Tim Hardaway Jr.

[KillerLeft]

If this is the case then I feel like there is some hypocrisy going on from Kidd and the coaching staff.  Many of the shots that Hardaway is taking are not good shots for any shooter, they are out of the rhythm of the offense and a lot of times done so over an easy pass to continue rotating the ball.  The hypocrisy to me is if we're going to let Hardaway build his offensive confidence up by letting him practice a ton of bad habits until he figures it out then why do they not feel the same way about Wood on defense (which kind of coincides with a point you made in the Wood thread about how we need to get him up to speed).

I just don't think they look at things like this. Like, at all. 

I think they have "a job" in mind for each player, one with specific guidelines, and attached to specific remuneration. I think they're still hoping THJ will live up to the job he was given (same for Bullock, for that matter) and are designing the entire offense (to the extent you can call it design, so far) around the idea that he's a guy you get shots for. We can't be surprised that he's taking those shots, because they are the point of his time on the floor. If/when he knocks the rust off and gets back to a comfortable place, there's no question the team will be better. Obviously, the vast majority of Mavs fans have given up on this as a possibility, but it's clear and right in front of our faces that the Mavs (as of yet) have not. 

(I think there have been a few bad shots along the way that can be chalked up to "bad decisions" by Hardaway, but the vast majority of them are exactly what the team has in mind for him - otherwise, he would be yanked. Period.)

Back to my opening sentence, I don't think the "teammates competing for minutes" thing is a reality from top to bottom of roster. I think there's some competition, sure. McGee/Powell, for example, or Green/Ntilikina come to mind. But, there is literally no player on the roster who can do what they hope Hardaway can do. If/when they decide he can't do it, that's something that will have to be solved by re-designing to remove the role altogether or by trading for a player in whom they have more confidence. 

If you want to see more Green, you should be hoping for less Bullock. They play the same role. If you want to see more Wood, you should be hoping he establishes the trust of the coaches on the defensive end (whether you think that's fair or not) because they clearly favor guys at his position(s) who know the defensive responsibilities backwards and forwards. 

I really don't think Hardaway and Wood are being compared in the slightest.

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I think the reality is we're closer to THJ starting on this team than we are to his minutes being crunched.

Totally agree. 

And, it's not crazy. The offense is TERRIBLE, and it's not like he's a worse defender than Dinwiddie (or the Bullock we've gotten lately, for that matter). 

The problem is that Hardaway is not playing well. We all agree on that. Since they desperately need him to play well, my guess is they're trying to figure out how to make him more comfortable, not how to remove him from the rotation.