lin's teammates are not helping him out. lin made ALOT of nice passes and a lot of times his teammates are not catching the ball. those TOs should not count against him.
LMFAO!! Are you watching the game? Or are you just watching Lin with one hand down your pants?
Lin has 4 turnovers so far in this game: 1 he slipped; 2 he overthrew (1 to anthony, 1 to shumpert); 1 was an offensive foul (although I didn't think it was). That's what I hate about you fanboys, some of you are RIDICULOUSLY biased. Please watch the game. If you are going to praise Lin for what he does well, you have to be critical for what he doesn't do well.
Lin did not have a good first half (statistically) by any stretch of the imagination, but his team is winning, and I think that matters most.
Look for Lin to settle down in the second half and finish the game strong.
those he "overthrew" i've seen players turn those before into points and i don't think those are overthrows. not all passes are going to be perfect. also lin had passes wide open to his teammates for an easy dunk or lay in which they failed to catch.
You are a Jeremy Lin fan - not a basketball fan. You play with who is on your team; you don't say, "oh if he was player x or y, they would've scored." A bad pass is a bad pass, regardless of who's on the receiving end. And are you saying shumpert isn't a superior athlete? And anthony not a great player? You can turn the TV off now, Lin is on the bench.
this is a lin site not a knicks or basketball site. i and the rest of the world didn't give a crap about the knicks until lin brought them back to relevancy. those passes to anthony or shumpert being good athletes are capable of turning into points. i've seen worse passes from inferior players gave more effort on catching and scoring than them today.
Objectively not his best game. He is an ATTACKING point guard who passes and scores in the paint, for whatever reason he's tentative today not playing his game. On the other hand, his teammates dropped 3 wide open passes under the basket which shouldn't have counted as Lin TO's (2 Chandler, 1 Melo). The passes were right on the hands. Lin should have just shot instead.
False. He got an assist for that drop under the basket for melo. Melo dropped it, recovered, scored. And Chandler was credited with the turnover for that drop in the 2nd half. His two turnovers in the second half were telegraph passes on kickouts.
I agree, he is tentative today. But at the same time, Rondo is a GREAT defender, and the Celtics play great D. For some reason, I've noticed that Lin is not as "springy" and "quick" when he's on the road.
Is it not Lin's job as a point guard to make other players better? And him as a point guard WILL NEVER blame his teammates for not "catching" the ball. Please go back and watch the tape on your DVR or on youtube later, you will see those passes were overthrown in the scheme of the fastbreak. Yeah they could've caught it, but they would have been out of bounce.
Yeah, this is a Lin fan-site, but it is fanboys like you (i'm assuming you are Asian) that makes us Asian-Americans look bad when we talk with other Americans about Lin. And just because this is a Lin fan-site, it doesn't mean I can be critical of his performance.
nyckush is downright giddy that Lin is playing poorly, he's a closet hater. Why are you posting on a fan site for Jeremy Lin?
One great indicator that Lin is not playing his game today is 0 free throw attempts so far. When Lin is playing his game he is shooting 6 or 8+ free throws per game (attacking the basket, getting defenders in foul trouble, etc).
14 games for Lin, 12 great ones and 2 bad ones, it's really easy to spot the haters who are ultra quick to slam Lin during his rare bad games. The kid is only 23 and will only get better.
How am I a hater? I never said "Lin sucks!" or "Lin is terrible he should not be in the league." That's "slamming" Lin. I never said that. I simply stated that he's had bad turnovers today - turnovers that were his fault, and not of his teammates. Are you Lin fans so sensitive that when someone makes any critical statements of Lin that you all take it as "hate?" Ever heard of constructive criticism?
And did I not say: "Look for Lin to settle down in the second half and finish strong?" And he did. 6 key points down the stretch. And why would I root against Lin if I am a Knicks fan? Do I really wanna see TD play? Are you kidding me??
And I agreed with you that he's playing tentative today. Is that hate too?
And why am I not allowed to post here? Just because I am not 100% biased? Just because I said that those turnovers were of his doing and not of his teammates? Geez, I didn't know there were no basketball fans here. And as an Asian-American, I back Lin 110%.
But if you don't want to be flamed here, show some civility and don't taunt people with bad sexual images or tell us that we are not "basketball fans" or accuse us of making other Asian Americans look bad just because Lin is our hero.
I think it's great that you are a rabid Lin fan like the rest of us. Just understand that it won't make you as an Asian American look bad if Lin has what you think is a bad game.
You are your own person and are judged by your own actions.
Okay, point taken. That image was uncalled for on my part, and I apologize. But it just irritates me when some fan-boys seem to think Lin can do no wrong. (I probably should stop using the phrase "fan-boy," one last time. lol)
Anyways, tough game today. Without Rondo (and that desperation shot by Pierce), the Knicks win in regulation, and less media pressure on Lin because they won even though he didn't have his "A" game. But because they lost, the media might point towards Lin as the reason why they lost.
And Rondo was just ridiculous... 18/17/20??? I can't even do that on 2k12...
And what did you think of Lin's performance? Specifically in the OT? I personally thought 7 shots was a bit much from your pg in 5 minutes.
I am a big Celtics fan, particularly of Paul Pierce. To me, he is as good as anybody in the game. I love Ray Allen but not so much Kevin Garnett who I want to see play more like a traditional inside big man on offense.
Rondo is a good player, but I don't rate him among the elite pgs like Lin or Paul or Williams or Nash. He plays well alongside the Big Three, but I don't consider him a player that can "carry" a team like Lin or Paul or Williams or Nash can.
Lin has it pretty rough as a starter. I wrote above that he was playing with two guys that can't score. Actually it's THREE guys because Tyson Chandler can't score either. Lin has to create shots for those guys AND spearhead the defense since Anthony and Stoudemire cannot defend anybody. No wonder the 2nd unit is destroying the 1st unit in practice.
Lin will have games like his in which he tried to save his struggling team with scoring. He nearly did it again. But if Stoudemire and Fields cannot play better, not even Lin can save the Knicks.
I have ALWAYS considered Lin an elite PG, even when he was with the Warriors getting no minutes.
Here's how I judge Lin. Given the opportunities he's had and the circumstances he plays in, could he be doing any better? I say no, even though there is some room for improvement.
Could another pg step in and lead the Knicks to a better record in the games Lin has played? I don't necessarily believe that inserting Derrick Rose (who I do not consider a pg) or Deron Williams or Chris Paul or Steve Nash would lead the Knicks to a better record.
I also look at the way teams defend Lin. He gets double and triple teamed on every possession. Elite pgs get that treatment, not guys like Rondo that teams deliberately ignore because he doesn't warrant the defensive coverage that Lin or the other elite pgs do.
Lin has been battling opposing backcourts by himself. Not a single Knick guard would start for another team, and I'd go so far to say that they might not even crack the rotation on other teams. Yet Lin covers up for his inconsistent guards and leads the team to victory anyway.
Lin makes guys better. That is another hallmark of an elite PG. The Knicks have a D league roster outside of Chandler Anthony Stoudemire, and that includes Lin who has been playing at an All Star level. Not all pgs, including All Stars like Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose, can make teammates better.
I remain unconcerned about the turnovers. Though they look ghastly on paper, I'd rather Lin continue to try to create opportunities than play it safe and be unable to create opportunities for nonscoring teammates like Tyson Chandler who cannot score on his own without Lin feeding him. Lin starts the game alongside 3 guys that cannot score without assistance, and the bench players that can score on their own are too inconsistent to be counted on.
I already feel that Lin has proven himself to be one of the top PGs in the NBA.
By the way, 30 seconds left, it makes no sense why D'Antoni is sitting Jeremy Lin right now for a "defensive" unit, but keeps Melo and Amare on the floor. Lin makes huge timely plays in big moments, while Melo and Amare are arguably their worst defenders on the entire team, both are slow/poor help defenders, and Amare especially is terrible boxing out and defensive rebounding.
Not a good game by Jeremy. Rondo stepped up big time and made several big plays at Jeremy's expense. I'm not sure D'Antoni is an elite tactical coach. Why didn't he have his players foul with 26 seconds left??
He's pretty much a rookie, we shouldn't expect all-star performance every night. He still got a whole lot to learn and develop. One thing i'm pretty disappointed at is his defense, he didn't close down Rondo and always leaving him some space.
The guy was a poor 7-20 from the field and got 90% of his assists on long jumpers by teammates. It's as if Lin played with 3 Steve Novaks at all times.
Pierce was the guy who played out of his mind today. He almost single-handedly gave Boston the win.
Really? Rondo had a lot of nice dishes - although I didn't think it was 20 assists; some of them were like 3 dribbles, and he still got an assist. Hometown stats keeper I guess. You can't say Rondo didn't play out of his mind. only one other player in history has had a 15 15 15 game. Ridiculous.
Certain not all of Lin's fault, but he did contribute with the turnovers and at times bad defense (eg, not putting his hands up on defense when Pierce was in the corner). Lin did well guarding Rondo at times (made him take numerous tough shots, i'm suprised Lin didn't get credit for a block in this game), but one thing he must work on is fighting over screens. Seemed as if every time Rondo got a screen, Lin looses Rondo (ie he's chasing him from behind). But then you can also argue that his teammates need to stop the ball and allow him time to recover.
Only one other player in history has had a 15 15 15 game because 99.99% of point guards don't get to play with Pierce, Allen and Garnett. Three Hall of Fame scorers/shooters.
I used to be a big Rondo fan until I began watching more Celtics games the past two years. Now I see what other teams' fans are talking about. He's definitely a great defender and rebounder, but his point guard skills are slightly above average. At best.
Again, doing a fancy-looking dribble and tossing the ball 5 feet to Paul Pierce for a long jumper isn't creating offense. Anyone can do that. And Rondo did some variation of that "play" 15 times today. In fact he does that every game. Nash...CP3...those are REAL playmakers.
Meanwhile you have Jeremy Lin on an "off-day" creating plenty easy layups and dunks for his teammates that they can't finish. And he even had 2 phony TOs on passes right into his teammates' hands.
Look, I can be honest about Jeremy. Heat game, he was awful. He wasn't even that good against Atlanta despite his stat line. But today he was decent enough to win if not for Pierce going out of his mind and his bigs not executing simply layups/dunks.
I want to see Lin start beating people up as he comes upcourt.
With his powerful frame, he can physically bully any pg in the league. I would like to see Lin put his butt into people and bruise them up as he comes upcourt. Golden State coach Mark Jackson and Celtics coach Doc Rivers made their living as slow guards who bumped people as they dribbled.
NBA refs have a tendency to reward physical play on offense, no matter who the player is. I want Lin to go into ATTACK mode and at least beat people up physically if he's not going to get the calls.
If I could make one criticism of Lin, it's that he has a tendency to play too nice. I want him to get "back" to being the mean bullying player that puts his knees into big men that contest his layups and actively seeks to embarrass other guards off the dribble. Enough of this "Make teammates fit in" garbage!
Rondo gets 90% of his assists on long jumpers by Pierce, Allen and Garnett. I could put up 10 assists a night on the Celtics.
Jeremy got almost no help at all from his teammates. He created at least a dozen layups/dunks for his teammates, who converted maybe 3-4 of them. Heck, even two of his TOs were passes his teammates should have caught and finished.
He also got whistled for BS fouls (he was cheated out a GREAT and-one) and got constantly hacked with no FTs awarded (Bass smacked him in the face during OT...no call).
No this isn't fanboy talk. The Heat game, Lin was unprepared, tired and stunk it up. No doubt. But this game? The officials made sure to slow down the Knicks when they were up big, and then give the Celtics the home win.
If you don't believe NBA officiating is crooked, just look up: "Tim Donaghy." Then kindly shut your mouth.
Jeremy needs to go to another team not Amare/Melo... Did you see that failed dunk by Amare when he could have easily tipped it in and not lead to a fastbreak Celtics way, lol.... Rondo with the gladiator like number, another triple double for this man, much respect and another reason why he is one of the best PG right now, way better than Dwilliams...
Jeremy Lin is getting the absolute best from opposing PG's. Every opponent plays Lin like it's the NBA Finals. Lin is only 23 and this will make him even better.
One thing worth pointing out: Knicks went 7-0 with Lin and a bunch of scrubs. With Melo back the Knicks are 3-4. Anyone else familiar with Ewing Theory?
I don't know what Ewing Theory is, but I've watched Patrick Ewing for many years and can assure you that he was almost never the reason the Knicks could not win big.
Similarly, Carmelo Anthony is a great player who has contributed mightily to Knick wins. I am OK with his production.
Landry Fields seems to disappear alongside Anthony. I say start Shumpert or even Toney Douglas over Fields.
Melo isn't the problem. Amare is. Melo helps Jeremy. He takes pressure off him since Melo can create on his own and even make a nice pass.
But Amare is just brutal. I understand he's ailing (and mourning), but it's clear that he isn't the same player he was last year. He often has trouble catching simple passes and is incapable of finishing through light contact. And he's inactive on defense, too.
Lin doesn't run the PnR well with Amare (leading to TOs). He runs it to perfection with Chandler because Tyson can play above the rim. Amare is just a mid-range jump-shooter right now.
It won't happen, but Jeffries and Novak should both be playing more than Amare. Knicks would have two more wins if they did.
The only thing with Novak is that he's only a shooter. It's tough to play him many minutes when he cannot rebound and play a lick of defense. (Hey! that kinda sounds like Amare!)
Hrmm jlin really cant go left. it was very clear today that bdavis played better. i think we will start seeing bdavis getting close to 20-25 min a game
If Baron Davis's minutes increase, it won't be at Lin's expense.
The shooting guards would have to play so poorly that Davis would be handed their minutes. I still think that the productive Shumpert should start instead of the increasingly ineffective Fields.
Right now, the Knicks are still acclimating to new players. They did still take the Celtics into overtime in Boston, so let's not crucify the players yet.
I said TODAY baron played better than jeremy. Baron's line today was pretty good. Compared to the old baron, he isnt looking fat at all. He's been way more out of shape than what he is right now.
Not sure what you mean by "can't go left". He has finished with his left hand after driving to his left numerous times. Maybe he was forced to go to right today. If he really "can't go left", then wouldn't it make more sense for the opposing team to force him to his left? which team don't usually do b/c they know he can finish at the rim regardless of sides. Also, anyone with some experience of basketball knows that a right-handed shooter would feel much more comfortable going left and pulling up for a jump shot rather than his right. Meaning it would make more sense that Jeremy drive to his left if he wanted to take a shot or drive to the basket.
Not sure if Jeremy is not going to his left b/c he can't. He's probably choosing not to due to the play that's called at the moment or what ever the defense is giving him at the time is making him go right.
uhmm i wouldn't say i am great at basketball. But i am right handed, I am much better going to my right than to my left. I think that is the case with most people that i play against or with, unless the person is left handed.
Celtics were clearly forcing Jlin to go his left for most of the game. At times JLin was so quick to his right, that he can still go past the defender to the right even though the defender was clearly over-defending against it. It was the same for the Heats game. From what I've seen, Jlin definately is not as good going to the left as he is going to his right. that's clearly what the opposing team scouting report is showing as well.
Jeremy played a solid game today. He played good defense on Rondo, forcing him into a few bad shots. Jeremy missed a few layups (which were so close!) that he would usually make, but most of them were going up against Garnett. Jeremy will get more used to finishing those shots above better defenders at the rim. Jeremy also made a few clutch shots at the end of the fourth quarter, being the usual beast that he is. Jeremy definitely got fouled a few times, especially two glaring plays near the end where he got fouled driving to the lane in OT and where Rondo pushed off hard to get a rebound and the layup. The Knicks played hard near the end. Perhaps they should learn from the more experienced team which usually play quite hard coming out of the half. Its very enjoyable to see Jeremy play regardless of his stat line because he is such an aggressive and skilled offensive player with play making skills all in one package!
I thought Jeremy played a solid game today. Would be nice if could bring his TOs down. Considering no one on the Knicks team was very effective, I was surprised that the game was so close.
Thanks to Lin, the Knicks have become a very deep team that their coach is still trying to figure out how to use.
All great pgs, be they Isiah or Magic or Cousy or Stockton or Nash, regularly have games in which they seem to struggle but the team still has a chance to win it at the end. Because Jeremy Lin is a great pg, the Knicks nearly won this game too.
Other than the Heat game, all of Jeremy Lin's losses have been hard fought 4th quarter bloodbaths in which opponents have had to play their best in order to win. We need not ask more of Lin if he continues to provide that.
I saw the last part of the 2nd quarter, most of the 3rd quarter and the last half of the 4th quarter + overtime, so my observations may be a little off.
Jeremy didn't attack much in the 3rd. He also lost his dribble a few times which is rare for him. The Knicks offense really fell apart in the 3rd. Instead of P&R's, their was some one on-one play and jump shots. It wasn't until I saw the game in the 4th that the Knicks went back to their P&R's.
Jeremy seemed to settle when he hit the lefty layup and three pointer toward the end. However, when the game went into overtime, Jeremy decided to attack but all his layups were short.
One thing that I noticed is that Jeremy had trouble with Ranjo's unorthodox play. Rando hardly shoots outside but he is SO SNEAKY. Jeremy definitely lost vision of Rajan a few times and he snuck in for offensive rebounds. Jeremy needed to just keep vision on Rajan and keep him out completely. Instead, as soon as the ball goes up, Jeremy turns his head.
Also, I think Jeremy overhelps too much on defense. Left a few guys open due to that.
Jeremy showed he can play through a tough game but needs to improve on a few things.
Against the last two contenders: Heat: Lin -19, Davis +5; Celtics: Lin -9, Davis +10. Worse, Lin has looked out of his depth in the two games. The door's opening for Davis to take over primary PG duties even if Lin remains the nominal starting PG. I don't expect that to happen right away, but if Lin keeps playing poorly against contenders, like the teams he'll be playing in the current stretch, Lin's role likely will change.
If the Knicks are dumb enough to start Baron Davis, it'll show up on the court in poor play and losses.
Lin is playing as well as he can, and Dantoni knows it. Besides, Davis had 6 TOs today too in less minutes. Nor is starting Davis going to solve Stoudemire's lethargy or turn Fields into a legitimate NBA starter.
The reason Rondo can attack the offensive boards is that he has Hall of Fame teammates that can cover for him defensively when he goes in. Boston is a contender that has championship caliber players on defense.
Jeremy Lin needs to help on defense because Melo and Stoudemire are historically poor defenders that need assistance. If Stoudemire in particular could defend better, Lin would not have to help as much. Today Anthony got lit up by Paul Pierce, though there's no shame in that because Pierce is one of the greatest players of all time.
Today wasn't so much a Knick loss as a Boston win. Jeremy Lin is not singlehandedly responsible for the Knicks' fortunes.
Look at the players around Davis in the 2nd unit, they have much better defenders: Shumpert, Jeffries, J.R. Smith. Better 3-point shooters: Novak, J.R. Smith.
Plus they are forcing turnovers on the other team and running the fast break much better.
The starting lineup is giving away too many points in the paint and not taking advantage of fast break opportunities.
You mean the Dallas, the Lakers, and the Utah wins don't count? This team is far better since Linsanity. They were routinely being blown out before Lin emerged. In fact, the Knicks were primarily a perimeter team before Lin. Now they're getting the ball in the paint and with the exception of the Miami game are always competitive.
I agree Lin's not solely responsible. Anthony and Stoudamire's returns have changed the team. The defense is worse. The spacing and movement are worse on offense.
Lin is a SG/PG combo guard who creates off his own scoring, not a natural PG. But he's been forced to be more deferential with Anthony and Stoudamire back, which is not his game - not in high school, not at Harvard, not in the NBDL, not on the February Knicks. He's also having trouble catching up to the adjustments the top teams and PGs are making against him.
Stoudamire and Anthony aren't going to be benched for Jeffries and Walker to give Lin his February Knicks back. But Davis is waiting to take on more PG duties if Lin continues to play badly against the contenders. The next 2 weeks may well define Lin's role for the play-offs. If the Knicks struggle over this stretch with Lin as the 1st team PG, I can see his role shifting to nominal starting PG, off-guard with Davis at PG, and running the 2nd team. If Lin is able to adjust to his teammates and top opponents to play at a high level again, then he'll definitely keep his role as 1st team PG going into the play-offs.
ABC Baller, if Lin played with the 2nd team, I expect he'd look more like the aggressive, swaggering, clutch shooting Lin we saw during his magical February run. Notice how uncomfortable and passive he looks right now trying to run the point for the current 1st team. Anthony isn't fitting in with the Linsanity Knicks; Lin is being asked to fit in with Melo's Knicks.
Phil, those wins count - Lin is responsible for pulling the Knicks back to the play-offs. He's responsible for raising fans' expectations to winning 1, 2, or more rounds in the play-offs. Lin's achievement of raising our expectations means we are now judging him by the teams and PGs he'll meet in the play-offs. With the Knicks in 8th place in the East, the standard is set at the Heat or Bulls in the 1st round.
In today's NBA, the distinction between point guards and shooting guards is becoming blurred.
All effective guards need to be able to play the high pick and roll, move without the ball in flex cuts off backdoor screens, rotate the ball when double teams collapse the perimeter, and attack the basket off weak side openings. It's the attacking the basket part that the Knicks other than Lin have trouble with.
Historically, Baron Davis has not been a distributor. He has been far more of a shoot first pg than Lin has ever been. Davis might look tolerable with the more athletic and less jaded 2nd unit, but do not make the mistake of thinking that he can solve the problems of the first unt with Lin at SG. If anything, it would add to the problems because Davis's poor defense would offset any positives he brought with his inconsistent offense. Keep in mind that Davis no longer has the youthful athleticism that allowed him to assault the rim in the way the Knicks need. As lousy as the first team can look, I firmly believe that a real starting caliber SG would solve a lot of matchup and offensive problems. I'm not asking for Kobe, but a guy like asst GM Allan Houston in his prime would be perfect. The absence of a real SG is killing the Knicks more than poor play at any other position.
Jeremy Lin is a fine player who I feel is playing as well as any PG could with the Knicks. However, the Knicks need a real starting SG and not a bunch of castoffs.
I agree with eric here. I think BDavis will get significant minutes at PG, and might replace Jlin as starting PG when we get closer to the playoffs. But Jlin will definitely be a big part of the Knicks.
Lin is good but not perfect. He has a great future. He already showed to the world his leadership skills. Let's see what happens.......this is like a movie that just began!!!!
I understand that Lin is just 23 years old, and already expected to play like a superstar. But keep in mind, that most NBA point guards are being drafted at 19 years old, and expected to produce immediate results.
Lin has a very steep learning curve ahead of him. He has to become really good, really fast to keep up with all the Derek Rose-John Wall-Kyrie Irving one-and-done players.
Mike Bibby would do well as a starter on.that stacked Bulls team.
The Bulls run three deep at every position. They have 5 All Stars in the starting lineup. Their rotation bench players would start for a lot of teams.
Last year, the Bulls started Keith Bogans who isn't even in the NBA anymore. That team was so good that they didn't even need him to show up to win.
Everybody crowd about how Derrick Rose is such a great pg. I don't see that. He's an undersized shooting guard in the Iverson mold who does not set up teammates. I also don't think Rose would do as good a job on the Knicks as Lin has.
In a way, the 19 year olds have more expectations than Jeremy Lin as they were actually DRAFTED! Jeremy Lin's path is all his and he's going to have to learn on the job just like the young kids. I don't think he should "try to keep up" with the other guards because his development will happen over time. Jeremy wasn't good right away at Harvard. He wasn't good at the NBA level right away. Talent was there but experience wasn't.
Jeremy is already ahead of any young point guard and is ahead of a lot of newcomers at ANY position.
Lin is expected to play like a superstar because he can make superstar plays. That's why he gets the triple teams and Irving/Wall do not. Rose gets them, but his Chicago team is so good that they win big whether Rose plays or not.
Lin deserves to feel no pressure. He is an undrafted waiver guard earning minimum wage, yet he plays like an All Star. That's like ordering off McDonald's dollar menu and getting a filet mignon from the finest restaurant instead!
The guys who are REALLY feeling pressure are Lin's opponents. Nobody wants to be Linbarrassed by a waiver player.
I think if Pierce did not hit that 3 on their last play in the 4th, this game would had been considered a good game for JLin for leading the comeback. Looking back at that play, Shumpert played too cautiously to avoid the foul, and gave Pierce an uncontested 3 point shot.
I thought the officiating went against JLin from the start of the game when Pierce ran over JLin for a 3-point play. Then later they called an offensive foul on JLin to take away 2 points, when the replay showed clearly it was a bad call. There was another play where JLin drove to the hoop and got bumped from a defender in the air, but no foul was called.
If the officiating was fair in the NBA, the league's power structure would change overnight. Guys like Pierce and Dwight Howard would look surprisingly pedestrian while NBA bench players would suddenly look far more potent. The major market teams would lose their hold on league dominance.
I prefer watching basketball in the Olympics or World Championships over the NBA because the officiating is more fair. I have refereed before and it just drives me nuts when Kevin Garnett sets moving picks or Deron Williams palms the basketball on every dribble or Michael Jordan cheats on every play on both ends.
The NBA would be a more boring but better product if the officiating was fair.
Jeremy was not looking for his own shot. It is different from how he played during the winning run. However, he has a solid first half. I have counted least 3 TOs, including the charge, can easily have an opposite result. Not specular, but solid game. Godspeed JL!
Most of Rondo's "rebounds" were tip-outs by the Celtics bigs. When they didn't grab the offensive board, they tipped the ball out to the back court. It's something I wish the Knicks could do more of because beside Novak, they are a below average outside shooting team.
Another difference is that Celtics almost never switched on screens, whereas the Knicks were always switching on defense leading to Baron Davis being posted up by KG, and Chandler or Amare guarding Rondo on the perimeter.
This should NEVER happen in a defensive minded team.
I almost wish Lin would be taken out of the starting unit and Baron Davis takes his place. That might be the only way for people to see that without JLin, this team, right now, cannot progress. ALready we see when he has a bad day, the team does too. What does that say about the so-called superstars on the team?
Watching in on ABC right now. Knicks playing some good defense. Let's go Linsanity! http://www.facebook.com/LinsanityApp
ReplyDeletelin's teammates are not helping him out. lin made ALOT of nice passes and a lot of times his teammates are not catching the ball. those TOs should not count against him.
ReplyDeleteLMFAO!! Are you watching the game? Or are you just watching Lin with one hand down your pants?
DeleteLin has 4 turnovers so far in this game: 1 he slipped; 2 he overthrew (1 to anthony, 1 to shumpert); 1 was an offensive foul (although I didn't think it was). That's what I hate about you fanboys, some of you are RIDICULOUSLY biased. Please watch the game. If you are going to praise Lin for what he does well, you have to be critical for what he doesn't do well.
Lin did not have a good first half (statistically) by any stretch of the imagination, but his team is winning, and I think that matters most.
Look for Lin to settle down in the second half and finish the game strong.
GO KNICKS!!!
and if i were you i would remove that image. speaking for myself and others on here, you make the rest of us look bad with your immature comment.
Deletethose he "overthrew" i've seen players turn those before into points and i don't think those are overthrows. not all passes are going to be perfect. also lin had passes wide open to his teammates for an easy dunk or lay in which they failed to catch.
ReplyDeleteYou are a Jeremy Lin fan - not a basketball fan. You play with who is on your team; you don't say, "oh if he was player x or y, they would've scored." A bad pass is a bad pass, regardless of who's on the receiving end. And are you saying shumpert isn't a superior athlete? And anthony not a great player? You can turn the TV off now, Lin is on the bench.
Deletethis is a lin site not a knicks or basketball site. i and the rest of the world didn't give a crap about the knicks until lin brought them back to relevancy. those passes to anthony or shumpert being good athletes are capable of turning into points. i've seen worse passes from inferior players gave more effort on catching and scoring than them today.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteObjectively not his best game. He is an ATTACKING point guard who passes and scores in the paint, for whatever reason he's tentative today not playing his game.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, his teammates dropped 3 wide open passes under the basket which shouldn't have counted as Lin TO's (2 Chandler, 1 Melo). The passes were right on the hands. Lin should have just shot instead.
False. He got an assist for that drop under the basket for melo. Melo dropped it, recovered, scored. And Chandler was credited with the turnover for that drop in the 2nd half. His two turnovers in the second half were telegraph passes on kickouts.
DeleteI agree, he is tentative today. But at the same time, Rondo is a GREAT defender, and the Celtics play great D. For some reason, I've noticed that Lin is not as "springy" and "quick" when he's on the road.
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ReplyDeleteIs it not Lin's job as a point guard to make other players better? And him as a point guard WILL NEVER blame his teammates for not "catching" the ball. Please go back and watch the tape on your DVR or on youtube later, you will see those passes were overthrown in the scheme of the fastbreak. Yeah they could've caught it, but they would have been out of bounce.
DeleteYeah, this is a Lin fan-site, but it is fanboys like you (i'm assuming you are Asian) that makes us Asian-Americans look bad when we talk with other Americans about Lin. And just because this is a Lin fan-site, it doesn't mean I can be critical of his performance.
"it doesn't mean I can't*** be critical of his performance"
DeleteYou are the only one here using this game as an excuse to flame others here.
DeleteCalm down and just enjoy watching like the rest of us are.
Lin is essentially a rookie. More importantly, his starting lineup has 2 guys in it that cannot score (Stoudemire and Fields).
It is a point guard's duty to help others score, but the guys receiving the ball have to be able to get it done too.
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Deletenyckush is downright giddy that Lin is playing poorly, he's a closet hater. Why are you posting on a fan site for Jeremy Lin?
ReplyDeleteOne great indicator that Lin is not playing his game today is 0 free throw attempts so far. When Lin is playing his game he is shooting 6 or 8+ free throws per game (attacking the basket, getting defenders in foul trouble, etc).
14 games for Lin, 12 great ones and 2 bad ones, it's really easy to spot the haters who are ultra quick to slam Lin during his rare bad games. The kid is only 23 and will only get better.
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DeleteHow am I a hater? I never said "Lin sucks!" or "Lin is terrible he should not be in the league." That's "slamming" Lin. I never said that. I simply stated that he's had bad turnovers today - turnovers that were his fault, and not of his teammates. Are you Lin fans so sensitive that when someone makes any critical statements of Lin that you all take it as "hate?" Ever heard of constructive criticism?
DeleteAnd did I not say: "Look for Lin to settle down in the second half and finish strong?" And he did. 6 key points down the stretch. And why would I root against Lin if I am a Knicks fan? Do I really wanna see TD play? Are you kidding me??
And I agreed with you that he's playing tentative today. Is that hate too?
And why am I not allowed to post here? Just because I am not 100% biased? Just because I said that those turnovers were of his doing and not of his teammates? Geez, I didn't know there were no basketball fans here. And as an Asian-American, I back Lin 110%.
All that is 110% fine.
DeleteBut if you don't want to be flamed here, show some civility and don't taunt people with bad sexual images or tell us that we are not "basketball fans" or accuse us of making other Asian Americans look bad just because Lin is our hero.
I think it's great that you are a rabid Lin fan like the rest of us. Just understand that it won't make you as an Asian American look bad if Lin has what you think is a bad game.
You are your own person and are judged by your own actions.
Okay, point taken. That image was uncalled for on my part, and I apologize. But it just irritates me when some fan-boys seem to think Lin can do no wrong. (I probably should stop using the phrase "fan-boy," one last time. lol)
DeleteAnyways, tough game today. Without Rondo (and that desperation shot by Pierce), the Knicks win in regulation, and less media pressure on Lin because they won even though he didn't have his "A" game. But because they lost, the media might point towards Lin as the reason why they lost.
And Rondo was just ridiculous... 18/17/20??? I can't even do that on 2k12...
And what did you think of Lin's performance? Specifically in the OT? I personally thought 7 shots was a bit much from your pg in 5 minutes.
AHHHHH i hate the Celtics!!!
I am a "fan boy" of Lin and am proud of it!
DeleteI am a big Celtics fan, particularly of Paul Pierce. To me, he is as good as anybody in the game. I love Ray Allen but not so much Kevin Garnett who I want to see play more like a traditional inside big man on offense.
Rondo is a good player, but I don't rate him among the elite pgs like Lin or Paul or Williams or Nash. He plays well alongside the Big Three, but I don't consider him a player that can "carry" a team like Lin or Paul or Williams or Nash can.
Lin has it pretty rough as a starter. I wrote above that he was playing with two guys that can't score. Actually it's THREE guys because Tyson Chandler can't score either. Lin has to create shots for those guys AND spearhead the defense since Anthony and Stoudemire cannot defend anybody. No wonder the 2nd unit is destroying the 1st unit in practice.
Lin will have games like his in which he tried to save his struggling team with scoring. He nearly did it again. But if Stoudemire and Fields cannot play better, not even Lin can save the Knicks.
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DeleteI have ALWAYS considered Lin an elite PG, even when he was with the Warriors getting no minutes.
DeleteHere's how I judge Lin. Given the opportunities he's had and the circumstances he plays in, could he be doing any better? I say no, even though there is some room for improvement.
Could another pg step in and lead the Knicks to a better record in the games Lin has played? I don't necessarily believe that inserting Derrick Rose (who I do not consider a pg) or Deron Williams or Chris Paul or Steve Nash would lead the Knicks to a better record.
I also look at the way teams defend Lin. He gets double and triple teamed on every possession. Elite pgs get that treatment, not guys like Rondo that teams deliberately ignore because he doesn't warrant the defensive coverage that Lin or the other elite pgs do.
Lin has been battling opposing backcourts by himself. Not a single Knick guard would start for another team, and I'd go so far to say that they might not even crack the rotation on other teams. Yet Lin covers up for his inconsistent guards and leads the team to victory anyway.
Lin makes guys better. That is another hallmark of an elite PG. The Knicks have a D league roster outside of Chandler Anthony Stoudemire, and that includes Lin who has been playing at an All Star level. Not all pgs, including All Stars like Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose, can make teammates better.
I remain unconcerned about the turnovers. Though they look ghastly on paper, I'd rather Lin continue to try to create opportunities than play it safe and be unable to create opportunities for nonscoring teammates like Tyson Chandler who cannot score on his own without Lin feeding him. Lin starts the game alongside 3 guys that cannot score without assistance, and the bench players that can score on their own are too inconsistent to be counted on.
I already feel that Lin has proven himself to be one of the top PGs in the NBA.
By the way, 30 seconds left, it makes no sense why D'Antoni is sitting Jeremy Lin right now for a "defensive" unit, but keeps Melo and Amare on the floor. Lin makes huge timely plays in big moments, while Melo and Amare are arguably their worst defenders on the entire team, both are slow/poor help defenders, and Amare especially is terrible boxing out and defensive rebounding.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't matter who was out there, that piece shot was clutch...
ReplyDeleteNot a good game by Jeremy. Rondo stepped up big time and made several big plays at Jeremy's expense. I'm not sure D'Antoni is an elite tactical coach. Why didn't he have his players foul with 26 seconds left??
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dopewar.com
He's pretty much a rookie, we shouldn't expect all-star performance every night. He still got a whole lot to learn and develop. One thing i'm pretty disappointed at is his defense, he didn't close down Rondo and always leaving him some space.
ReplyDeleteNot a good game by Lin but it wasn't all his fault. Gotta give Rondo credit, he played out of his mind.
ReplyDeleteThe guy was a poor 7-20 from the field and got 90% of his assists on long jumpers by teammates. It's as if Lin played with 3 Steve Novaks at all times.
DeletePierce was the guy who played out of his mind today. He almost single-handedly gave Boston the win.
Really? Rondo had a lot of nice dishes - although I didn't think it was 20 assists; some of them were like 3 dribbles, and he still got an assist. Hometown stats keeper I guess. You can't say Rondo didn't play out of his mind. only one other player in history has had a 15 15 15 game. Ridiculous.
DeleteCertain not all of Lin's fault, but he did contribute with the turnovers and at times bad defense (eg, not putting his hands up on defense when Pierce was in the corner). Lin did well guarding Rondo at times (made him take numerous tough shots, i'm suprised Lin didn't get credit for a block in this game), but one thing he must work on is fighting over screens. Seemed as if every time Rondo got a screen, Lin looses Rondo (ie he's chasing him from behind). But then you can also argue that his teammates need to stop the ball and allow him time to recover.
Only one other player in history has had a 15 15 15 game because 99.99% of point guards don't get to play with Pierce, Allen and Garnett. Three Hall of Fame scorers/shooters.
DeleteI used to be a big Rondo fan until I began watching more Celtics games the past two years. Now I see what other teams' fans are talking about. He's definitely a great defender and rebounder, but his point guard skills are slightly above average. At best.
Again, doing a fancy-looking dribble and tossing the ball 5 feet to Paul Pierce for a long jumper isn't creating offense. Anyone can do that. And Rondo did some variation of that "play" 15 times today. In fact he does that every game. Nash...CP3...those are REAL playmakers.
Meanwhile you have Jeremy Lin on an "off-day" creating plenty easy layups and dunks for his teammates that they can't finish. And he even had 2 phony TOs on passes right into his teammates' hands.
Look, I can be honest about Jeremy. Heat game, he was awful. He wasn't even that good against Atlanta despite his stat line. But today he was decent enough to win if not for Pierce going out of his mind and his bigs not executing simply layups/dunks.
I want to see Lin start beating people up as he comes upcourt.
DeleteWith his powerful frame, he can physically bully any pg in the league. I would like to see Lin put his butt into people and bruise them up as he comes upcourt. Golden State coach Mark Jackson and Celtics coach Doc Rivers made their living as slow guards who bumped people as they dribbled.
NBA refs have a tendency to reward physical play on offense, no matter who the player is. I want Lin to go into ATTACK mode and at least beat people up physically if he's not going to get the calls.
If I could make one criticism of Lin, it's that he has a tendency to play too nice. I want him to get "back" to being the mean bullying player that puts his knees into big men that contest his layups and actively seeks to embarrass other guards off the dribble. Enough of this "Make teammates fit in" garbage!
Rondo gets 90% of his assists on long jumpers by Pierce, Allen and Garnett. I could put up 10 assists a night on the Celtics.
ReplyDeleteJeremy got almost no help at all from his teammates. He created at least a dozen layups/dunks for his teammates, who converted maybe 3-4 of them. Heck, even two of his TOs were passes his teammates should have caught and finished.
He also got whistled for BS fouls (he was cheated out a GREAT and-one) and got constantly hacked with no FTs awarded (Bass smacked him in the face during OT...no call).
No this isn't fanboy talk. The Heat game, Lin was unprepared, tired and stunk it up. No doubt. But this game? The officials made sure to slow down the Knicks when they were up big, and then give the Celtics the home win.
If you don't believe NBA officiating is crooked, just look up: "Tim Donaghy." Then kindly shut your mouth.
Jeremy needs to go to another team not Amare/Melo... Did you see that failed dunk by Amare when he could have easily tipped it in and not lead to a fastbreak Celtics way, lol.... Rondo with the gladiator like number, another triple double for this man, much respect and another reason why he is one of the best PG right now, way better than Dwilliams...
ReplyDeleteJeremy Lin is getting the absolute best from opposing PG's. Every opponent plays Lin like it's the NBA Finals. Lin is only 23 and this will make him even better.
ReplyDeleteOne thing worth pointing out: Knicks went 7-0 with Lin and a bunch of scrubs. With Melo back the Knicks are 3-4. Anyone else familiar with Ewing Theory?
I don't know what Ewing Theory is, but I've watched Patrick Ewing for many years and can assure you that he was almost never the reason the Knicks could not win big.
DeleteSimilarly, Carmelo Anthony is a great player who has contributed mightily to Knick wins. I am OK with his production.
Landry Fields seems to disappear alongside Anthony. I say start Shumpert or even Toney Douglas over Fields.
Melo isn't the problem. Amare is. Melo helps Jeremy. He takes pressure off him since Melo can create on his own and even make a nice pass.
DeleteBut Amare is just brutal. I understand he's ailing (and mourning), but it's clear that he isn't the same player he was last year. He often has trouble catching simple passes and is incapable of finishing through light contact. And he's inactive on defense, too.
Lin doesn't run the PnR well with Amare (leading to TOs). He runs it to perfection with Chandler because Tyson can play above the rim. Amare is just a mid-range jump-shooter right now.
It won't happen, but Jeffries and Novak should both be playing more than Amare. Knicks would have two more wins if they did.
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DeleteYeah, all too familiar with the Ewing Theory because i've been a Knicks fan my whole life.
Delete@zxcvb Completely agree, we pretty much wrote the same thing (see my post above).
The only thing with Novak is that he's only a shooter. It's tough to play him many minutes when he cannot rebound and play a lick of defense. (Hey! that kinda sounds like Amare!)
DeleteHrmm jlin really cant go left. it was very clear today that bdavis played better. i think we will start seeing bdavis getting close to 20-25 min a game
ReplyDeleteIf Baron Davis's minutes increase, it won't be at Lin's expense.
DeleteThe shooting guards would have to play so poorly that Davis would be handed their minutes. I still think that the productive Shumpert should start instead of the increasingly ineffective Fields.
Right now, the Knicks are still acclimating to new players. They did still take the Celtics into overtime in Boston, so let's not crucify the players yet.
I said TODAY baron played better than jeremy. Baron's line today was pretty good. Compared to the old baron, he isnt looking fat at all. He's been way more out of shape than what he is right now.
DeleteNot sure what you mean by "can't go left". He has finished with his left hand after driving to his left numerous times. Maybe he was forced to go to right today. If he really "can't go left", then wouldn't it make more sense for the opposing team to force him to his left? which team don't usually do b/c they know he can finish at the rim regardless of sides. Also, anyone with some experience of basketball knows that a right-handed shooter would feel much more comfortable going left and pulling up for a jump shot rather than his right. Meaning it would make more sense that Jeremy drive to his left if he wanted to take a shot or drive to the basket.
DeleteNot sure if Jeremy is not going to his left b/c he can't. He's probably choosing not to due to the play that's called at the moment or what ever the defense is giving him at the time is making him go right.
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Deleteuhmm i wouldn't say i am great at basketball. But i am right handed, I am much better going to my right than to my left. I think that is the case with most people that i play against or with, unless the person is left handed.
DeleteCeltics were clearly forcing Jlin to go his left for most of the game. At times JLin was so quick to his right, that he can still go past the defender to the right even though the defender was clearly over-defending against it. It was the same for the Heats game. From what I've seen, Jlin definately is not as good going to the left as he is going to his right. that's clearly what the opposing team scouting report is showing as well.
Jeremy played a solid game today. He played good defense on Rondo, forcing him into a few bad shots. Jeremy missed a few layups (which were so close!) that he would usually make, but most of them were going up against Garnett. Jeremy will get more used to finishing those shots above better defenders at the rim. Jeremy also made a few clutch shots at the end of the fourth quarter, being the usual beast that he is. Jeremy definitely got fouled a few times, especially two glaring plays near the end where he got fouled driving to the lane in OT and where Rondo pushed off hard to get a rebound and the layup. The Knicks played hard near the end. Perhaps they should learn from the more experienced team which usually play quite hard coming out of the half. Its very enjoyable to see Jeremy play regardless of his stat line because he is such an aggressive and skilled offensive player with play making skills all in one package!
ReplyDeleteI thought Jeremy played a solid game today. Would be nice if could bring his TOs down. Considering no one on the Knicks team was very effective, I was surprised that the game was so close.
ReplyDeleteYes.
DeleteThanks to Lin, the Knicks have become a very deep team that their coach is still trying to figure out how to use.
All great pgs, be they Isiah or Magic or Cousy or Stockton or Nash, regularly have games in which they seem to struggle but the team still has a chance to win it at the end. Because Jeremy Lin is a great pg, the Knicks nearly won this game too.
Other than the Heat game, all of Jeremy Lin's losses have been hard fought 4th quarter bloodbaths in which opponents have had to play their best in order to win. We need not ask more of Lin if he continues to provide that.
I saw the last part of the 2nd quarter, most of the 3rd quarter and the last half of the 4th quarter + overtime, so my observations may be a little off.
ReplyDeleteJeremy didn't attack much in the 3rd. He also lost his dribble a few times which is rare for him. The Knicks offense really fell apart in the 3rd. Instead of P&R's, their was some one on-one play and jump shots. It wasn't until I saw the game in the 4th that the Knicks went back to their P&R's.
Jeremy seemed to settle when he hit the lefty layup and three pointer toward the end. However, when the game went into overtime, Jeremy decided to attack but all his layups were short.
One thing that I noticed is that Jeremy had trouble with Ranjo's unorthodox play. Rando hardly shoots outside but he is SO SNEAKY. Jeremy definitely lost vision of Rajan a few times and he snuck in for offensive rebounds. Jeremy needed to just keep vision on Rajan and keep him out completely. Instead, as soon as the ball goes up, Jeremy turns his head.
Also, I think Jeremy overhelps too much on defense. Left a few guys open due to that.
Jeremy showed he can play through a tough game but needs to improve on a few things.
Against the last two contenders: Heat: Lin -19, Davis +5; Celtics: Lin -9, Davis +10. Worse, Lin has looked out of his depth in the two games. The door's opening for Davis to take over primary PG duties even if Lin remains the nominal starting PG. I don't expect that to happen right away, but if Lin keeps playing poorly against contenders, like the teams he'll be playing in the current stretch, Lin's role likely will change.
ReplyDeleteIf the Knicks are dumb enough to start Baron Davis, it'll show up on the court in poor play and losses.
DeleteLin is playing as well as he can, and Dantoni knows it. Besides, Davis had 6 TOs today too in less minutes. Nor is starting Davis going to solve Stoudemire's lethargy or turn Fields into a legitimate NBA starter.
The reason Rondo can attack the offensive boards is that he has Hall of Fame teammates that can cover for him defensively when he goes in. Boston is a contender that has championship caliber players on defense.
Jeremy Lin needs to help on defense because Melo and Stoudemire are historically poor defenders that need assistance. If Stoudemire in particular could defend better, Lin would not have to help as much. Today Anthony got lit up by Paul Pierce, though there's no shame in that because Pierce is one of the greatest players of all time.
Today wasn't so much a Knick loss as a Boston win. Jeremy Lin is not singlehandedly responsible for the Knicks' fortunes.
Look at the players around Davis in the 2nd unit, they have much better defenders: Shumpert, Jeffries, J.R. Smith.
DeleteBetter 3-point shooters: Novak, J.R. Smith.
Plus they are forcing turnovers on the other team and running the fast break much better.
The starting lineup is giving away too many points in the paint and not taking advantage of fast break opportunities.
You mean the Dallas, the Lakers, and the Utah wins don't count? This team is far better since Linsanity. They were routinely being blown out before Lin emerged. In fact, the Knicks were primarily a perimeter team before Lin. Now they're getting the ball in the paint and with the exception of the Miami game are always competitive.
DeleteI agree Lin's not solely responsible. Anthony and Stoudamire's returns have changed the team. The defense is worse. The spacing and movement are worse on offense.
DeleteLin is a SG/PG combo guard who creates off his own scoring, not a natural PG. But he's been forced to be more deferential with Anthony and Stoudamire back, which is not his game - not in high school, not at Harvard, not in the NBDL, not on the February Knicks. He's also having trouble catching up to the adjustments the top teams and PGs are making against him.
Stoudamire and Anthony aren't going to be benched for Jeffries and Walker to give Lin his February Knicks back. But Davis is waiting to take on more PG duties if Lin continues to play badly against the contenders. The next 2 weeks may well define Lin's role for the play-offs. If the Knicks struggle over this stretch with Lin as the 1st team PG, I can see his role shifting to nominal starting PG, off-guard with Davis at PG, and running the 2nd team. If Lin is able to adjust to his teammates and top opponents to play at a high level again, then he'll definitely keep his role as 1st team PG going into the play-offs.
ABC Baller, if Lin played with the 2nd team, I expect he'd look more like the aggressive, swaggering, clutch shooting Lin we saw during his magical February run. Notice how uncomfortable and passive he looks right now trying to run the point for the current 1st team. Anthony isn't fitting in with the Linsanity Knicks; Lin is being asked to fit in with Melo's Knicks.
DeletePhil, those wins count - Lin is responsible for pulling the Knicks back to the play-offs. He's responsible for raising fans' expectations to winning 1, 2, or more rounds in the play-offs. Lin's achievement of raising our expectations means we are now judging him by the teams and PGs he'll meet in the play-offs. With the Knicks in 8th place in the East, the standard is set at the Heat or Bulls in the 1st round.
In today's NBA, the distinction between point guards and shooting guards is becoming blurred.
DeleteAll effective guards need to be able to play the high pick and roll, move without the ball in flex cuts off backdoor screens, rotate the ball when double teams collapse the perimeter, and attack the basket off weak side openings. It's the attacking the basket part that the Knicks other than Lin have trouble with.
Historically, Baron Davis has not been a distributor. He has been far more of a shoot first pg than Lin has ever been. Davis might look tolerable with the more athletic and less jaded 2nd unit, but do not make the mistake of thinking that he can solve the problems of the first unt with Lin at SG. If anything, it would add to the problems because Davis's poor defense would offset any positives he brought with his inconsistent offense. Keep in mind that Davis no longer has the youthful athleticism that allowed him to assault the rim in the way the Knicks need.
As lousy as the first team can look, I firmly believe that a real starting caliber SG would solve a lot of matchup and offensive problems. I'm not asking for Kobe, but a guy like asst GM Allan Houston in his prime would be perfect. The absence of a real SG is killing the Knicks more than poor play at any other position.
Jeremy Lin is a fine player who I feel is playing as well as any PG could with the Knicks. However, the Knicks need a real starting SG and not a bunch of castoffs.
I agree with eric here. I think BDavis will get significant minutes at PG, and might replace Jlin as starting PG when we get closer to the playoffs. But Jlin will definitely be a big part of the Knicks.
DeleteLin is good but not perfect. He has a great future. He already showed to the world his leadership skills. Let's see what happens.......this is like a movie that just began!!!!
ReplyDeleteI understand that Lin is just 23 years old, and already expected to play like a superstar. But keep in mind, that most NBA point guards are being drafted at 19 years old, and expected to produce immediate results.
ReplyDeleteLin has a very steep learning curve ahead of him. He has to become really good, really fast to keep up with all the Derek Rose-John Wall-Kyrie Irving one-and-done players.
Mike Bibby would do well as a starter on.that stacked Bulls team.
DeleteThe Bulls run three deep at every position. They have 5 All Stars in the starting lineup. Their rotation bench players would start for a lot of teams.
Last year, the Bulls started Keith Bogans who isn't even in the NBA anymore. That team was so good that they didn't even need him to show up to win.
Everybody crowd about how Derrick Rose is such a great pg. I don't see that. He's an undersized shooting guard in the Iverson mold who does not set up teammates. I also don't think Rose would do as good a job on the Knicks as Lin has.
ABC Baller,
ReplyDeleteIn a way, the 19 year olds have more expectations than Jeremy Lin as they were actually DRAFTED! Jeremy Lin's path is all his and he's going to have to learn on the job just like the young kids. I don't think he should "try to keep up" with the other guards because his development will happen over time. Jeremy wasn't good right away at Harvard. He wasn't good at the NBA level right away. Talent was there but experience wasn't.
Jeremy is already ahead of any young point guard and is ahead of a lot of newcomers at ANY position.
DeleteLin is expected to play like a superstar because he can make superstar plays. That's why he gets the triple teams and Irving/Wall do not. Rose gets them, but his Chicago team is so good that they win big whether Rose plays or not.
Lin deserves to feel no pressure. He is an undrafted waiver guard earning minimum wage, yet he plays like an All Star. That's like ordering off McDonald's dollar menu and getting a filet mignon from the finest restaurant instead!
The guys who are REALLY feeling pressure are Lin's opponents. Nobody wants to be Linbarrassed by a waiver player.
I think if Pierce did not hit that 3 on their last play in the 4th, this game would had been considered a good game for JLin for leading the comeback. Looking back at that play, Shumpert played too cautiously to avoid the foul, and gave Pierce an uncontested 3 point shot.
ReplyDeleteI thought the officiating went against JLin from the start of the game when Pierce ran over JLin for a 3-point play. Then later they called an offensive foul on JLin to take away 2 points, when the replay showed clearly it was a bad call. There was another play where JLin drove to the hoop and got bumped from a defender in the air, but no foul was called.
I absolutely detest NBA officiating.
DeleteIf the officiating was fair in the NBA, the league's power structure would change overnight. Guys like Pierce and Dwight Howard would look surprisingly pedestrian while NBA bench players would suddenly look far more potent. The major market teams would lose their hold on league dominance.
I prefer watching basketball in the Olympics or World Championships over the NBA because the officiating is more fair. I have refereed before and it just drives me nuts when Kevin Garnett sets moving picks or Deron Williams palms the basketball on every dribble or Michael Jordan cheats on every play on both ends.
The NBA would be a more boring but better product if the officiating was fair.
Jeremy was not looking for his own shot. It is different from how he played during the winning run. However, he has a solid first half. I have counted least 3 TOs, including the charge, can easily have an opposite result. Not specular, but solid game. Godspeed JL!
ReplyDeleteMost of Rondo's "rebounds" were tip-outs by the Celtics bigs. When they didn't grab the offensive board, they tipped the ball out to the back court. It's something I wish the Knicks could do more of because beside Novak, they are a below average outside shooting team.
ReplyDeleteAnother difference is that Celtics almost never switched on screens, whereas the Knicks were always switching on defense leading to Baron Davis being posted up by KG, and Chandler or Amare guarding Rondo on the perimeter.
This should NEVER happen in a defensive minded team.
Bottom line is Lin didn't finish on his drives today. He didn't get the calls either. I think that right there was the big difference in the game.
ReplyDeleteI almost wish Lin would be taken out of the starting unit and Baron Davis takes his place. That might be the only way for people to see that without JLin, this team, right now, cannot progress. ALready we see when he has a bad day, the team does too. What does that say about the so-called superstars on the team?
ReplyDelete