Youâre looking only at the big picture, which, long-term I agree with because I donât think heâll be on the team for long. Hes under contract through next season I believe at $18.75mm per year. His presence stunts the growth of Green and Hardy. His game drives me nuts and I want him gone too. And since heâs averaged 5.1 ppg in the playoffs while weâve gone 9-5 against top competition, Iâm not gonna die on the hill either.
But, despite the drop-off post-trade, heâs still the third leading scorer on the team. And what can he do? He can a) eat minutes as you say, giving DJJ, PJ, or Luka/Kai much needed rest; and b) score in bunches. This is crucial when we are 7 wins away from a title, particularly on a night when PJ and DJJ gave us little and Josh Green was a major negative. All 3 shot poorly. When THJ is in, he needs to attempt shots to see if his good streak can get 10-15 points. This is crucial, because we were lucky the Wolves got cold and we escaped with a win, without much help for our 2 stars, and everyone else shooting poorly, particularly from 3.
This is EXACTLY where THJ can help NOW. Iâm not talking about next year or whenever heâs ultimately off the team - Iâm talking about NOW, where we are dangerously thin and WILL need his scoring in some games.