Lue’s DNA as I see it – The best defense is a good offense (or lack of it – via low percentage 3s)

If Ballmer and Logo (never mind Frank) want to win, Lue must go

Once Plumlee comes back, you can trade zu’s soft ass with Norm, Mann, the pick or whatever to upgrade either the 4 or 5. Who knows what a combo of those 3 guys + filler (if needed) can get you but maybe a team will say fuck it & take on Norms contract if you attach Mann &/or the pick

– The other guys already had a few games with the team, not many but a few. + 2 of them were really good vets who compliment any team. Bones was never gonna be a factor so I don’t count him. Regardless, my point about it being similar was about the fact that they had to start Russ to maximize his time with 213, to see what they had, as the playoffs approached. The obvious choice was to bring him off the bench but then you’re decreasing the min he & 213 would play together.

– You want Harden to start, not only cuz he’s your best chance at contending for a title, but to mold him into the player you want & need him to be. Do you want Harden to be himself? Yes, but to an extent. He has to tweak a few things to his game to make it work, most notably, C&S 3s! & there’s no doubt that Harden not having any real practices & games under his belt has hindered his game, but again, he’s slowly improving.

“I agree that Harden and Russ can play together. But: A) You’ll never maximise them all if they play next to BOTH Kawhi and PG. Plus the bench suffers. B) They need spacing around if you play them together. We have no stretch 5 and no lob threat. If you go small, you need two-way players at the other positions – which we just traded away. There’s close to no lineup where you get the best results. You do though when you stagger.”

– When I say play them together, I’m not saying to only play them together, you’re obviously going to stagger them the way Ty is doing now. I just hate this notion that they can’t play together, & therefore, they shouldn’t close when the game is close. Are they at their best when one is off the floor, perhaps, but we also haven’t seen them play much, if at all, without zu out there. Let that 5th guy be Mann, PJ or even Norm (this depends on the opponent) & I bet you they’d all flourish. Theis is another guy who can easily slide in & play with that lineup while providing more size & length than any one else on the roster that’s healthy. & when Plum comes back, he’s another guy who’d compliment the 4 stars.

– So start them, bring Russ out after 4-5 min, & let him run the 2nd unit or vice versa. Russ just brings so much to the game outside of playmaking & scoring that I think he should be closing more times than not, especially since zu won’t be out there.

“Lastly: ‘If you bench Harden, you’re doing the team a disservice’. Long-term, probably. Right now, are you kidding?”

– Again, I don’t like the losing, trust me I don’t, BUT they’re figuring it out. There’s been lots of progress throughout these 5 games, & the addition of Theis, will only help.

PATIENCE, is all I’m saying! They’re turning the corner!!

I don’t get this. You have the eye-test, the stats, logic, the track record, everything points in one direction, that Harden will need time and that starting him costs us games we can’t afford to lose. You yourself pointed out that PG-Mann-Russ is our best combo. And you want to break it up, ditch Russ, have him play way, way less, if at all in that combo, have his high pace in the second unit despite you making the argument FOR a slower pace there, especially now without Plumlee – could you explain your thought process? Because I see no consistency in your line of argumentation. You made one argument, then jumped to another that contradicts it. Can’t be right both times

Those are the differences. What are the commonalities? New on the team and playing point?

I agree that Harden and Russ can play together. But: A) You’ll never maximise them all if they play next to BOTH Kawhi and PG. Plus the bench suffers. B) They need spacing around if you play them together. We have no stretch 5 and no lob threat. If you go small, you need two-way players at the other positions – which we just traded away. There’s close to no lineup where you get the best results. You do though when you stagger.

Lastly: ‘If you bench Harden, you’re doing the team a disservice’. Long-term, probably. Right now, are you kidding?

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