GAME 69 DIRKIE: Winwiddie! (53%)

[sefant]

This is where I landed also.  It needed to be someone who played in the first four minutes of the fourth where we went on a 15-2 run to pull within one.  That is where we got back in the game and gave ourselves a shot for the heroic finish.  To me, it was either Brunson or Powell as both were excellent during that run.  But, you have to give it to Brunson for his overall game.

I'll put a couple of other game notes here.  We beat the second beast of the east in two games with Bullock away from the team.  I wouldn't sleep on the idea of him being part of the package for a player like Holmes.  Better contract than THJ and a good reputation as a perimeter defender.  I think Green is already a better defender.  I could see Green as a 20 minute starter next season.  THJ helps the O off the bench and some of the game we may play 3 PG's (assuming all 3 are still here).  So, the minutes for the starting SF might be fairly limited.  Obviously Bullock could fill that role and Green continue to come off the bench if THJ is traded.  I'm just pointing out that there are alternatives and we just won two big road games without either of Bullock or THJ.  

Brooklyn hunted Bertans in the 2nd and I think scored four buckets in a row on him.  Yet, he ended up +6 for the game because he was part of the early fourth lineup that made the big comeback.  He was REALLY bad in the second.  Don't know if this says more about the vagaries of +/- in small sample sizes or if it says Bertans has some crazy 3 point gravity that really helps in other places.

Dinwiddie has been absolute money in the fourth quarter of games.  I'd be interested to see his numbers for the first quarter.  He really gets off to slow starts and looks like a worse version of player Washington wanted to get rid of.     

It feels like we've settled into Maxi as the closing big.  Depending on the opponent, the other locks are Luka, SD and DFS with the last player being either Brunson or Bullock.  We are making it work, but imagine if either of Maxi or Bullock could hit a three and frighten a defense a little.

Our RealMVP Bertans