It's a little past the halfway mark in the NBA and here are my thoughts:
Coach Smart-
-doing a decent job with the talent available
-I like how he is not afraid to bench starters when they are messing up in the middle of a game
-however, doesn't seem to know how to work bench players into the rotation
-needs to steal rest time for the starters at the end of quarters
-needs to find more time for Udoh and BWright (these two actually have length and defensive ability)
-obviously he is a rookie coach and it has shown
-by the way, he played in two (12mpg) games in his whole NBA career
-a big complaint is that he didn't give Jeremy and BWright minutes in preseason
-instead played Monta 35 + does that make any sense?
-not sure if he really understands Jeremy's game
Warriors-
-looks like they'll win 34-39 games, probably not enough to get Smart an extension
-Lee is solid, Wright was a very good value pickup at the 3
-Monta has been incredible, Curry has not played to expectations
-they obviously need a legit center thus interior d and post presence
-they are undersized at all positions, need more length and athleticism
-very happy that the new majority owner, seems to really get it
Jeremy-
-he is a combo guard
-not sure if he is a good fit with the Warriors as both Curry and Monta are sorta combo guards as well
-his 1.5 assist to TO ratio (pretty close from senior year to NBA to DLeague) is OK for a shooting guard but pretty poor for a point guard
-needs to try and get it close to 2.0
-good size at 6'4" 205 and can guard 1's, 2's and even smaller 3's.
-has trouble staying in front of smaller quicker guards
-needs a personal trainer (he can easily add 5-10 pounds of muscle which would make him quicker, stronger, more explosive so he can keep up with the NBA athletes)
-shot is pretty decent (50% from the field 35% from 3's in D League) of course he can always improve on this
-his anticipation and help defense is better than good. 1st in the NBA in steals per 48 min., 5th in DLeague at 2.2 steals.
-He can get to the hoop well but needs to continue to work on finishing
-He wasn't a very good ft shooter in college (73%) and will take some time (a few years) to get into the high 70's low 80's. Look at the stats of other players, thats how long it usually takes. It's not overnight like some may think.
-JLin's stats his senior year in college are very comparable to his DLeague stats
-Once the Warriors are out of the playoff race, Jeremy will be called up
Bighorns-
-lots of player movement. Interestingly, it seems like Jeremy being there had a bit to do with Strawberry and Ewing leaving. I think it's tough for others who are trying to make it to the NBA and see Jeremy come in and get special treatment. I think it's really hard on their egos and they probably have a hard time with it.
-best thing for Jeremy is he is getting NBA level coaching from Eric Musselman
Next game: @ Austin 9am Wednesday. Click the link at the left of this post to view.
It is what it is. We all know once Jeremy develops a consistent jumper, his game will be that much better and open up more opportunity for him. I don't care so much for the egos of the D-League players, it's the D-League and everyone should know since Day 1 that NBA players get priority over anyone else on that team.
ReplyDeleteIt would have been nice if he had initially signed with the Lakers, I would have liked to see what Craig Hodges and Chuck Person could do to help Jeremy with his jumper and he would get to practice with a top contender.
Either way, I do see Smart leaving the Warriors before Lin does. No way Lacob lets him go since he's such a big fan magnet unless he gets a trade he can't refuse.
If the Warriors drop him, I would like to see Jeremy go to the Lakers, Knicks, Heat or even Clippers (to play with Blake Griffin and Gordon). But again, the most important thing right now is that Lin still building his confidence and gain valuable experience while working on his weaknesses in the D-League. It doesn't matter right now if he's not getting consistent minutes with the Warriors because as long as he's proving he can play at the top level in the D-League, there will always be teams scouting him. No surprise there.
im curious as to why so many fans want jeremy to go to the lakers?
ReplyDeleteIf fisher doesnt retire soon, Jeremy's not going to take Steve Blakes spot in the rotation.
why not? steve blake sucks
ReplyDeleteyour kidding right...
ReplyDeleteSteve Blake is a proven NBA player. Jeremy Lin is a NBA talent, who has potential, but theres no way Phil Jackson is going to play Jeremy over Blake, especially since the Lakers are still doing well this season.
The point about Steve Blake is he's a very serviceable pg who is similar (actually a little smaller) than Lin. The Lakers have an aging roster and they probably have one last run at a championship before retooling.
ReplyDeleteIt's true that Jackson doesn't play rookies, but he won't be there next year. Also, Charlie Bell must go in a deal. The Lakers gain an expiring contract and might even be able to figure out how to get production from him. It isn't a question of going to the Lakers, it is one of finding a better spot for Lin. If not the Lakers, some other team with a similar situation. The Warriors and their fans (present company excluded) don't value Lin so he should move on. Lin is actually in a good position contract wise. Even if the Warriors pick up the option for next year, which is 50/50 at best, he can find a more suitable situation the following year and negotiate a bigger contract, as long as he continues to develop. Who knows? In a year, someone might give Musselman another shot and he certainly would recruit Jeremy to come along.
Mustafa Shakur a Development League call up to the Wizards is an interesting case study for Lin's agent.
ReplyDeleteAll very good points by JLinfan#1. Thus far JL has shown good solid potential to be a solid NBA player in speed, explosive first step, defense, intuition... but need to improve his physical condition and skill during the off season. I believe that having a NBA conditioning and skill trainer for JL will be a great asset for his game. Physical condition for NBA is different and very specialize. The immediate impact of better conditioning will improve his finish when he drives toward the basket and also his free throw. I have seen a NBA video of Chris Paul and Nash's off season training and the training is amazing.
ReplyDeletewhy doesn't the game play on futurecast?
ReplyDeleteIt's on. Okay, I must admit, Free Throws is a problem
ReplyDeleteEven the announcers who generally have good things to say about Lin say his F/T is a question mark.
ReplyDeleteMussleman's plan is clear, he will give more time to Lin at PG which is a good thing.
jeremy lin needs to go to a team where the coach KNOWS how to develop rookies. phil jackson may not play rookies much, but he knows how to develop them into good players and bring out their potential. same thing can be said to spurs' coach etc.
ReplyDeleteit stopped working again for me, does futurecast work for anyone right now?
ReplyDeleteI like JLin's 3 pointers today. He must've read my post on taking advice from Landry on shooting them 3s cause he's on fire.
ReplyDeletelol at "shot is pretty decent (50% from the field 35% from 3's in D League)" yeah, stats tell everything.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, the sample size is way too small to give an accurate assessment.
2nd, you have to take into consideration the competition lin is up against and the defenders.
Saying his shot is decent because of (50% fg and 35 % 3pt) is stupid.
If that is how ur going to assess how his shot is, then Yao Ming would be the greatest shooter in nba history, when he was (55% fg, and 100% 3pt)
wow he is not playing well defensively or offensively today...
ReplyDeletehe's been caught with the back of his head to his man a few times and just got yanked after throwing a pass away to nobody :(
8:02 said "Even if the Warriors pick up the option for next year, which is 50/50 at best"
ReplyDeletewhere do you get this from? Lacob has basically stated that Jeremy is going to be picked up for the second year.
his shot has looked great today (and has really improved over his time in the d league). did make a few mistakes resulting in getting yanked though
ReplyDeleteLin to Lakers trade suggestion:
ReplyDeletehttp://bleacherreport.com/articles/584920-los-angeles-lakers-5-realistic-trades-they-can-make-to-get-younger/page/2
:(
Was supposed to be :)
ReplyDelete"While not the flashiest name on this list, he is by far one of the brightest.
If the Lakers were to acquire and keep him, they would have four out of the five starting positions filled in the future.
A core of Ebanks, Caracter, Lin and Bynum could compete for a playoff spot until a star emerges in Lakerland.
Out of all the players on this list, he may be the easiest to trade for. Being undrafted and not getting a lot of minutes, the asking price could be a pair of second-round picks. Though he may not be a superstar, I don't think he will ever be a liability at the point guard spot which is invaluable in the NBA."
Despite what Lacob says, picking up Lin's contract next year is 50/50 because of the lockout situation. Salary cap, roster size, and even potential contraction mean teams will look hard at resigning players even with contracts as "small" as Lin's. That said, the W's would be dumb to make the proposed Blake trade at this time. In the immortal words of Forrest Gump "Stupid is as stupid does."
ReplyDeleteI liked it that Jeremy made that late shot to tie the game.
ReplyDeleteI liked it that Musselman pulled him for sloppy play. The key at the next level for him is to value each possession. Turnovers are the number one statistic that will be used to evaluate his play.
The announcers liked his play. Maybe they'll pass the word along to the San Antonio Spurs.
My hope is that he will go back up to the Warriors and play well enough to push Acie down the depth chart, but right now, that ain't happening. I say he has a month to get it together.
sounds like Lin was a fan of Ewing Jr:
ReplyDelete"shoutout to @pewingjr6 for being probably the most unselfish teammate ever and my words with friend kryptonite! good luck at @sfskyforce"
3 for 3 in 3s? Awesome.
ReplyDeletewhy not just have a forum?
ReplyDeleteI think the Lakers actually have Jeremy Lin on their radar. They also look at players with small contracts but potential who do well against them, i.e. Shannon Brown with the Bobcats.
ReplyDeleteBrian Shaw, who at first didn't know who Jeremy was and the one who supposedly might replace Phil as coach next season, was there at the Summer League to watch Jeremy Lin.
Mitch Kupchak was in attendance during Jeremy Lin's first game in Reno.
Will they get Jeremy Lin in the future? who knows, but unless the Lakers pull off a blockbuster trade or have more money to sign a quality PG for the future..a player of Jeremy Lin's caliber makes sense.
Both Fisher and Blake are getting older and a player like Jeremy who hustles on defense would be a good fit for not only the Lakers, but other playoff contending teams in need of a all-around guard.
why no one mentioned the Mavs - Jason Kidd is a sr citizen. help me understand..
ReplyDeleteVideo highlights from today's game:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsw7q4tK_Hc
(Unfortunately, D-League Futurecast had technical difficulties and lost a good portion of the second quarter, which included a Lin 3-ptr, steal, and block.)
Lin had a nice pullup 16-ft jumper, a couple nice assists, and 3/3 on 3 ptrs. One of the 3s was in transition, which tells a lot about his confidence, since no one takes that shot unless you know you're going to make it. Now he is shooting 43.5% from 3 pt range in the D-League (10/23. Some people think that sample size is too small, but it's enough to tell you that he can shoot the 3, and will probably be somewhere between 33-45% by the end of the season).
Can we put a moratorium on FT improvement? That's like telling Obama he needs to improve the economy if he wants to be re-elected. You guys think that if a player simply shoots 1000 free throws every day, he'll automatically improve... it's not that simple. Shaq practiced tons of free throws, it didn't help at all. You don't think Rajon Rondo or Blake Griffin work hard on their FTs? As good as they are, they would be unstoppable with a better FT%. Lin may need a mental or mechanics adjustment, which does not simply come with more practice.
Video highlights from today's game:
ReplyDeletewww.youtube.com/watch?v=zsw7q4tK_Hc
(Unfortunately, D-League Futurecast had technical difficulties and lost a good portion of the second quarter, which included a Lin 3-ptr, steal, and block.)
Lin had a nice pullup 16-ft jumper, a couple nice assists, and 3/3 on 3 ptrs. One of the 3s was in transition, which tells a lot about his confidence, since no one takes that shot unless you know you're going to make it. Now he is shooting 43.5% from 3 pt range in the D-League (10/23. Some people think that sample size is too small, but it's enough to tell you that he can shoot the 3, and will probably be somewhere between 33-45% by the end of the season).
Can we put a moratorium on FT improvement? That's like telling Obama he needs to improve the economy if he wants to be re-elected. You guys think that if a player simply shoots 1000 free throws every day, he'll automatically improve... it's not that simple. Shaq practiced tons of free throws, it didn't help at all. You don't think Rajon Rondo or Blake Griffin work hard on their FTs? As good as they are, they would be unstoppable with a better FT%. Lin may need a mental or mechanics adjustment, which does not simply come with more practice.
real-dsb, preach on. Agree with you 100%
ReplyDeletemonta was a team-worst -20 by far today, ouch! the warriors were +9 without monta. i didn't watch the game, but he had a great offensive night, 8-13 shooting, 5 assists. So does that mean monta stunk it up on defense?
ReplyDeletewait, i'm not sure if i calculated that right. bottom line, monta was -20, but warriors lost by 9. so basically the warriors did better when monta wasn't on the court.
ReplyDeleteDid Lin seem angry after he hit the game tying shot at the end of the 4th while going back to the bench? I wonder if he was upset that he wasn't in the game more in the 4th.
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to hear more and more d-league announcers singing Lin's praises. All the good press has been following him. The announcers obviously haven't seen him play but read and hear good things about him and say, "oh, he's automatic when left open on the perimeter".
His jumpshots are going in more nowadays which is great to see.
yeah, i thought he looked angry too.
ReplyDeleteIts understandable though that musselman didnt keep him in for long in the 4th, lin was turning the ball over and the bench was responsible for that run which kept them in the game. Hopefully were looking too much into it though, dont want Lin to be unhappy in the d league =/.
"It is nice to hear more and more d-league announcers singing Lin's praises. All the good press has been following him."
ReplyDeletethis is exactly why jeremy's better off in the d-league rather than getting no minutes with the warriors under smart. at least scouts and the media can see his skills and improvement on display. when's he's the 12th-15th man on the roster, no one except the team's coaches will see him play, and they'll just assume that he's just another scrub with no potential.
JLin is very competitive and he definitely didn't get the minutes he wanted but he did mess up defensively quite a bit with a ton of TOs so I can see why he was benched. I think he should redeem himself by not getting the ball stolen so much if he wants to be a combo guard, however, he is still learning to handle much tougher defense and the different situations at the NBA level. Lot of potential though.
ReplyDeleteCoach Musselman made the right move on the last play.
ReplyDeleteEven if Lin could catch ball and drive to hoop in 1.6 seconds, he would have been fouled hard and probably only made 1 of 2 free throws.
Ball should have gone to known sharp shooters such as Landry, Stoudemire, or Green.
And I blame loss to Tulsa and both losses to Iowa on O'Bryant.
ReplyDeleteRest of team has to keep digging out of hole he creates by ineptness on offense and unwillingness to take contact on D.
If Coach Musselman could actually trust O'Bryant to actually be willing to take contact late in fourth quarter when other team is driving to basket, Reno would have probably won 2, possibly 3, of last 4 games, and wouldn't have had to rely on making last second shot.
Their D right now is poor and they live and die by the jump shot, except for Lin's ability to drive to hoop against less sturdy defenses.
i don't blame anyone for dleague games won or loss. it's a dleague game for heaven's sake! who cares!! o'bryant is also looking to improve his game so that he can be of value in the nba level. he has a lot that he needs to work on but he is working on them.. in the dleague. why should he take a charge? i don't think he needs to work on taking a charge.. that would be ridiculous. when he gets called up what will he tell his nba team about his experience? that he learned to take a charge? lmaf! his priority probably isn't to win a dleague game right now. it seems he wants to extend his range and he is making some nice shots from just within the arc, kodos to him.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I read, O'Bryant has flopped in the NBA because he is soft and unwilling to bang bodies.
ReplyDeleteHe has an NBA body and looks like he has pretty good touch on his shot.
If he had even half of the heart and toughness of JLin, O'Bryant would probably thrive in NBA.
In order to get to the NBA level, O'Bryant needs to learn some post moves and play tough defense around the basket. That is what his position requires. Right now he's just a 7 foot tall jump shooter.
ReplyDeleteJeremy Lin is the opposite. He's already showing tough defense and rebounding, but he is not taking enough jumpshots. He doesn't have his feet set, and knees don't bend as much to give power to his shot. He's using mostly arms and wrist to flick the ball towards the basket. A jumpshot must have a solid jump to it.
Yesterday's game was definitely not JLin's best performance. He seemed a step slow on defense. Maybe those knee braces he was wearing are slowing him down. Either that or he has some injury issues going on.
This time he was not able to stay in front of Aubry Coleman or Carldell Johnson. In previous games he was quick enough to stop the fast guards.
Another thing I notice is that he struggles when smaller, quicker guards are defending him. If he can't get drive past his man, he needs to use his size to get into the paint.
He's solid 6'3" going up against a 5'10" point guard. Yet he seems unwilling or unable to use his size and strength to back down on a smaller opponent and/or shoot over him.
Maybe with some better coaching he can recognize the mismatch, and use his size advantage.
yawn. jeremy lin sucks. kobe came out of high school. he aint kobe
ReplyDelete