Here is a list of intangibles:
-Heart
-Will to win
-Work ethic
-Leadership
-Hoops IQ
-Fearlessness
-Take/make big shot
Most cannot be measured by stats per se. However, coaches will have the best insight.
I believe this is where JLin's greatest strengths are. He is off the charts when it comes to these attributes.
One thing that cannot be overstated enough is that JL always ALWAYS has his best games against the toughest opponents. He did better against BC, UConn, and John Wall than against Princeton, Cornell, and Army. He had his best high school game in the Championship game against a national powerhouse. Why?
ReplyDelete1) The guy rises to the occasion and is mentally tough as nails. You cannot underestimate this quality. Even many HOFers do worse against top competition in high-pressure games -- it's just natural. Only a select few athletes somehow get BETTER in tough situations. Lin is one of them -- I suspect it's because he plays with a chip on his shoulder due to the disrespect he gets for being Asian-Am and Ivy League. But Lin is too humble to trash talk -- he lets his game do the talking.
2) As the #1-A option in college, slower teams double-team him and crowd the paint, while athletic teams simply play him one-on-one. In the NBA, on a team with Curry/Monta and Lee, Lin will the #3 focus at best, so I have no doubt Lin can at least be a great backup/fringe starter. On defense, you don't even need freak athleticism, just hustle, smarts, and good agility -- just look at Kirk Hinrich. If nothing else, JL can be a high quality NBA defender.
just to play devil's advocate, one may question why he didn't do better against Princeton/ Cornell/Army if he could excel against BC/UConn/JW. hopefully it's because he tries to get his teammates more involved with lesser opponents but tries to carry them against tougher opponents...i haven't seen the full games, so i wouldn't be able to really even guess.
ReplyDeletei think he'll be a good player. just needs to improve his jump shot and play some defense against athletic guards.
Um, dude, like I just said (and yes, as a recent Harvard alum I watched these games):
ReplyDelete"As the #1-A option in college, slower teams double-team him and crowd the paint, while athletic teams simply play him one-on-one. In the NBA, on a team with Curry/Monta and Lee, Lin will the #3 focus at best, so I have no doubt Lin can at least be a great backup/fringe starter."
Remember, no defensive 3-sec violation in college. Slow, but smart teams can camp three guys in the paint to stop Lin's slash game. You can't do that in the NBA.