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[KillerLeft]

we ALL expected Dinwiddie to start this year after Brunson left

Not me, said the bee. 

I expected another ball-handler at that time, for sure. BUT, once it became clear that the team was rolling with a three guard rotation of Luka, Dinwiddie and Hardaway, with no ball-handler coming, I started screaming for THJ to start. You can go back and check. 

And again, it's as much about losing "6th man Dinwiddie" as it is about doing what works best for Luka/Hardaway, imo. 

Wood and Hardaway are just not suited for my paradigm of what a 6th man (shot in the arm, game-changing style of bench player) is. Both can have nights when they seem like that in theory (Hardaway hasn't had one game like that this season, however) but neither of them have the on-ball "agency" that a guy like Dinwiddie does. He's the closest thing they have here to JET, Lou Williams, Clarkson, etc, etc. He's VERY GOOD in that role, imo, and it's not a consolation prize given to the 6th best player to me - it's an important role that a good team needs to have locked down. 

Dinwiddie is a better basketball player than Hardaway, but if Hardaway is a MUCH better version of himself as a starter, getting in rhythm playing next to Luka, and Dinwiddie is more effective coming in fresh to give Luka a blow and not having to navigate bouncing from on-ball to off constantly, then I think this is a no-brainer.