Last year we also had Landry to help close the 4th, Ariza to chase around opposing wings, and AB and Budinger could actually hit open shots. You are comparing apples to oranges. Different roster = different results.
Also last year Lowry missed a lot of games from injury, so yeah, there was an extended period where AB was playing a TON of minutes with D-League backups. Kinda like this year with Lowry... except last year we won more games.
Here's what we know: Our record with Lowry starting is 20-20, even with poor performance from the backup PG. Point differential for starting lineup this year is much better than last year. In fact, point differential for the entire team is much better than last year, despite the worse record. What that points to is poor performance this year in close games. Its a closing issue, not a starting issue. Brooks has played very poorly this season. There's no guarantee giving him back his starting job and disrupting the current chemistry for the starting unit will help the team. All that said, here's a bone I'll throw out to the Brooks contingent. Even though the starting unit performed poorly last year overall, the particular combination of Brooks-Martin-Battier-Scola-Hayes actually played very well (link1 and link2) to close the season.
"Kinda like this year", except Lowry didn't miss nearly the same fraction of games. And also Lowry performed MUCH better in a backup role last year than Brooks has this year.
you would have a ghost of a point if you actually state what the WL record is last year without Lowry.
To add to that, we've had a losing record ever since acquiring Kevin Martin. Kevin Martin is considered a great 1st-3rd quarter scorer; Carl Landry was one of the best 4th quarter scorers in the league his last year on the Rockets. As you pointed out, we seem to struggle closing out games.
Maybe so. Although comparing AB's court vision to Steve Nash is exaggerating! HAHA, to me Aaron Brooks plays similar to Chauncey Billups.
