I'd bet dollars to donuts that if it had been IT who didn't play LOTS of folks would be asking questions. But when it's Jimmer no one bats an eye. This forum just doesn't seem to like Jimmer much.
i don't bat an eye because jimmer has not been playing that well. he has recently showed modest improvement on the offensive side of the ball, but he's still the most glaring defensive sieve on a team full of 'em. damn near every guard he plays across from seems to present a matchup nightmare for the kings. it was right there in the scouting report. everybody knew he wasn't going to defend well in the nba, but so far, its been worse than many had feared. if the kings were a stronger defensive team, it wouldn't matter too much. but they are not a strong defensive team, so it matters quite a lot...
i think that jimmer needs to mull over this fact for awhile: he, the 10th pick in the 2011 draft, is being outplayed by the 60th pick in the 2011 draft. i don't say that out of spite. i don't dislike jimmer. i don't even know the guy. i do want to see him succeed because he's a sacramento king. i hope the fact that isaiah thomas has been eating up his minutes will motivate jimmer to rise to the challenge. but, more than any of that, i want to see the team win. and, to this point, i think the team puts itself in a stronger position to win when jimmer is on the bench. he belongs on the court in brief spurts at this stage of his career, and as a spot-up shooter rather than a primary ballhandler. he's a dead-eye from three. he should be playing off the ball so he can be put in a position to do what he does best, and what would be most beneficial for his team: drill the outside shot. he's got good sense for where to move the ball, but he gets flustered as a ballhandler, and his decision-making when faced with defensive pressure is very, very poor. he forces himself into lots of bad shots...
isaiah thomas, on the other hand, has been aggressive and relatively consistent of late. his toughness and fearlessness represent intangibles hard to find in a late second round pick, much less the final pick in a given draft. he's an ideal kinda bench player. in other words, thomas has earned those minutes. jimmer, unfortunately, has not. its no good to rush him onto the court just because he was the 10th pick in the draft, especially to the detriment of the team...
