01-29-2024, 12:10 AM
(This post was last modified: 01-29-2024, 12:13 AM by KillerLeft.)
I feel like Hardaway gets treated around here like Jason Terry used to… interesting to me. Want to talk about a guy who didn’t play defense? Jason Terry didn’t play defense. Hardaway does. Compared to Terry, THJ is Tony Allen.
I think Terry was the better offensive player, but he wasn’t nearly as creative as Hardaway. It was always either a catch and shoot three (with less variation in the footwork than THJ), an off-the-dribble three (not as often as THJ, but it was a different era) or that relentless two-dribble pull-up jumper from mid-range (this was more lethal than anything Hardaway has).
I bring it up because I remember back then, for many years leading up to the title, Terry drew nothing but hate from the majority of Mavs fans. They wanted to trade him, too. He was in trade rumors a lot back then, too. The dude ended up being the second best player on the championship team. There are arguments to be made that other players contributed more, and honestly, they were all super important. I’m not trying to have a debate here. Nor am I trying to suggest that Hardaway is definitely headed towards that outcome, because I don’t think he is (again, I think he’s gone soon). I am just saying that five years of Terry hate went by and then, all of a sudden, he was the main ball-handling offensive player for a title team. The Mavs would not have a title without him.
I just wish we weren’t so quick to hate these guys.
I think Terry was the better offensive player, but he wasn’t nearly as creative as Hardaway. It was always either a catch and shoot three (with less variation in the footwork than THJ), an off-the-dribble three (not as often as THJ, but it was a different era) or that relentless two-dribble pull-up jumper from mid-range (this was more lethal than anything Hardaway has).
I bring it up because I remember back then, for many years leading up to the title, Terry drew nothing but hate from the majority of Mavs fans. They wanted to trade him, too. He was in trade rumors a lot back then, too. The dude ended up being the second best player on the championship team. There are arguments to be made that other players contributed more, and honestly, they were all super important. I’m not trying to have a debate here. Nor am I trying to suggest that Hardaway is definitely headed towards that outcome, because I don’t think he is (again, I think he’s gone soon). I am just saying that five years of Terry hate went by and then, all of a sudden, he was the main ball-handling offensive player for a title team. The Mavs would not have a title without him.
I just wish we weren’t so quick to hate these guys.