to play 5 on 4 on defense in terms of their philosophy for any meaningful minutes in the finals, even if THJ becomes Steph on offense.
I've just never seen evidence of this being the case, myself. It gets said over and over and over, and sure, I've seen Hardaway have some bad moments on defense, but not any worse than some other mainstays in the rotation. Actually, if he's locked in (admittedly, an "if") I've noticed he can be quite good on defense. In fact, he had a couple of very nice defensive games in these playoffs (I think it was the OKC series, but these playoffs are so long I can't remember).
He's certainly not a difference maker on defense, so he has to be a plus on offense for him to make sense, but the group think around here that pretends he has never had a good defensive game is so tiresome. "playing 5 on 4 on defense" is hyperbole, defined, and frankly, I doubt he'd even be the worst Mavs defender in the game, should he play.
Not to suggest I think it's an obvious choice to play him, because I'm honestly not sure I would, myself. He has been pretty bad (overall) for quite a stretch now.