SpeedyG wrote:Yeah I think late in games like this, it really helps to have a 2nd ball handler out there when teams press or try to trap us.
Not sure why anyone has a problem with Dlo being taken out when he did. Yes, he made some shots (and so did a couple of the other guys), but it was all jump shots. Kenny put Spencer in, and immediately he attacks and gets to the rim. That's just not something that Dlo does on a consistent basis.
What I think I would question is how long Russell sat. Crabbe made some shots and so did Joe early on, but I wouldn't have minded Russell for Crabbe at that point just to give us another option. Its not like the Sixers have some big guards that we had to go with Crabbe at SG. Russell would have been perfectly fine on Chamet, Reddick, or McConnell. I think Kenny just prefers length out there.
That said, I know he had that bad pass late, but Kurucs just knows how to play the game. Knows how to find the right spots. Can shoot. Moves without the ball. And his length is trouble. One off-season with this team developing him physically and he really could be a crazy steal for us. That's two games now that he's closed over what? past 4 games?
Having said that, this is going to be an interesting decision for Marks. How can you spend big money on Russell when his coach doesn't trust him (at times) when the game is on the line? Judging by who he plays, its pretty clear that Kenny trusts Spencer and Caris more to close games out.
The Nets were lucky that they got the ball up the court towards the end of that game. Russell should have absolutely been out there to help Dinwiddie. That could have been easily been an embarrassing loss.