Here's my breakdown on Jeremy the past two games:
Knicks vs Sixers: I give Jeremy a D for the 1st half and a C in the 2nd.
Sunday's game against the Sixers was Jeremy's worse since the Heat debacle. The Sixers and the Heat are the two most athletic and long teams defensively. Jeremy has never seen this type of defense in the Ivy League, D-league, practicing with the Warriors, practicing with the Knicks, or any team he has faced so far. He will adapt, figure out what types of passes he can and can't make, etc.. I remember back to his first Warrior open practice in his rookie season. He looked a step slow and not used to the speed and athleticism. Same thing here, he will adjust his game accordingly.
One good thing was all of his turnovers were on forced/bad passes and not from ball handling, as ball handling has been a major problem of his. The other problem against the Sixers was his shot selection. He forced a ton of shots and missed open looks as well. He settled down a bit in the 4th. But by then the game was out of hand. Still it's amazing how many out there say how lousy he was and he still gives you 14 and 7.
Knicks @ Bulls: Jeremy gets an A for the first and a B in the 2nd.
I thought Jeremy outplayed the MVP in the first. He had an amazing swat on DRose and played great D on him and also controlled the tempo of the game. I've heard many say he doesn't play defense, but I don't understand where they come up with this. He usually stays in front of most point guards but when they do get around him, he stays on their hip and contests shots. He did this against Rondo, who missed tons of layups against JLin. He also did this to Jrue Holiday of the Sixers, who shot 14% mostly against Jeremy. This was the same thing with DRose, who was 5-15 in the first half, mainly against JLin.
In the 2nd half, DRose came out fired up as he probably realized the undrafted, Asian-American kid played him at least even up. DRose got his MVP calls getting Jeremy in foul trouble and really took over the game. DRose definitely didn't want to get shown up by our boy. Jeremy more than held his own and showed all his elite level athleticism and his willingness to go at the MVP. I don't think it will be long before Jeremy will be performing nightly at the same level as DRose. Again, the team showed glimpses of what they can be. They really missed Jeffries in this one as he's the type of player you need against the Bulls. He can guard a Taj Gibson and keep him off the glass.
Also, getting 3 steals and 3 blocks mainly against the MVP is crazy crazy stuff. Jeremy's steals per 48 minutes was right up there with Chris Paul even before this game. This is another truly amazing stat that is mainly overlooked by the media and talking heads. You have to be an elite level athlete to even dream about these kinds of numbers.
Even though it was another loss, I'm really encouraged by what I saw from the team and Jeremy. They showed some heart, and Jeremy showed what I knew he could do. The schedule doesn't get much easier for the Knicks but if they can somehow make it into the playoffs, this adversity will really make them a scary team, and Jeremy a scary point guard to deal with come playoff time.
Gotta see this video: Get that weak stuff outta here MVP!
http://www.nba.com/video/games/bulls/2012/03/12/0021100612_nyk_chi_play4.nba
http://www.nba.com/video/games/bulls/2012/03/12/0021100612_nyk_chi_play2.nba
http://www.nba.com/video/games/bulls/2012/03/12/0021100612_nyk_chi_1h.nba
"I've heard many say he doesn't play defense, but I don't understand where they come up with this."
ReplyDeleteIt's really simple. They realize saying "he can't shoot/play pg in this league" is not only inaccurate, it's patently false. So, they need to find something else to justify why they don't like him without admitting the real reason(race). The haters still can't believe that an Asian guy can not only play basketball with the top players in the world, but also excel doing it.
The funniest thing is, if you ever watched him play in college, you'd realize that Lin was literally Mr Everything for his team, which included steals AND blocks. He's one of the few guards in college basketball that averaged more than a block a game.
It's quite obvious that he's studied the greats and learned how to play passing lanes. One of my favorite plays is when he baits the other team into throwing a lazy pass by appearing to be too far away. He then uses his superior quickness to steal the ball.
I often feel the hypocrisy/racism demonstrated by his critics is the same type that was exhibited by many white coaches/management in football who claimed that a black guy couldn't play QB. It only took Warren Moon(among others) to not only break that stereotype, but smash into a thousand pieces.
Despite, EVERYONE claiming that sports is one of the last few meritocracies, there's still plenty of racism to be found.
Jeremy has always been a good, but not great, on ball defender.
DeleteEven in his Reno Big Horns days, he could typically stay in front of his man, or if beat, like blog author said, get back into play enough to hopefully distract shot from side. But when opposing players drove directly at Lin, he would continue to back up and some guards would just shoot over him near the basket.
I think Lin really matches up physically and athletically with Rose, thus the awesome defensive performance. But a lot of that, vs. other nights where he supposed looked so bad on defense, was that Tyson Chandler was lurking behind Lin, ready to pounce when opposing guard had Lin picked off. Big difference between that and welcome mat Stat and others put out for other team.
As for team in general, I think Melo is poison in locker room, and we'll have to see if we end up with Jets type "team" (if you can even call it that) or Giants rally together from adversity and perform up to their abilities.
And remember how many people were calling for Coughlin to be fired when Giants were around 7 - 7 and faced that daunting upcoming schedule...
Jeremy actually had TWO blocks on Rose. The second was more of a strip going up for a shot (as I recall).
ReplyDeleteHe also, no joke, knocked the ball loose from D-Rose about 6 or 7 times. Two were steals and the others were lucky to find their way back to Bulls players whether it was Rose or someone else.
I know it's depressing to lose 6 in a row, but the fact is, the Knicks and Jeremy looked so much better today against the best team in the league. All they had to do was grab a few more rebounds (under their own basket!) and they win.
If the Knicks were to end up with the 7th or 8th playoff spot and face the Bulls...I honestly think they could pull off a shocker (just like the 2007 Warriors did).
The Heat game is attributed to Lin's fatigue (the first time as a starting PG, a condensed schedule, back to back, at Heat's court (and Heat's day off the day before). Also excessive media demand from Lin at the time..... The 76ers is attributed to extreme pressure, coming off of a 4 game losing streak with all the negative hype (and in the home court under the circumstances... and the stupid NY fans booing at their own players DURING the game - though mostly at the high paid teammates).
ReplyDeleteThe following, I posted to the game thread, but it's fitting to post here:
I thought that Lin played VERY well overall; but since his team lost, I decided to check this day's boxscores from ESPN. Here's Lin and Rondo comparison (keep in mind that Rondo of Celtics is considered a franchise player with 5 years more actual experience):
Lin..... 15 Pts
Rondo... 12
Lin...... 8 AST
Rondo... 10
Lin...... 1 REB
Rondo.... 2
Lin...... 3 STL
Rondo.... 3
Lin...... 3 BLK
Rondo.... 0
Lin...... 3 Turnover
Rondo.... 6
Lin..... 33 Minutes Played
Rondo... 41
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI had the opportunity to watch the whole game. Jeremy AND the Knicks as a whole improved a lot. Had this been a game coming off a win, the momentum probably would had carried them over a victory. oh well.
ReplyDeleteRight now I have an answer for the question (raised by that Taiwanese journalist lady, no less) why the Knicks are prone to losing to team with a poor record, yet able to squeeze close wins over the above 500 teams: the intensity...see Melo. You see players like Novak, Jefferies, Jorts, Jeremy, and even JR who are just happy to be on the court and always give their full efforts, while on the other hand Melo would play half-hearted against teams like the Nets, Bucks, or even the Sixers. Yes, he was aggressive on offense and defending his man, but he was very passive on the intangibles, boxing out, help D, diving after loose balls etc. However, when they play teams like Miami, Boston, and the Bulls, Melo becomes all fired up and can't wait to score 50.
Some positives from this game.
I am starting to believe that Melo AND Lin can play under one system, except it's at the cost of both players trimming down a bit of their shares. Both Melo and Lin are very good transition offense players, so that's never gonna be a problem. When Lin plays the PnR with the bigs, Melo could be the secondary option on the perimeter, ready for a catch n shot or penetration. When the play is broken or when Jeremy is doubled teamed, Melo can be that low-post presence; I don't know where his jumper has gone, but his low-post moves are still very crafty and much better than his perimeter game. This would probably mean Jeremy will be more of a pure facilitator (as in today's game) over the attacking point-guard we would love him to be, but this is probably the best way for the both of co-exist.
From the way Rose played today, I definitely understand why JLinfan#1 keeps bringing up the comparison; they share VERY SIMILAR characteristics. Rose attacks the paint, units and carries the team, and elevates in big moments. However, I do feel that Lin is the better facilitator, and has that desiring ability to make his teammates better. The former could be due to the way the Bulls setup their offense around Rose, and as for the latter, I actually feel that it's his fundamentally sound teammates that allow Rose to shine better.
Line-up wise, I don't like seeing both Amare and Melo on the court at the same time. Same with Novak, they are defensive pylons, not stop signs. Having 4 defensive minded teammates around either one would probably make up for the defensive liability, but two create too big of a gap to fill. For some stretch of the game had either Amare or Melo been replaced by either Jefferies, Shump, or even Harrellson, we would had at least prevented a few of those 22 offensive rebounds from the Bulls, and the whole scenario would had been very different. Come to think about it, that "Linsanity" unit was actually the perfect dose of everything, including Billy Walker (Miss him now?).
As a whole, if fortunately the Knicks ends up with the Bulls in the playoff, which means the Knicks would have finally gel-ed together, I'd be very excited and even anticipate for a 7 game series.
Just caught a replay of this game. Jlin had a very good game agains thte Bulls. I like the fact that he rebounds immediately after a bad game, no weeks long funk for him. He was toe to toe with DRose, and that block was something! Stephen A Smith spent what felt like hours knocking him yesterday but this is the best way to respond to naysayers like that, on the court and against the best possible opposition. The rebounding let the team down badly but look no further than Amare as the chief culprit in that regard. Honestly speaking? Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire are becoming a real, real problem for the Knicks.
ReplyDeleteThe Heat game is attributed to Lin's fatigue (the first time as a starting PG, a condensed schedule, back to back, at Heat's court (and Heat's day off the day before). Also excessive media demand from Lin at the time..... The 76ers is attributed to extreme pressure, coming off of a 4 game losing streak with all the negative hype (and in the home court under the circumstances... and the stupid NY fans booing during the game - though mostly at the high paid teammates).
ReplyDeleteThe following, I posted to the game thread, but it's fitting to post here:
I thought that Lin played VERY well overall; but since his team lost, I decided to check this day's boxscores from ESPN. Here's Lin and Rondo comparison (keep in mind that Rondo of Celtics is considered a franchise player with 5 years more actual experience):
Lin..... 15 Pts
Rondo... 12
Lin...... 8 AST
Rondo....10
Lin...... 1 REB
Rondo.... 2
Lin...... 3 STL
Rondo.... 3
Lin...... 3 BLK
Rondo.... 0
Lin...... 3 Turnover
Rondo.... 6
Lin..... 33 Minutes Played
Rondo... 41
The Heat game is attributed to Lin's fatigue (the first time as a starting PG, a condensed schedule, back to back, at Heat's court (and Heat's day off the day before). Also excessive media demand from Lin at the time..... The 76ers is attributed to extreme pressure, coming off of a 4 game losing streak with all the negative hype (and in the home court under the circumstances... and the stupid NY fans booing during the game - though mostly at the high paid teammates).
ReplyDeleteThe following, I posted to the game thread, but it's fitting to post here:
I thought that Lin played VERY well overall; but since his team lost, I decided to check this day's boxscores from ESPN. Here's a Lin and Rondo comparison (keep in mind that Rondo of Celtics is considered a franchise player with 5 years more actual experience):
Lin..... 15 Pts
Rondo... 12
Lin...... 8 AST
Rondo....10
Lin...... 1 REB
Rondo.... 2
Lin...... 3 STL
Rondo.... 3
Lin...... 3 BLK
Rondo.... 0
Lin...... 3 Turnover
Rondo.... 6
Lin..... 33 Minutes Played
Rondo... 41
The majority of talking heads and even Knicks fans seem to think that Jeremy's recent "struggles" show that he'll never be a top point guard.
ReplyDeleteThat's hilarious to me because he's still performing like an above-average starting PG against top competition while continuing to light up sub-par defenses. And for a virtual rookie playing under immense pressure (as a NY and international sensation), that's a hugely impressive accomplishment.
Point guard is by far the most difficult position to learn, and it takes even the top players several seasons to reach their full potential. Right now, the only young PG I would take over Jeremy is Kyrie Irving (because he's so young that his potential is higher). But after that, Jeremy is showing as much or more talent than any other 1st or 2nd year PG, including Wall or Rubio.
So let's all take a deep breath and ignore the many idiotic articles and internet hecklers who never even thought Jeremy could make a roster. They're just looking for readers/ratings...it's Fox News style "journalism" for sports.
Irving may be younger, but he's not currently and not going to be "better" than Lin.
DeleteIrving is not as athletic as Lin, doesn't defend as well, and doesn't have Lin's focus. Irving does shoot better than Lin, but that's it.
Irving is more athletic than Lin. He's shiftier and probably gets up a bit more.
DeleteBut Lin runs faster in measured tests.
DeleteI'd imagine that Lin jumps just as high.
Just because Lin is Asian doesn't mean that he is less athletic than the slower Irving.
It has nothing to do with him being Asian. He simply just doesn't change directions as quickly. He accelerates great and is fast/strong going in a straight line. That's why he gets stopped in the paint and has to use his pump fake to get his shot up. It's not a knock on him.
DeleteLin seemed to change directions just fine when he crossed over the very athletic John Wall.
DeleteLin is still getting used to playing regular minutes. With time, he'll make more athletic plays like the block on Rose.
Raw athleticism: Running and jumping is NOT the measure of a good basketball player.
DeleteIf so that would mean Usain Bolt could be the greatest basketball player ever, because he's the fastest man on earth. Which is not the case.
The big question is, is he that fast and maneuverable WITH the basketball in his hands. It's one thing to just run across the court, and another to dribble a ball across the court, stop on a dime and hit a jump shot.
There are a lot of super athletes who came and went in the NBA, because they had more athleticism, than skills or basketball IQ.
An NBA player should be judged by his talent, not just athletic measurements.
Obviously Jeremy is a very good player no question. But KHuang is talking about athleticism here. He is also a very good athlete no question. But he just doesn't have that change of speed/direction that some other guys have. That cross on John Wall was one quick move and straight to the basket. He makes up for it with great positioning and using his body.
DeleteYeah, I agree, the big problem with his ball handling right now (Besides not going to his left as well) is that he can't change direction on the fly. You can see this when he drives down the lane and a defender steps in front. he either gets called for a charging foul, tries to stop on a dime and slips on the floor, or turns the ball over on a bad pass.
DeleteHe needs to be able to change direction with a spin dribble or a drop step.
I thought Jeremy played pretty well vs. Chicago. Other than maybe finishing a couple of shots and those 2 turnovers late, he was efficient and he did a solid job on Rose defensively. Rose is going to put up numbers because his usage rate is so high and no one person can keep him out of the lane consistently. He put up 29 shots, which is what you want him to do if you're playing against him. He wasn't very efficient, but he will get credit because of a couple of highlight plays.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I like Jeremy's game better than Rose's. Rose is a scoring guard in the mold of Iverson and Arenas. He only passes when he has to. Lin has a better feel for being a facilitator and getting his teammates involved. Lin is more of a true PG and is more of a cerebral player, which is why I like his chances for career longevity than a guy that relies more on pure athleticism.
The Knicks were better than the Bulls offensively. If it wasn't for all those extra possessions and second chance opportunities they gave up through offensive rebounds, NYK wins this one by 5-6 pts.
I'm glad to see that people agree with my earlier assessments that Lin indeed is an elite NBA athlete and is a better pg than Rose is.
ReplyDeletePeople (including us) don't necessarily realize how much pressure Lin puts on opponents. Derrick Rose got schooled in the 1st half and still had trouble in the 2nd. The only player in the league who can make Rose's life difficult is Lebron who's like a taller heavier Jeremy Lin in terms of athleticism.
So far, Lin has been putting pressure on his opponents to play their best. Now it's time for Lin to begin putting pressure on his teammates, particularly MeloMire. It has already begun.
"I'm glad to see that people agree with my earlier assessments that Lin indeed is an elite NBA athlete and is a better pg than Rose is."
DeleteI don't think others are, at this point, agreeing with this ridiculous assertion.
Give him a couple years in the league to prove himself, then perhaps saying something such as Lin is as valuable to the Knicks as Rose is to Bulls might be valid.
I think all we can say now is that Lin matches up really well physically and athletically (speed and nimbleness) so that, if he has appropriate help defense behind him, he can effectively contain, and hopefully in playoffs neutralize (each others stats offsetting each other) Rose so if someone else steps up, they can beat Bulls in 6 or 7 games.
It's NOT ridiculous to say that Lin is an elite athlete.
DeleteIt is NOT ridiculous to say that Rose is not a better PG than Lin. That is because Rose is NOT a PG. He may have the size of a pg, but his game is all SG. Rose is not a facilitator, but an elite scorer. While Rose is one of the top 5 players in the game especially with refs helping him, he is no more a pass first pg than Allen Iverson was. Jeremy Lin is a much better facilitator than Rose is, though Lin may never be in Rose's class as a scorer.
Rose being 6'1" does not automatically make him a pass first facilitating PG!
Roger Montgomery
ReplyDeleteThis is off topic, saw it I'm the side bar and posting here in case you didn't read the article about Jeremy's agent, Roger Montgomery. I was interested with this person since he was a believer before many others.
Wow that block on Rose was amazing. I think everyone including Lin's teammates were shocked by that. I was. You could see his teammates come up to him in the ensuing timeout and congratulate him on that nasty rejection. He just pounded that ball against the glass and swatted hit about as hard as you could - looked like a lebron chase down bat to me. Rose gave Lin respect and Jeremy deserved it....he played excellent game. The overrated chant by the Chicago crowd was unneccessary - Jeremy was playing good basketball - the crowd probably mad that lin embarrassed Rose in the first half. Watch Boozer try to incite crowd to say it louder as he's on the free throw line...boozer is a punk.
ReplyDeleteLin killed the Bulls all game.
DeleteOf course the Chicago fans got on him. Nobody likes it when an undrafted Asian guy PUNKS their MVP.
Just like an instant double team, being booed at the opposite field is the ultimate respect from the crowds, no matter whichever sport you play in. My most unforgettable boos in my decades of nba watching? Kobe Bryant at the Philly's All-Star game, the year after playing against AI in the finals.
DeleteAnd yes, Boozer is such a punk.
Boozer can't help it.
DeleteHe's been booed at home by Cleveland, Utah, and Chicago. Better Lin than him.
I'm a big Carlos Boozer fan. Though he is undersized, he is a solid player who has had All Star seasons. I like his game very much because he's gotten every ounce out of his ability as a former 2nd round draft pick.
good players get booed all the time away. i want road people to boo me. that means i'm doing something good like lin has.
Deletegetting booed is sign that you have arrived- you are now a factor...but being chanted "overrated" is sign of disrespect. No way should they ever chant that - in Miami game yeah he was playing bad..but against Chicago he played excellent. His passing, stealing the ball from rose, that blocked shot (one of the best all time from a point guard)- no credibility to chant overrated . Example, Lebron James get booed all the time but no one ever chants overrated.....
Delete"Overrated"
DeleteHow does an overrated player block your Star guard 2 times, and hold him to 5-15 shooting ?
And JLin was never drafted by any NBA team ... so he was never rated at all.
Great coaches don't just play for the game, they play for the season.
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to see D'Antoni call time-outs and try out plays even when the outcome of the game seemed clear. WHEN the Knicks make the playoffs, they are going to meet the Bulls at some point. So that's good to instill that mentality into the players, especially in the future when stakes are much higher.
Let's not be too short-sighted Lin fans.
great defense by lin. that's the kind of defense i know lin is capable of when he was with the warriors. basketball is a game where you may not have good nights on the offensive end but defense is something you always have every night. too bad his overpaid team mates never learned how to defend and grab rebounds.
ReplyDeleteWatching these recent games I realized how much Jared jeffries is such an asset for this team , same goes for bill walker. I like J.R smith he's an energy guy , but I find him a little bit too wild at times. It PAINS ME to see how the lane is soo open for opposing players to just score soo easily the knicks needs to clog the lane.
ReplyDeleteI prefer a line up of lin, fields, shumpert or bill walker , jeffries and chandler. This was the line up during linsanity week and it worked really well.
What the knicks need to do his free some cap space by first giving up mike bibby and his 1.3 million dollar contract maybe even include toney douglas in a package get a good trade by the end of this week for a young defensive lengthy power foward or 3 guard.
Have you guys seen this? Some scumbags videotaping themselves spitting on their hands and giving high fives to Jeremy Lin before the Bulls game. Of course, if Jeremy Lin was black, the entire nation would be up in arms over this one:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqiJBSZvMDU
This racial hatred is FEEDING THE FIRE.
DeleteLin is already a beast. The more people hate his Asianness, the better q player he will become.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhy was my comment deleted? I was showing a link to the video of the kids who spit on their hands and high-fived Jeremy Lin and posted it to YouTube (and were dumb enough to initially include links to their Facebook profile).
ReplyDeleteAdmin??
My comment was also censored too.
DeleteWhy does this website want to cover up examples of anti-Lin hatred?
Don't think that you if pretend anti-Asian or anti-Lin racism doesn't exist, it will go away.
That doesn't work in America.
In racist America, you have to stand up and fight for yourself--on the court and off the court.
Guys, I'm sorry but we try and keep out all of the profanity. That's the only censoring we do here.
DeleteI think JLin overall played a great game, and the Knicks finally started playing with energy throughout the whole game. However, I thought JLin really messed up on two crucial plays that could have changed the game.
ReplyDelete1) JLin was looking to help and lost sight of Rose, and Rose got the ball back and finished with a huge dunk. D'Antoni had to call timeout, and Bull are up by 7.
2) JLin being the PG, must get the ball into Melo's hands in crutch time. Melo was posting up a smaller play in the block, and JLin couldnt get the ball to Melo.
Lin played a decent game but when the game came down to the wire, he had a turnover passing to Fields on the break, missed 2 crucial layups and allowed DRose to score at will. This on top of not being able to get Melo involved in the offense. I dunno... I kept thinking how the Linsanity version would have not only converted the baskets but would gotten an AND-1. Call me pessimistic but I'm afraid and depressed actually that we have seen the peak of Linsanity already. I remember when Michael Chang won the French Open at a young age of 17 years old and thinking that he had a great career ahead of him. He did have a great career peaking at #2 ranking but unfortunately, he never won another Grand Slam so that French Open victory was really the peak of his achievements. Again, maybe I'm just too hard on Lin and I know it's still early... I just don't understand how he can't seem to come up big when the moment called for it.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Delete"Again, maybe I'm just too hard on Lin and I know it's still early... I just don't understand how he can't seem to come up big when the moment called for it".
DeleteHow is he "peaking" ? he's only 23 years old and has played in only 20 real NBA games.
Maybe because he has never been in those kinds of NBA crunch time situations to understand how to handle it.
He has put up a lot of bad shots when the game was on the line (Went 1 for 7 in overtime vs. Celtics). And he seems to put way too much trust in some players i.e. Landry Fields over others Carmelo, Amare in crunch time.
I think it's because he has better chemistry with Landry than anyone else. He was sleeping on Landry's couch before "Linsanity" took over, and they do the "Nerd handshake" before every game (Which they should stop doing, because it shows favoritism over all the other teammates.
Lin plays better with more experience. I'm sure the coaching staff is teaching him on how to deliver the ball to a player who is posting up.
He gets better with experience, and he will adapt to the intensity of 4th quarter games. Not to turn the ball over, or take bad shots trying to be the "Hero".
Baptism by fire.
@MrScrewup,
DeleteYou are comparing the French Open to a couple of regular season basketball games??? Seriously bro???
R_U_Sure:
DeleteLinsanity was heralded the best sports story in decades since Fernandomania in the 80s. Linsanity posted the best numbers for a new starter in 5 starts since the ABA merger in the 70s better than Magic,Jordan,Shaq,Iverson. Lin had two straight covers on Sports Illustrated (only Jordan and Nowitzki can match that) and was on Time Magazine front cover.
Hate to break this news to you but... America does not care about the French Open.
Michael might had only won a grand slam champ, but he did have the longest streak of winning at least one ATP championship every year. I'd say he's like Charles Barkley or Gary Payton, talented, born at the same era as some all-time greats, yet still gave everything he's got on the court.
DeleteThere's no shame in that.
But it really is too early, WAY TOO early to say that Lin has peaked. He's actually doing all those things we were talking about during his breakout period, how to control the pace, how to get his teammates involved, how "not" to kill himself everytime he's on the floor, how to pace himself over the course of a season etc. NBA career wise, he's still on his way up, game by game. How could he have peaked if he is still showing signs of maturity and progression game after game?
No, Lin is not peaking.
ReplyDeleteHe is too good an NBA player to not improve. Many other PGs around the NBA have had issues too.
Chicago is a top NBA team. Lin nearly led the Knicks to victory again. He is doing just fine.
The whole game I was like "Take Amare out!!" and during the second half after Lin got into foul trouble, "Don't let Baron guard rose, get Iman or Jared on him!!".
ReplyDeleteAmare, I swear, gives up more points than he makes. He totally screws up the team's defensive synergy. Baron is just too slow to guard Rose. Also, would like to see Carmelo do a couple of box out in the paint for the defensive rebounds. Bulls got third and fourth looks cuz he and Amare weren't boxing out their man.
If a coach could get Baron Melomire to guard and box out people, that would be the first coach that ever made that happrn.
DeleteSend them to the Spurs for their blue collar players. The Knicks have always known how to build a championship team...for the Spurs
DeleteWatching Knicks is like watching Clippers. Frustrating as heck..Amare is running like a little girl out there just skipping and hopping along pretending like he cares. I think he's still not recovered from the family problem he had. In the fourth quarter Dantonni should 1) sit Amare 2)run more post-up with Melo which can turn into an 8 foot iso play 3) emphasize no turnovers in the fourth 4)emphasize high energy to start the fourth (noticed team only does it with less than 5minutes left). Thats all im wishing for inthe 4th quarter. Just keep it simple. Of course Lin does his thing too.
ReplyDeleteThat block was really something. Yes totally agree, the team showed much improvement in Lintensity...Still have issues with D and of course rebounds, it seems to me that D'Antoni is being patient and tackling each problem one at a time...Its a complicated thing to do esp with the lineup they have, their losing streak is looking more and more like a shakedown cruise.
ReplyDeleteTo bounce back like this after the loss to Spurs...This is great, I was expecting a huge blowout, not a skin-of-your-teeth close game vs Bulls.
Looks like the beginning of a new win streak...
LOL @ Derek Rose:
ReplyDeleteHe attempted "only" 9 free throws, despite absorbing physical contact throughout the game vs. Knicks.
Rose sounded off after a 104-99 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday, saying he's "got to be the ONLY superstar in the league that's going through what I'm going through right now."
For a player to call himself a superstar deserving special treatment by officiating ... speaks volumes about his ego.
http://www.nba.com/2012/news/03/13/rose-accident.ap/index.html
Yeah I read that, it was lame. He assumes that being a reigning MVP makes him untouchable. Go ask Hakeem about it... heck, all of us here can testify for all the no-calls against Lin while obviously he's the one getting not bumped but "HAMMERED."
DeleteCharacteristically speaking, I really feel James and Stat have really matured over the years, especially through adversity. Not that they've been flawless, just that they have matured and carried themselves much better against criticism and negativity from the media, fans, and even owners.
For that reason I would rather keep Stat over Melo, there's a much better chance for Stat to work with a defensive veteran/specialist and become a very formidable 2nd or 3rd option/role player, aka Horace Grant. I believe that's a realistic aim because we just witnessed how fast, despite an ageing body, Stat got himself back to shape since his bereavement absence.
Until Melo lets go of his ego, I just can't see that happening.
Superstar cry baby, look at STAT, Melo and Lin with bloody faces then ask who is not getting the calls.
DeleteIt looks like the Bucks will take that 8th and final playoff spot from the Knicks.
ReplyDeleteMilwaukee Bucks have added Monta Ellis, Epke Udo, and Kwame Brown by trading away Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson .... 2 guys who weren't even playing in the lineup.
Bucks now have one of the best scoring back courts duo in Jennings and Ellis. And more proof that the Golden State Warriors are an idiot organization who can't hold onto talent.
Two ball hogs = Curry + Ellis = Jennings + Ellis = Losing Season. Need proof? Check out the brain trust over at Golden State. Butter fingers Brown won't help that much either.
DeleteBucks have nothing to lose and takes a gamble on Monta. I have never been a fan of Monta, but Scott Skiles is such a disciplinarian that he could be the first ever to make Monta play real defense. "IF" that ever happens, the Bucks could become one of those scary lower-seeded playoff teams that put up a good fight against the championship runners in the 1st round match-ups.
DeleteI think Golden State won this deal because they got rid of Ellis and can now just ride Curry all the way now and addition to adding Bogut?? They are going to be very good next season...
Deletewho cares about the warriors. they are old news and really should not be discussed anymore. it's about lin and knicks now.
DeleteFolks, any chance the Knicks trade Melo? I like the scrappy Knicks during the Linsanity run. Now it seems the team chemistry has gone out the window. There's even an article about Melo pushing the coach out.
ReplyDeleteTrading Melo now would be like selling a house that's on fire. Nobody would want him when his value is so low, and you won't get much trade value. Best to wait until the end of the season. This season looks like a loss, but I feel comfortable knowing it was not Lin's fault that this team fell apart.
DeleteWe know he is a good player and will get better.