Jeremy really needs to find a good PR person to follow him around whenever he's being interviewed.
For a guy who graduated from Harvard, he really says some dumb things.
First, He needs to flat out shut up with what could have been with the Knicks. Constantly bring up his former team will only serve to piss off his current team and its' fans. Not to mention, the NY media is currently slandering him. He needs to bash them back. Don't stay silent.
Second, he needs to become a tougher guy who stands up for himself. Refs(biased) and teammates can only do so much. People fouling him excessively hard because he's such an easy target. He needs to get in their face afterwards or call those cheapshot a-holes out during a media conference.
He definitely should NOT be saying this to reporters, "It's okay to get fouled just as long as he gets free throws".
If he doesn't bring attention to this, opponents will continue fouling him hard just to knock him out of the game.
I don't know, it's kind of bad ass that he gets huge bruises and a bloody face after many games, and he just keeps getting up. I didn't see Kobe complain when Wade broke his nose.
What do you expect? Jeremy Lin did had his fondest memories in NYC. "Linsanity" did happen in NYC. He did get the loudest and the biggest support during his tenure during those 25 games. And this interview was done in NYC. Even with all that aside Jeremy is honest and he wants to be honest.
@ concerned: agree with you about everything you said. I am pretty annoyed with him actually . Houston fans are pissed and I dont blame them.just concentrate on the game jeremy :) Not saying he cant do interviews but I just have a problem with what he said.
@ michael terry: Right now, with his knee still not fully recovered , I am worried. I know he lost weight to lighten the pressure off his knee but I think once his knee is fine he should put on some weight IMO.
I think Jeremy should cut interviews with some big medias this year and wait until everything is getting better. This GQ was done before but it came out this month just after lin had bead games. So it would get some bad reactions. Some writers would just use one sentense o paragraohy to make it a big story. One article I read today quoting lin from GQ: Jeremy lin would quit basketball after one year if he can't make it." That's really some kind of misleading. To tell you the truth, i'd rather lin get out of NBA asap because this organization is har to live if you are not 1) black 2)not strong and physical enough 3)no strong connections with other superstarsand coaches such as Lebrown or Kobe or Carmelo. You have to kiss their asses to survive here. Otherwise they would knock you down to death if nobody supports. Did you all see those players in Olmpic team? They all knew each other and had good relationships and support each other. If lin wants to survive in Houston, he must have somebody support him and protect him on and off the court. I believe some rookies are jealousy of him too like Machado or Jones? When they play together, they don't back up him, that means something wrong.I'm very worried about lin. I want him to succeed but I doubt histeamates.
Other than getting in their face afterwards (even if he doesn't plan to fight them, it will at least show he's not going to take that anymore) or calling them out in the media.
I don't think anything else can be done. JL needs to defend himself, he can't really expect his teammates to always pick up him from the floor.
If he doesn't say anything, people will assume he's fine with it and continue fouling him hard.
JLin was fouled hard by Hornets' Robin Lopez who only gets a regular foul. Eddie Curry of the Spurs slams him into the floor on a fastbreak layup attempt and no foul is called. Seems like Lin is being singled out for the opposite of preferential treatment.
I didn't like the GQ photo spread, wearing tacky clothes in wacky poses. Compare to Tim Tebow who was shirtless for his GQ feature shoot. They are sure treated differently by the media.
I happen to like the GQ cover. It shows his fun, break-the-mold style. Unlike Tebow, I don't think Jlin will pose shirtless for any magazine even if they asked him to. He's a pretty conservative guy.
For photo shoots, the media treats JLin differently because he is different in the positive sense: He is a well-mannered, low-key preppie - especially for a basketball player, which is exactly why it took him this long (not in the midst of Linsanity, to cash in or to milk the phenomenon before it dissipates) to finally agree to be in the cover of GQ. If there ever was one before (?), the GQ did it without JLin's cooperation and the cover photo would have been from public domain.
Not everyone thinks it's cool to pose shirtless or semi-naked, even in 2012 (rather, most preppies or refined people would think it's tacky). Not everyone shares same tastes and sensibilities. I certainly think it would be tacky as hell - and I'm in the arts! He also doesn't have tattoos, thank goodness.
The GQ Cover shows his "fun, honest and dancing kid" personality but I would have preferred a "fun but determined" personality.
Perhaps with him dribbling between legs and ready to pounce at his opponents.
I agree that his PR staff should be careful in portraying the image in any media. I just don't want it to give a green light for players to whack-and-foul this nice kid persona.
There's a green light to collect bounties on injuring Jeremy Lin no matter what he says in the papers.
Lin just is going to have to fight back. Not even the refs can stop people from flagrant fouling Lin. The refs could put Lin at the line every time somebody touched him and STILL guys would bounty hunt Lin.
There's only one way for Lin to beat off the bounty hunters. HUNT THEM BACK!
Huh?... What the heck? Sending the message that dirty plays are part of the game? Then he and his teammates better even the playing field starting NOW. THEN I'm okay with it, within reason.
I know he wouldn't be playing in the rest of the preseason games, but still do it NOW. Most of the "givers" to JLin are division rivals.
Yesterday, no news plastered everywhere about Rondo's team losing by a huge margin of 32 points to the 76ers on Oct 15. Rondo played 30 minutes and had 4 TOs and -12 (he shared the most minus among starters with a rookie). Garnett wasn't playing but neither was Bynum.
No national headlines about it for a guy who is ranked #5 among PGs and #12 overall, and making $11 million this year and $12 mil next year... Jeremy is currently ranked #16 among PGs and #78 overall. Even though Jeremy's salary for the next 2 years is a moderate $5 million each, somehow it warrants bashing him LOUDLY in the headlines because it brings them clicks and dollars.
Compare that to all the negative headlines about Jeremy, whose Rockets lost by 9 points to the Spurs on Oct 14. Logging in 25 minutes, Jeremy had 2 TOs and -6 (the lowest minus among starters). Two of the Rockets' top players, KMart & Patterson didn't play, while ALL of Spurs' top dogs played (about 12 minutes each).
Note: The 2012 NBA ranking was conducted by ESPN with a 100-member panel of industry experts.
True. But Jeremy isn't getting superstar salary UNTIL 3 seasons from now. Therefore, they need to have *some* discipline and cut him *some* slack, while he gains more experience. I mean, Rondo played with the same top notch players for 5 or 6 seasons to gel with.
The game of basketball respects its superstars. Jeremy Lin is a superstar whether he's making the minimum or the max.
Lin is defended like a superstar, is expected to produce like a superstar, and is hated on like a superstar. Soon he'll get used to it and PRODUCE like a superstar!
I used to think that also, but no... the $8.37 mil per year average to Rockets is for counting towards their salary cap purpose only. They pay him each year exactly as in the contract.
Rondo has a ring and multiple All-Star appearances to his credit. Jeremy has only started 26 games. There's a big difference there. Until Jeremy can perform on a consistent basis, he will he doubted by many. It's on HIM to SHUT THEM UP.
It's a 2-way street Lin has been in Houston for less than 2 months now, and nobody besides team management has embraced him. Rockets fans are angry that Goran Dragic and Kyle Lowry got replaced by an "overrated" wonder. I'm not saying there are no fans supporting him in H-town but from the looks of it, he's mostly viewed negatively. Compared to NY where he got much love from adoring crowds.
I thought about this. People should know that JLin did say that he is excited to be a Rocket. There is no doubt that he is happy the way things turned out after all, despite the Knicks tricks.
JLin is doing the right thing by fighting back the Knicks' media machine spreading the lies that he left for greed, when the fact was that they never offered a contract. After being told to test his market, he sure wasn't going to crawl to tell them he'll happily play for them for almost free - and for the privilege of working in the toxic environment.
I should have added that, because of his appreciation for the NY fans, JLin was willing to come back to play in the toxic atmosphere - which is sacrificial and absolutely nuts! However, they were too disrespectful of Lin to offer a moderate contract before he hit the free agency. As the result, Lin actually got lucky, because them not matching was the only way he could go to another team; AND YET it was the Knicks' decision, so one *cannot* blame Lin.
Just remember the black propaganda against you last July. Erase every single memory about the knicks and their fans. Treat them now as your greatest enemies. All of them: the coaches, players, owner, media, and even the fans.
Detach yourself from any nostalgic feeling concerning the KNICKS. You must mark Dec. 17 2012 as the day you return to MSG and stick it to their *ss.
Make sure you are the greatest villain in New York Knicks History. Make them hate you for all I care. Just please embrace your new team.
Decthe 17th is 5-month monthiversary from the unmatch day! (;~). It's Jeremy's lucky day, so I hope the Rockets win that one, even though the the other team will surely make an extra effort. My family and friends plan to celebrate one year unmatch anniversary on July 17th.
I thought the article portrays JLin in a good light about why he's no longer a Knick: "I didn't get an offer from the Knicks, so I had to go test my market."
And he's just being honest about not knowing much about Houston 2 months ago and he was kinda sad about this fact: "Lin says he doesn't know more than a couple of people on the Rockets and that he doesn't "know much about Houston, I'm not going to lie." He confesses this with obvious sadness
People can spin this to mean he still wishes to be a Knick or it's a diss to Houston but anyone who reads the whole article would get a good impression that JLin was honest and not about money and he had to sign the only offer from Houston because the Knicks didn't offer any.
And if people follows his latest comment about Houston, he likes it more than New York because it's very peaceful. See the ESPN "Houston Training Days" video link that via wong posted
yeah thats what i think too. He misses the good things he had in NY, whats wrong with that? he is not an emotionless robot. And if they call him "ungrateful" it is their problem, not Jeremy's. There will always be haters, but there will also be fans, and neutrals... you can't be loved by everyone
Kyrie Irving said something in the papers that would apply directly to Jeremy Lin.
Irving said that for his first few awful preseason games (just as bad as Lin's games), he was trying too hard to be a distributor. But once he started shooting more and playing his game, he started playing like "Irving" again.
Jeremy Lin can be unselfish to a fault. That's OK, he'll figure out that HE'S the primary offensive threat on this Rockets team. Only if he's attacking and scoring can the other guys feed off him. That's true for ALL point guards in the NBA.
That is exactly what I've noticed. He focuses too much of being a distributor but he creates well for others if he drives deep into the lane instead of passing the ball while he's still 15-18 ft away from the basket.
This is still preseason where coaches draw up game plans and work on strategy to see what works and what doesn't. It's not all on Lin alone if things don't work, as the coaching staff is responsible for putting Lin in positions where he can succeed.
The hard truth is that when the NBA season truly starts, coaches are secondary to the players. A typical NBA game features players doing their own thing REGARDLESS of the high falutin' plans that coaches draw up. This is why so many veterans look awful in preseason: they're not playing THEIR games.
Jeremy Lin knows when to adhere to an offense and when to break it. Mike Woodson tore his hair out (pun intended) trying to limit Lin's game, but he bit his lip every time Lin made a great play or won games for him. And Jeremy Lin is too good and too experienced a floor general to allow himself to be constrained by any coach's offensive expectations (even McHale's).
Lin will be JUST FINE once the regular season starts and players STOP listening to their coaches!
Dont the fans hate him ? I am assuming because that is what I see online. I dont know about you guys but I have a feeling when he returns to MSG, he is going to be booed badly.
Jeremy should never forget the black propaganda orchestrated by the KNICKS and the NY Media. Jeremy should not also forget the comments by his ex-teammates and the racial slurs in his facebook page done by KNICKS fans.
I don't think that he will be booed badly at least me and my friends (we will be at the v.s NYK and NETS game). There are still ton of sports writers can't get rid of Jeremy. Especially, Ian Begley from ESPN new youk. He is still writing about Lin. Check out the latest article from ESPN New York http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/knicks/post/_/id/26078/lin-wanted-to-finish-career-as-a-knick You can still feel some tears from NYC's media.
To be honest, I dont think they miss jeremy. What they miss is people reading their articles. IT is not a knock to Lin but with Lin in nyk, there were many thing they could write about now they cant. That is just my opinion.
Mike Breen who is the lead commentator for ESPN and MSG still talking about Lin at the recent Knicks' preseason game. One time, he even said "...coach d'antoni...oh no, coach woodson...." Btw, Mike Breen is one of Mike d'antoni's close friends.
I just know that the knick fans dont give a damn about him. Look at the comments on ESPN. Knick fans think that the knicks are the best team in the world and while I respect these fans who stick by their team even during tough times, they are extremely arrogant . That is why they expected Lin to actually tell the knicks that rockets uploaded the offer so that Lin could become a knick?! I mean that is just wrong. Do you know that they are actually blaming lin saying he was a distraction to the the team? With Lin's comments, they are laughing at him because it sounds like Lin misses them and why give them the satisfaction of that. Get what I mean? While everyone here thinks that the knicks will be bad this year, I beg to differ. Soon , they would forget him, in fact many have moved on already.
jeremy still has a lot of fans in ny, why wouldn't he? also i dont really understand why should he punish anybody? what did the ny fans do other than cheer for him? he will always be grateful for that. Obviously there are ny fans who never liked jeremy in the first place, so what? they are in their right to do so.. He should keep his good vibes as usual, that way he plays better basketball
@ sean joh :Sorry if I sound rude. Is just that it was as clear as day that knicks did not want Lin yet the fans are blaming him for it which is really ridiculous.
These pro-Lin writers are doing a favor for JLin and most importantly to the NY fans to not accept the lies ("JLin the traitor took the money and ran") that Dolan-propaganda machine would like them to believe.
In the beginning, many NY fans believed these lies but more and more I also see mostly positive comments on these NY articles. The Knicks fans are very knowledgeable so most should know the truth by now that Dolan made foolish emotional decision to never make any offer to JLin.
I expect by Christmas game in MSG, we would see cheers and standing ovation from NY fans grateful for the Linsanity run that Jeremy gave them.
To be booed and shut up the fans by playing well is a sweet payback but to come back and receive standing ovation would be a complete conquest. Vini, Vidi, Vici!
I want the TV camera shining a split-screen of Dolan's squirming face next to NY fans giving standing ovation to JLin.
Even during the summer fiasco I was expecting the Knicks fans who will be attending the games to show their appreciation for JLin. Those fans who attend games and experienced Linsanity are not the ones insisting on the lies and negative spins on JLins statements.
Knicks fans who actually watch games in MSG are known to cheer on the underdog. The fans watching games in MSG cheered for JLin whenever he came into the game even before Linsanity.
Before Linsanity was when JLin was at one of the lowest moments in his career. He was about to be kicked out of the league.
The Knicks fans at MSG picked him up when he was down. They cheered him on even if he played for under ten minutes a game and during trash time,
When JLin says he would not mind playing in front of the Knicks, he remembers this unconditional (in the sense that the MSG crowd would cheer for a no-name d-leaguer who hasn't produced or the team) support from the MSG Knicks fans. Their continuing support for him through Linsanity gave him the energy to perform and play some of the best basketball up to that point in his life.
JLin fed off the MSG fans support, enthusiasm, and energy. He felt the true meaning of home court advantage.
Perhaps one day he can feel the same way in Houston.
I would be surprised that JLin did not feel grateful to the MSG crowd. He isn't that type of person who shifts like sand, appreciating the people who he happens to play for and turning 180 degrees and bad mouth the MSG Knicks fans that impacted him the most, just because he is in a different team.
He recognizes the love the MSG crowd showed him. Just like how Steve Nash will openly say he appreciates the fans in Phoenix, JLin is just as right to show his love for MSG Knicks fans without being called ungrateful to Rockets or still havent let go. Just as much the Suns fans can reasonably cheer on Nash when he returns, MSG can reasonably show their appreciation for Linsanity when JLin returns.
Being nostalgic and being loyal to his rockets isn't mutually exclusive. There was an ugly divorce with the Knicks management, but do you have to hate in-laws as well (referring to the MSG Knicks fans), especially ones which were with you through the tough times and were estatic for you during your great times?
JLin in part talked about his nostalgia to refute the idea that he was ungrateful to the Knicks organization and especially the fans. It is also to refute the idea that he was only looking for money.
Remember that Jlin is a classy guy. He is also a people person. Moreover, he is aware of the negative distortions about him regarding free agency. With these things in mind, read again his statements about appreciating the supportive Knicks fans who he played in front of and about not minding playing in front of them for the rest of his career. I cannot come to the conclusion that he is necessarily ungrateful towards the rockets or that he isn't focused on his current job to play basketball.
You hit the nail right on the head. I thought JLin was making two main points in the interview - in so many words:
* My love of NY fans, who gave me the unbelievable support, was THE REASON that I was willing to come back. After all, I was a restricted free agent.
* But I was told to test my market and they'll match. I followed the order but they didn't match. So, as you can see, I'm a Rocket now, but it wasn't for greed.
I EXPECT LIN to have a 20 & 10 performance. He needs to annihilate, destroy, humiliate, dominate and crush Brandon Knight. I expect the Rockets to win by at least 20 points.
Anything less than that would be a disappointment.
Yes!!!! This!! I want to see a progression for the last two preseason games in jlin. Those last two will be played closer to opening season game. Let's see if jlin is jlin again. I think he will be close but I fully expect him to start cranking up his starter stats early in the season.
If you're going to be on the cover of GQ, then you better justify it with your play. Otherwise, you'll be seen as nothing more than a marketing gimmick.
Maybe Jeremy needs a pep talk. He doesn't seem to be motivated by the myriad of doubters that he has.
And this puts even more of a TARGET on Lin's back. Most NBA players read GQ and they are going to try to do ANYTHING they can to destroy him and his hype machine.
I have no problem with the cover. He just needs his play to back it up. The last thing he needs is to be mentioned with Tebow, who's currently a back-up QB.
Maybe he misses the adoring fans from New York; the chanting of his name; Hopefully, he's not falling in love with the attention. The last thing he needs right now is another distraction
Guys, Lin has NO CONTROL over what the media does.
You need to understand that Lin is part of the NBA entertainment machine and is generating revenue for a lot of people. It's in his job description to be appearing in the public eye. He CANNOT SAY NO to the bulk of these media requests.
Just remember that Lin is not an amateur athlete anymore who can walk away from the media if he chooses. Lin is now an NBA STAR who is simply fulfilling the duties of one. So relax and let him do his job by appearing on GQ!
In these few preseason games it is clear that McHale runs a very different half court offense. The offense has lots of motion and pushes at a very fast pace. So far it seems too unsettling for many Rockets' players, especially rookies. It almost resembles the GS Warriors Don Nelson offense. I also notice that less points are score from PnR. Either less PnRs are run or run correctly, or the defense knows it is coming.
I think Jeremy Lin is going to have a lot of challenges to overcome. Godspeed Jeremy! I pray that you and the team will do well.
Aside from Lin cracking under pressure (which I truly don't think can happen to this guy based on what he's been through and how he was raised), my biggest fear is that Lin is an injury waiting to happen.
The NBA is completely BS in the way they are allowing Lin to be pummelled and a lot of it is Lin's own fault and style of game as I agree with most people on this board. Lin is trying to just play clean ball and stay cool but guys are trying to take him out of games physically. Blake Griffin deals with some of that too because of his dunking.
I'm not saying Lin should fight nor should he beat anyone up cause he couldn't if he tried, nor should he do a "sneaky" retaliation. Right now he needs to be doing obvious retaliations or at least jaw at the opposing team. Imagine if Lin popped another guy in the crotch like CP3 or dropped kicked a player in the face like Bruce Bowen or used Bowen's BS ankle breaking defensive foot slide on shooters - Lin would be crucified by the media and other teams and there would be even more of a bounty on him. It's unfair but because Lin is Asian he can't do the same things and get away with it.
But Lin does need to stand up though when he gets hit in a truly BS manner and hit other team's players the same way Kidd/Lopez hit him, accident or not. He needs to get in someone's face to let his team, other teams, and the NBA know that he's not going to take it and make it an issue. There are no nice guys in the NBA. All the top players are cocky A-holes.
Kobe is ridiculous and the famous "Kobe on Mike Miller" retaliation cheap shot was just that - ridiculous. I think Kobe only got a flagrant 1 for almost taking Mike Miller out permamently. Lin needs to do some of that to a lesser degree if he's not going to get up off the ground and confront someone immediately. He needs to get a Tech or 2 if that's what it takes for the Rockets organization and GM and coach to make comments in the media.
Lin is tough no question about it. Taking those hits and getting up aint easy. But it's one thing to silently take hits and another to stand up for yourself. Hopefully he figures that out before it's too late.
Deron Williams got a flagrant called in his favor yesterday because AJ Price touched him. Lin gets Lopez'd and it's just a normal foul. This happens to other players too, but it happens to Lin on quite a consistent basis. Either the NBA doesn't want Lin to shine too bright or the certain refs themselves have an agenda for their own various reasons.
I do agree that Jeremy needs to prepare how he will react when someone is out there with harmful intent to take him out of the game (i.e. Jalen Rose's recent admission to undercut Kobe by stepping underneath his jumper to get broken ankles and be out of the playoffseries)
I have a hard-time imagining JLin going berserk ala Ron Artest to swing left and right but there might come a time to look at someone straight in the eye and let them know he does not appreciate their dirty plays.
If JLin chooses to follow the Biblical way, Jesus showed there is a righteous anger when he turned the merchant's tables at the Jewish temple because they made a mockery God's holy place. So it's not an out-of-control anger but a controlled anger if someone tries to injure his teammates or himself.
The biggest flagrant foul we have discussed in the past was JKidd's grabbing his hair from behind when JLin drove to the rim. It's hard to confront someone when you're still writhing in pain on the floor. In this case, I thought most agreed that his teammates need to confront the dirty player.
In Lopez's case, his teammates correctly confronted Lopez. I think JLin accepted the apology because he knew Lopez did not have the dirty reputation and did not have the evil intent to take him out. Lopez had a 'soft' label in the past so he tried to shed that label.
Yes, I hope Coach McHale talked to him about this scenario because he knows how important JLin is for this team.
You're mistaken. I doubt McHale has even addressed this. He's probably more concerned whether Jeremy is the guy they thought they were getting. And you better believe players will go extra hard at Lin. The sad thing is he doesn't even seem aware of it. I don't want to see him laughing no more. He seems so damn naive that I just want to slap some sense into him.
Lin - and a lot of players - play best when they're laughing and having FUN. Lebron James is like that too in that he's a GREAT 4th quarter player when he's relaxed and not screwing up his own head with excessive pressure.
I actually think Lin needs to relax and quit trying to cover for his teammates. Make the plays and let them fall on their own if they can't produce. And Lin should stop beating himself up so much so that he can shoot an easy jumper as opposed to a tense one!
yes, we want him to have FUN to play at his best. Remember that Linsanity happened when he played with nothing to lose. When he said many times that he put too much pressure on himself to play well for his fans in GS, he played tentatively and timid. The last thing we want him to do is put too much pressure on himself and not having fun because he said it didn't work on him.
You're right, KHuang. He needs to relax and be himself, have the mindset of attack-and-score and pass when the defense collapses on him.
It's hard to will oneself to relax [this in itself is anxiety-making, lol.] Esp someone like JLin, who is very conscientious. He's trying to fulfill some very high expectations.
He's also a perfectionist, and he'd want to "do." It's very tempting, esp when things are uncertain, to want to regain control & consciously choreograph things instead of just letting things flow/ get into the zone -> That means trust, but he's in an all-new environment.
He's not been wearing his Christian bracelet lately. [Is he off his usual routine?] His faith helps him a lot in dealing with pressure, where he can "let go and let God."
Jeremy needs to respond back, plain and simple. Being passive will only lead to more hard fouls and no calls.
When guys like Kobe or Metta World Peace go for layups. Opposing guys just let them do it or at most just slap their arms to try to get the ball out of their hands.
When Jeremy does it, people smack them down hard on his face/head or pull down him while he's in the air. That's very dangerous.
If this continues, I fear he will probably be injured again in the season.
Where the hell is Lin's head at? He just tweeted about his GQ cover. To me, it seems like the kid is content, when in reality, he hasn't accomplished much yet. A lot of his peers will resent this. They don't feel like he's earned it and like I said, they will go after him HARD. He needs to make to sure these 1-10 FG, 1 rebound, 1 assist efforts are a rare thing (if it ever happens again).
When the real NBA games start and defenses clamp down even more, Lin will shine. He'll still struggle against the teams like San Antonio with multiple All Stars, though.
Lin is still learning what his Rockets team can and cannot do. Despite that, he's done a good job on the court and has kept his team active against the #1 and #2 Western Conference teams. He's doing JUST FINE!
Those open jumpers will fall. Lin is too good a shooter to brick away an entire season the way John Wall did shooting 7.5% from three point range!
You are one of Lin's biggest fans TVN, so we'll give you a pat on the po po!
Similarly, concerned, it's just TOO BAD if other players are angry that Lin's on GQ. LET THEM COME!!!
I as an Asian American man who's weathered a long lifetime of racial warfare has learned that people are gonna come after me because I'm Asian American, and I'm not even on GQ. So you might as well seize the good publicity while you can and enjoy your run in the limelight.
I've fought the world before for my bare daily survival. It's WORTH IT. There is no alternative for Asian American men.
Hopefully he realizes on the court it's like a war zone. If they're not his teammates, they're the enemy. And should be treated as such. It's every man for himself.
Being nice will only show weakness which the opponents can/will exploit. People fouling him excessively hard because they know he doesn't fight back.
Coach Kevin McHale really needs to teach the team to defend themselves and each other. He should tell them how he fouled Kurt Rambis back in the days.
no worries, guys. I know we all want JLin to do play well in scoring and passing like we know he can.
We just need to remember his Linsanity secret. Just like Feb. 2012, he needs to feel fun, let loose, laughing and enjoy playing basketball with nothing to lose in order to perform at the highest level of Linsanity. So I'm glad to see him laughing and said he's having fun again. Even Coach McHale said that it will be slow to regain his form after not playing so long but one day it will come back just like that. So let him have the most fun that he can have :D
If he looks like he's pressing himself out there because he's not doing well, that's when we need to worry.
He's been trying to live as much of a "normal" life as he can. He tweeted as he normally would, with his own brand of sense of humor. Seems he tends to forget he is a celebrity now, and would tweet a dorky joke or two at times, for which he'd be flamed [he'd take the tweet down then.]
There's so much on his plate, he needs some people to advise him on things, give him a gauge on what's out there, the social temperature. [He's still a one-man operation, with some help from family, it seems.]
Anyone that appears in the cover of a magazine - or just an inside story - is *expected* to do some promoting the publication's behalf. All the other guys do that also.
Loving the comments on here. Judging a basketball player based on ONE game alone is laughable but forgetting how much of an impact he had last year making NBA fun again is just pathetic.
I am assuming not too many people commenting on here has played much organized basketball in high school or college. Anyone who's played any sports will know that you will have a horrible game once in awhile. There are times when shots just don't fall. All great athletes had those days. But what separates a great player from the rest is that they will bounce back stronger, which I am assuming JLin will be able to do.
On the comment about JLin not accomplishing anything, have you actually been following him? Through out his college career? He has accomplished alot more than Kyrie Irving had when he entered nba. It was based on potential that Kyrie was able to go #1. Same reason goes for JLin's contract from Houston. Let the boy play for abit before making unreasonable basketball judgements. There are still 82 REAL games to be played before anyone should say how bad of a player he is.
Also, it's not as if Lin hasn't been shut down before. I think Princeton always owned him in college, because the team specifically game planned to stop him. Lin will only thrive ultimately if the team thrives. Of course, Lin will have something to do with whether the team thrives.
Hey all the blog gangsters on here...everyone's a tough guy on the message boards huh...big deal. Jeremy is in difficult situation and I thought the GQ article was awesome in that it pointed out Asian Stereotype obstacles that is his reality. But for everyone to say Jeremy needs to stand up and start fighting with someone - all I can say as that is an ignorant slave type mentality. Things are done differently nowdays - he's got to be smart - He's the only Asian in NBA - fighting will do nothing but bring more resentment to him and make guys play harder against him. For all those guys who says people will respect him more if he stands up and starts scrapping with a black player do not know sports....unless Jeremy Lin just annihilated someone like Ron Artest and cold knocked his ass out - nobody is gonna respect Lin for fighting a black player - instead it will create a racial war that all black players will go up against lin more and respect him less.
Jeremy Lin probably has never gotten into fight in his life so no need to prove his knuck game now...what will earn him the ultimate respect is to just get up from the shots and not say a word but just play the game and play it well and win games...that's what other players will respect. This is not prison and it's not the street. NBA is a business and it's a corporation. Blogger Gangsters go preach somewhere else.
I do agree...he needs to drop the wish I played in New York sob story....nobody cares about that...Jeremy got start acting like a man and start being a businessman in the NBA corporation. He should be promoting Houston and saying he can't wait to serve it to the Knicks when he plays them again. He should be saying he will make the Knicks regret letting him go - not saying he wish he could have retired there- cmon Jeremy - that's being a kitty kat. Man up and start being 25 year old man and be competitive that people like Tyson Chandler, JR Smith and Carmelo, Amare have been calling you out and disrespecting you. Create some hype by saying you're going to come to NY Garden and get the crowd rocking again for a linsanity special edition.
Sorry, but the NBA is a TOUGH GUY league where players bounce each other around.
We've been through this before, Mike Nice. Every one of your favorite NBA players has gotten into his share of nasty fights. It is part of the game, and that's not a bad thing either.
Jeremy Lin has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to fear from any player due to skin color. No man on this planet should fear any other man due to skin color. And if guys come after Lin, he'll just have to MAN UP and PUNCH THEM OUT.
Many of my foes labeled me a gangster AFTER I punished them for coming after me. Better that than cower in another man's presence!
I don't want him to start fights. He'll probably get knocked out.
Just after getting fouled too hard, get up in their face and call attention to it. Say that $^#& won't be tolerated. Like how Jared defend Jeremy when he was on the Knicks. Or call them out in the media for cheap shoting him.
Staying silent and acting passive won't change a thing. Even if his game is good, if he doesn't complain about the fouls, nothing will change.
Refs who are biased turned a blind eye and teammates can only do so much. Teammates won't start a fight for you because they'll be suspended without pay.
It's up to him to stand up for himself.
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I agree, he's playing for the Rockets now and shouldn't talk about preferring the Knicks.
He needs to fight back against people in the media talking $#*# about him.
you guys are missing my point...he's the only asian in the league so fighting back is counterproductive....think of all pioneers in their situation who faced the problems i.e jackie robinson, he got beaned many times, was taunted and not respected but he just played the game and got his legacy because of his strength to not fight someone but to overcome it and play the game...the game is the game - doesn't matter who fights or who gets in someone's face in this situation. If there were many Asians in the NBA then Jeremy could get gangster out there and be ready to fight but not as the only Asian on the court - it works against him (see my above post).
concerned...if Jeremy lin tried to be a fake gangster by getting up in someone's face and acting like he's hard it will be obvious front. Jeremy lin would look like a Scottie Pippen if he did that and it would bring more animosity to him. Jeremy should just get up walk to free throw line and make his free throws and keep his mouth shut...but I will say he shouldn't be shaking anyone's hand who just knocked your ass to the ground. And definitely don't say in the paper or media that it's ok and such...just keep your mouth shut and don't fuel the fire. If Jeremy was smart he would take his goons out to dinner a lot and let his bodyguards handle that mess (Chandler Parsons , TErrance Jones?)....
It doesn't matter that Jeremy is the only Asian in the entire NBA.
I've been the only Asian standing up for myself in fights against multiple opponents. Lin cannot afford to back down from anybody.
So what if the entire NBA comes after him? They ALREADY ARE. Playing nice only makes it worse.
Lin is an Asian American male like me. If somebody crosses me and gets beat up, it's THEIR fault and not mine. And if it creates more enemies, BRING EM ON!!!
My willingness to rumble with anybody that crosses me is why I don't get picked on, least of all on a basketball court where I have learned to legally smack people around!
I think Jeremy should just focus on playing the best basketball he can. This talk about fighting back is silly. What will it change? Nothing. However, what would it do to his mind? It would diminish his focus on what he can control entirely: His performance. Let's face it: He can't control what other players decide to do or not do. And any focus he takes away from playing the best basketball he can is wasted focus. The NBA is inherently dangerous and there's nothing you can do to change that. You can only minimize risk by playing intelligently, but the whole fighting back thing doesn't accomplish that.
Regarding this statement:
"He should be promoting Houston and saying he can't wait to serve it to the Knicks when he plays them again."
The above may sound romantic but it's devoid of all intelligence. You don't do ANYTHING to increase the motivation of other players to go after you. It would be akin to saying something like "I'm really going to give it to Michael Jordan" prior to playing him. What do you think that would do to MJ's motivation? And what kind of pressure do you think that would put on the person who uttered those words?
All you wussy pacifists can talk self righteous peace garbage about Lin cowering when people go after him.
But let me tell you how it is for Asian American males in this racially hostile American culture.
When I was a kid, the other kids bullied me daily. It was never just one attacker, but up to ten at a time. I got bounced around daily and the teachers watched it happen.
Then I got MAD. I became a walking powder keg, willing to fight anybody that crossed me even if he was bigger and older. I went after EVERYBODY that targeted me and fought some hellacious fights. The kids taunted me for being hyper crazy, but it was sheer FRIGHT in their eyes as I turned my red enraged eyes on them and their friends to administer a whooping. I wasn't even TEN years old!
After a while, my enemies just didn't bother messing with me anymore. I had fought, gotten in trouble with teachers, been sent to the principal's office, and WHUPPED everybody that came after me. The instant I growled, people backed right off because they knew I was there to HURT people. From that point on, school was halcyon until I got into junior high and high school to face new enemies.
If you are an Asian American guy like me and Lin, you are not protected by the same social rules of etiquette that everybody else is protected by. You are ON YOUR OWN, and people WILL attack. You learn to be strong because it's better to throw 10 punches that connect than be bullied 100 times with increasing intensity.
Men who aren't Asian American cannot possibly understand what it's like to be racially targeted by everyone around you in today's day and age. Lin should learn from ME.
all this talking about fighting back, gotta stand up for yourself, bring em on and such, it's completely senseless. This is not about fighting, this is basketball. Where did you guys get the idea Jeremy had to fight anyone? he is a relaxed guy who just wants to play some basketball and have fun doing it, give him a break
Like I said, you guys are a bunch of wimps who are encouraging Lin to meekly cower as the entire NBA hits him with increasingly brutal contact.
Fighting is part of being Asian American. People go after Lin physically because he doesn't retaliate. He got brutalized out of the league last season and is on his way toward being brutalized out of it now.
Most bullies back off only in response to violence. If Lin doesn't learn that lesson quick, he's going to get PERMANENTLY injured out of the NBA via illegal contact.
Like it or not, an Asian American man like Lin or myself needs to man up and take on everybody. People won't attack if Lin shows that he retaliates.
well maybe, i dont know really, i'm not in your position.. though i honestly dont see jeremy as the retaliation kind of guy. if he is smart he will stay out of troubles and play great games, thats what i really want to see
Bamboo: I get your point about not giving other team bulletin board material. I do agree with you on that point as an athlete and if part of team. However, this situation is different because of all the hot sauce that is being dropped on Lin from New York papers and such. I think Lin should embrace the hype and mouth off to them and answer back with saying he is going to be pumped to play in the Garden and teach the Knicks a lesson. He could say something passive and say I hope to play well vs. New York and bore people to death but he will be getting New York's hard fouls and best effort no matter what he says. If anything, he should come out of his Asian Stereotype politeness and start waving his flag that he's coming....it's not fighting or anythign but it shows at least he has guts and courage to speak up. If he plays bad and gets embarassed so be it but it will rally his fans to him like no other. Jeremy is our Asian Malcolm X - we are depending on him for our place in professional sports society.
I've been in Jeremy Lin's shoes and have fought the wars. I don't fight as much as an adult, but that's because I publicly display myself as an asskicker!
Jeremy Lin is not a retaliation guy, and NEITHER AM I. But when people target us for being Asian American, they think they can attack us with impunity because Asian Americans are thought of as weaker than all other races. Retaliation is the only way to stop the attackers, and I've tried EVERYTHING.
Here's a typical example. When I was in grad school, I was playing basketball. One of my teammates decided to start screaming at me for no reason. I was passing him the ball and doing everything right, but he got madder and madder. Finally I screamed "F You, I'll kick you ass" even though he was bigger and more popular than me. He backed right down and apologized. I sweetly snarled that it was OK, and I ended up captaining my own team after that!
I have hardly been racially targeted on the basketball court because I'm MEAN. Maybe I have been targeted by guys, but I always smack guys around legally and play nasty little mind games all the time. For example, if a guy is going after me with hard fouls I'll make sure I block his shot or bounce him around just to let him know I'm there. Even though I usually play with guys a foot taller than me, I'll still bang against them inside even if I have no chance of winning. Then those guys end up on MY team!!!
If Jeremy Lin starts getting physical with his attackers and learns the beauty of four letter words, the entire NBA will keep a respectful distance from him.
If Jeremy Lin throws one punch and gets suspended 10 games, he'll have prolonged his NBA career by at least a year because guys will back off.
Players on the basketball court don't respect refs or even suspensions. They do respect guys screaming in the faces and attacking them physically. Lin WILL learn, especially from McHale!
You have already proven yourself wrong by claiming nobody cares about JLins NY sentiments. You read the article??? Even NY restaurant waiters care and tell JLin that they do. Read the comments on the articles site and see if people care...
You say he should forget about NY and attack the Knicks franchise immediately. By doing so JLin would basicly cut ties with his old NY fans. Youre asking him to be a total sellout when hes not. Hes a loyal person and therefor cares. By doing so he is reinforcing ties with his old fans.
Also - people have been saying a lot of crap about JLin (SAS -> all about money). Its only fair that JLin sets the record straight on any given opportunity.
JLin must fight back. Theres no way hes gonna survive the abuse on the court like that on the long run. You want that batman/spiderman/a-team like behavior of standing up and shaking it off after youve been beaten down. But thats childish wishful thinking - not reality.
You claimed that JLin never got into a fight in his life -> read his interviews -> hes fighting for himself and hes even threathened a ref during a game - saying if the ref didnt stop the opponent fans who were taunting him he would be doing something stupid.
JLin cannot get into a fist fight with his attackers - but he must fight for himself and I woudlnt mind if JLin pushed his attackere or something like that. I believe the average bball fan would accept that.
Youre insulting all african and asian americans by saying it would turn out to be a racial war. You think people are that dumb? Youre basicly saying that JLin should give in to the stereotypes -> nice respectful asian.
He must show that hes not OK with the fouls. He could simply do so by NOT shaking hands or hug the attacking opponent. He doesnt have to look mean and insulted - he could just ignore them with a cool (and mean) smile on his face. But - by accepting their apology (hand shake or hug) he makes it look as if hes ok with being fouled.
Also - if a ref doesnt give a foul on one end he cannot give a foul on the other end as well. Rockets must not play with lesser means. If JLins being attacked - someone must attack the opponents star player. I dont like intentional fouls but sometimes you must let things escalate for refs to step in and think it all over...
Mike Nice would be right if the NBA/NBA refs called it fair 80% of the time for Lin. But see it's not - Jkidd's hit, even on review by the NBA, was deemed a clean hit. There are many other hits from last year besides just that one. Again, other "stars" like Deron Williams get TOUCHED and it's flagrant.
When Linsanity started, he got normal calls, even some ticky tack calls, and guys on other teams just fouled him normally. Later on, people just started to clobber him and the ref's swallowed their whistle on ticky tack fouls and called normal fouls on some flagrant fouls, particularly when the team was falling apart with D'Antoni.
Mike Nice is also way off base in using a Jackie Robinson analogy. This is 2012 - where people in mainstream America claim there is no racism - see Anne Coulter's recent comments for example. (Despite her gaudy education, I think she's an idiot but she represents the thinking of much of the 1% and middle/upper white/mainstream demographic aka the majority of the USA - hell, she probably likes Lin for what he represents besides his race). Robinson also had to deal with infinitely more overt racism than Lin ever will.
Today the racism is subtle, which is more frustrating but quite honestly it's not anything close to Robinson. Not sure if the MLB called the strike zone in a more BS way for Robinson but if so, that would be a solid analogy to what Lin is facing with fouls etc.
Today, nobody wants to hear the word racism and everyone in the USA, particularly the mainstream, wants to believe the USA is a place of equal opportunity. So because of that, Lin doesn't need to "take it" or "grin and bear it." There's not supposed to be a glass barrier or set of Asian rules Lin needs to play by. That's why Lin can go and do what he feels is necessary to protect himself without fear.
Lin can try to be a pacifist but he isn't the strongest guy to start with and he will be physically injured out of the NBA unless he protects himself - I really believe that. If he has to adjust his game, all that means is that he becomes a jump shooter, meaning he will be less effective(ie jump shots all day like Dwill). He shoots ok, but he's no Nash, not yet at least.
Lin doesn't have to show fake TV bravado - nobody suggests that's what Lin should do. I think Lin is the kind of guy, who if he is really mad will actually really want to fight.
Rather Lin can gently walk up to his attacker after the play and let the guy know the hits are not going to be ok. Lin needs to make it known there will be consequences. Or Lin simply needs to do a gentler version of the "Kobe on Mike Miller" hit or the "Derek Fisher on Scola" hit towards his attackers. Usually the attackers on teams aren't the star players anyways so nobody will really care.
So what if Lin gets hits with a $1000.00 fine, big deal. More importantly. next time some guy like old man Kidd or Lopez thinks about hitting Lin, they will be wondering if Lin will hit em in the ribs or take out their legs back in retaliation.
But if you just take hits and not say or do anything, the hits are just going to keep on coming. People will walk all over him.
I hope it gets so bad that Lin looses his cool and I hope the NBA ejects Lin for it so that the NBA unintentionally causes a debate about the inequity of race etc and bring back all those articles about how black refs call more fouls on white players and vice versa. Because if Lin loses his cool, that means the hits would be so blatant and the calls would be so poorly refereed that the NBA would have to clean it up because it got too obvious.
Some of the comments I see on here are perpetuating stereotypes more than anything else. What is with the constant drumbeat of "Lin's gonna get injured out of the NBA"? No, he isn't! What on earth? Players freaking get clobbered. They get flagrants. Kobe gets flagranted all the time. If Lin is really the delicate flower you think he is, then he deserves to be run out of the league.
Like some of you, I've watched every Lin game. He definitely took some fouls that should have been called. He got bloody noses that should have been called at least a couple of times last year. THAT'S NOT GONNA END A CAREER! Flagrant fouls almost never result in missed games. Lin is not in special danger. He doesn't have to take great pains to protect himself. His teammates will have his back as far as that goes, but that's all pecking order stuff. It's not going to make him miss games.
The only thing that can stop Lin is Lin. Or McHale using him poorly.
Jeremy Lin is 6'3" and 215 lbs - big enough to hurt ANYBODY.
Don't assume that a big strong guy like Lin cannot defend himself. He CAN if he chooses to.
I'm half Lin's size but have double the fight. I hold my own against bigger guys. So can Lin.
Lin needs to start legally bullying his opponents. Bumping guys, throwing guys around, elbowing them, kneeing them - all part of the game!
Once I was in summer camp. A guy was pushing around my teammates. he came to push me, and he got stunned because I mowed right theough his push. At the end of the game he deliberately undercut me as I drove in for the winning layup. I saw him coming, so I grabbed his head in midair and landed gently using his body as a cushion. I made the layup and won the game, which I found out when I was lying on my back and my crumpled opponent was crawling away from me painfully!
I hope Lin learns to give no quarter like Stockton. Players always said Stockton was dirty just because they couldn't stand that way a 6'1" white dude would set hard picks and didn't let guys just run him over at the first sign of contact. Lin IS big, so there's no reason to think he can't hold his own out there. He isn't in mortal danger of having his career ruined by the big bad bullies of the NBA.
Regardless of what you or I think Jeremy Lin should do in response to hard/flagrant fouls, it's unlikely that he will ever retaliate. Retaliating would simply be inconsistent with the character of Jeremy Lin. In my mind, it's not because he is naive or timid or soft or weak; rather, he would choose not to retaliate because of his belief in the Christian faith and the life principles that follow.
Jeremy has said that his identity is in Christ, and has said repeatedly that he wants to play basketball to glorify God. He views playing basketball in the NBA as a vehicle, a platform; as a means to an end as opposed to an end in itself. He had also stated his plans of being a minister after his basketball career is over. Putting all of this together, it's unthinkable that Jeremy would behave in such a way that dishonors God.
It may very well be, just like many of you pointed out that the NBA, the American society, and the real world present a rough jungle where one must hunt or be hunted; where aggressiveness toward others is the most effective way to curb aggressiveness received. But by his creed, I imagine that Jeremy would choose not to "play by the rules"; so as to be in the world, but not of the world.
I believe Jeremy understands how the game is played. In fact, I would even venture to guess that at times he would instinctively want to retaliate, but restrains himself from doing so. If he is as firmly grounded in the Christian faith as he appears, then the teachings in the faith would invariably shape his decision making. This includes being humble, recognizing God as the sole judge, make peace as much as possible, love the enemy, forgive, be kind, be long suffering, etc. A person so convicted in the Christian faith would rather choose to be hurt by others than to do wrong to others.
I'm not making a case for what is right and what is wrong, or whether a particular interpretation of the Bible and the ensuing translation into Christian living is correct. I'm simply stating that, from my own understanding and observations, how Jeremy has been responding to the hostility and physical harm has been consistent with his professed Christian belief. In an ironic way, this silent endurance reminds me of the non-violent spirit best illustrated in the life of Martin Luther King Jr.
For a person who is serious about his faith and desires to live it out, understanding the heart of God and applying that understanding in day-to-day living is an ongoing challenge. Jeremy has to know that the same God who embodies and desires forgiveness, love, grace and mercy; also is a God who does not tolerate injustice, who hates evil, and who detests oppression. Retaliation may be "wrong" in the perspective of the Christian faith; but by the same faith, not confronting injustice is also "wrong". Many great ways of confronting dirty fouls without hitting back have been suggested in this thread alone. It is my sincere hope that Jeremy will find a balance and a right approach. Sure, be kind and forgiving to the transgressors, but be firm and strong against the transgressions.
JLin's situation cannot be compared to other players in the league. We already saw how the rules are diff when it's applied to him. They believe he does not belong, they HATE his fame, the "undeserved" contract. It's personal for a lotta players, it's not your regular fouls. ---
Even if he shows his displeasure at being fouled [not shaking hands etc] So? It's not going stop simply bec JLin is unhappy about it. There must be actual, concrete consequences to the transgressor, to compel them to refrain. ---
"Once I was in summer camp. A guy was pushing around my teammates. he came to push me, and he got stunned because I mowed right through his push." - Ironically, JLin would actually be more likely to fight for a team mate than for himself. ---
"I hope it gets so bad that Lin looses his cool" He'd sooner be injured than get to the point where he'll ALLOW his emotions to bring him to the verge of fighting. Bec he is consciously self-disciplined [and consciously suppressing negative emotions] it will take a great deal to rouse him to the point he loses his cool. He'd be injured by then. ---
It would be ideal if he retaliate. In fact, bec of people's false perception about him, he needs to retaliate even harder, [and it will take more instances too] to convince the league he is not to be f with.
@3 is probably right though, that it's unlikely he will do this. He's stepped up his commitment to his Christian beliefs this summer, and had repeatedly talked about being a Man of Character [someone who can suffer and persevere - Romans 5:3-5] and wanting to play bball The Right Way. This, after a season of getting beat up almost nightly. Regardless of whether his stance is right or wrong, it's what he's doing. The strategy must simply factor in his reluctance to fight. The next best way would be to get his team mates to step up. [It's doable.]
It's either this, or his definition of what The Right Way is, somehow widens to include certain "forceful actions." [Perhaps if it can be viewed not as Retaliation, but as Response...]
Playing bball The Right Way: Game rules are abstract, and rule-breaking should be considered a strategic part of any game [not some gauge of "goodness" or "badness" by not following rules?] There are provisions for rule-breaking, one takes on the corresponding penalty.
If it's the psycho-social taboo of doing violence: Again, some martial arts training will help him un-enmeshed the pure physical act from the emotional/ moral connotations they usually are associated with [i.e. anger/ hate/ pride] He is not trying to hurt people. He is not retaliating. He is just responding to the requirements of the game as it is being played at that particular juncture.
Ricky Rubio got knocked out of the NBA by repeated hard fouls. Jeremy Lin got knocked out too. Blake Griffin gets slammed every game. And let's not forget Rudy Tomjanovich being punched by Kermit Washington.
The way Lin was slammed in Dallas with three flagrant fouls all at the same time and the referees wouldn't call it? It WILL happen again, EVERY GAME. It's already been happening in preseason.
If John Stockton could throw punches, so could Lin. I watched Stockton try to punch Bill Cartwright in the head when Bill tried to decapitate him with those trademark elbows that knocked out so many players for the season. Stockton's best friend Isiah Thomas also tried to punch Cartwright in the head. Those are two of your greatest point guards of all time and Lin should learn from both of them.
It's no secret that the key to John Stockton's longevity was Stockton's famous belligerence along with Karl Malone acting as a terrifying enforcer. If Lin is to have a long successful NBA career the way John Stockton did, he had better learn to PUNCH GUYS the way John Stockton did!
Please let's be real here. This isn't football anything. This victim mentality is sickening. I'm tired of soft players. If you don't like contact, go play golf or tennis.
Again, anyone who is suggesting Lin get into altercations is not seeing the big picture...Lin will not get respect that way. He's a bigger person in this situation. If he fights or acts like a fake gangster out there it will come across as he can't handle the pressure and the I believe guys will come at him more and get him out of his game and he will probably get hit every game - Did you ever see Gretsky, Yao Ming, Chris Mullin ever retailate or fight or get in someone's face? Their personalities weren't that way....Jeremy just has to be who he is....can't turn into someone he is not...I do remember Jeremy throwing an elbow at Kobe bryant last year (missed him) but he lost his cool there (I believe cause Bryant had embarrassed him by saying who is Jeremy lin? in interview during Linsanity pretending he did not notice what was happening). If Lin gets into something with anyone it will be negative and will show that he's panicking and not focusing on his game.
You WANT Lin to get bullied. You WANT him to be emasculated. Because that's what you're asking for when people attack him physically and you want him to hold back from retaliating.
The difference between me and you weaklings is that when somebody attacks me physically in prder to deprive me of my livelihood, I PUNISH THEM for even daring to try. If their friends come after me, I go after them too. You wimps cannot understand that.
Sooner or later, Lin WILL retaliate. There is NO OTHER WAY. It's that or have his season ended by violent injury.
After Lin whoops someone, I'll hold your Kleenex for you as you sob about his combativeness.
Larry Bird, Lebron James, David Robinson, John Stockton, and many others are "soft" by your definition. Those guys were sick of taking the hits that you advocate Lin takes every game and responded by FIGHTING.
You don't understand how the NBA works, so of course you think Lin and others should just get beat on game after game. Well, Larry and Magic would disagree with you VIOLENTLY!
Khuang...whats up with the name calling and acting all tough on a message board??? I believe we are all grown men on this board who can give an opinion and thoughts without having to have some message board gangster spout off about how tough he is and call everyone else who doesn't agree with him pussy cats. You seem to be one that's insecure and weak as a real G wouldn't talk this way as I know many of them. You say you've been in all these fights and have done battle with black dudes and all but I think you're all hype. The tough guys are usually one's who don't talk that much....the one's who sell wolf tickets are all bark and no bite.
Lebron James never gets into fights or altercations and he's targeted all the time. Lebron is not a gangster nor a confrontational guy..he has superior skills and does not need it. What changed and what stopped the hard fouls is when his teammates Juwan Howard and Pittman just clocked (almost broke his neck) Stephenson after stephenson tried to embarass Lebron during a game. Other players took notice that if you mess with lebron other people (heat teammates) will be headhunting you. If you notice Lebron never took hard foul again after that Indiana series.
Thus you don't know what it's like to be targeted the way Jeremy Lin and I have been.
I know you think my life is fake. That doesn't matter to me. But the racism against Jeremy Lin is VERY REAL, and the illegal hits against Lin are getting HARDER.
Regardless of what you think of me, you'll observe that the only way Lin had to truly keep guys from hitting him harder than he's already being hit is to RETALIATE. Hall of Famers like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan spent their careers retaliating, often with FISTS.
As for Lebron, he got into it with Paul Pierce years ago. Lebron defends himself the way any All Star would. Lin should observe Lebron defending himself and LEARN.
Again, just to be clear, I did not say that Lin should do this or that; nor did I say responding a certain way would be right or better than responding some other way. I simply said that it is unlikely that Jeremy would ever retaliate by hitting back, and I supplied reasons why I came to that conclusion.
I hope you can see the distinction. My post was not about what I want Lin to do or what I thought he should do. It was about who Jeremy appears to be to me, and how that is consistent with how he has responded to dirty fouls so far.
Lin may not want to retaliate, but it's retaliate or be knocked out of the NBA again. There is no choice in the matter.
If people know that Lin will retaliate, they'll think twice about bounty hunting him.
Here's an old ABA anecdote that applies directly to Lin:
5'9" rookie guard Mack Calvin was playing in the ABA for legendary Hall of Famer Bill Sharman.
The first time Calvin squared off against his coach Sharman in practice, Sharman knocked him down with an elbow. Sharman said "Mack, if you don't get tough you're gonna get run out of the league."
From that point on, Mack Calvin started banging around with Sharman in practice. Sharman never said a word when Calvin came at him.
Today Mack Calvin is an esteemed NBA assistant coach and ABA superstar. He wouldn't be those things had Bill Sharman not taught him how to stand up for himself in pro basketball.
A very-well written article by Jason Friedman on the current situation after 4 preseason games. No need to freak out over 2-0 start or 2-2 start. I'd say let's even let the Rox play for 10 regular games and see where things are.
... Once the hyperbole and overreaction are put aside, however, it should be clear that the truth about Lin is not dramatically different at this point than it is about the team as a whole. After just two weeks of training camp and preseason play, there are very few bold proclamations that can be made with any amount of absolute certainty. Freaking out about Lin’s last game, or the Rockets past two games for that matter, is no more wise than it would have been to allow expectations to balloon out of proportion following Houston’s 2-0 start to the preseason. The canvas that serves as Lin’s and the Rockets’ 2012-13 season has seen little more than a brush stroke or two applied at this point; each is a work in progress, something Lin summed up perfectly with a quote that could have just as easily applied to his team as it does to himself.
“I think anytime you don’t play as well as you’re capable of it’s frustrating,” he said after being asked to describe his feelings in the days following the San Antonio loss. “But I have to remember it’s a process. It’s not going to just happen overnight for me. I’m going to have to build, build step by step and brick by brick. As long as I get an upward progression of improvement over time I’ll be happy.”
And as for the subject of his physical well being, Lin says he feels as if he’s still on track to achieve his goal of being 100 percent in time for the Rockets’ season opener against Detroit. “I’m feeling pretty good right now,” he said. “After tomorrow’s game we have a week off and I’ll be just fine from here on out.”
They're saying the same things we are: Lin needs to RELAX. Lin needs to be handcuffed from overworking himself!
I'm telling y'all, it's that Taiwanese guy thing. Lin works and works. It works against him too, and I'm thrilled that the Rockets coaches are gently kicking Lin out of the gym!
McHale is handling Lin very well. I am thoroughly impressed!
McHale is not going to be a good fit for Lin. McHale has never played point guard in NBA and has no idea what to teach Lin. If you notice K, there are rarely any successful big men coaching basketball (college or pro's)...McHale doesn't look like he believes in Lin, not once did he run pick and roll offense for lin like Dantoni...Lin just comes up and passes around the perimeter and drives once in a while...no pick n rolls, no getting Jeremy the ball and creating...Lin has to create off transition and he has to shoot off of passes from teammates....Lin is being handcuffed by McHale and McHale will be fired by midseason and replaced by DanToni...I would bet that. LIn is not going anywhere.
McHale had Sam Cassell and Terrell Brandon in MN. Then Kyle Lowry played very well for McHale before he got injured. Goran Dragic was a scrub headed out of the NBA before McHale turned his career around. So McHale had a LONG and PROVEN track record of developing and coaching high level All Star caliber point guards!
The Rockets are a young team with a limited offensive set. It wouldn't matter what coach came in, the young Rockets are starting at least 2 rookies and their two prized free agents have not played major NBA minutes as starters. Besides, opponents have thoroughly scouted Lin and are forcing Lin's teammates to win the game if they can.
You can't run a pick and roll in the NBA unless the picking player can score. Lin has nobody on the roster who is a proven pick and roll player to work with. Consequently teams are jamming him on the perimeter and leaving the pick man unguarded. It'll be like that all season long if the Rockets big men can't score.
McHale is doing well with Jeremy Lin. Just from that interview, I can see why McHale is so successful with his point guards. I'd go so far to say that it's because McHale was a highly successful big man that McHale knows what a point guard like Lin is supposed to be doing!
Phil Jackson Pat Riley (a power forward as a NBA player) Don Nelson Bill Russell Paul Silas Larry Bird
All of these big men have successfully coached playoff or championship teams.
I think that the prevailing prejudice against big man coaches is incorrect in the NBA. Most of the time, it's big man coaches that understand that the NBA is won and lost in the paint.
McHale never won anything as a coach. 3 of those coaches you listed ringless. Bottom line, point is that big men are not the best coaches. McHale looks like he doesn't trust Lin....he had jump shooting point guards in Lowry, Dragic, Cassell...none of those guys were creators or penetrators....Lin plays best when he is in pick n roll and can attack the rim. He played pnr with Jefferies just fine as example of big man with no offensive skills....McHale has not done any homework on Lin's game and watched what made him successful in NY....a good coach adapts his system to player's strengths not the other way around. McHale can't coach.
Just because a coach is ringless doesn't mean that he can't coach or win. McHale has a good track record of developing players.
Lin's big men are far less experienced than Jared Jeffries who's a 10 year veteran. With McHale's coaching, both Lin and his unproven big men will figure it all out.
You should wait until regular season games actually are played before condemning McHale as a bad coach.
Nothing like that happened in game three. Everyone keeps saying that game should speed up, but I just don't see a speedy game when you need to employ a pick and roll.
Was watching his quick interview post practice today...A couple things worth mentioning:
1. When asked if 100% was his goal health-wise, where is he today? His answer was "I'm not really sure, some days...Yeah I feel good right now". Basically he's not 100% or probably close to where he can qualify it. Whether he is referring to his conditioning or knee injury or both...
2. When asked what his comfortable level is on the floor...Again dodgy answer...But what stood out was "I just need to be myself and play my game". You almost feel that perhaps he's not being allowed to play the way he wants to? Could explain a few things.
3. When asked if pressure plays into it at all, his answer was a bit odd...He talked about "find that exact role"...I don't get it, McHale hasn't defined that yet? And he added that his ideal role was "playmaker, whatever that means, for that specific game, and defense"...Odd, don't wanna theorycraft, but you almost get the feeling he feels out of place...
Watched Parsons interview and you get the feeling that they're lost and need someone to direct...Guess it finally dawned on them without Lin they're lost :)
McHale is trying things to see what works with Lin and this group of players Lin has. McHale said that before the season started.
Like I said above, wait until the season starts. Then if you're unhappy that this totally inexperienced team of NBA novices isn't beating more experienced teams the way you expect them to, you might have some justification in writing off McHale.
His biggest problem is he is too naive, nice, innocent and that backfired on and off the court. He need to realize that he still lives on earth not heaven. Being the only Asian and the most hype player, every game will be a bloody battlefield, if he didn't change his approach, i am honestly worried for him.
Guys, it is preseason. Lin - and practically his entire team for that matter - are very inexperienced guys learning a new system. Plus, the team isn't that talented, which allows opposing teams to pretty much focus their efforts on Lin, the best and best known player on the team.
The folks who were expecting this to be Linsanity part 2 right off the bat need an adjustment. Lin isn't running D'Antoni's system, but one where he has to be more of a traditional point guard, really not that different from how he played under Woodson last year. Also, again the Rockets really aren't that good. Opposing teams know that if they dedicate their efforts to defending Lin, there won't be a Melo or Stoudemire who can still go off. Lin played great, indeed better, without Melo and Stoudemire last year? Again, in D'Antoni's system. The combination of a traditional offense and young average talent means a huge adjustment for a guy that is still a very inexperienced NBA player. What worked for Lin in New York last year isn't going to work in Houston (unless they adopt D'Antoni's system, which they won't) and it is going to take Lin, McHale and everyone else time to find out what does work.
And whatever they find just isn't going to work very well against the Thunder and Spurs, because, well they're the Thunder and Spurs. But it will work very good against the Hornets, whom everyone seems to forget the Rockets beat by 20, and in the process Lin outplayed #10 overall pick Austin Rivers in putting up 9 points, 7 assists and 2 steals (Rivers had 1 assist and went 3-12 shooting). Why everyone ignores that game and instead focuses only on games against veteran title contenders in which Lin and the Rockets had no chance is mystifying. Lin is still a very inexperienced player and the Rockets aren't particularly good. So, his games against better competition are going to frequently look this ragged, because teams are going to key their efforts on Lin because he is their best player, and there is really no one else on the Rockets to make them pay. This is the result of Lin having his own team at this point in his career, which lest we forget a mere few months ago everyone was absolutely convinced was a great idea. If it is a great idea when he plays very well against the Hornets, it is a great idea when he struggles against the Spurs. I personally wanted Lin to not be the main guy until he got 2-3 more years of experience because stuff like this was precisely what he wanted to avoid. But things did not go the way that I wanted, but I am ready to embrace things the way that they are. Which is that Lin will do very well for himself because quite simply he is an All-Star NBA player. It just isn't going to be easy, so he is going to have to go through what All-Star players on not very good teams frequently have to endure.
I'm THRILLED that Lin has his own team. He's young and is learning a ton in the process. I personally think that he's already playing better than he did in NY.
Most star players are fearful of joining young losing teams because they are afraid to face up to the nightly beatings. Not Lin, whose much criticized naivete actually serves him well in learning and growing from the school of hard knocks. Better Lin take his harsh lessons when he's young than when he's older.
I'm very encouraged by Lin and the Rockets. He'll carry the Rockets all season long because everybody plays off him. Lin is more than up to the challenge and will have an excellent year.
At the beginning of last season, this was Anthony's team: a slow, listless, losing and, yes, much-criticized unit, with a clogged-artery offense that featured weak point-guard play and a generally sour air. It's telling that Lin's breakout moment -- 25 points in a win over the Nets on Feb. 4 -- came when Anthony went 3-for-15. Two nights later, Anthony suffered a groin injury, and the Knicks' season changed. With Anthony out and Lin all over the court running a far better representation of Mike D'Antoni's freewheeling offense, the Knicks won seven of eight. Teammates played with the passion of high schoolers. On the night Lin scored 38 to ignite an upset of the Lakers in Madison Square Garden, Spike Lee said it was the loudest he'd ever heard the old building. Chants of "M-V-P" rang out when Lin stepped to the foul line in the fourth quarter. The Garden was suddenly the place to be -- rollicking, euphoric and containing an emotion many Knicks fans might have forgotten existed: pure, uncut happiness.
Then Anthony returned in mid-February, to a team vastly different from the one he had left. "Carmelo's dream was to go to New York and be the man," says a source close to several Knicks players. "That's why he fought to get out of Denver, and all of a sudden this little guy nobody's ever heard of is living his dream."
The change was immediate. Anthony was accustomed to the ball running through him on the wing, and the offense went back to its old plodding self. The Knicks lost eight of 10 after his return, including six straight. At one point, Anthony refused to enter D'Antoni's huddle -- a move he defended by saying that going solo was nothing new for him -- and turned the coach's offense, the five-man improv, into discord. On March 13, Howard Beck of The New York Times wrote, "The Knicks are not a unified team. On one side is Anthony. On the other is everyone else." It wasn't personal between Anthony and Lin -- each professes to like the other -- but Carmelo simply went back to the way he felt things ought to be. He is a phenomenal offensive player, but there's no denying reality: Linsanity died out on that wing.
During this stretch -- of Melo vs. the Knicks -- one player was asked why the team had returned to isolation plays for Anthony after D'Antoni's up-tempo, less structured game had been so successful. A source who was privy to the conversation said the player responded by saying that the coach wasn't calling those plays; Anthony was isolating himself and demanding the ball.
D'Antoni's conflict-averse style allowed the situation to fester. Teammates prodded Anthony to give more effort in practice. "Jeremy is a tough guy," says a source close to the team. "He told Carmelo under no uncertain terms, 'I'm not going to give you the ball unless you create space and run the plays.' None of the other guys had a problem with it. Tyson [Chandler] didn't, Amar'e didn't. They knew they had a better chance with the ball in Lin's hands in the last few minutes."
"Jeremy is a tough guy," says a source close to the team. "He told Carmelo under no uncertain terms, 'I'm not going to give you the ball unless you create space and run the plays.'
If Jeremy is tough enough to stand up to Melo, he can stand up to anyone in the Houston Rockets team if necessary. I have a newfound respect for Jeremy.
It shows JLin and Melo are both tough guys. JLin is tough in the way of being rational and doing whats right. Melo is tough in terms of fighting for himself. Now that JLin is gone its no wonder people turn on JLin and stick with Melo. They dont wanna be next to leave :)
It just shows what we all know... people can be teamplayers but mostly everyone fights for themselves. What is Melo worth if he is not the star offensive player of the team? Not much. Now that Lin is gone Melo can build the team around him as he pleases. That of course doesnt mean anything yet - he could fail - could be the big winner.
JLin has a long way to go. He basicly has to do the same... with his young, talented but unexperience hot headed teammates :)
"Lin would bring the ball upcourt and try to run D'Antoni's system. When Anthony would abandon the offense, Lin would not pass him the ball, which irritated Anthony, sources said. So when Lin tried to talk to Anthony on the court, Anthony would turn his back to the point guard and tune him out. The two never had heated exchanges, though, and the players tried to come to a compromise, agreeing to run D'Antoni's system while also mixing in post-ups for Anthony."
"But it's just a mess because D'Antoni's system is not designed for that," one source said. ---
Remember that a few days after this article, Melo admitted he was not giving full effort.
Some other interesting quotes from that article about Melo, Creative Artists Agency (William Wesley), D'Antoni, and JLin:
Behind the scenes, a source close to the team says that William "Worldwide Wes" Wesley, a consultant for the agency that represents Anthony, informed Dolan that Carmelo was not pleased with the direction of the team under D'Antoni. This is nothing new; backstage maneuvering helped engineer Anthony's departure from Denver and Paul's from New Orleans. But when it comes to matters pertaining to Anthony, this source described Dolan as being easily swayed by the notoriously mysterious, famously well-connected and mythically powerful Worldwide Wes.
"Lin was getting what Carmelo was promised," says a source close to the team. "And Carmelo thought D'Antoni was going to favor Jeremy, so he had to get D'Antoni out of there.
"It works out perfect for Carmelo. There's little if any of his DNA on there."
[...]
"He's [Melo] not an alpha dog. He might think he is, but he's not," says a source close to the Knicks. "He needs to be around someone who is feared, someone who could tell him what to do. He just couldn't see Jeremy Lin that way. He could see Kobe and LeBron that way in the Olympics, sure, but not Jeremy Lin. Carmelo's whole thing is perception."
D'Antoni was an assistant coach on the Olympic team. His role? Design the offense. Let that sink in for a moment: Team USA's offense, the one in which Anthony set a single-game U.S. Olympic record with 37 points, was precisely the point-guard- dominated, fast-twitch scheme D'Antoni ran -- and Anthony rebelled against -- in New York.
"It's the ultimate irony of this whole thing," the source says. "Carmelo was at his best and most efficient running that offense. It couldn't be more obvious to him, and he couldn't be more oblivious to it."
Thanks for the link to the revealing ESPN article!
I haven't visited ESPN as much as I used to..... I wish they would set up a dedicated space for Houston: The city is not THAT small. It's a fairly BIG city.
The GQ interview was done a month ago, after his Asia tour. Houston is some hazy place in the future for him then.
GQ might seem neutral, but it's Will Leitch [NY mag] after all. It would be NY-centric.
JLin bottleneck:
Will Leitch @williamfleitch My GQ cover story on Jeremy Lin is up and available for consumption, digestion and excretion. http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/201211/jeremy-lin-gq-november-2012-cover-story?currentPage=1 … 6:01 AM - 16 Oct 12
SLAM Magazine @SLAMonline http://SLAMonline.com : Kevin McHale Says Struggling Jeremy Lin Trying to Get 'His Mojo Going' http://bit.ly/QOvenM #SLAMnewswire #NBA 6:10 AM - 16 Oct 12
Mxxxx Bxxxx @mxxxbrown Jeremy Lin is trying to get his mojo going, huh? All he needs is another lockout and everyone to burn their scouting reports. 6:39 AM - 16 Oct 12
Lxxx Txx & Hxxxxxxx @WxxxSxxxxthe2nd Jeremy Lin struggling on the preseason? Uh oh.... 7:07 AM - 16 Oct 12
Sxxxxxx Mxxxxx @sxxxmxxxxxxxx Did I just see....a Jeremy Lin...Volvo commercial.....wtf... 7:22 AM - 16 Oct 12
txxxxx @pxxxxxcxxx Is this a Jeremy Lin Volvo commercial I see? smh linsanity needs to die off 7:22 AM - 16 Oct 12
GQ Magazine @GQMagazine Say hello to our November cover star: Jeremy Lin http://gqm.ag/TtmanD 7:25 AM - 16 Oct 12
Rxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx @Rxxxx_Rxxxx Lin everywhere! RT @ngobrolNBA: RT @/ThomasKurniady: Look who's StyLin on the new GQ Magazine? #Rockets #NBA @JLin7 http://instagr.am/p/Q2MxaflzVW/ 7:56 AM - 16 Oct 12
Hopefully Lin is up to the challenge because we can expect that he's gonna be guarded every game like the miami, boston, Spurs games. Teams will try to emulate the strategy of those elite teams.
You're right that the hype isn't any of Lin's doing but he's got to deal with it whether he likes it or not. It's the consequence of who he is and what he's done. I've always thought the first good AsAm player would receive a great deal of scrutiny and that's what's happening to Jeremy. I sincerely hope he's tough enough mentally and physically to deal with what's coming (and about to come) to him.
When did people give a sh!t about GQ or magazines in general??? Do people still read magazines, really??? I'm a dude so the only time I read or look at a magazine is if a hot chick with bib tit and ass is on the front cover... I do my reading on forums and stuff so I don't know why people on stupid twitter talk so much trash to my homeboy Lin... Haters gone hate fo real!!!!
Lin is totally focused on his game. TOO focused. The Rockets coaching staff is working around the clock to SHUT HIM DOWN.
Lin has already limited his media exposure. Besides, he's a NBA player whose job is working with the media. Lin can't limit the media more than he already has.
The GQ article was written in the OFFSEASON. Guys are supposed to be resting in the offseason!
JLin is not a monk. He can do what ever he pleases.
Why not tell Lebron to stop partying with celebrities or buy 100 Ferraris?
Why not tell Dwade to stop modeling and focus on his game?
Why not tell Carmelo to stop getting ugly tattoos and focus on his passing game?
I have a feeling that JLin probably has the best work ethic in the league. He's had it since he was young, apparently. The dude was accepted to Harvard. He was undrafted. He's the only Asian American in the NBA. I'm sure he knows a thing or two about working hard.
Mates, you may have higher stards than JLin, and I am sure you are so much more successful in your careers but what you claim, to me, is mad beyond resason.
Well, Jeremy 's got to shut those doubters up with his play. That's the only way to do it. And if they keep chirping, then that's on them. Not sure if Jeremy is the type that plays well with a chip on his shoulder, but this would be a good time to get one.
GQ wanted to interview Lin, not the other way around. He doesn't go around asking for attention, it just comes with being an NBA player. Notice that GQ writer did not mention anything about God, family, or his romantic life, things that other non Asian celebs get asked. This article mostly talks about his race and the uphill climb, that's it.... GQ wants to paint a picture of the typical asexual model minority Asian.
At a high school I coached at, I had a Chinese exchange student who I thought was a very good player.
The first time he faced me off the dribble, he hooked me with his off arm the way Kobe did. I grabbed his arm and gently said "In America this is an offensive foul even though Kobe does this in the NBA". The kid hated me because I was from Taiwan, but he grunted in approval and never hooked anybody again.
The Chinese are very smart. They look at the superstars and emulate them, flaws and all!
KHuang, I wonder what he'll say if you show him JKidd's video of pulling JLin's hair from the back and tell him "In America this is not a flagrant foul even though JKidd does this in the NBA". Yeah, that's a sad reality.
Hm, I just thought that JLin has a short haircut now so maybe he's thinking ahead of time before facing JKidd again!
For tonight's Memphis game, I want to see what Jeremy has learned. Mike Conley is a really good defender, but he can be exploited by bigger, stronger players.
The only thing I'll add is that Lin getting by Conley (or ANY single All Star PG) in the NBA is ridiculously easy for the #3 isolation scorer in the entire NBA.
What's hard isn't Conley. What's hard for Lin are the big men helping Conley blitz Lin on the perimeter and the collapsing opposing wings stepping into Lin's driving lanes.
Stopping Jeremy Lin is a team effort. Jeremy Lin scoring is thus a team effort as well.
Mike Conley just came off a great game against Atlanta ( 110-102 Memphis win ) with a game-high 18 pts (5-5 3PTA/3PTM) and 5 assists so he will be a tough matchup for Jeremy with red-hot shooting and nice passing game with Gasol and Gay. Memphis shot well as a team with 48% 3PT shooting so they will test Houston's transition defense that was non-existent in the Dallas game.
I expect JLin will curb Conley's shooting with tight man-to-man defense and I don't see Conley doing many pick-and-roll that Tony Parker successfully used in the Spurs game to score against JLin.
I expect JLin will be the main ball-handler to drive to the lane try to set up Asik first or score himself. And if both are double/triple team, swing the ball to outside shooters.
I think the key of the game will be Houston's transition defense to stop the 3-PT shooting and inside penetration by Memphis' big men. If they do well, it will create a lot of fast break opportunities and open 3-PT shots by KMart and Parsons.
I'm hoping for 12-15 pts, 6-8 assists, 2-3 STLs from JLin if he plays for 25 minutes
And if JLin's knee still hasn't regained the explosiveness and affect his shooting, allow me to lower the expectations to 6-8 pts :D It's always good to set low expectations and then surpass them easily.
Mike conley is a very tough defender and very quick. Jeremy will have to really protect ball cause Conley reaches in and pokes at the ball all the time. Conley is left handed too so Lin will have to force him right. One thing noticing about Lin is that his shot seems to be slow....he needs to get off the floor quicker and get his release more fluid.
Good point, Mike. Conley will certainly be very motivated to face Linsanity just like any other NBA PGs do nowadays.
And I do believe the lack of explosiveness affect JLin's shooting (all three of his 3-PT shots were short in the Spurs game). I don't remember him being a still jump-shooter. So hopefully this is the game where the explosiveness is back.
He can definitely use all our prayers so the explosiveness will be back sooner than later. IJNA.
Mike Kurylo is a very good statistician. Two quotes from the article regarding Lin's turnovers:
"The reason for this disparity is Lin’s extremely high turnover rate. At 4.8 turnovers per 36 minutes, few players today cough up the ball anywhere near that mark."
"Lin does have a couple of former all stars on his immediate list, like Mark Jackson, Tim Hardaway, and Clyde Drexler. But to reach that kind of potential, he’ll have to do a better job of limiting his turnovers while maintaining or improving on his other stats."
Anybody who says Lin's TOs are not an issue needs to re-examine their basketball knowledge.
It is a very interesting correlation analysis of finding players similar to Lin around the same age using a combination of shooting rates and per-minute floor stats.
Basically, it projects Lin's career can follow the career of: 1. Robert Pack (shortened by injury) 2. Phil Ford (shortened by alcoholism) 3. or several All-Stars (Mark Jackson, Tim Hardaway, and Clyde Drexler) if he reduce his TO rates
They are valid points since injury and TO rates are main concern that Lin fans and detractors often talk about.
This analysis does not take into consideration defensive skills so it would be interesting who similar players would be.
Anybody who thinks Lin's TOs are a major problem had bizarrely unrealistic expectations for his first starts. Lin had the 38th PER in the NBA last year, and TURNOVERS ARE COUNTED IN PER. PER can be considered a measure of production per turnover, so please try to think very clearly: Lin's production per turnover was 38th in the ENTIRE NBA last year...and these were his first starts EVER.
Turnovers per game DO NOT MATTER. Please at least try to understand this.
Lin's adjusted +/- last year was also in the top 40. That means: Lin's effect on winning was in the top 40 of the ENTIRE NBA. Lin's effect on the Knick's winning percentage is indisputable. The Knicks two highest above trend streaks last year were Linsanity and Woodson era Knicks (aka, Carmelo-was-giving-full-effort-again era), when Lin was playing point and everyone was playing defense.
If you find your world view (TOs are the worst evil in the universe) contradicted by the evidence, you MUST update your world view. You don't have another option. The evidence says Lin's style of high risk, high reward team basketball WINS GAMES. Basketball is not a contest to see who turns the ball over the least, otherwise OKC would not have won so many games last year.
What gets measured gets done. Before turnovers started being recorded, they were a lot higher than they are now. The act of recording turnovers caused turnovers to decline the first several years after the stat began being kept. Turnovers are artificially low in the NBA simply by dint of its tracking, I'd wager. Turnovers receive disproportionate criticism in proportion to their effect on winning and losing. This isn't football. Players that worry a lot about turnovers don't make plays.
And why do people keep using inferior stats. Turnovers per 36 are irrelevant without context. If he had 5TO/36 but 20A/36, what does that tell you? TOV% is much more relevant. Nash and Rondo had higher TOV%. Is it a major problem? Oh, he's not Nash or Rondo? Well, last year, statistically, he was. So you can only pretend his TOs are a problem if you're also assuming his production somehow disappeared.
Now, some folks try to pretend the type of TO matters. Lin has a higher proportion of ball handling TOs. In fact, a TO is a TO, when it comes to winning and losing. You don't lose more opportunities when it's one type of TO or another. Aesthetically it might be unpleasing to dribble into three people for a jump ball, but it's effect on winning and losing is nil. The only thing that matters is production per TO, and Lin was top 40 last year for that.
Now, if you expected Lin to be a top 5 player last year, and that's the backdrop upon which you say, "Anybody who says Lin's TOs are not an issue needs to re-examine their basketball knowledge" then good for you. You had much higher expectations than I did. But he was a top 40 player last year, TOs and all, and I'm pretty sure 99.999% of people think that's just dandy for someone making their first 25 starts.
Also, there is a really easy way to see that Lin's TOs didn't harm the Knicks last year. In fact, it's so easy, I made a spreadsheet:
As you can see, the Knicks TOs in games where Lin played were almost exactly the same as when he did play. So, for the same turnovers, the Knicks got MUCH higher offensive efficiency.
This assuming one statistic means something in relation to another is not at all accurate because we know that data mining can make stories appear where there are none. I'm in the school of thought that the simpler the model, the more accurate it is. The more complex models do not survive the test of time as they are certain to be disproved later on for having too many variables.
The simple model is to take turnovers at that finite of time in which they occur. A turnover means you give the ball up to the other team without producing anything. So after a turnover happens, Do TOs contribute to >= 1 point for your team? No. Do TOs contribute to 1 assist for your team? No. Do TOs contribute to >= 1 point for your opponent. Maybe. Do TOs contribute to 1 assist for your opponent? Maybe.
I can make a similar argument for PPG from your logic. If I show you that everytime Kobe Bryant scores 30 ppg his team loses, and everytime Kobe scores <= 20 ppg his team wins. Does that mean Kobe's scoring 30 as opposed to 20 matters in terms of wins? By the time, Kobe reaches 20 points, he should stop shooting and sit on the bench because statistics show his team will lose if he scores more than 20. Doesn't make sense.
Well, I still agree with Michael Terry's analysis.
Fans like me don't need fancy stats to see that Lin has a MAJOR impact on NBA winning despite his turnovers and that the more points Kobe Bryant scores, the more likely the Lakers are to win.
There is no such thing as a perfect NBA player and there never will be. I'm just gonna sit back and enjoy the Lin show.
Red Auerbach said it best: "All you're trying to do is stick the round ball in the hole more times than the other guy!"
Jason Friedman @RocketsJCF Kevin McHale says Jeremy Lin's knee feeling better, might try to "extend" his minutes tonight vs. Grizzlies. 4:06 PM - 17 Oct 12 ---
Looked at the cover photo, more love Jeremy Lin.
ReplyDeleteGQ so lucky...
Jeremy really needs to find a good PR person to follow him around whenever he's being interviewed.
ReplyDeleteFor a guy who graduated from Harvard, he really says some dumb things.
First, He needs to flat out shut up with what could have been with the Knicks. Constantly bring up his former team will only serve to piss off his current team and its' fans. Not to mention, the NY media is currently slandering him. He needs to bash them back. Don't stay silent.
Second, he needs to become a tougher guy who stands up for himself. Refs(biased) and teammates can only do so much. People fouling him excessively hard because he's such an easy target. He needs to get in their face afterwards or call those cheapshot a-holes out during a media conference.
He definitely should NOT be saying this to reporters,
"It's okay to get fouled just as long as he gets free throws".
If he doesn't bring attention to this, opponents will continue fouling him hard just to knock him out of the game.
I don't know, it's kind of bad ass that he gets huge bruises and a bloody face after many games, and he just keeps getting up. I didn't see Kobe complain when Wade broke his nose.
DeleteWhat do you expect? Jeremy Lin did had his fondest memories in NYC. "Linsanity" did happen in NYC. He did get the loudest and the biggest support during his tenure during those 25 games. And this interview was done in NYC. Even with all that aside Jeremy is honest and he wants to be honest.
Delete@ concerned: agree with you about everything you said. I am pretty annoyed with him actually . Houston fans are pissed and I dont blame them.just concentrate on the game jeremy :) Not saying he cant do interviews but I just have a problem with what he said.
Delete@ michael terry: Right now, with his knee still not fully recovered , I am worried. I know he lost weight to lighten the pressure off his knee but I think once his knee is fine he should put on some weight IMO.
@Solitary Confinement
DeleteBut he's a Rocket now (for 3 months). Yet he's implying he prefers NY than Houston.
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DeleteI think Jeremy should cut interviews with some big medias this year and wait until everything is getting better. This GQ was done before but it came out this month just after lin had bead games. So it would get some bad reactions. Some writers would just use one sentense o paragraohy to make it a big story. One article I read today quoting lin from GQ: Jeremy lin would quit basketball after one year if he can't make it." That's really some kind of misleading. To tell you the truth, i'd rather lin get out of NBA asap because this organization is har to live if you are not 1) black
Delete2)not strong and physical enough 3)no strong connections with other superstarsand coaches such as Lebrown or Kobe or Carmelo. You have to kiss their asses to survive here. Otherwise they would knock you down to death if nobody supports. Did you all see those players in Olmpic team? They all knew each other and had good relationships and support each other. If lin wants to survive in Houston, he must have somebody support him and protect him on and off the court. I believe some rookies are jealousy of him too like Machado or Jones? When they play together, they don't back up him, that means something wrong.I'm very worried about lin. I want him to succeed but I doubt histeamates.
Jeremy needs to protect himself. He gotta stop being too nice and start retaliating. I want him to be as dirty as John Stockton.
Delete@ Concerned
DeleteIt's not likely he'd do any interview like this one, after this. Let him stay classy, no need to bash NY.
---
He said: "It's okay to get fouled just as long as he gets free throws".
Translation: *shrug* It doesn't faze me, it's nothing to me. [What else can he say?]
---
He knows it's pointless to get in the other player's face, since he is not willing to retaliate. What threat can he issue?
He's doesn't want to be a crybaby to the press.
Just to be clear, I agree what he has been doing had been ineffective, and is dangerous in the long run.
DeletePerhaps he'd be able to work something out with this team mates, as the season moves along.
Other than getting in their face afterwards (even if he doesn't plan to fight them, it will at least show he's not going to take that anymore) or calling them out in the media.
DeleteI don't think anything else can be done. JL needs to defend himself, he can't really expect his teammates to always pick up him from the floor.
If he doesn't say anything, people will assume he's fine with it and continue fouling him hard.
JLin was fouled hard by Hornets' Robin Lopez who only gets a regular foul. Eddie Curry of the Spurs slams him into the floor on a fastbreak layup attempt and no foul is called. Seems like Lin is being singled out for the opposite of preferential treatment.
ReplyDeleteI didn't like the GQ photo spread, wearing tacky clothes in wacky poses. Compare to Tim Tebow who was shirtless for his GQ feature shoot. They are sure treated differently by the media.
I happen to like the GQ cover. It shows his fun, break-the-mold style. Unlike Tebow, I don't think Jlin will pose shirtless for any magazine even if they asked him to. He's a pretty conservative guy.
DeleteIndeed, the cover is annoying in my opinion.
DeleteABC Baller,
DeleteFor photo shoots, the media treats JLin differently because he is different in the positive sense: He is a well-mannered, low-key preppie - especially for a basketball player, which is exactly why it took him this long (not in the midst of Linsanity, to cash in or to milk the phenomenon before it dissipates) to finally agree to be in the cover of GQ. If there ever was one before (?), the GQ did it without JLin's cooperation and the cover photo would have been from public domain.
Not everyone thinks it's cool to pose shirtless or semi-naked, even in 2012 (rather, most preppies or refined people would think it's tacky). Not everyone shares same tastes and sensibilities. I certainly think it would be tacky as hell - and I'm in the arts! He also doesn't have tattoos, thank goodness.
The GQ Cover shows his "fun, honest and dancing kid" personality but I would have preferred a "fun but determined" personality.
DeletePerhaps with him dribbling between legs and ready to pounce at his opponents.
I agree that his PR staff should be careful in portraying the image in any media. I just don't want it to give a green light for players to whack-and-foul this nice kid persona.
There's a green light to collect bounties on injuring Jeremy Lin no matter what he says in the papers.
DeleteLin just is going to have to fight back. Not even the refs can stop people from flagrant fouling Lin. The refs could put Lin at the line every time somebody touched him and STILL guys would bounty hunt Lin.
There's only one way for Lin to beat off the bounty hunters. HUNT THEM BACK!
I second that idea.
DeleteJeremy must be responsible for his own safety.
Jeremy shouldn't be hugging Lopez after clobbering him.
He needs to retaliate in a sneaky way
I don't think JLin hugged the goon song-bird Lopez? He just didn't push away the "apology" from him. He should have.
DeleteHe did hugged him;
Deletehttp://bigstory.ap.org/article/martin-scores-17-rockets-beat-hornets-95-75
Huh?... What the heck? Sending the message that dirty plays are part of the game? Then he and his teammates better even the playing field starting NOW. THEN I'm okay with it, within reason.
DeleteI know he wouldn't be playing in the rest of the preseason games, but still do it NOW. Most of the "givers" to JLin are division rivals.
@ Psalm234
DeleteUnfortunately, GQ wanted Linsanity™.
They could have gone with the more "determined" pics. [rough copy]
Rocketscast Live [Discussing Rockets first 4 games]
ReplyDeleteThe interview was good overall.
ReplyDeleteYesterday, no news plastered everywhere about Rondo's team losing by a huge margin of 32 points to the 76ers on Oct 15. Rondo played 30 minutes and had 4 TOs and -12 (he shared the most minus among starters with a rookie). Garnett wasn't playing but neither was Bynum.
No national headlines about it for a guy who is ranked #5 among PGs and #12 overall, and making $11 million this year and $12 mil next year... Jeremy is currently ranked #16 among PGs and #78 overall. Even though Jeremy's salary for the next 2 years is a moderate $5 million each, somehow it warrants bashing him LOUDLY in the headlines because it brings them clicks and dollars.
Compare that to all the negative headlines about Jeremy, whose Rockets lost by 9 points to the Spurs on Oct 14. Logging in 25 minutes, Jeremy had 2 TOs and -6 (the lowest minus among starters). Two of the Rockets' top players, KMart & Patterson didn't play, while ALL of Spurs' top dogs played (about 12 minutes each).
Note: The 2012 NBA ranking was conducted by ESPN with a 100-member panel of industry experts.
Only SUPERSTARS get flamed in the papers.
DeleteRondo is already a veteran so he has more track record.
DeleteLin despite being impressive has still only 25 games of experience.
Maybe next preseason, his bad games might not be scrutinized as much anymore (but who knows)
True. But Jeremy isn't getting superstar salary UNTIL 3 seasons from now. Therefore, they need to have *some* discipline and cut him *some* slack, while he gains more experience. I mean, Rondo played with the same top notch players for 5 or 6 seasons to gel with.
DeleteJLin getting paid 8.3 million each year on his $25 million contract. That $5 million structured salary would only happen if NY Knicks signed him.
DeleteDoesn't matter what Lin is paid.
DeleteThe game of basketball respects its superstars. Jeremy Lin is a superstar whether he's making the minimum or the max.
Lin is defended like a superstar, is expected to produce like a superstar, and is hated on like a superstar. Soon he'll get used to it and PRODUCE like a superstar!
ABC Baller,
DeleteI used to think that also, but no... the $8.37 mil per year average to Rockets is for counting towards their salary cap purpose only. They pay him each year exactly as in the contract.
Rondo has a ring and multiple All-Star appearances to his credit. Jeremy has only started 26 games. There's a big difference there. Until Jeremy can perform on a consistent basis, he will he doubted by many. It's on HIM to SHUT THEM UP.
Deleteyou gotta let him be and speak his mind, at least he is honest about what he feels. thats why i like him
ReplyDeleteBut the Rockets fans are now calling him ungrateful.
DeleteIt's a 2-way street Lin has been in Houston for less than 2 months now, and nobody besides team management has embraced him. Rockets fans are angry that Goran Dragic and Kyle Lowry got replaced by an "overrated" wonder. I'm not saying there are no fans supporting him in H-town but from the looks of it, he's mostly viewed negatively. Compared to NY where he got much love from adoring crowds.
DeleteBut he has to stop implying that New York was better and he preferred to stay there.
DeleteI thought about this. People should know that JLin did say that he is excited to be a Rocket. There is no doubt that he is happy the way things turned out after all, despite the Knicks tricks.
DeleteJLin is doing the right thing by fighting back the Knicks' media machine spreading the lies that he left for greed, when the fact was that they never offered a contract. After being told to test his market, he sure wasn't going to crawl to tell them he'll happily play for them for almost free - and for the privilege of working in the toxic environment.
I should have added that, because of his appreciation for the NY fans, JLin was willing to come back to play in the toxic atmosphere - which is sacrificial and absolutely nuts! However, they were too disrespectful of Lin to offer a moderate contract before he hit the free agency. As the result, Lin actually got lucky, because them not matching was the only way he could go to another team; AND YET it was the Knicks' decision, so one *cannot* blame Lin.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteForget about the KNICKS Jeremy.
ReplyDeleteJust remember the black propaganda against you last July. Erase every single memory about the knicks and their fans. Treat them now as your greatest enemies. All of them: the coaches, players, owner, media, and even the fans.
Detach yourself from any nostalgic feeling concerning the KNICKS. You must mark Dec. 17 2012 as the day you return to MSG and stick it to their *ss.
Make sure you are the greatest villain in New York Knicks History. Make them hate you for all I care. Just please embrace your new team.
Decthe 17th is 5-month monthiversary from the unmatch day! (;~). It's Jeremy's lucky day, so I hope the Rockets win that one, even though the the other team will surely make an extra effort. My family and friends plan to celebrate one year unmatch anniversary on July 17th.
DeleteI thought the article portrays JLin in a good light about why he's no longer a Knick:
ReplyDelete"I didn't get an offer from the Knicks, so I had to go test my market."
And he's just being honest about not knowing much about Houston 2 months ago and he was kinda sad about this fact:
"Lin says he doesn't know more than a couple of people on the Rockets and that he doesn't "know much about Houston, I'm not going to lie." He confesses this with obvious sadness
People can spin this to mean he still wishes to be a Knick or it's a diss to Houston but anyone who reads the whole article would get a good impression that JLin was honest and not about money and he had to sign the only offer from Houston because the Knicks didn't offer any.
And if people follows his latest comment about Houston, he likes it more than New York because it's very peaceful. See the ESPN "Houston Training Days" video link that via wong posted
LOL at this description about Felton
Delete"In a stunning move, the Knicks acquired Raymond Felton—
a portly point guard ...
If people are getting worked up over Lin's innocuous "player speak" statements, that's their problem and not Lin's.
DeleteBesides, it's an American media thing to fire MORE vitriol at an Asian American male if he's doing well as opposed to when he's doing poorly!
Lin already knows all of that. He's focusing on the game and learning about Houston. No more can be asked of him.
yeah thats what i think too. He misses the good things he had in NY, whats wrong with that? he is not an emotionless robot. And if they call him "ungrateful" it is their problem, not Jeremy's. There will always be haters, but there will also be fans, and neutrals... you can't be loved by everyone
DeleteKyrie Irving said something in the papers that would apply directly to Jeremy Lin.
ReplyDeleteIrving said that for his first few awful preseason games (just as bad as Lin's games), he was trying too hard to be a distributor. But once he started shooting more and playing his game, he started playing like "Irving" again.
Jeremy Lin can be unselfish to a fault. That's OK, he'll figure out that HE'S the primary offensive threat on this Rockets team. Only if he's attacking and scoring can the other guys feed off him. That's true for ALL point guards in the NBA.
That is exactly what I've noticed. He focuses too much of being a distributor but he creates well for others if he drives deep into the lane instead of passing the ball while he's still 15-18 ft away from the basket.
DeleteAs usual, you are correct nephelauxetic.
DeleteThis is still preseason where coaches draw up game plans and work on strategy to see what works and what doesn't. It's not all on Lin alone if things don't work, as the coaching staff is responsible for putting Lin in positions where he can succeed.
The hard truth is that when the NBA season truly starts, coaches are secondary to the players. A typical NBA game features players doing their own thing REGARDLESS of the high falutin' plans that coaches draw up. This is why so many veterans look awful in preseason: they're not playing THEIR games.
Jeremy Lin knows when to adhere to an offense and when to break it. Mike Woodson tore his hair out (pun intended) trying to limit Lin's game, but he bit his lip every time Lin made a great play or won games for him. And Jeremy Lin is too good and too experienced a floor general to allow himself to be constrained by any coach's offensive expectations (even McHale's).
Lin will be JUST FINE once the regular season starts and players STOP listening to their coaches!
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Deletehttp://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8509424/new-york-knicks-star-carmelo-anthony-master-getting-way-espn-magazine
ReplyDeleteJeremy can not forget about Knicks and NYC can not forget about him.
ReplyDeleteI am from NYC~
Dont the fans hate him ? I am assuming because that is what I see online. I dont know about you guys but I have a feeling when he returns to MSG, he is going to be booed badly.
DeleteAbsolutely!
DeleteJeremy should never forget the black propaganda orchestrated by the KNICKS and the NY Media. Jeremy should not also forget the comments by his ex-teammates and the racial slurs in his facebook page done by KNICKS fans.
Revenge is sweet!!!
Jeremy must be determined to PUNISH them all.
I hope he gets booed badly.
DeleteThere is nothing sweeter than silencing a hostile crowd!
Jeremy should be the next Knicks killer like Reggie Miller. Maybe he should do a choke sign after punishing them at the end.
I expect BAD BLOOD between the New York and Jeremy. That is competition at its finest. No friendships; This is survival of the fittest.
@ neph: wow! Hope Lin and the team get it together before then. Replied:)
DeleteI don't think that he will be booed badly at least me and my friends (we will be at the v.s NYK and NETS game).
ReplyDeleteThere are still ton of sports writers can't get rid of Jeremy. Especially, Ian Begley from ESPN new youk. He is still writing about Lin. Check out the latest article from ESPN New York
http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/knicks/post/_/id/26078/lin-wanted-to-finish-career-as-a-knick
You can still feel some tears from NYC's media.
To be honest, I dont think they miss jeremy. What they miss is people reading their articles. IT is not a knock to Lin but with Lin in nyk, there were many thing they could write about now they cant. That is just my opinion.
DeleteRobert Silverman from Knickerblogger.net is another Jeremy supporter in NYC. Listen to the podcast that he was so angry about the Lin thing.
Deletehttp://ec.libsyn.com/p/7/6/d/76debd5bfbe9fad9/Episode_142.mp3?d13a76d516d9dec20c3d276ce028ed5089ab1ce3dae902ea1d01cd8733d3cb5ab15b&c_id=4889373
Mike Breen who is the lead commentator for ESPN and MSG still talking about Lin at the recent Knicks' preseason game. One time, he even said "...coach d'antoni...oh no, coach woodson...." Btw, Mike Breen is one of Mike d'antoni's close friends.
DeleteI just know that the knick fans dont give a damn about him. Look at the comments on ESPN. Knick fans think that the knicks are the best team in the world and while I respect these fans who stick by their team even during tough times, they are extremely arrogant . That is why they expected Lin to actually tell the knicks that rockets uploaded the offer so that Lin could become a knick?! I mean that is just wrong. Do you know that they are actually blaming lin saying he was a distraction to the the team? With Lin's comments, they are laughing at him because it sounds like Lin misses them and why give them the satisfaction of that. Get what I mean?
DeleteWhile everyone here thinks that the knicks will be bad this year, I beg to differ. Soon , they would forget him, in fact many have moved on already.
jeremy still has a lot of fans in ny, why wouldn't he? also i dont really understand why should he punish anybody? what did the ny fans do other than cheer for him? he will always be grateful for that. Obviously there are ny fans who never liked jeremy in the first place, so what? they are in their right to do so..
DeleteHe should keep his good vibes as usual, that way he plays better basketball
@ sean joh :Sorry if I sound rude. Is just that it was as clear as day that knicks did not want Lin yet the fans are blaming him for it which is really ridiculous.
DeleteThese pro-Lin writers are doing a favor for JLin and most importantly to the NY fans to not accept the lies ("JLin the traitor took the money and ran") that Dolan-propaganda machine would like them to believe.
DeleteIn the beginning, many NY fans believed these lies but more and more I also see mostly positive comments on these NY articles. The Knicks fans are very knowledgeable so most should know the truth by now that Dolan made foolish emotional decision to never make any offer to JLin.
I expect by Christmas game in MSG, we would see cheers and standing ovation from NY fans grateful for the Linsanity run that Jeremy gave them.
To be booed and shut up the fans by playing well is a sweet payback but to come back and receive standing ovation would be a complete conquest. Vini, Vidi, Vici!
I want the TV camera shining a split-screen of Dolan's squirming face next to NY fans giving standing ovation to JLin.
Me and my friends still are discussing which should we wear at the game. 17 Lin Nyk jersey or 7 Lin Hou jersey!
DeleteEven during the summer fiasco I was expecting the Knicks fans who will be attending the games to show their appreciation for JLin. Those fans who attend games and experienced Linsanity are not the ones insisting on the lies and negative spins on JLins statements.
DeleteKnicks fans who actually watch games in MSG are known to cheer on the underdog. The fans watching games in MSG cheered for JLin whenever he came into the game even before Linsanity.
Before Linsanity was when JLin was at one of the lowest moments in his career. He was about to be kicked out of the league.
The Knicks fans at MSG picked him up when he was down. They cheered him on even if he played for under ten minutes a game and during trash time,
When JLin says he would not mind playing in front of the Knicks, he remembers this unconditional (in the sense that the MSG crowd would cheer for a no-name d-leaguer who hasn't produced or the team) support from the MSG Knicks fans. Their continuing support for him through Linsanity gave him the energy to perform and play some of the best basketball up to that point in his life.
JLin fed off the MSG fans support, enthusiasm, and energy. He felt the true meaning of home court advantage.
Perhaps one day he can feel the same way in Houston.
I would be surprised that JLin did not feel grateful to the MSG crowd. He isn't that type of person who shifts like sand, appreciating the people who he happens to play for and turning 180 degrees and bad mouth the MSG Knicks fans that impacted him the most, just because he is in a different team.
He recognizes the love the MSG crowd showed him. Just like how Steve Nash will openly say he appreciates the fans in Phoenix, JLin is just as right to show his love for MSG Knicks fans without being called ungrateful to Rockets or still havent let go. Just as much the Suns fans can reasonably cheer on Nash when he returns, MSG can reasonably show their appreciation for Linsanity when JLin returns.
Being nostalgic and being loyal to his rockets isn't mutually exclusive. There was an ugly divorce with the Knicks management, but do you have to hate in-laws as well (referring to the MSG Knicks fans), especially ones which were with you through the tough times and were estatic for you during your great times?
JLin in part talked about his nostalgia to refute the idea that he was ungrateful to the Knicks organization and especially the fans. It is also to refute the idea that he was only looking for money.
Remember that Jlin is a classy guy. He is also a people person. Moreover, he is aware of the negative distortions about him regarding free agency. With these things in mind, read again his statements about appreciating the supportive Knicks fans who he played in front of and about not minding playing in front of them for the rest of his career. I cannot come to the conclusion that he is necessarily ungrateful towards the rockets or that he isn't focused on his current job to play basketball.
wilc,
DeleteYou hit the nail right on the head. I thought JLin was making two main points in the interview - in so many words:
* My love of NY fans, who gave me the unbelievable support, was THE REASON that I was willing to come back. After all, I was a restricted free agent.
* But I was told to test my market and they'll match. I followed the order but they didn't match. So, as you can see, I'm a Rocket now, but it wasn't for greed.
First Game against the Pistons:
ReplyDeleteI EXPECT LIN to have a 20 & 10 performance. He needs to annihilate, destroy, humiliate, dominate and crush Brandon Knight. I expect the Rockets to win by at least 20 points.
Anything less than that would be a disappointment.
Yes!!!! This!! I want to see a progression for the last two preseason games in jlin. Those last two will be played closer to opening season game. Let's see if jlin is jlin again. I think he will be close but I fully expect him to start cranking up his starter stats early in the season.
DeleteIf you're going to be on the cover of GQ, then you better justify it with your play. Otherwise, you'll be seen as nothing more than a marketing gimmick.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Jeremy needs a pep talk. He doesn't seem to be motivated by the myriad of doubters that he has.
And this puts even more of a TARGET on Lin's back. Most NBA players read GQ and they are going to try to do ANYTHING they can to destroy him and his hype machine.
DeleteHe needs to isolate himself and just focus on playing. He seems to have lost his swagger and fearlessness.
DeleteThe cover is indeed annoying (I hate magazines generally) and if I'm the other players, I'm going to go after him.
@nephelauxetic,
DeleteI have no problem with the cover. He just needs his play to back it up. The last thing he needs is to be mentioned with Tebow, who's currently a back-up QB.
He might be getting too distracted
DeleteMaybe he misses the adoring fans from New York; the chanting of his name; Hopefully, he's not falling in love with the attention. The last thing he needs right now is another distraction
Guys, Lin has NO CONTROL over what the media does.
DeleteYou need to understand that Lin is part of the NBA entertainment machine and is generating revenue for a lot of people. It's in his job description to be appearing in the public eye. He CANNOT SAY NO to the bulk of these media requests.
Just remember that Lin is not an amateur athlete anymore who can walk away from the media if he chooses. Lin is now an NBA STAR who is simply fulfilling the duties of one. So relax and let him do his job by appearing on GQ!
In these few preseason games it is clear that McHale runs a very different half court offense. The offense has lots of motion and pushes at a very fast pace. So far it seems too unsettling for many Rockets' players, especially rookies. It almost resembles the GS Warriors Don Nelson offense. I also notice that less points are score from PnR. Either less PnRs are run or run correctly, or the defense knows it is coming.
ReplyDeleteI think Jeremy Lin is going to have a lot of challenges to overcome. Godspeed Jeremy! I pray that you and the team will do well.
Aside from Lin cracking under pressure (which I truly don't think can happen to this guy based on what he's been through and how he was raised), my biggest fear is that Lin is an injury waiting to happen.
ReplyDeleteThe NBA is completely BS in the way they are allowing Lin to be pummelled and a lot of it is Lin's own fault and style of game as I agree with most people on this board. Lin is trying to just play clean ball and stay cool but guys are trying to take him out of games physically. Blake Griffin deals with some of that too because of his dunking.
I'm not saying Lin should fight nor should he beat anyone up cause he couldn't if he tried, nor should he do a "sneaky" retaliation. Right now he needs to be doing obvious retaliations or at least jaw at the opposing team. Imagine if Lin popped another guy in the crotch like CP3 or dropped kicked a player in the face like Bruce Bowen or used Bowen's BS ankle breaking defensive foot slide on shooters - Lin would be crucified by the media and other teams and there would be even more of a bounty on him. It's unfair but because Lin is Asian he can't do the same things and get away with it.
But Lin does need to stand up though when he gets hit in a truly BS manner and hit other team's players the same way Kidd/Lopez hit him, accident or not. He needs to get in someone's face to let his team, other teams, and the NBA know that he's not going to take it and make it an issue. There are no nice guys in the NBA. All the top players are cocky A-holes.
Kobe is ridiculous and the famous "Kobe on Mike Miller" retaliation cheap shot was just that - ridiculous. I think Kobe only got a flagrant 1 for almost taking Mike Miller out permamently. Lin needs to do some of that to a lesser degree if he's not going to get up off the ground and confront someone immediately. He needs to get a Tech or 2 if that's what it takes for the Rockets organization and GM and coach to make comments in the media.
Lin is tough no question about it. Taking those hits and getting up aint easy. But it's one thing to silently take hits and another to stand up for yourself. Hopefully he figures that out before it's too late.
Deron Williams got a flagrant called in his favor yesterday because AJ Price touched him. Lin gets Lopez'd and it's just a normal foul. This happens to other players too, but it happens to Lin on quite a consistent basis. Either the NBA doesn't want Lin to shine too bright or the certain refs themselves have an agenda for their own various reasons.
The refs have even bigger egos than they players do.
DeleteThey are even more jealous of Lin's fame than the players are. Plus they unquestionably have anti Asian bias.
I do think Lin will eventually retaliate. Coach McHale will teach Lin how to strike back at people.
I do agree that Jeremy needs to prepare how he will react when someone is out there with harmful intent to take him out of the game (i.e. Jalen Rose's recent admission to undercut Kobe by stepping underneath his jumper to get broken ankles and be out of the playoffseries)
DeleteI have a hard-time imagining JLin going berserk ala Ron Artest to swing left and right but there might come a time to look at someone straight in the eye and let them know he does not appreciate their dirty plays.
If JLin chooses to follow the Biblical way, Jesus showed there is a righteous anger when he turned the merchant's tables at the Jewish temple because they made a mockery God's holy place. So it's not an out-of-control anger but a controlled anger if someone tries to injure his teammates or himself.
The biggest flagrant foul we have discussed in the past was JKidd's grabbing his hair from behind when JLin drove to the rim. It's hard to confront someone when you're still writhing in pain on the floor. In this case, I thought most agreed that his teammates need to confront the dirty player.
In Lopez's case, his teammates correctly confronted Lopez. I think JLin accepted the apology because he knew Lopez did not have the dirty reputation and did not have the evil intent to take him out. Lopez had a 'soft' label in the past so he tried to shed that label.
Yes, I hope Coach McHale talked to him about this scenario because he knows how important JLin is for this team.
Psalm234,
DeleteYou're mistaken. I doubt McHale has even addressed this. He's probably more concerned whether Jeremy is the guy they thought they were getting. And you better believe players will go extra hard at Lin. The sad thing is he doesn't even seem aware of it. I don't want to see him laughing no more. He seems so damn naive that I just want to slap some sense into him.
It's all good, TVN.
DeleteLin - and a lot of players - play best when they're laughing and having FUN. Lebron James is like that too in that he's a GREAT 4th quarter player when he's relaxed and not screwing up his own head with excessive pressure.
I actually think Lin needs to relax and quit trying to cover for his teammates. Make the plays and let them fall on their own if they can't produce. And Lin should stop beating himself up so much so that he can shoot an easy jumper as opposed to a tense one!
yes, we want him to have FUN to play at his best. Remember that Linsanity happened when he played with nothing to lose. When he said many times that he put too much pressure on himself to play well for his fans in GS, he played tentatively and timid. The last thing we want him to do is put too much pressure on himself and not having fun because he said it didn't work on him.
DeleteYou're right, KHuang. He needs to relax and be himself, have the mindset of attack-and-score and pass when the defense collapses on him.
It's hard to will oneself to relax [this in itself is anxiety-making, lol.] Esp someone like JLin, who is very conscientious. He's trying to fulfill some very high expectations.
DeleteHe's also a perfectionist, and he'd want to "do." It's very tempting, esp when things are uncertain, to want to regain control & consciously choreograph things instead of just letting things flow/ get into the zone -> That means trust, but he's in an all-new environment.
He's not been wearing his Christian bracelet lately. [Is he off his usual routine?] His faith helps him a lot in dealing with pressure, where he can "let go and let God."
Jeremy needs to respond back, plain and simple.
ReplyDeleteBeing passive will only lead to more hard fouls and no calls.
When guys like Kobe or Metta World Peace go for layups. Opposing guys just let them do it or at most just slap their arms to try to get the ball out of their hands.
When Jeremy does it, people smack them down hard on his face/head or pull down him while he's in the air. That's very dangerous.
If this continues, I fear he will probably be injured again in the season.
Where the hell is Lin's head at? He just tweeted about his GQ cover. To me, it seems like the kid is content, when in reality, he hasn't accomplished much yet. A lot of his peers will resent this. They don't feel like he's earned it and like I said, they will go after him HARD. He needs to make to sure these 1-10 FG, 1 rebound, 1 assist efforts are a rare thing (if it ever happens again).
ReplyDeleteHe needs to work on his GAME, not his FAME.
Don't worry.
DeleteWhen the real NBA games start and defenses clamp down even more, Lin will shine. He'll still struggle against the teams like San Antonio with multiple All Stars, though.
Lin is still learning what his Rockets team can and cannot do. Despite that, he's done a good job on the court and has kept his team active against the #1 and #2 Western Conference teams. He's doing JUST FINE!
Those open jumpers will fall. Lin is too good a shooter to brick away an entire season the way John Wall did shooting 7.5% from three point range!
@TVN,
DeleteHoly %$%$, I can't believe he did that.
Now the target on his back is that much bigger.
If he wants to stay healthy, I think he should do less layups and more jump shots. Less chance of getting fouled hard.
I'm sure I'm overreacting. I just hope he as successful as I think he can be.
DeleteThis guy is needs to stop tweeting and start Balling. Goodness!!!!
DeleteYou are one of Lin's biggest fans TVN, so we'll give you a pat on the po po!
DeleteSimilarly, concerned, it's just TOO BAD if other players are angry that Lin's on GQ. LET THEM COME!!!
I as an Asian American man who's weathered a long lifetime of racial warfare has learned that people are gonna come after me because I'm Asian American, and I'm not even on GQ. So you might as well seize the good publicity while you can and enjoy your run in the limelight.
I've fought the world before for my bare daily survival. It's WORTH IT. There is no alternative for Asian American men.
@TVN
DeleteI agree with you. You made some very good points.
Hopefully he realizes on the court it's like a war zone.
If they're not his teammates, they're the enemy. And should be treated as such. It's every man for himself.
Being nice will only show weakness which the opponents can/will exploit. People fouling him excessively hard because they know he doesn't fight back.
Coach Kevin McHale really needs to teach the team to defend themselves and each other. He should tell them how he fouled Kurt Rambis back in the days.
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Deleteno worries, guys. I know we all want JLin to do play well in scoring and passing like we know he can.
DeleteWe just need to remember his Linsanity secret. Just like Feb. 2012, he needs to feel fun, let loose, laughing and enjoy playing basketball with nothing to lose in order to perform at the highest level of Linsanity. So I'm glad to see him laughing and said he's having fun again. Even Coach McHale said that it will be slow to regain his form after not playing so long but one day it will come back just like that. So let him have the most fun that he can have :D
If he looks like he's pressing himself out there because he's not doing well, that's when we need to worry.
About JLin's tweet -
DeleteHe's been trying to live as much of a "normal" life as he can. He tweeted as he normally would, with his own brand of sense of humor. Seems he tends to forget he is a celebrity now, and would tweet a dorky joke or two at times, for which he'd be flamed [he'd take the tweet down then.]
There's so much on his plate, he needs some people to advise him on things, give him a gauge on what's out there, the social temperature. [He's still a one-man operation, with some help from family, it seems.]
Anyone that appears in the cover of a magazine - or just an inside story - is *expected* to do some promoting the publication's behalf. All the other guys do that also.
DeleteLoving the comments on here. Judging a basketball player based on ONE game alone is laughable but forgetting how much of an impact he had last year making NBA fun again is just pathetic.
ReplyDeleteI am assuming not too many people commenting on here has played much organized basketball in high school or college. Anyone who's played any sports will know that you will have a horrible game once in awhile. There are times when shots just don't fall. All great athletes had those days. But what separates a great player from the rest is that they will bounce back stronger, which I am assuming JLin will be able to do.
On the comment about JLin not accomplishing anything, have you actually been following him? Through out his college career? He has accomplished alot more than Kyrie Irving had when he entered nba. It was based on potential that Kyrie was able to go #1. Same reason goes for JLin's contract from Houston. Let the boy play for abit before making unreasonable basketball judgements. There are still 82 REAL games to be played before anyone should say how bad of a player he is.
Indeed.
DeleteAlso, it's not as if Lin hasn't been shut down before. I think Princeton always owned him in college, because the team specifically game planned to stop him. Lin will only thrive ultimately if the team thrives. Of course, Lin will have something to do with whether the team thrives.
Hey all the blog gangsters on here...everyone's a tough guy on the message boards huh...big deal. Jeremy is in difficult situation and I thought the GQ article was awesome in that it pointed out Asian Stereotype obstacles that is his reality. But for everyone to say Jeremy needs to stand up and start fighting with someone - all I can say as that is an ignorant slave type mentality. Things are done differently nowdays - he's got to be smart - He's the only Asian in NBA - fighting will do nothing but bring more resentment to him and make guys play harder against him. For all those guys who says people will respect him more if he stands up and starts scrapping with a black player do not know sports....unless Jeremy Lin just annihilated someone like Ron Artest and cold knocked his ass out - nobody is gonna respect Lin for fighting a black player - instead it will create a racial war that all black players will go up against lin more and respect him less.
ReplyDeleteJeremy Lin probably has never gotten into fight in his life so no need to prove his knuck game now...what will earn him the ultimate respect is to just get up from the shots and not say a word but just play the game and play it well and win games...that's what other players will respect. This is not prison and it's not the street. NBA is a business and it's a corporation. Blogger Gangsters go preach somewhere else.
I do agree...he needs to drop the wish I played in New York sob story....nobody cares about that...Jeremy got start acting like a man and start being a businessman in the NBA corporation. He should be promoting Houston and saying he can't wait to serve it to the Knicks when he plays them again. He should be saying he will make the Knicks regret letting him go - not saying he wish he could have retired there- cmon Jeremy - that's being a kitty kat. Man up and start being 25 year old man and be competitive that people like Tyson Chandler, JR Smith and Carmelo, Amare have been calling you out and disrespecting you. Create some hype by saying you're going to come to NY Garden and get the crowd rocking again for a linsanity special edition.
DeleteSorry, but the NBA is a TOUGH GUY league where players bounce each other around.
DeleteWe've been through this before, Mike Nice. Every one of your favorite NBA players has gotten into his share of nasty fights. It is part of the game, and that's not a bad thing either.
Jeremy Lin has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to fear from any player due to skin color. No man on this planet should fear any other man due to skin color. And if guys come after Lin, he'll just have to MAN UP and PUNCH THEM OUT.
Many of my foes labeled me a gangster AFTER I punished them for coming after me. Better that than cower in another man's presence!
lol.
DeleteI don't want him to start fights. He'll probably get knocked out.
Just after getting fouled too hard, get up in their face and call attention to it. Say that $^#& won't be tolerated. Like how Jared defend Jeremy when he was on the Knicks. Or call them out in the media for cheap shoting him.
Staying silent and acting passive won't change a thing. Even if his game is good, if he doesn't complain about the fouls, nothing will change.
Refs who are biased turned a blind eye and teammates can only do so much. Teammates won't start a fight for you because they'll be suspended without pay.
It's up to him to stand up for himself.
----------------------------------
I agree, he's playing for the Rockets now and shouldn't talk about preferring the Knicks.
He needs to fight back against people in the media talking $#*# about him.
you guys are missing my point...he's the only asian in the league so fighting back is counterproductive....think of all pioneers in their situation who faced the problems i.e jackie robinson, he got beaned many times, was taunted and not respected but he just played the game and got his legacy because of his strength to not fight someone but to overcome it and play the game...the game is the game - doesn't matter who fights or who gets in someone's face in this situation. If there were many Asians in the NBA then Jeremy could get gangster out there and be ready to fight but not as the only Asian on the court - it works against him (see my above post).
Deleteconcerned...if Jeremy lin tried to be a fake gangster by getting up in someone's face and acting like he's hard it will be obvious front. Jeremy lin would look like a Scottie Pippen if he did that and it would bring more animosity to him. Jeremy should just get up walk to free throw line and make his free throws and keep his mouth shut...but I will say he shouldn't be shaking anyone's hand who just knocked your ass to the ground. And definitely don't say in the paper or media that it's ok and such...just keep your mouth shut and don't fuel the fire. If Jeremy was smart he would take his goons out to dinner a lot and let his bodyguards handle that mess (Chandler Parsons , TErrance Jones?)....
DeleteIt doesn't matter that Jeremy is the only Asian in the entire NBA.
DeleteI've been the only Asian standing up for myself in fights against multiple opponents. Lin cannot afford to back down from anybody.
So what if the entire NBA comes after him? They ALREADY ARE. Playing nice only makes it worse.
Lin is an Asian American male like me. If somebody crosses me and gets beat up, it's THEIR fault and not mine. And if it creates more enemies, BRING EM ON!!!
My willingness to rumble with anybody that crosses me is why I don't get picked on, least of all on a basketball court where I have learned to legally smack people around!
I think Jeremy should just focus on playing the best basketball he can. This talk about fighting back is silly. What will it change? Nothing. However, what would it do to his mind? It would diminish his focus on what he can control entirely: His performance. Let's face it: He can't control what other players decide to do or not do. And any focus he takes away from playing the best basketball he can is wasted focus. The NBA is inherently dangerous and there's nothing you can do to change that. You can only minimize risk by playing intelligently, but the whole fighting back thing doesn't accomplish that.
DeleteRegarding this statement:
"He should be promoting Houston and saying he can't wait to serve it to the Knicks when he plays them again."
The above may sound romantic but it's devoid of all intelligence. You don't do ANYTHING to increase the motivation of other players to go after you. It would be akin to saying something like "I'm really going to give it to Michael Jordan" prior to playing him. What do you think that would do to MJ's motivation? And what kind of pressure do you think that would put on the person who uttered those words?
All you wussy pacifists can talk self righteous peace garbage about Lin cowering when people go after him.
DeleteBut let me tell you how it is for Asian American males in this racially hostile American culture.
When I was a kid, the other kids bullied me daily. It was never just one attacker, but up to ten at a time. I got bounced around daily and the teachers watched it happen.
Then I got MAD. I became a walking powder keg, willing to fight anybody that crossed me even if he was bigger and older. I went after EVERYBODY that targeted me and fought some hellacious fights. The kids taunted me for being hyper crazy, but it was sheer FRIGHT in their eyes as I turned my red enraged eyes on them and their friends to administer a whooping. I wasn't even TEN years old!
After a while, my enemies just didn't bother messing with me anymore. I had fought, gotten in trouble with teachers, been sent to the principal's office, and WHUPPED everybody that came after me. The instant I growled, people backed right off because they knew I was there to HURT people. From that point on, school was halcyon until I got into junior high and high school to face new enemies.
If you are an Asian American guy like me and Lin, you are not protected by the same social rules of etiquette that everybody else is protected by. You are ON YOUR OWN, and people WILL attack. You learn to be strong because it's better to throw 10 punches that connect than be bullied 100 times with increasing intensity.
Men who aren't Asian American cannot possibly understand what it's like to be racially targeted by everyone around you in today's day and age. Lin should learn from ME.
all this talking about fighting back, gotta stand up for yourself, bring em on and such, it's completely senseless. This is not about fighting, this is basketball. Where did you guys get the idea Jeremy had to fight anyone? he is a relaxed guy who just wants to play some basketball and have fun doing it, give him a break
DeleteLike I said, you guys are a bunch of wimps who are encouraging Lin to meekly cower as the entire NBA hits him with increasingly brutal contact.
DeleteFighting is part of being Asian American. People go after Lin physically because he doesn't retaliate. He got brutalized out of the league last season and is on his way toward being brutalized out of it now.
Most bullies back off only in response to violence. If Lin doesn't learn that lesson quick, he's going to get PERMANENTLY injured out of the NBA via illegal contact.
Like it or not, an Asian American man like Lin or myself needs to man up and take on everybody. People won't attack if Lin shows that he retaliates.
well maybe, i dont know really, i'm not in your position.. though i honestly dont see jeremy as the retaliation kind of guy. if he is smart he will stay out of troubles and play great games, thats what i really want to see
DeleteBamboo:
DeleteI get your point about not giving other team bulletin board material. I do agree with you on that point as an athlete and if part of team. However, this situation is different because of all the hot sauce that is being dropped on Lin from New York papers and such. I think Lin should embrace the hype and mouth off to them and answer back with saying he is going to be pumped to play in the Garden and teach the Knicks a lesson. He could say something passive and say I hope to play well vs. New York and bore people to death but he will be getting New York's hard fouls and best effort no matter what he says. If anything, he should come out of his Asian Stereotype politeness and start waving his flag that he's coming....it's not fighting or anythign but it shows at least he has guts and courage to speak up. If he plays bad and gets embarassed so be it but it will rally his fans to him like no other. Jeremy is our Asian Malcolm X - we are depending on him for our place in professional sports society.
Cool, nando.
DeleteI've been in Jeremy Lin's shoes and have fought the wars. I don't fight as much as an adult, but that's because I publicly display myself as an asskicker!
Jeremy Lin is not a retaliation guy, and NEITHER AM I. But when people target us for being Asian American, they think they can attack us with impunity because Asian Americans are thought of as weaker than all other races. Retaliation is the only way to stop the attackers, and I've tried EVERYTHING.
Here's a typical example. When I was in grad school, I was playing basketball. One of my teammates decided to start screaming at me for no reason. I was passing him the ball and doing everything right, but he got madder and madder. Finally I screamed "F You, I'll kick you ass" even though he was bigger and more popular than me. He backed right down and apologized. I sweetly snarled that it was OK, and I ended up captaining my own team after that!
I have hardly been racially targeted on the basketball court because I'm MEAN. Maybe I have been targeted by guys, but I always smack guys around legally and play nasty little mind games all the time. For example, if a guy is going after me with hard fouls I'll make sure I block his shot or bounce him around just to let him know I'm there. Even though I usually play with guys a foot taller than me, I'll still bang against them inside even if I have no chance of winning. Then those guys end up on MY team!!!
If Jeremy Lin starts getting physical with his attackers and learns the beauty of four letter words, the entire NBA will keep a respectful distance from him.
DeleteIf Jeremy Lin throws one punch and gets suspended 10 games, he'll have prolonged his NBA career by at least a year because guys will back off.
Players on the basketball court don't respect refs or even suspensions. They do respect guys screaming in the faces and attacking them physically. Lin WILL learn, especially from McHale!
@Mike Nice:
DeleteYou have already proven yourself wrong by claiming nobody cares about JLins NY sentiments. You read the article??? Even NY restaurant waiters care and tell JLin that they do. Read the comments on the articles site and see if people care...
You say he should forget about NY and attack the Knicks franchise immediately. By doing so JLin would basicly cut ties with his old NY fans. Youre asking him to be a total sellout when hes not. Hes a loyal person and therefor cares. By doing so he is reinforcing ties with his old fans.
Also - people have been saying a lot of crap about JLin (SAS -> all about money). Its only fair that JLin sets the record straight on any given opportunity.
JLin must fight back. Theres no way hes gonna survive the abuse on the court like that on the long run. You want that batman/spiderman/a-team like behavior of standing up and shaking it off after youve been beaten down. But thats childish wishful thinking - not reality.
You claimed that JLin never got into a fight in his life -> read his interviews -> hes fighting for himself and hes even threathened a ref during a game - saying if the ref didnt stop the opponent fans who were taunting him he would be doing something stupid.
JLin cannot get into a fist fight with his attackers - but he must fight for himself and I woudlnt mind if JLin pushed his attackere or something like that.
I believe the average bball fan would accept that.
Youre insulting all african and asian americans by saying it would turn out to be a racial war. You think people are that dumb? Youre basicly saying that JLin should give in to the stereotypes -> nice respectful asian.
He must show that hes not OK with the fouls. He could simply do so by NOT shaking hands or hug the attacking opponent. He doesnt have to look mean and insulted - he could just ignore them with a cool (and mean) smile on his face. But - by accepting their apology (hand shake or hug) he makes it look as if hes ok with being fouled.
Also - if a ref doesnt give a foul on one end he cannot give a foul on the other end as well. Rockets must not play with lesser means. If JLins being attacked - someone must attack the opponents star player. I dont like intentional fouls but sometimes you must let things escalate for refs to step in and think it all over...
Mike Nice would be right if the NBA/NBA refs called it fair 80% of the time for Lin. But see it's not - Jkidd's hit, even on review by the NBA, was deemed a clean hit. There are many other hits from last year besides just that one. Again, other "stars" like Deron Williams get TOUCHED and it's flagrant.
DeleteWhen Linsanity started, he got normal calls, even some ticky tack calls, and guys on other teams just fouled him normally. Later on, people just started to clobber him and the ref's swallowed their whistle on ticky tack fouls and called normal fouls on some flagrant fouls, particularly when the team was falling apart with D'Antoni.
Mike Nice is also way off base in using a Jackie Robinson analogy. This is 2012 - where people in mainstream America claim there is no racism - see Anne Coulter's recent comments for example. (Despite her gaudy education, I think she's an idiot but she represents the thinking of much of the 1% and middle/upper white/mainstream demographic aka the majority of the USA - hell, she probably likes Lin for what he represents besides his race). Robinson also had to deal with infinitely more overt racism than Lin ever will.
Today the racism is subtle, which is more frustrating but quite honestly it's not anything close to Robinson. Not sure if the MLB called the strike zone in a more BS way for Robinson but if so, that would be a solid analogy to what Lin is facing with fouls etc.
Today, nobody wants to hear the word racism and everyone in the USA, particularly the mainstream, wants to believe the USA is a place of equal opportunity. So because of that, Lin doesn't need to "take it" or "grin and bear it." There's not supposed to be a glass barrier or set of Asian rules Lin needs to play by.
That's why Lin can go and do what he feels is necessary to protect himself without fear.
Lin can try to be a pacifist but he isn't the strongest guy to start with and he will be physically injured out of the NBA unless he protects himself - I really believe that. If he has to adjust his game, all that means is that he becomes a jump shooter, meaning he will be less effective(ie jump shots all day like Dwill). He shoots ok, but he's no Nash, not yet at least.
Lin doesn't have to show fake TV bravado - nobody suggests that's what Lin should do. I think Lin is the kind of guy, who if he is really mad will actually really want to fight.
Rather Lin can gently walk up to his attacker after the play and let the guy know the hits are not going to be ok. Lin needs to make it known there will be consequences. Or Lin simply needs to do a gentler version of the "Kobe on Mike Miller" hit or the "Derek Fisher on Scola" hit towards his attackers. Usually the attackers on teams aren't the star players anyways so nobody will really care.
So what if Lin gets hits with a $1000.00 fine, big deal. More importantly. next time some guy like old man Kidd or Lopez thinks about hitting Lin, they will be wondering if Lin will hit em in the ribs or take out their legs back in retaliation.
But if you just take hits and not say or do anything, the hits are just going to keep on coming. People will walk all over him.
I hope it gets so bad that Lin looses his cool and I hope the NBA ejects Lin for it so that the NBA unintentionally causes a debate about the inequity of race etc and bring back all those articles about how black refs call more fouls on white players and vice versa. Because if Lin loses his cool, that means the hits would be so blatant and the calls would be so poorly refereed that the NBA would have to clean it up because it got too obvious.
Some of the comments I see on here are perpetuating stereotypes more than anything else. What is with the constant drumbeat of "Lin's gonna get injured out of the NBA"? No, he isn't! What on earth? Players freaking get clobbered. They get flagrants. Kobe gets flagranted all the time. If Lin is really the delicate flower you think he is, then he deserves to be run out of the league.
DeleteLike some of you, I've watched every Lin game. He definitely took some fouls that should have been called. He got bloody noses that should have been called at least a couple of times last year. THAT'S NOT GONNA END A CAREER! Flagrant fouls almost never result in missed games. Lin is not in special danger. He doesn't have to take great pains to protect himself. His teammates will have his back as far as that goes, but that's all pecking order stuff. It's not going to make him miss games.
The only thing that can stop Lin is Lin. Or McHale using him poorly.
Jeremy Lin is 6'3" and 215 lbs - big enough to hurt ANYBODY.
DeleteDon't assume that a big strong guy like Lin cannot defend himself. He CAN if he chooses to.
I'm half Lin's size but have double the fight. I hold my own against bigger guys. So can Lin.
Lin needs to start legally bullying his opponents. Bumping guys, throwing guys around, elbowing them, kneeing them - all part of the game!
Once I was in summer camp. A guy was pushing around my teammates. he came to push me, and he got stunned because I mowed right theough his push. At the end of the game he deliberately undercut me as I drove in for the winning layup. I saw him coming, so I grabbed his head in midair and landed gently using his body as a cushion. I made the layup and won the game, which I found out when I was lying on my back and my crumpled opponent was crawling away from me painfully!
I hope Lin learns to give no quarter like Stockton. Players always said Stockton was dirty just because they couldn't stand that way a 6'1" white dude would set hard picks and didn't let guys just run him over at the first sign of contact. Lin IS big, so there's no reason to think he can't hold his own out there. He isn't in mortal danger of having his career ruined by the big bad bullies of the NBA.
DeleteRegardless of what you or I think Jeremy Lin should do in response to hard/flagrant fouls, it's unlikely that he will ever retaliate. Retaliating would simply be inconsistent with the character of Jeremy Lin. In my mind, it's not because he is naive or timid or soft or weak; rather, he would choose not to retaliate because of his belief in the Christian faith and the life principles that follow.
DeleteJeremy has said that his identity is in Christ, and has said repeatedly that he wants to play basketball to glorify God. He views playing basketball in the NBA as a vehicle, a platform; as a means to an end as opposed to an end in itself. He had also stated his plans of being a minister after his basketball career is over. Putting all of this together, it's unthinkable that Jeremy would behave in such a way that dishonors God.
It may very well be, just like many of you pointed out that the NBA, the American society, and the real world present a rough jungle where one must hunt or be hunted; where aggressiveness toward others is the most effective way to curb aggressiveness received. But by his creed, I imagine that Jeremy would choose not to "play by the rules"; so as to be in the world, but not of the world.
I believe Jeremy understands how the game is played. In fact, I would even venture to guess that at times he would instinctively want to retaliate, but restrains himself from doing so. If he is as firmly grounded in the Christian faith as he appears, then the teachings in the faith would invariably shape his decision making. This includes being humble, recognizing God as the sole judge, make peace as much as possible, love the enemy, forgive, be kind, be long suffering, etc. A person so convicted in the Christian faith would rather choose to be hurt by others than to do wrong to others.
I'm not making a case for what is right and what is wrong, or whether a particular interpretation of the Bible and the ensuing translation into Christian living is correct. I'm simply stating that, from my own understanding and observations, how Jeremy has been responding to the hostility and physical harm has been consistent with his professed Christian belief. In an ironic way, this silent endurance reminds me of the non-violent spirit best illustrated in the life of Martin Luther King Jr.
For a person who is serious about his faith and desires to live it out, understanding the heart of God and applying that understanding in day-to-day living is an ongoing challenge. Jeremy has to know that the same God who embodies and desires forgiveness, love, grace and mercy; also is a God who does not tolerate injustice, who hates evil, and who detests oppression. Retaliation may be "wrong" in the perspective of the Christian faith; but by the same faith, not confronting injustice is also "wrong". Many great ways of confronting dirty fouls without hitting back have been suggested in this thread alone. It is my sincere hope that Jeremy will find a balance and a right approach. Sure, be kind and forgiving to the transgressors, but be firm and strong against the transgressions.
JLin's situation cannot be compared to other players in the league. We already saw how the rules are diff when it's applied to him. They believe he does not belong, they HATE his fame, the "undeserved" contract. It's personal for a lotta players, it's not your regular fouls.
Delete---
Even if he shows his displeasure at being fouled [not shaking hands etc] So? It's not going stop simply bec JLin is unhappy about it. There must be actual, concrete consequences to the transgressor, to compel them to refrain.
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"Once I was in summer camp. A guy was pushing around my teammates. he came to push me, and he got stunned because I mowed right through his push."
- Ironically, JLin would actually be more likely to fight for a team mate than for himself.
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"I hope it gets so bad that Lin looses his cool"
He'd sooner be injured than get to the point where he'll ALLOW his emotions to bring him to the verge of fighting. Bec he is consciously self-disciplined [and consciously suppressing negative emotions] it will take a great deal to rouse him to the point he loses his cool. He'd be injured by then.
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It would be ideal if he retaliate. In fact, bec of people's false perception about him, he needs to retaliate even harder, [and it will take more instances too] to convince the league he is not to be f with.
@3 is probably right though, that it's unlikely he will do this. He's stepped up his commitment to his Christian beliefs this summer, and had repeatedly talked about being a Man of Character [someone who can suffer and persevere - Romans 5:3-5] and wanting to play bball The Right Way. This, after a season of getting beat up almost nightly. Regardless of whether his stance is right or wrong, it's what he's doing. The strategy must simply factor in his reluctance to fight. The next best way would be to get his team mates to step up. [It's doable.]
It's either this, or his definition of what The Right Way is, somehow widens to include certain "forceful actions." [Perhaps if it can be viewed not as Retaliation, but as Response...]
[Some thoughts]
DeletePlaying bball The Right Way:
Game rules are abstract, and rule-breaking should be considered a strategic part of any game [not some gauge of "goodness" or "badness" by not following rules?] There are provisions for rule-breaking, one takes on the corresponding penalty.
If it's the psycho-social taboo of doing violence: Again, some martial arts training will help him un-enmeshed the pure physical act from the emotional/ moral connotations they usually are associated with [i.e. anger/ hate/ pride] He is not trying to hurt people. He is not retaliating. He is just responding to the requirements of the game as it is being played at that particular juncture.
Christian martial artists fight. Fighting and malicious intent to harm are two diff things.
DeleteGuys DO get injured out of the NBA.
DeleteRicky Rubio got knocked out of the NBA by repeated hard fouls. Jeremy Lin got knocked out too. Blake Griffin gets slammed every game. And let's not forget Rudy Tomjanovich being punched by Kermit Washington.
The way Lin was slammed in Dallas with three flagrant fouls all at the same time and the referees wouldn't call it? It WILL happen again, EVERY GAME. It's already been happening in preseason.
If John Stockton could throw punches, so could Lin. I watched Stockton try to punch Bill Cartwright in the head when Bill tried to decapitate him with those trademark elbows that knocked out so many players for the season. Stockton's best friend Isiah Thomas also tried to punch Cartwright in the head. Those are two of your greatest point guards of all time and Lin should learn from both of them.
It's no secret that the key to John Stockton's longevity was Stockton's famous belligerence along with Karl Malone acting as a terrifying enforcer. If Lin is to have a long successful NBA career the way John Stockton did, he had better learn to PUNCH GUYS the way John Stockton did!
@KyHuang,
DeletePlease let's be real here. This isn't football anything. This victim mentality is sickening. I'm tired of soft players. If you don't like contact, go play golf or tennis.
Again, anyone who is suggesting Lin get into altercations is not seeing the big picture...Lin will not get respect that way. He's a bigger person in this situation. If he fights or acts like a fake gangster out there it will come across as he can't handle the pressure and the I believe guys will come at him more and get him out of his game and he will probably get hit every game - Did you ever see Gretsky, Yao Ming, Chris Mullin ever retailate or fight or get in someone's face? Their personalities weren't that way....Jeremy just has to be who he is....can't turn into someone he is not...I do remember Jeremy throwing an elbow at Kobe bryant last year (missed him) but he lost his cool there (I believe cause Bryant had embarrassed him by saying who is Jeremy lin? in interview during Linsanity pretending he did not notice what was happening). If Lin gets into something with anyone it will be negative and will show that he's panicking and not focusing on his game.
DeleteYou pansies just don't get it.
DeleteYou WANT Lin to get bullied. You WANT him to be emasculated. Because that's what you're asking for when people attack him physically and you want him to hold back from retaliating.
The difference between me and you weaklings is that when somebody attacks me physically in prder to deprive me of my livelihood, I PUNISH THEM for even daring to try. If their friends come after me, I go after them too. You wimps cannot understand that.
Sooner or later, Lin WILL retaliate. There is NO OTHER WAY. It's that or have his season ended by violent injury.
After Lin whoops someone, I'll hold your Kleenex for you as you sob about his combativeness.
TVN, the NBA is not for you.
DeleteLarry Bird, Lebron James, David Robinson, John Stockton, and many others are "soft" by your definition. Those guys were sick of taking the hits that you advocate Lin takes every game and responded by FIGHTING.
You don't understand how the NBA works, so of course you think Lin and others should just get beat on game after game. Well, Larry and Magic would disagree with you VIOLENTLY!
Khuang...whats up with the name calling and acting all tough on a message board??? I believe we are all grown men on this board who can give an opinion and thoughts without having to have some message board gangster spout off about how tough he is and call everyone else who doesn't agree with him pussy cats. You seem to be one that's insecure and weak as a real G wouldn't talk this way as I know many of them. You say you've been in all these fights and have done battle with black dudes and all but I think you're all hype. The tough guys are usually one's who don't talk that much....the one's who sell wolf tickets are all bark and no bite.
DeleteLebron James never gets into fights or altercations and he's targeted all the time. Lebron is not a gangster nor a confrontational guy..he has superior skills and does not need it. What changed and what stopped the hard fouls is when his teammates Juwan Howard and Pittman just clocked (almost broke his neck) Stephenson after stephenson tried to embarass Lebron during a game. Other players took notice that if you mess with lebron other people (heat teammates) will be headhunting you. If you notice Lebron never took hard foul again after that Indiana series.
DeleteMike Nice, you aren't Asian American.
DeleteThus you don't know what it's like to be targeted the way Jeremy Lin and I have been.
I know you think my life is fake. That doesn't matter to me. But the racism against Jeremy Lin is VERY REAL, and the illegal hits against Lin are getting HARDER.
Regardless of what you think of me, you'll observe that the only way Lin had to truly keep guys from hitting him harder than he's already being hit is to RETALIATE. Hall of Famers like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan spent their careers retaliating, often with FISTS.
As for Lebron, he got into it with Paul Pierce years ago. Lebron defends himself the way any All Star would. Lin should observe Lebron defending himself and LEARN.
KHuang,
DeleteAgain, just to be clear, I did not say that Lin should do this or that; nor did I say responding a certain way would be right or better than responding some other way. I simply said that it is unlikely that Jeremy would ever retaliate by hitting back, and I supplied reasons why I came to that conclusion.
I hope you can see the distinction. My post was not about what I want Lin to do or what I thought he should do. It was about who Jeremy appears to be to me, and how that is consistent with how he has responded to dirty fouls so far.
I wasn't truly responding to you specifically.
DeleteLin may not want to retaliate, but it's retaliate or be knocked out of the NBA again. There is no choice in the matter.
If people know that Lin will retaliate, they'll think twice about bounty hunting him.
Here's an old ABA anecdote that applies directly to Lin:
5'9" rookie guard Mack Calvin was playing in the ABA for legendary Hall of Famer Bill Sharman.
The first time Calvin squared off against his coach Sharman in practice, Sharman knocked him down with an elbow. Sharman said "Mack, if you don't get tough you're gonna get run out of the league."
From that point on, Mack Calvin started banging around with Sharman in practice. Sharman never said a word when Calvin came at him.
Today Mack Calvin is an esteemed NBA assistant coach and ABA superstar. He wouldn't be those things had Bill Sharman not taught him how to stand up for himself in pro basketball.
Somewhere Lolo is like dammmnnnn..
ReplyDeleteIf I'm not mistaken, Lolo is already dating some dude from the Detroit Lions.
Deleteawesome...
DeleteJLin Post Practice 10-16-12
ReplyDeleteMcHale Post Practice 10-16-12
Hoopsworld short interview
ReplyDelete[Scroll to middle of page]
1) Lin already has a target on his back. See all the chickenshit cheapshots thrown at him when NY didn't match Houston's offer.
ReplyDelete2) Tweeting about his GQ article is a nice way of saying "Foulke U" to his army of haters. Good for you, Jeremy.
A very-well written article by Jason Friedman on the current situation after 4 preseason games. No need to freak out over 2-0 start or 2-2 start. I'd say let's even let the Rox play for 10 regular games and see where things are.
ReplyDelete"News And Notes: Bouncing Back"
Rockets redouble efforts in wake of recent poor performances
Jason Friedman
...
Once the hyperbole and overreaction are put aside, however, it should be clear that the truth about Lin is not dramatically different at this point than it is about the team as a whole. After just two weeks of training camp and preseason play, there are very few bold proclamations that can be made with any amount of absolute certainty. Freaking out about Lin’s last game, or the Rockets past two games for that matter, is no more wise than it would have been to allow expectations to balloon out of proportion following Houston’s 2-0 start to the preseason. The canvas that serves as Lin’s and the Rockets’ 2012-13 season has seen little more than a brush stroke or two applied at this point; each is a work in progress, something Lin summed up perfectly with a quote that could have just as easily applied to his team as it does to himself.
“I think anytime you don’t play as well as you’re capable of it’s frustrating,” he said after being asked to describe his feelings in the days following the San Antonio loss. “But I have to remember it’s a process. It’s not going to just happen overnight for me. I’m going to have to build, build step by step and brick by brick. As long as I get an upward progression of improvement over time I’ll be happy.”
And as for the subject of his physical well being, Lin says he feels as if he’s still on track to achieve his goal of being 100 percent in time for the Rockets’ season opener against Detroit. “I’m feeling pretty good right now,” he said. “After tomorrow’s game we have a week off and I’ll be just fine from here on out.”
Lin ‘trying to get his mojo back’
ReplyDeleteSMART Kevin McHale and Rockets staff.
DeleteThey're saying the same things we are: Lin needs to RELAX. Lin needs to be handcuffed from overworking himself!
I'm telling y'all, it's that Taiwanese guy thing. Lin works and works. It works against him too, and I'm thrilled that the Rockets coaches are gently kicking Lin out of the gym!
McHale is handling Lin very well. I am thoroughly impressed!
McHale is not going to be a good fit for Lin. McHale has never played point guard in NBA and has no idea what to teach Lin. If you notice K, there are rarely any successful big men coaching basketball (college or pro's)...McHale doesn't look like he believes in Lin, not once did he run pick and roll offense for lin like Dantoni...Lin just comes up and passes around the perimeter and drives once in a while...no pick n rolls, no getting Jeremy the ball and creating...Lin has to create off transition and he has to shoot off of passes from teammates....Lin is being handcuffed by McHale and McHale will be fired by midseason and replaced by DanToni...I would bet that. LIn is not going anywhere.
DeleteTotally untrue, Mike Nice.
DeleteMcHale had Sam Cassell and Terrell Brandon in MN. Then Kyle Lowry played very well for McHale before he got injured. Goran Dragic was a scrub headed out of the NBA before McHale turned his career around. So McHale had a LONG and PROVEN track record of developing and coaching high level All Star caliber point guards!
The Rockets are a young team with a limited offensive set. It wouldn't matter what coach came in, the young Rockets are starting at least 2 rookies and their two prized free agents have not played major NBA minutes as starters. Besides, opponents have thoroughly scouted Lin and are forcing Lin's teammates to win the game if they can.
You can't run a pick and roll in the NBA unless the picking player can score. Lin has nobody on the roster who is a proven pick and roll player to work with. Consequently teams are jamming him on the perimeter and leaving the pick man unguarded. It'll be like that all season long if the Rockets big men can't score.
McHale is doing well with Jeremy Lin. Just from that interview, I can see why McHale is so successful with his point guards. I'd go so far to say that it's because McHale was a highly successful big man that McHale knows what a point guard like Lin is supposed to be doing!
And successful big man coaches? PLENTY!
DeletePhil Jackson
Pat Riley (a power forward as a NBA player)
Don Nelson
Bill Russell
Paul Silas
Larry Bird
All of these big men have successfully coached playoff or championship teams.
I think that the prevailing prejudice against big man coaches is incorrect in the NBA. Most of the time, it's big man coaches that understand that the NBA is won and lost in the paint.
Lol, I hadn't realized they changed the title to the article above to:
Delete- For a frustrated Lin, waiting is hardest part -
McHale never won anything as a coach. 3 of those coaches you listed ringless. Bottom line, point is that big men are not the best coaches. McHale looks like he doesn't trust Lin....he had jump shooting point guards in Lowry, Dragic, Cassell...none of those guys were creators or penetrators....Lin plays best when he is in pick n roll and can attack the rim. He played pnr with Jefferies just fine as example of big man with no offensive skills....McHale has not done any homework on Lin's game and watched what made him successful in NY....a good coach adapts his system to player's strengths not the other way around. McHale can't coach.
DeleteJust because a coach is ringless doesn't mean that he can't coach or win. McHale has a good track record of developing players.
DeleteLin's big men are far less experienced than Jared Jeffries who's a 10 year veteran. With McHale's coaching, both Lin and his unproven big men will figure it all out.
You should wait until regular season games actually are played before condemning McHale as a bad coach.
Mike Fratello recently talked about JLin's pnr] [10/15/12]
ReplyDeleteNothing like that happened in game three. Everyone keeps saying that game should speed up, but I just don't see a speedy game when you need to employ a pick and roll.
DeleteThe Spurs are the best team in the league at defending the pick and roll and controlling tempo.
DeleteNo single player has been able to singlehandedly break the Spurs defense during the Tim Duncan era.
I think of this game as not "Lin lost" but as "The Spurs won".
JLin talks about GQ interview
ReplyDeleteWas watching his quick interview post practice today...A couple things worth mentioning:
ReplyDelete1. When asked if 100% was his goal health-wise, where is he today? His answer was "I'm not really sure, some days...Yeah I feel good right now". Basically he's not 100% or probably close to where he can qualify it. Whether he is referring to his conditioning or knee injury or both...
2. When asked what his comfortable level is on the floor...Again dodgy answer...But what stood out was "I just need to be myself and play my game". You almost feel that perhaps he's not being allowed to play the way he wants to? Could explain a few things.
3. When asked if pressure plays into it at all, his answer was a bit odd...He talked about "find that exact role"...I don't get it, McHale hasn't defined that yet? And he added that his ideal role was "playmaker, whatever that means, for that specific game, and defense"...Odd, don't wanna theorycraft, but you almost get the feeling he feels out of place...
Watched Parsons interview and you get the feeling that they're lost and need someone to direct...Guess it finally dawned on them without Lin they're lost :)
bad coaching...McHale is not a good coach.
DeleteJeremy Lin is still figuring out his role.
DeleteMcHale is trying things to see what works with Lin and this group of players Lin has. McHale said that before the season started.
Like I said above, wait until the season starts. Then if you're unhappy that this totally inexperienced team of NBA novices isn't beating more experienced teams the way you expect them to, you might have some justification in writing off McHale.
or not.
JLin is still getting settled down, new setting, new relationships, sky-high expectations, pressure from all fronts...
ReplyDeleteI wonder if he's found a church that's right for him. [Not about religion, but about establishing routine, having a support network.]
His biggest problem is he is too naive, nice, innocent and that backfired on and off the court. He need to realize that he still lives on earth not heaven. Being the only Asian and the most hype player, every game will be a bloody battlefield, if he didn't change his approach, i am honestly worried for him.
ReplyDeleteGuys, it is preseason. Lin - and practically his entire team for that matter - are very inexperienced guys learning a new system. Plus, the team isn't that talented, which allows opposing teams to pretty much focus their efforts on Lin, the best and best known player on the team.
ReplyDeleteThe folks who were expecting this to be Linsanity part 2 right off the bat need an adjustment. Lin isn't running D'Antoni's system, but one where he has to be more of a traditional point guard, really not that different from how he played under Woodson last year. Also, again the Rockets really aren't that good. Opposing teams know that if they dedicate their efforts to defending Lin, there won't be a Melo or Stoudemire who can still go off. Lin played great, indeed better, without Melo and Stoudemire last year? Again, in D'Antoni's system. The combination of a traditional offense and young average talent means a huge adjustment for a guy that is still a very inexperienced NBA player. What worked for Lin in New York last year isn't going to work in Houston (unless they adopt D'Antoni's system, which they won't) and it is going to take Lin, McHale and everyone else time to find out what does work.
And whatever they find just isn't going to work very well against the Thunder and Spurs, because, well they're the Thunder and Spurs. But it will work very good against the Hornets, whom everyone seems to forget the Rockets beat by 20, and in the process Lin outplayed #10 overall pick Austin Rivers in putting up 9 points, 7 assists and 2 steals (Rivers had 1 assist and went 3-12 shooting). Why everyone ignores that game and instead focuses only on games against veteran title contenders in which Lin and the Rockets had no chance is mystifying. Lin is still a very inexperienced player and the Rockets aren't particularly good. So, his games against better competition are going to frequently look this ragged, because teams are going to key their efforts on Lin because he is their best player, and there is really no one else on the Rockets to make them pay. This is the result of Lin having his own team at this point in his career, which lest we forget a mere few months ago everyone was absolutely convinced was a great idea. If it is a great idea when he plays very well against the Hornets, it is a great idea when he struggles against the Spurs. I personally wanted Lin to not be the main guy until he got 2-3 more years of experience because stuff like this was precisely what he wanted to avoid. But things did not go the way that I wanted, but I am ready to embrace things the way that they are. Which is that Lin will do very well for himself because quite simply he is an All-Star NBA player. It just isn't going to be easy, so he is going to have to go through what All-Star players on not very good teams frequently have to endure.
"because stuff like this was precisely what I wanted to avoid" it should have been ...
DeleteExcellent post.
DeleteI'm THRILLED that Lin has his own team. He's young and is learning a ton in the process. I personally think that he's already playing better than he did in NY.
Most star players are fearful of joining young losing teams because they are afraid to face up to the nightly beatings. Not Lin, whose much criticized naivete actually serves him well in learning and growing from the school of hard knocks. Better Lin take his harsh lessons when he's young than when he's older.
I'm very encouraged by Lin and the Rockets. He'll carry the Rockets all season long because everybody plays off him. Lin is more than up to the challenge and will have an excellent year.
At the beginning of last season, this was Anthony's team: a slow, listless, losing and, yes, much-criticized unit, with a clogged-artery offense that featured weak point-guard play and a generally sour air. It's telling that Lin's breakout moment -- 25 points in a win over the Nets on Feb. 4 -- came when Anthony went 3-for-15. Two nights later, Anthony suffered a groin injury, and the Knicks' season changed. With Anthony out and Lin all over the court running a far better representation of Mike D'Antoni's freewheeling offense, the Knicks won seven of eight. Teammates played with the passion of high schoolers. On the night Lin scored 38 to ignite an upset of the Lakers in Madison Square Garden, Spike Lee said it was the loudest he'd ever heard the old building. Chants of "M-V-P" rang out when Lin stepped to the foul line in the fourth quarter. The Garden was suddenly the place to be -- rollicking, euphoric and containing an emotion many Knicks fans might have forgotten existed: pure, uncut happiness.
ReplyDeleteThen Anthony returned in mid-February, to a team vastly different from the one he had left. "Carmelo's dream was to go to New York and be the man," says a source close to several Knicks players. "That's why he fought to get out of Denver, and all of a sudden this little guy nobody's ever heard of is living his dream."
The change was immediate. Anthony was accustomed to the ball running through him on the wing, and the offense went back to its old plodding self. The Knicks lost eight of 10 after his return, including six straight. At one point, Anthony refused to enter D'Antoni's huddle -- a move he defended by saying that going solo was nothing new for him -- and turned the coach's offense, the five-man improv, into discord. On March 13, Howard Beck of The New York Times wrote, "The Knicks are not a unified team. On one side is Anthony. On the other is everyone else." It wasn't personal between Anthony and Lin -- each professes to like the other -- but Carmelo simply went back to the way he felt things ought to be. He is a phenomenal offensive player, but there's no denying reality: Linsanity died out on that wing.
During this stretch -- of Melo vs. the Knicks -- one player was asked why the team had returned to isolation plays for Anthony after D'Antoni's up-tempo, less structured game had been so successful. A source who was privy to the conversation said the player responded by saying that the coach wasn't calling those plays; Anthony was isolating himself and demanding the ball.
D'Antoni's conflict-averse style allowed the situation to fester. Teammates prodded Anthony to give more effort in practice. "Jeremy is a tough guy," says a source close to the team. "He told Carmelo under no uncertain terms, 'I'm not going to give you the ball unless you create space and run the plays.' None of the other guys had a problem with it. Tyson [Chandler] didn't, Amar'e didn't. They knew they had a better chance with the ball in Lin's hands in the last few minutes."
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8509424/new-york-knicks-star-carmelo-anthony-master-getting-way-espn-magazine
Whoa ... I never heard this one before
Delete"Jeremy is a tough guy," says a source close to the team. "He told Carmelo under no uncertain terms, 'I'm not going to give you the ball unless you create space and run the plays.'
If Jeremy is tough enough to stand up to Melo, he can stand up to anyone in the Houston Rockets team if necessary. I have a newfound respect for Jeremy.
:) This + what he learned in NY + being FOTF. [He's got it under control.]
DeleteThanks man! Good link!
DeleteIt shows JLin and Melo are both tough guys. JLin is tough in the way of being rational and doing whats right. Melo is tough in terms of fighting for himself. Now that JLin is gone its no wonder people turn on JLin and stick with Melo. They dont wanna be next to leave :)
It just shows what we all know... people can be teamplayers but mostly everyone fights for themselves. What is Melo worth if he is not the star offensive player of the team? Not much. Now that Lin is gone Melo can build the team around him as he pleases. That of course doesnt mean anything yet - he could fail - could be the big winner.
JLin has a long way to go. He basicly has to do the same... with his young, talented but unexperience hot headed teammates :)
JLin did his best to make it work with Melo:
Delete"Lin would bring the ball upcourt and try to run D'Antoni's system. When Anthony would abandon the offense, Lin would not pass him the ball, which irritated Anthony, sources said. So when Lin tried to talk to Anthony on the court, Anthony would turn his back to the point guard and tune him out. The two never had heated exchanges, though, and the players tried to come to a compromise, agreeing to run D'Antoni's system while also mixing in post-ups for Anthony."
"But it's just a mess because D'Antoni's system is not designed for that," one source said.
---
Remember that a few days after this article, Melo admitted he was not giving full effort.
Some other interesting quotes from that article about Melo, Creative Artists Agency (William Wesley), D'Antoni, and JLin:
DeleteBehind the scenes, a source close to the team says that William "Worldwide Wes" Wesley, a consultant for the agency that represents Anthony, informed Dolan that Carmelo was not pleased with the direction of the team under D'Antoni. This is nothing new; backstage maneuvering helped engineer Anthony's departure from Denver and Paul's from New Orleans. But when it comes to matters pertaining to Anthony, this source described Dolan as being easily swayed by the notoriously mysterious, famously well-connected and mythically powerful Worldwide Wes.
"Lin was getting what Carmelo was promised," says a source close to the team. "And Carmelo thought D'Antoni was going to favor Jeremy, so he had to get D'Antoni out of there.
"It works out perfect for Carmelo. There's little if any of his DNA on there."
[...]
"He's [Melo] not an alpha dog. He might think he is, but he's not," says a source close to the Knicks. "He needs to be around someone who is feared, someone who could tell him what to do. He just couldn't see Jeremy Lin that way. He could see Kobe and LeBron that way in the Olympics, sure, but not Jeremy Lin. Carmelo's whole thing is perception."
D'Antoni was an assistant coach on the Olympic team. His role? Design the offense. Let that sink in for a moment: Team USA's offense, the one in which Anthony set a single-game U.S. Olympic record with 37 points, was precisely the point-guard- dominated, fast-twitch scheme D'Antoni ran -- and Anthony rebelled against -- in New York.
"It's the ultimate irony of this whole thing," the source says. "Carmelo was at his best and most efficient running that offense. It couldn't be more obvious to him, and he couldn't be more oblivious to it."
Thanks for the link to the revealing ESPN article!
DeleteI haven't visited ESPN as much as I used to..... I wish they would set up a dedicated space for Houston: The city is not THAT small. It's a fairly BIG city.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe GQ interview was done a month ago, after his Asia tour. Houston is some hazy place in the future for him then.
ReplyDeleteGQ might seem neutral, but it's Will Leitch [NY mag] after all. It would be NY-centric.
JLin bottleneck:
Will Leitch @williamfleitch
My GQ cover story on Jeremy Lin is up and available for consumption, digestion and excretion. http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/201211/jeremy-lin-gq-november-2012-cover-story?currentPage=1 …
6:01 AM - 16 Oct 12
SLAM Magazine @SLAMonline
http://SLAMonline.com : Kevin McHale Says Struggling Jeremy Lin Trying to Get 'His Mojo Going' http://bit.ly/QOvenM #SLAMnewswire #NBA
6:10 AM - 16 Oct 12
Mxxxx Bxxxx @mxxxbrown
Jeremy Lin is trying to get his mojo going, huh? All he needs is another lockout and everyone to burn their scouting reports.
6:39 AM - 16 Oct 12
Lxxx Txx & Hxxxxxxx @WxxxSxxxxthe2nd
Jeremy Lin struggling on the preseason? Uh oh....
7:07 AM - 16 Oct 12
Sxxxxxx Mxxxxx @sxxxmxxxxxxxx
Did I just see....a Jeremy Lin...Volvo commercial.....wtf...
7:22 AM - 16 Oct 12
txxxxx @pxxxxxcxxx
Is this a Jeremy Lin Volvo commercial I see? smh linsanity needs to die off
7:22 AM - 16 Oct 12
GQ Magazine @GQMagazine
Say hello to our November cover star: Jeremy Lin http://gqm.ag/TtmanD 7:25 AM - 16 Oct 12
Rxxxxxxx Rxxxxxxx @Rxxxx_Rxxxx
Lin everywhere! RT @ngobrolNBA: RT @/ThomasKurniady: Look who's StyLin on the new GQ Magazine? #Rockets #NBA @JLin7 http://instagr.am/p/Q2MxaflzVW/
7:56 AM - 16 Oct 12
This is an unfortunate confluence of events. It makes JLin's hype appear bigger than it is.
DeleteAin't nothing wrong with Lin being hyped.
DeleteIf other players can't handle it and come after Lin, it'll only make Lin a better player.
Hopefully Lin is up to the challenge because we can expect that he's gonna be guarded every game like the miami, boston, Spurs games. Teams will try to emulate the strategy of those elite teams.
DeleteThe hype is none of JLin's doing. It's not that he's going on a media binge or something.
Delete---
At this point, he's still trying to find his balance and get comfortable with a new team, a new coach, a new city.
After last season, I'm pretty sure JLin is aware they are gunning for him. He would have made some preparation for this, whatever it may be.
He's up to the challenge.
What I meant was, he's not feeding the hype, nor is he feeding off the hype. It's not like he's becoming a fame wh*re or something.
DeleteHe's the same JLin, disciplined, determined. Give him some time.
@via wong,
DeleteYou're right that the hype isn't any of Lin's doing but he's got to deal with it whether he likes it or not. It's the consequence of who he is and what he's done. I've always thought the first good AsAm player would receive a great deal of scrutiny and that's what's happening to Jeremy. I sincerely hope he's tough enough mentally and physically to deal with what's coming (and about to come) to him.
When did people give a sh!t about GQ or magazines in general??? Do people still read magazines, really??? I'm a dude so the only time I read or look at a magazine is if a hot chick with bib tit and ass is on the front cover... I do my reading on forums and stuff so I don't know why people on stupid twitter talk so much trash to my homeboy Lin... Haters gone hate fo real!!!!
ReplyDeleteBecause he seems to be so focused on his FAME rather than his game as TVN said above.
DeleteGenerally, there is nothing wrong with some media attention but he has to limit it.
Nonsense.
DeleteLin is totally focused on his game. TOO focused. The Rockets coaching staff is working around the clock to SHUT HIM DOWN.
Lin has already limited his media exposure. Besides, he's a NBA player whose job is working with the media. Lin can't limit the media more than he already has.
The GQ article was written in the OFFSEASON. Guys are supposed to be resting in the offseason!
nephelauxetic, are you his dad? haha
DeleteJLin is not a monk. He can do what ever he pleases.
Why not tell Lebron to stop partying with celebrities or buy 100 Ferraris?
Why not tell Dwade to stop modeling and focus on his game?
Why not tell Carmelo to stop getting ugly tattoos and focus on his passing game?
I have a feeling that JLin probably has the best work ethic in the league. He's had it since he was young, apparently. The dude was accepted to Harvard. He was undrafted. He's the only Asian American in the NBA. I'm sure he knows a thing or two about working hard.
Mates, you may have higher stards than JLin, and I am sure you are so much more successful in your careers but what you claim, to me, is mad beyond resason.
Well, Jeremy 's got to shut those doubters up with his play. That's the only way to do it. And if they keep chirping, then that's on them. Not sure if Jeremy is the type that plays well with a chip on his shoulder, but this would be a good time to get one.
DeleteGQ wanted to interview Lin, not the other way around. He doesn't go around asking for attention, it just comes with being an NBA player. Notice that GQ writer did not mention anything about God, family, or his romantic life, things that other non Asian celebs get asked.
DeleteThis article mostly talks about his race and the uphill climb, that's it.... GQ wants to paint a picture of the typical asexual model minority Asian.
Simply awesome! Go Jeremy! Ignore the negatives. Do what you think is right.
ReplyDeleteLin for the winnnnnnnnnnm
Chinese players will learn from Lin, says Stern
ReplyDeleteAt a high school I coached at, I had a Chinese exchange student who I thought was a very good player.
DeleteThe first time he faced me off the dribble, he hooked me with his off arm the way Kobe did. I grabbed his arm and gently said "In America this is an offensive foul even though Kobe does this in the NBA". The kid hated me because I was from Taiwan, but he grunted in approval and never hooked anybody again.
The Chinese are very smart. They look at the superstars and emulate them, flaws and all!
KHuang, I wonder what he'll say if you show him JKidd's video of pulling JLin's hair from the back and tell him "In America this is not a flagrant foul even though JKidd does this in the NBA". Yeah, that's a sad reality.
DeleteHm, I just thought that JLin has a short haircut now so maybe he's thinking ahead of time before facing JKidd again!
BTW, great job coaching basketball!
For tonight's Memphis game, I want to see what Jeremy has learned. Mike Conley is a really good defender, but he can be exploited by bigger, stronger players.
ReplyDeleteGood analysis.
DeleteThe only thing I'll add is that Lin getting by Conley (or ANY single All Star PG) in the NBA is ridiculously easy for the #3 isolation scorer in the entire NBA.
What's hard isn't Conley. What's hard for Lin are the big men helping Conley blitz Lin on the perimeter and the collapsing opposing wings stepping into Lin's driving lanes.
Stopping Jeremy Lin is a team effort. Jeremy Lin scoring is thus a team effort as well.
Mike Conley just came off a great game against Atlanta ( 110-102 Memphis win ) with a game-high 18 pts (5-5 3PTA/3PTM) and 5 assists so he will be a tough matchup for Jeremy with red-hot shooting and nice passing game with Gasol and Gay. Memphis shot well as a team with 48% 3PT shooting so they will test Houston's transition defense that was non-existent in the Dallas game.
DeleteI expect JLin will curb Conley's shooting with tight man-to-man defense and I don't see Conley doing many pick-and-roll that Tony Parker successfully used in the Spurs game to score against JLin.
I expect JLin will be the main ball-handler to drive to the lane try to set up Asik first or score himself. And if both are double/triple team, swing the ball to outside shooters.
I think the key of the game will be Houston's transition defense to stop the 3-PT shooting and inside penetration by Memphis' big men. If they do well, it will create a lot of fast break opportunities and open 3-PT shots by KMart and Parsons.
I'm hoping for 12-15 pts, 6-8 assists, 2-3 STLs from JLin if he plays for 25 minutes
And if JLin's knee still hasn't regained the explosiveness and affect his shooting, allow me to lower the expectations to 6-8 pts :D
DeleteIt's always good to set low expectations and then surpass them easily.
Mike conley is a very tough defender and very quick. Jeremy will have to really protect ball cause Conley reaches in and pokes at the ball all the time. Conley is left handed too so Lin will have to force him right. One thing noticing about Lin is that his shot seems to be slow....he needs to get off the floor quicker and get his release more fluid.
DeleteGood point, Mike. Conley will certainly be very motivated to face Linsanity just like any other NBA PGs do nowadays.
DeleteAnd I do believe the lack of explosiveness affect JLin's shooting (all three of his 3-PT shots were short in the Spurs game). I don't remember him being a still jump-shooter. So hopefully this is the game where the explosiveness is back.
He can definitely use all our prayers so the explosiveness will be back sooner than later. IJNA.
I found this article to be very fair and unbiased and puts his projected potential in proper perspective.
ReplyDeletehttp://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/17/how-good-will-lin-be/
I remember Robert Pack and he was sort of a journeyman player. If Lin just matches Pack's career numbers, it'd be a great disappointment.
Mike Kurylo is a very good statistician. Two quotes from the article regarding Lin's turnovers:
Delete"The reason for this disparity is Lin’s extremely high turnover rate. At 4.8 turnovers per 36 minutes, few players today cough up the ball anywhere near that mark."
"Lin does have a couple of former all stars on his immediate list, like Mark Jackson, Tim Hardaway, and Clyde Drexler. But to reach that kind of potential, he’ll have to do a better job of limiting his turnovers while maintaining or improving on his other stats."
Anybody who says Lin's TOs are not an issue needs to re-examine their basketball knowledge.
New team, new season.
DeleteTanking teammates GONE.
TOs should naturally come down.
It is a very interesting correlation analysis of finding players similar to Lin around the same age using a combination of shooting rates and per-minute floor stats.
DeleteBasically, it projects Lin's career can follow the career of:
1. Robert Pack (shortened by injury)
2. Phil Ford (shortened by alcoholism)
3. or several All-Stars (Mark Jackson, Tim Hardaway, and Clyde Drexler) if he reduce his TO rates
They are valid points since injury and TO rates are main concern that Lin fans and detractors often talk about.
This analysis does not take into consideration defensive skills so it would be interesting who similar players would be.
Anybody who thinks Lin's TOs are a major problem had bizarrely unrealistic expectations for his first starts. Lin had the 38th PER in the NBA last year, and TURNOVERS ARE COUNTED IN PER. PER can be considered a measure of production per turnover, so please try to think very clearly: Lin's production per turnover was 38th in the ENTIRE NBA last year...and these were his first starts EVER.
DeleteTurnovers per game DO NOT MATTER. Please at least try to understand this.
Lin's adjusted +/- last year was also in the top 40. That means: Lin's effect on winning was in the top 40 of the ENTIRE NBA. Lin's effect on the Knick's winning percentage is indisputable. The Knicks two highest above trend streaks last year were Linsanity and Woodson era Knicks (aka, Carmelo-was-giving-full-effort-again era), when Lin was playing point and everyone was playing defense.
If you find your world view (TOs are the worst evil in the universe) contradicted by the evidence, you MUST update your world view. You don't have another option. The evidence says Lin's style of high risk, high reward team basketball WINS GAMES. Basketball is not a contest to see who turns the ball over the least, otherwise OKC would not have won so many games last year.
What gets measured gets done. Before turnovers started being recorded, they were a lot higher than they are now. The act of recording turnovers caused turnovers to decline the first several years after the stat began being kept. Turnovers are artificially low in the NBA simply by dint of its tracking, I'd wager. Turnovers receive disproportionate criticism in proportion to their effect on winning and losing. This isn't football. Players that worry a lot about turnovers don't make plays.
And why do people keep using inferior stats. Turnovers per 36 are irrelevant without context. If he had 5TO/36 but 20A/36, what does that tell you? TOV% is much more relevant. Nash and Rondo had higher TOV%. Is it a major problem? Oh, he's not Nash or Rondo? Well, last year, statistically, he was. So you can only pretend his TOs are a problem if you're also assuming his production somehow disappeared.
Now, some folks try to pretend the type of TO matters. Lin has a higher proportion of ball handling TOs. In fact, a TO is a TO, when it comes to winning and losing. You don't lose more opportunities when it's one type of TO or another. Aesthetically it might be unpleasing to dribble into three people for a jump ball, but it's effect on winning and losing is nil. The only thing that matters is production per TO, and Lin was top 40 last year for that.
Now, if you expected Lin to be a top 5 player last year, and that's the backdrop upon which you say, "Anybody who says Lin's TOs are not an issue needs to re-examine their basketball knowledge" then good for you. You had much higher expectations than I did. But he was a top 40 player last year, TOs and all, and I'm pretty sure 99.999% of people think that's just dandy for someone making their first 25 starts.
Also, there is a really easy way to see that Lin's TOs didn't harm the Knicks last year. In fact, it's so easy, I made a spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhO00PmLOGQkdHdnN0JwaU1JZWQ4ZXE4MjR4bUFsY3c
As you can see, the Knicks TOs in games where Lin played were almost exactly the same as when he did play. So, for the same turnovers, the Knicks got MUCH higher offensive efficiency.
Yeah, Lin's TOs were a HUGE problem. (rollseyes)
We're not worthy! We're not worthy!!!
Delete@ Micheal Terry
DeleteAgain, thanks for the interesting and revealing analysis.
I have felt that JLin's TO's do not matter as long as he is helping the Knicks become a better team.
Your statistical analysis supports the view that Knicks, with the same cost by way of TO's, got better value by way of offensive efficiency.
This goes to show that if he eliminate decision making mistakes related TO's, he would be placed to rank even higher.
This assuming one statistic means something in relation to another is not at all accurate because we know that data mining can make stories appear where there are none. I'm in the school of thought that the simpler the model, the more accurate it is. The more complex models do not survive the test of time as they are certain to be disproved later on for having too many variables.
DeleteThe simple model is to take turnovers at that finite of time in which they occur. A turnover means you give the ball up to the other team without producing anything. So after a turnover happens,
Do TOs contribute to >= 1 point for your team? No.
Do TOs contribute to 1 assist for your team? No.
Do TOs contribute to >= 1 point for your opponent. Maybe.
Do TOs contribute to 1 assist for your opponent? Maybe.
I can make a similar argument for PPG from your logic. If I show you that everytime Kobe Bryant scores 30 ppg his team loses, and everytime Kobe scores <= 20 ppg his team wins. Does that mean Kobe's scoring 30 as opposed to 20 matters in terms of wins? By the time, Kobe reaches 20 points, he should stop shooting and sit on the bench because statistics show his team will lose if he scores more than 20. Doesn't make sense.
Well, I still agree with Michael Terry's analysis.
DeleteFans like me don't need fancy stats to see that Lin has a MAJOR impact on NBA winning despite his turnovers and that the more points Kobe Bryant scores, the more likely the Lakers are to win.
There is no such thing as a perfect NBA player and there never will be. I'm just gonna sit back and enjoy the Lin show.
Red Auerbach said it best: "All you're trying to do is stick the round ball in the hole more times than the other guy!"
JLin 10/17/12
ReplyDeleteMcHale 10/17/12
McHale on Marcus Morris, the Memphis Grizzlies & his rotation prior to tonight's game
DeleteJason Friedman @RocketsJCF
ReplyDeleteKevin McHale says Jeremy Lin's knee feeling better, might try to "extend" his minutes tonight vs. Grizzlies.
4:06 PM - 17 Oct 12
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Rox - Marcus Morris out.
Grizzlies - Darrell Arthur, Tony Wroten out.