I don't know why you're talking about him on Dallas, or him last year. Totally different situations. The team is so different, as is his role, that you can only criticize him based on how he's played this year. Well it's only been 3 games, so you can't really do that to a big degree.
This is ridiculous. We're 3 games into the season, and this is the first time in Devin's professional career that he's been put into a position where he needs to be "the man." Relax. If he hasn't found his game in two weeks, then start to worry.
To me this is the biggest issue. Clearly this team needs to change their offensive plan. Someone has to be considered the 2nd scoring option. Harris needs to get this off his shoulders. Whether it is YI or Lopez. Someone has to be given this title. I am voting for Lopez. I think the Boone starting experiement, or whatever you want to call it, should be over. Frank should start establishing Lopez as low post option from the beginning of the game not whenever he wants. Harris needs to have the low post as an option and the need needs to become familiar with it from the beginning of the game. Lopez needs the PT with the starting lineup not coming off the bench. I like the Yi pick and roll/pops too.
The truth is that Devin is just not capable of handling the role the team has given him. He is not an effective 2nd option and he is a horrible play-maker. That will never change. There is no doubt he is a talented player, but he is no sort of star.
What's most bothersome to me about his play -- and I'm talking preseason right up through 3 regular season games -- is that he is not using the one skill he has that is world class, namely his speed in transition to get layups, strong layup attempts, or foul shots . . . becoming a one-man fast break or manufacturing a fast break where there wouldn't be one for most teams. This is something he did last season for the Nets to great effect. Now I understand the need to be judicious with such attacks and how game tempo can become an issue if it's overused. But I can't recall seeing a single instance (this year) of him just jamming the ball down the throat of an opponent with his blinding speed, something he did 3-4 times in one half when he made his Nets debut last February/March. That is his "go to" move, his way to inspire and motivate his team and take the pressure off his ability to score in other ways, which would no doubt increase his offensive efficiency across the board. I'm extremely disappointed with his juvenile playmaking this year, but I am giving him a pass on that (for now) because this is a new offense with entirely new teammates and ostensibly new reads and responsibilities for players playing off the ball. He showed he can be an above average pick and roll passer last year, not just finding the roll guy but doing a decent job of finding the secondary play to a baseline cutter and the like. He also did a nice job of decision making last year in team fast break situations. So he has the skills and instincts to be an effective PG, IMO, but he is having a devil of a time accessing those skills this year. I sense this is really where Frank needs to simplify things offensively for a few games and not try to do too much at once. He needs to keep Harris' confidence and engagement high, or this team is going to be much worse than it could otherwise be.
He's a shooting guard. He's Kerry Kittles with a better handle, but not as good a 3pt shooter. If we wind up reallly sucking and get the #1 pick I would take Rubio and move Harris to the 2 and VC to the 3. He's a good player, but his passes have been horrible.
I am getting worried, but I think it's just an adjustment. He can still get to the rim and take guys off the dribble whenever he wants. You have to figure he'll start finishing. And his jumper to me seems like he has good form. It's not Mike Miller, but it's a solid stroke. He just needs his confidence back, and quickly for the Nets sake, or they will be about 10 games below .500 by Christmas.
I am not worried at all about Harris. He may be asked to do more than he's capable of right now. Big deal. It will make him better. As long as his defensive intensity is there, he's A-OK with me. I do not want him as the starting SG. If the Nets get a point like Rubio, I'd rather Harris play a role like Jason Terry and Manu Ginobili. I think playing him full time at the two minimizes his strengths and he would lose a lot of his value. He's not really that far ahead of the rookies in his development. I view him the same way I view Yi, Lopez, Anderson and CDR. They will all learn together. There's a ton of talent there.
You're right he's not a full fledged #2 guy, but their are a lot of effective pgs that are not the 2nd best player on their teams. Like Mo Williams, Mike Bibby, TJ Ford, Andre Miller. He's a second tier pg, a notch below the elite, but he's definitely better than he's been playing.
THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH Netted I have been saying this since day one when we got Devin from Dallas. He is a shooting guard, he is not a pg. Look at a couple of things with Devin, his size is more suited for a shooting guard role, not at the point, his assist totals have always been low in his pro career, and he has never averaged 7 or more assist a game. Look at Stephon Marbury, who is not the greatest pg in the nba and he has at least put up high assist numbers throughout his career. Devin was never supposed to be a point guard, he just doesn't have that special talent that those point guards have. I wish we would of shipped carter out of here, kept marcus, and don't get on me for that, cause he was a good passer and would of put up high assist totals, put devin at the 2, kept rj at the 3, boone at the 4, and lopez at the 5 PG- Marcus Williams SG- Devin Harris SF- Richard Jefferson PF- Josh Boone C- Brook Lopez I know that team can't happen anymore but that is not a bad team that we would of put on the floor if we had those 5 starting game in and game out. Just my opinion.
