Just when it seemed Trenton Hassell was catching on to coach Avery Johnson's system defensively as well as making his shots, he took a step back on Wednesday. Johnson did not play Hassell at all.
In a perfect world, Hassell would have been able to step right into Eddie Jones' spot as the starting two-guard, which would have allowed Jason Terry to remain in his new role as sixth man and backup point guard.
But, that just isn't happening. And in almost a desperate move to get a win on Wednesday against the T'Wolves, Johnson went against what he's been preaching and started Jason Terry. Hassell didn't get off the bench, coach's decision.
"Right now, he's still trying to get acclimated to what we're doing," Johnson said. "He hasn't played the type of defense that he wanted to and, again, his offense is coming around. So, he's still in play, still in the mix, it's just coach's decision last night. He could play 20 minutes the next game, who knows?"
-- Jeff Caplan
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