Could this really play out like we guessed two weeks ago?
Jeremy Lin #17: JLin and Rockets Working On Details
Remember, it's not over until the clock strikes 12, 3 days after the offer is received. Dolan was trying to delay so we're still not 100% sure when he received the Rockets offer sheet. It's been reported multiple times that Tuesday 11:59pm is the deadline, but who knows.
This has been just a crazy and insane week, but the following article probably sums it up best:
Meet the New Knicks, Same As the Old Knicks -- The Sports Section
Here are some stats comparing Lin and Felton:
Felton over Lin? Might be a mistake - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN
Also, tweet of the day:
Steve Ashcburner @AschNBA
Blaming Jeremy Lin for lux.tax issues in NY = 6 fat guys in elevator ripping skinny 7th guy who boards last, trips buzzer.
A nice piece by Henry Abbott of ESPN reminding us beware of the revisionist historians:
Jeremy Lin played well - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN
Lastly, ESPN experts weigh in with "5 on 5":
NBA - Should the Knicks let Lin leave? - ESPN
His time in NY is done, get him the hell out of there... I still can't believe NY is leading the poll in where to see Lin next year, lol...
ReplyDeleteI love this article about Jason Kidds drunk driving arrest ... and how Jeremy's contract issues snuck into the article LOL
ReplyDeletehttp://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/knicks/cops-jason-kidd-very-unsteady-after-crash-1.3840840
When Jeremy finally comments he should focus on these things:
ReplyDelete1) He wanted to stay with Knicks - he loves the Garden and the electricity there.
2) New York had chance to offer him simple contract (4 years 15-20 million) right away and he would have signed it so he could play with Olympic Select Team.
3) He should thank the Knicks and fans for their great passion and support and giving him opportunity to shine
4) He should thank specific players Chandler, Novak, Fields, Shumpert (leave out Melo, Amare, JR Smith). Dantoni, kenny atkinson.
5) Look Forward to Houston and their great fans
6) Thank Houston for wanting him and believing in him and that he will do everything he can to help team win
7) Emphasize his knee is fully recovered and that he's looking forward to playing with Houston's players
8) Thank his trainers and family for helping him get here.
9) Finally take a shot back at Melo by saying his contract is about respect and that if people think my contract is ridiculous then they obviously don't respect me and my game and never will. I'm beyond the clumsiness of it all.
Trainers Doc Scheppler and Jim Sutter helped Jeremy get financial independence for him, his parents and his future generation forever. 25 Million (12 Million Net after Taxes and agent commish) is basically a winning lottery ticket that is dream come true. Probably makes another 1 million per year net in endorsements. Congrats to Jeremy Lin and his entire team of people!
DeleteBottom Line is that the Knicks tried to screw LIn business wise and thought no one would offer a decent contract to him and that they could sign him for 2 million a year or something "ridiculous" like that. Grunwald underestimated Lin and miscalculated and made huge mistake. Knicks didn't show any respect to Lin and it's obvious that some of his teammates (melo, JR Smith) don't have respect for him either. Knicks ownership is bad and there's a reason this franchise has not won for many many years. I'm just looking forward to the Rockets Knicks game next year at the Garden...it will be NBA Finals type environment - Lin goes for 30 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for his first career triple double! Melo shoots 4-25 and is ejected for flagrant 2 foul on Lin.
Delete4) Lin should thank every player and coach, including Melo, Amare, JR, and Woodson. He's far too classy to spite his former teammates on the way out.
Delete9) He's not going to stoop to their levels, there's no need for that. He can let his play in Houston do the talking.
real dsb...why should he thank Melo and Amare Jr and Woodson? When someone disrespects you as an athlete it's viewed as softness to be "classy"...you have to treat it competitively and others will take notice...being classy is okay outside sports. Jeremy has to get used to speaking up for himself because no one else will until we get more Asians in the NBA.
DeleteIf I were Melo or JR, I'd shut my piehole cuz #17 got da glow, ya dig? Sho. Nuff.
DeleteNo contract is ridiculous as long as someone is willing to pay for it! Go Lin!
ReplyDelete"No contract is ridiculous as long as someone is willing to pay for it! Go Lin!"
DeleteRashard Lewis says "Hi!"
Gilbert Arenas: "Hands UP"
DeleteJuwan Howard: "Hey, you wanna mess with me?"
Hedo Turkoglu: "Hedo"
Brian Scalabrine: "That's Amore".
Amare Stoudemire: "That's Amare".
Too bad Yao can't come out of retirement ...
ReplyDeleteMy Biggest Question is: Can JLIN continue to productive in Houston Rockets without the supporting cast he had in NY Knicks?
ReplyDeleteWhat are your predictions on what his average stats might look like?
I'm hoping for 15pts 8ast 2stl per game average
Jlin led a team of scrubs to an 8-1 record. He played well in a one player isolation focused system with both the GM and coach doubting his abilities (remember "rookies should sit and watch"). Without all the drama and back-stabbing, Jlin should thrive and in fact do much better. His teammates didn't make him better...it was the other way around.
DeleteAs I mentioned before, Les Alexander of the Rockets is one of the best and most respected owners in the league. He's not an ass-clown like Dolan. They are a MUCH better organization and Jlin will have an owner, GM, and, coach that believe in him. He might have to suffer through 1-2 years of bad basketball, but how is that different than any Melo led team? The GM is great too. I predict:
17 Pts, 8.5 assists, 2 steals (barring no injury).
In NY he might be averaging those numbers. Houston? I say 18-20pts 8-9.5ast
DeleteIf Lin puts up the numbers mentioned by jlinisasuperhero and 777am next season, he'd be worth the $15 million they're paying in the 3rd contract year.
DeleteShould Lin keep up that $15 million level of production for two years, he'd essentially be playing the 3rd year for FREE.
I predicted 18 and 8.
DeleteJeremy Lin in Houston is the absolute best place for him individually...He can be a star there. If his knee holds up he can be an All Star Starter (FAns voting him in) and average 25 and 8 assists per game. Remember, he will play with financial security and comfort that will give him the confidence to take over games being the teams' highest paid player. No more deferring to anyone like Melo and Amare. Jeremy will be top 20 player in the NBA next year. I understand he's working out hard and spending hours in the gym working on his skills with people telling him he has to rest his knee more. He will have to prove himself again and again being Asian and not having respect of black players in the league. It's good cause he will be motivated to go on another Linsanity run at start of season....he'll probably tire out midway and then hit a lull with some losing but then will finish strong and get into playoffs and knock off a higher seed in first round...Lin seems like he has grown in size as he looks 6-4 easy now. If you watch Miami vs. NY game last year...if you see Lin guarding and matching up with Wade - they look exactly same height! Was watching video of his block on Drose last year and he's much bigger than Rose - just as quick laterally. People say lin can't defend but that's one of his best attributes - he can stay with quick black players and is strong enough to guard elite athletes (Rose, Westbrook, Wade, Deron Williams)....
DeleteAt the moment, The Rockets don't have anyone like Chandler or Novak.
DeleteBut if the Howard trade goes through, they'll get Turkoglu along with D12.
If they don't get Howard, then I don't know.
To assume Jlin is already a Houston Rocket.
DeleteHere's the breakdown of what I assume will be the starters in Houston:
PG - Jeremy Lin
SG - Kevin Martin
SF - Chandler Parsons
PF - Patrick Patterson / Josh Harrelson??
C - Dalembert
Looking at this line-up I have a few questions:
Based on this line-up, Jeremy Lin is probably going to be the 2nd option as far as scoring is concerned & Kevin Martin as the 1st option. Do you guys agree?
What offense do you think they will run?
If they run a Pick n' Roll type offense, who's the Rocket's best Pick n' Roll big man?
I think, since they don't have any good rebounders in Houston, I predict Jeremy Lin to avg. 5 rebounds a game, what do you think?
I think for this team to win, Jeremy Lin will have to avg more than 15pts a game, I think he'll have to avg. 25pts a game combined with Kevin Martin's 20-25pts a game. So where will the other 50 points come from?
I don't understand.
DeleteWasn't Samuel Dalembert traded to the Bucks so that the Rockets could move up in the draft?
I'm confused because most NBA roster sites still list Dalembert as a Rocket. I'm not trying to call out anybody here, I'm legitimately confused.
You're right Khuang.
DeleteJust checked ESPN and it says he was traded. Don't know why Rockets haven't updated their Roster.
I wonder who will be the Rockets starting Center. I hope it's not Josh Harrelson.
Just checked Bleach Report:
Deletehttp://bleacherreport.com/articles/1259642-nba-free-agency-2012-anatomy-of-the-houston-rockets-bungled-offseason/page/5
Looks like they signed Omer Asik to a 3 year 25.1 million contract.
I hope that the Rockets acquire and start Darko Milicic. I wrote about that elsewhere.
DeleteThe Rockets desperately need a rim protector and inside scorer. Darko can do both against the best big men, provided he plays on a team that shows him love and gets him into scoring position.
Kevin McHale is the right guy to teach Darko how to score inside. To my knowledge, Darko has never received coaching on how to score in the post. Plus, McHale will improve Darko's already phenomenal defensive abilities.
Jeremy Lin will do what Jeremy Lin does: respect Darko and make him part of the team. That's all Darko really needs for him to become the BEAST the Pistons thought they were drafting.
Darko is potentially a 15 ppg 10 rebound player. But he needs a TEAM.
Darko is WAY BETTER than Omer Asik. But Darko can play beside, behind, or in front of Asik.
DeleteDarko was formerly Dwight Howard's power forward in Orlando. They should have been kept together. They might yet be reunited in Houston.
and i thought the off season will have less drama.
ReplyDeleteEven though Lin no longer will be playing for the Knicks, Jason Kidd can still "mentor" him.
ReplyDeleteJason Kidd said that it's important for Lin not to always be in 5th gear. Kidd said that he's mainly in 1st or 2nd gear nowadays.
Kidd speaks the truth. He could have been killed in that recent accident had he been driving faster. Thus Kidd not being in 5th gear indeed will get him through the season.
It seems that Kidd's wife left him at the party after a drunken argument with a female fan.
I think that some lessons are better off not learning. So much for teaching the Asian how to drive.
ROFLMAO hahaha thx for the laugh...1st and 2nd gear...Priceless :D
DeleteKidd's been a great player, but a wife beating idiot. Plus, I'm still mad that he might have been the one to end Linsanity with that disgusting foul on Jeremy. Good luck Knicks..you reap what you sow. I'm already waiting to pick up my Houston Jlin jersey.
ReplyDeletethe way this contract is structured gives lin the ability to keep the knicks in check if they match. if the knicks matches and decides not to treat him well, lin can tank and make himself untradeable. with the over 40 million dollars in luxury tax that comes with the 3rd year of the contract, the knicks, i believe, will have no choice but to buy his contract out. effectively giving lin a 2 year 25 million dollar contract at the end of which he becomes a free agent.
ReplyDeleteOne question for people knowledgable with how NBA contracts work ... if the Knicks truly value Jeremy (albeit just the marketing value) but could not stomach the $30 something luxury tax in the 3rd year, would they be able to legally restructure the contract before the 3rd year? So they won't have to pay $15M in year 3+plus luxury tax but let's say $7m/year in Year 3-7 for another 4-year contract in order to avoid the luxury tax?
ReplyDeleteI sure hope not but I'm wonder if the Knicks still have a trick in the bag.
Why can't NYK match the $25 million offer with a differently structured payment say $8.33 million per year?
ReplyDeleteDue to the Gilbert Arenas provision, matching teams (ie, the Knicks in Lin's case) can only pay up to the mid-level exception the first year (currently at $5 million) and then give a 4.5% raise in the second year.
DeleteGood point, the 3rd year is the what brings on the luxury tax. But I get the feeling that the Knicks salary is so close to the cap, that even a million added onto a player would push them over the edge. That's why they can only add players through sign and trades from now on.
DeleteMy question is ... why is Lin only getting 3 year deals (With 4th year optional ? Why isn't anybody offering him a 4 or 5 year guaranteed deal? Are they that afraid that he might be a bust ?
The New Orleans Hornets matched Eric Gordon to a 4-year $58 million contract. He's never had a full healthy season. Barely played for the Hornets last season. He's the same height and size as Lin.
Also, New York has used up it's amnesty provision already (Chauncey Billups) so that is not an option to get under the luxury tax in the future.
DeleteWe all should be happy his leaving NY. Knicks is all about Melo-centric and if it's not clear what he said the other day, then you must be delusional that they could both work together. The only teammates left that are pro-Lin is Chandler and Novak. It will be tough for him if he stays. In Houston they will built the team around him.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree. At this point, the Knicks locker room situation would be too toxic for Jeremy to grow, nevertheless be a future All-Star PG that he can be.
DeleteAs Steve Nash said, the size of the NBA contract shows the amount of a respect a team gives to a player. And indeed, Houston's offer has shown the amount of respect to a future All-Star that a team can build around, which is more than the Knicks no-offer can say. So far Knicks only plans to feature a role for Jeremy as a good-enough PG to complement the Big 3 "Clumsy" players as Phil Jackson called it.
I think Me-Melo and JR already knew that Lin was gone or they wouldn't say that. Did anyone hear the Melo apologist (Steven A***ole Smith) talking about how Melo "was Jeremy Lin's biggest supporter", and how he doesn't understand why everyone is blaming him. This one's done..and Lin is going to the Rockets. Did anyone see knicks.com and knicksnow...no more Jlin anywhere..wow.
DeleteLet Linsanity TX surface in Houston.
DeleteI agreed, houston is better fit for Jeremy. A fresh start with houst.
DeleteMy predictions:
ReplyDelete0) Houston finalizes trade for D12
1) Lin's 2012-2013 stats. 17.0 ppg 7.0 apg 2.5 spg
2) Makes the allstar team
3) Rockets make playoffs
3) Lin sells a ba-jillion jerseys (and bobbleheads)
4) Has a burger in Houston named after him (The Linburger)
5) Introduces D12 to home-cooked Chinese/Taiwanese food
6) D12 signs contract with Rockets at the end of the year
thanking Lin for feeding him on the court and off the court.
+6
Delete+7 if Jeremy starts dating a supermodel
I want him to date the most beautiful asian girl out there, the brother deserves it. anyway KHuang been wondering, how old are u? lol
DeleteI'm "middle aged".
DeleteIt crazy how some of the media are putting the whole luxury tax blame on Jeremy. Why should he have to worry about knicks' luxury tax, especially when they told him to try and test the FA.
ReplyDeleteThis Business Insider has the break down of the salaries of the players:
http://www.businessinsider.com/knicks-jeremy-lin-luxury-tax-penalty-could-hit-68-million-2012-7
It is knicks' own doing for all the other salary to be so high up there. Perhaps that was what Houston were trying to do with the initial low offer which caused knicks to add all these new players.
But the thing is that all of these contracts have the 3rd year expiration. And like Ian O'Connor from ESPN radio from this weekend talked about that they can most likely be able to trade some of these 3rd year expired contract to other teams that want expiring contract to start rebuilding.
Jeremy is just being used as their scapegoat.
I'd much rather see Jeremy Lamb & Lin .... a 1 2 combo in the making instead of Melo + others.
ReplyDeleteJeremy Lamb reminds me of a young Latrell Sprewell.
DeleteRight now Jeremy Lamb's technique is ahead of his body. He played at UCONN where SGs are taught flawless fundamental basketball.
Once Lamb matures into his body, we'll be looking at the Jeremy Lin of shooting guards.
Please, NYK, don't match. At this point, NY is such a toxic environment. Way too many egos (including Lin too). And the Knicks aren't going to be better next year. They just added a bunch of old, average role players.
ReplyDeleteBetter off in Houston, where they're rebuilding.
But then how long would it take them to rebuild into a playoff team. I don't want him to be stuck on a sub .500 team for the rest of his career.
DeleteNo Lin team will ever stay sub 0.500 for long.
DeleteLin is a truly great player who creates opportunities for others. He elevates the play of his teammates, particularly the end of bench guys who he really relates to. That's why he has won all his career on inferior teams.
Lin is a WINNER. Bad franchises don't want him (i.e. the Knicks unless they have a sudden change of heart) and bad players won't play with him (Anthony, Stoudemire, Ellis, Stoudemire). That leaves only winners for Lin to work with.
The Rockets have NOTHING right now. They traded away everybody who was anybody last season, Scola, Buddinger, Dalembert, Dragic ... this is a team of draft picks and D-league pickups. This team won't win many games, and fans don't have the patience to wait for them to win.
DeleteThat may be so, but NEVER write off a Jeremy Lin team.
DeleteSo many times, he's led overmatched teams against Goliath opponents and won or barely lost. His whole career has been like that.
A Lin team is never just about Lin. You have to beat all the rejects and unproven guys inspired by Lin to make the right basketball play regardless of the opponent. Thus you can't just beat Lin, you have to beat Lin's entire team.
Lin on his way to Toyota Center right now.
ReplyDeleteReally. Do you have a link?
DeleteDuring the summer league game, announcer said it on tv...
DeleteCool! It's happening
DeleteSorry guys I just have to vent....
ReplyDeleteI am so sick of the bashing from the media on Lin. His game/heart/soul/character are all called into question. Specifically, the bashing coming from Stephen Smith & JA Adante makes them seem like they are on the Knick's payroll. This is just so wrong!
Those who doesn't learn from history will doom to repeat it. So I congratulate Houston, they have learned from their recent history to not doubt Lin and they will be rewarded richly by Lin.
Welcome to the board KC, where you can bash those that bash Lin.
DeleteHouston is making things right. Lin will play well, just like he has on every team he's played on.
Either Darel Morey is truly repentant that he lost Lin or that crazy article he wrote this spring criticizing Lin was one gigantic smokescreen designed to throw off other NBA teams from pursuing the most important free agent of this offseason (sorry Deron, sorry Dwight).
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteNY media and some people are really bashing Lin. I hope JLin would go to the Rockets today and shine and proof all these idiots wrong.
DeleteEven his former teammates are taking cheap shot at him. The knicks organization are bad.
Houston better.
I almost WANT the media to keep bashing Lin just in case Dolan has a last minute change-of-heart and matches. Matching would only make things worse for the Knicks, Lin, Felton, Kidd, Melo, Amare etc., but hey, the Knicks are dumb enough to do that. Again, I don't want to celebrate until the signing is final and the 72 hours has officially run out.
DeleteBTW, KHuang: another prediction of yours is looking good: Jeremy Lamb with three straight quality showings in Summer League.
Seriously, you should start your own hoops blog in which you put the mainstream sports media to shame. Maybe team up with some other dissenting voices (e.g. stat gurus; people with actual coaching experience) that get it right as often as you do.
Thank you, zxcvb.
DeleteI predicted NBA success for three players in the 2012 Draft: Jae Crowder, Andrew Nicholson, and Jeremy Lamb.
All three have done well in Summer League. Though Summer League is not the NBA, it at least gives prospects a chance to show their stuff.
Those three have A LOT of stuff to show!
We want Jeremy Lin to stay in the Knicks, I can love together, otherwise we can only love one.
ReplyDelete~ ~ ~ Jeremy Lin, he went to where we where ....
I was reading various Rockets and Knicks boards tonight..its clear that no one really knows what the Knicks are going to do tomorrow night (or sooner). But, reading all this I started thinking that at this point I'm really praying the Knicks do not match. I feel the team and the organization is toxic, and I would have a terrible feeling if for some reason they came out and matched the offer. I found a reasonable Rockets board that actually know basketball and what there talking about, they think Knicks are matching still. Besides this board I look at the postingandtoasting boards they hope its matched but are leaning to no match. All this leads to me having a upset stomach tonight for real... maybe it was the fish tonight :)
ReplyDeleteCheers
In my years of following the Knicks, I have developed a sense of how they run things.
DeleteI don't think they're going to match Lin.
Right now, Lin is a public relations disaster. The NY papers have turned on him, the Internet is abuzz with Lin hate (just not on this site, of course), and the franchise has turned against him. Signing Lin would mean a major loss of face for too many Knick parties to be happy for the next 3 years.
The Knicks feel that they can win the championship with the veterans they acquired. What they don't want to do is develop young players at the perceived expense of winning that championship.
Then there's the racial factor. The Knicks are uncomfortable with their biggest star being an Asian in NYC which is notoriously image conscious to its own detriment. They're not going to let the "Chinatown Kid" steal the spotlight.
Thesr three reasons are why I would be stunned and disappointed if the Knicks indeed resigned Lin. The racial factor is by far the most important, if one is talking about the Knicks.
Should the Knicks resign Lin, they're going to have to face the reality that it's going to become Lin's team.
ReplyDeleteSome major fences are going to have to be mended if Lin is signed. All the trash talk and gamesmanship and pulled merchandise will have to be accounted for. The locker room will be an edgy place for the next 3 years, no matter how much Lin tries to mend things.
On the court, it's Lin's team. Lin will PUNK Kidd and Felton in practices to the point that Kidd and Felton can't perform consistently in games. Lin's 2nd unit is going to trounce the 1st unit in practice, and don't be surprised to hear whispers of Lin trash talk after practice beatings. In games, opponents will prepare for and play against Lin like he's the MVP, even if he's the 3rd string point guard.
As great as Lin was this last season, he'll enter Knicks camp with full familiarity of his teammates and coaches. Lin dominated last season with no training camp and no guaranteed contract. This year he'll cut down on the bad games, pick his spots better, and be a less spectacukar but coldly efficient player. Even if the Knicks benched Lin, the players on the court would know who the best PG was and that would hurt their performances in games.
Lin would BE the Knicks if they signed him. Nobody, not even Melo or Woodson, could stop that from happening.
cool...thinking along the lines of destiny!
ReplyDelete