With the Warriors drafting PG/SG Charles Jenkins in the 2nd round, Jeremy Lin has his work cut out. I know that Jeremy has been working out 6 hours a day, but after this draft, he should be extra motivated. This is a great challenge and I'm confident that JLin will rise to the occasion.
It is clear now that Jeremy made a huge mistake by signing with the Warriors. The fact that the W's picked up a rookie combo guard is worrisome as I would think they should have gone after a big where W's sorely lack a defensive presence and low post scorer other than David Lee who has been very ineffectual last season. Ellis could easily be used as trade bait for a veteran SG to play alongside Curry. Should have gone to Dallas where he'd have a ring right now and be playing in a system that suits him. Oh, and someone named JKidd could have made a great mentor. I still hope he has a chance to get traded to Dallas. Of course, everyone should have hope that Lin will rise to the occassion but now he has to share time with one more combo guard. We'll just have to wait and see how Lin responds.
ReplyDeleteNo worries. If Lin doesn't make the team, I'm sure the Lakers, Mavs, or Heat would jump at the chance to sign him. His slashing and defense would be appreciate by a lot of teams in the league.
ReplyDeleteAnother 6'3" rookie combo guard?? I would have used the 2nd round pick on a center. I see this as a vote of no-confidence in Lin. I hope he uses this as extra motivation.
ReplyDeleteoh wait, I see that the Warriors acquired center Jeremy Tyler.
ReplyDeleteSure, Dallas would have been a better basketball culture...but they already have a high-quality backup PG in Barea. And JL's meal-ticket skill (defense) isn't as necessary on the Mavs who have a great defensive PG in J-Kidd.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, GS *still* doesn't have a clear-cut backup. Acie Law? Not with his BFF Smart. Charles Jenkins might be a potential steal, but he's still just a rookie who has to yet to prove anything at the NBA level (just like JL was last year). PG is the toughest position to learn, and Lin has a one year head start. Obviously, Jenkins is a much better shooter, but Lin is a much better defender and rebounder -- which is what the Ws need most right now.
Also, with Monta on the trading block, there could be even more minutes available. Smart mismanaged his bench (not just JL, but Reggie, Amundson, Bell, and Udoh) and "wasted" Lin's first year...but rookies don't play much anyway. So unless Mark Jackson repeats Smart's mistakes, JL is in a pretty good spot -- the backup PG role is his if he earns it.
And even if Warriors do release Lin (though I doubt it: he's cheap, plays great D and is a fan fave), there are plenty of better organizations who would give him a shot.
Well said tigerfan.
ReplyDelete@Tigerfan: You are not looking at the long term. JKidd will be retiring very soon meaning JJ will probably start so Dallas actually will have a void at the guard position and will need someone like JLin who can defend the perimeter and make steals. Why would the W's draft another guard when they already have Lin is what is worrisome. I stand by my statement that JLin should have gone to the Mavericks. Not just the culture but defense and pass first system as well as the opportunity to play with JKidd before he rides off in the sunset. It just seems like the W's are going for more flash than substance again by adding another scorer. W's need to be more defensive oriented so they should have drafted another big in my opinion. Are you speaking as a W's fan or Lin fan? As much as bay area fans love to see Lin stay put, they should consider his long term career and development under the right team such as the Mav's who have a championship culture and a great coach not to mention Cuban who will go all out for their players. Same can't be said for the W's who are still on training wheels and putting Lin through the loops like some lab rat. Mark Jackson? This is a PR stunt.
ReplyDeleteSorry, should be Marc Jackson.
ReplyDeleteAlso, please remember that the Mavs were the 1st ones to give Lin an opportunity to run in the summer last year and saw Lin's potential in their system of play. Mavs career planning was also more reasonable than the W's as Lin would 1st go thru D-league then get called up. Unlike the travesty that happened under Dumbo where Lin was playing yo-yo. W's see Lin as a cheap pick-up and PR/marketing tool. Why should Lin stay with the W's? Picking another combo guard confirms my belief that they have no interest in developing Lin. Mavs also have an international culture where Lin would be a more perfect fit. It's about where Lin best fits in and the team's long term goals for Lin. I can't believe that any Lin fan honestly believes the W's are the best situation for him. Clearly it is not and he already wasted 1 year. I don't want to see Lin gamble another year under a rookie coach who says the right things...sounds like the last coach to be honest with me. There are a lot of if's that need to happen in order for Lin to grow on the W's. Why take the risk? If Lin doesn't make something happen in his 2nd year, he'll just become another journeyman. Picking the right team is like picking the right school or company. Top to bottom, can anyone on this board say with confidence that the W's are going to ever win a championship or have a championship culture? Picking Jenkins at this point in time for the W's instills very little confidence and shows a bit about how they view Lin. I may end up eating my words if Jenkins has a breakout year but I highly doubt it as this was a very weak draft. W's made no serious attempts to trade up and still have Ellis who is an offensive/defensive blackhole. They're are also conflicting reports regarding Ellis. Jackson seems to want to keep him while management has a different take. I could care less what happens with the W's as my concern is with Lin since it wasn't completely Dumbo's fault for screwing up Lin's development the 1st year as management could have given some pressure to get Lin more playing time in a non-playoff year. The way the W's are constructed, it's core group, and it's system, I do not forsee any championship banners for a very long time. It's all about the coach, the system and management and W's are 3rd tier at best. 4ever peaking maybe 1st or 2nd round but that's it. Why should Lin remain? Lakers, Mavs, Spurs would be much better fits. Parker is being traded I hear so Spurs is another defense oriented team Lin could consider. Thanks for listening.
ReplyDeleteMy apologies for the typos...have to head out soon and just wanted to put my thoughts down. Hope my fellow Lin fans will forgive me. I look forward to any replies in a civil and constructive manner. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteSorry Obama666, but Jeremy would most likely not have even made the Mavs 15 man roster. Their 1st round pick, Dominque Jones, barely played. Remember they still had Roddy Beaubois and JJ Barea. He would not have played for the Lakers as well as Phil Jackson is reluctant to play rookies to begin with. So, Jeremy was able to get a taste of the NBA because the Warrior roster was so horrible. Now, if he doesn't beat out Jenkins, then he will be a free to go to LA or Dallas. If he improves as much this off season as I expect, he has a great shot to be the backup PG for his hometown team.
ReplyDeleteThe new ownership has a plan with the drafting of the guards. I would guess that Acie Law will not be resigned, CBell will be bought out or part of a trade, Reggie will not be matched if he gets any decent offer as KlayT seems like his replacement. The front court will be redone through trades and free agency.
So, maybe I'm biased as I am a Warrior fan as well. However, I still think this is the best possible scenario for JLin.
I thought this was an interesting column:
ReplyDeletehttp://bleacherreport.com/articles/747651-nba-trade-rumors-why-warriors-draft-signifies-end-of-monta-ellis-era
Maybe Monta is on the way out...
@Jlinfan#1: I appreciate your comment and admire your die-hard commitment to the W's but your making a big assumption that Lin would not have fared well if he had gone to Dallas. Remember, Lin was doubted at every stage of his career and he surprised everyone when given the opportunity. Who's to say he wouldn't have made the 15 man roster? Maybe not the 1st year but the 2nd year? All I know is that his development suffered under the W's and his future is even more uncertain now that W's drafted another guard and there is another rookie coach who will put the team thru another experimentation. I just don't feel confident about the W's situation as the right fit for JLin. Lin got crappy playing time even with a weak roster due to an inexperienced management team and rookie coach. Who knows what Lin could have accomplished under a more experienced culture. I hope that Warrior fans can look at his situation more objectively and think about what's best for him. All the replies to my comments are in support of Lin staying on the Warriors but it feels biased to me. Dallas or another championship caliber team would definitely be a step in the right direction. Again, it's all about the right situation for Lin and I just don't feel confident that the W's are the long term solution.
ReplyDelete@Obama, just sit back, relax, and enjoy next season. I sure can't wait for it to get started (no lock out please)! JLin is currently with the W's, and we just all want him to succeed wherever he is...if he happens to transition to another team later on so be it. No amount of our wishing and hoping is going to change the fact. Right now, he is "excited" about the new team (coach), and I can certainly understand his reasoning. He has plenty of opportunities on the W's to compete and succeed this coming season.
ReplyDeleteIn my view, JLin will succeed wherever is goes. The dude is all positives and never looks back for excuses in life...he works hard and makes the most of his situations. That is why he is where he is today. Go JLin!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletethey already have a high-quality backup PG in Barea.
ReplyDeleteTrue, Barea obviously is the first backup PG. But he can't play defense at 5'9" (his true height). Dallas is a team that values defense. That's why they started Deshawn Stevenson, for his defense. I feel that Lin would have called up from D-League and gotten a roster spot over Beaubois for his defense and rebounding had he signed with Dallas.
What I like about Dallas is that they have a veteran and brilliant coach in Rick Carlisle, who understands both offense and defense. The biggest minus for Lin with the Warriors is a rookie coach with Keith Smart and now Mark Jackson. As first year coaches, they were/will be much more reluctant to play rookies, because they need veteran players to get as many wins now.
In a way, I hope that the Warriors do not pick up Lin's option, send him to D-League, where he will be picked up by another team that he fits better with.
I have to agree that Lin would have played ahead of Roddy and Dominique. Those two guys are definitely not NBA-ready. Getting groomed under J-Kidd would have been the ideal way to start his career. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteWhen Dallas made an offer to JLin, their plan was to let him develop on the Donnie Nelson owned Texas Legends for at least 1 and possibly 2 years. There would be no Carlisle or JKidd grooming. Dallas had more depth at the pg position behind Kidd in a proven veteran in Berea and a first round pick in Beabois. Steph Curry was the only pg on the W's roster at the time. When I consider the W's guaranteed contract on top of all this, I can't really say JLin didn't make the right decision.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of what team JLin plays for, the bottom line is he needs to improve his offense and become a more complete player. The lock-out will give him more time to get his game ready. Jenkins is tough and intelligent just like JLin, and he's a much better scorer. The competition will be good for JLin. Maybe even a Lin-Jenkins second unit backcourt?
When Dallas made an offer to JLin, their plan was to let him develop on the Donnie Nelson owned Texas Legends for at least 1 and possibly 2 years. There would be no Carlisle or JKidd grooming.
ReplyDeleteNo question that a year ago, the Warriors situation seemed to be a much better decision. I only meant that in hindsight.
If the Warriors are not able to trade Monta, I have a hard time seeing how Lin makes the roster or gets any playing time. They will have Monta and Curry as starters. Klay will certainly be the first guard off the bench. Jenkins would get priority over Lin as a 2nd round draft pick vs undrafted player.
The Warriors drafted 2 offensive-minded guards despite Mark Jackson's claim of emphasis on defense. If Jackson is true to his commitment of defense, then maybe Lin has a chance to make the active roster. (btw, Jenkins is 6'1.5" without shoes and standing reach of 8'0.5". Lin is 6'3" without shoes, standing reach of 8'2", so Lin has physical advantages).
I hope they both have a great training camp so Jackson has to use Thompson as DWright's backup lol. A lot of W's fans have handed the backup pg job to Jenkins, but imo their overall skill levels are closer than people think. Due to his size, Jenkins may have a tough time finishing around the basket just like JLin did early on. But he does have a decent mid-range game (so I am told) and NBA 3pt range on his shots. Lin is quicker and a better defender.
ReplyDeleteBTW, the real backup pg on this team will be Monta unless the W's can find someone who can offer a starting center for him.
ReplyDeletePack on muscles, Jeremy! You gotta be at least as muscular as Derrick Rose. Muscles give you strength, power, speed! Better hit the proteins and weight room hard. This is the only way for you to keep your job.
ReplyDelete