Warning: Player bashing not welcome. LOH/LOF labeling not welcome. Improvement I have seen: 1. Asik plays great defense and offensive rebounds for a starter's minutes. 1.5 Asik learns to always DUNK the ball. 2. Smith gets more confident offensively and is not fouling out as quickly as when the season starts. 3. Lin plays better defense at PnR, and controls his body better when attacking the paint. 3. Beverly gets more confidence and becomes more controlled offensively. 4. Hardens plays 40+minutes as the leader of the team. 5. Jones gets playing time and makes significant contributions. 6. Parsons contributes big time and shoots at higher percentage. My favorite is 1.5: Asik learns to always DUNK the ball!
People are still getting on Asik for having "stone hands" but he's been great this second half from what I'm seeing. Glue hands new moniker imo.
Improvement over the year besides those mentioned - Asik improving on the hook shot and with the end of possession jumper - Beverley running point better - Lin's jumpshot, handles, team defense (though D could use work) - Harden now at least raising a hand to contest shots, and putting in slightly more effort on D in general - Parsons jumpshot (remember November?), decision making - Jones and Smith both with better consistency and focus (less brainfarts like shoetying in the lane)
Beverly played very controlled defense tonight, realizing that he needed to stay in the game, so he toned it down a little bit in order to prevent getting into further foul trouble. I was impressed.
