I don't mind Lin not playing well. But it's a bit frustrating to see Lin with such a low usage rate. I mean do McHale and the coaching staff seriously think that posting up Omer Asik and Greg Smith is a better option than letting Lin do his thing?
Lin need to get rest too, Lin sub in the mid sec quarter when mav is few points away catch up, u can c the importance of Lin. By the way it seems like Lin is doing better when Martin Is not on the court. The mid sec quartet Martin was sub by delfino.
I mean they are using and treating their best offensive weapon as the last option. Only give Lin the ball back in last resort as the shot clock running to the last second. This is dumb IMO especially when they are playing teams. Other teams will live with those Asik post up and jumpers all day long.
I got what u mean now. The positive side of looking at it is that the coach look into Lin when the team is not doing very well. U see with Lin, the magic is again falling behind rocket.
Yes Lin's usage is too low because Martin ballhogs and avoids passing to him. It's not McHale and the coaching staff. You can clearly see Delfino is a scorer too but he will pass the ball quickly to Lin and will not avoid passing to Lin or get sticky with the ball like Martin. He will let Lin bail them out or reset. Martin tries to do it himself playing hero ball.
I thought the Rockets signed Delfino to start next to Lin with Lamb as the backup SG or vice versa. I am very dissapointed we are stuck with Martin even though Martin is instant offense and the best shooter on the team.
Lin is not the best offensive weapon right now because he cannot finish or hit shots consistently. Linsanity was an offensive weapon, not pre-season Lin. Even if Lin was Linsanity right now, it wouldn't last as people would triple team him and try to take him out physically.
I like Mchale's offensive philosophy of spreading the ball out so everyone gets touches and defenses can't key in on one guy. In theory it makes a heck of a lot of sense. Lin would get his touches and be the guy we want to see if Martin wasn't on the team. Martin is talented enough to be a deceptive ballhog and ruin the flow of the offense and freeze Lin out subtly. But he scores so well what can you say as long as the team wins, even to Lin's detriment.
Hopefully they trade Martin and let Delfino play more with Lin an.
Lydia, I have no doubt that McHale sees Lin's value to the team. I also don't mind the Rockets starting out the game playing inside out, as the game should be played. But I don't think he's maximizing Lin's talent, and ultimately the team's talent by using him as such a low usage player.
Call it a conspiracy theory or not. I suspect Martin is gunning and padding his stats to attract some contending teams trade for him. And the Rockets are letting him ball hog to maximize his trade value and basically showcase him. I don't think McHale, a guy with so much bball knowledge and pure unselfish bball approach, would allow Martin to ball hog if not for that reason.
Yes, there may be some truth to that. Martin is a guy who almost has a Kobe Bryant effect....he can win you games you should lose or lose you games you could have won.
Let's hope they are trying to showcase Martin...I do think if Lin starts hitting everything, Martin will pass to Lin. I think players tend to look off people they don't trust and pass to guys they trust...it's not even about liking a guy personally.
Hopefully Lin just needs to earn Martin's trust over time by performing.
I don't mind the low usage rate. For one thing, it will help preserve his body.
High or low usage on offense leading to good scoring stats does not build lasting credibility. At least not with Jeremy, for whatever reason. Good offensive stats can be and already have been written off as 'easy to put up good stats on a bad team.'
What will earn Lin respect are are wins. Most spectators have predicted that Rox will be a bottom feeder team this season. When Rox, allegedly a bottom feeder roster, ends up a .500 team with 40+ wins, as a reasonable spectator I'd have to "Hey it must have something to do with Asik and Jeremy."
Some might say its the revival of KMart when the Rox make .500, which I wouldn't disagree either. But KMart's revival will only support that Jeremy has credibility as a winner. A large part of the revival will be Jeremy's presence, whether it be be making his teammates better, or just driving up competition for being seen as 'the man' on the team.
Whether it be low or high usage on offence, I trust McHale knows when and how to use Jeremy. McHale has shown he is ok so far in this regard during pre-season, and especially the past couple of games. McHale's usage of Jeremy has resulted in some good performances for Rox as a team.
In the future, with teams making adjustments to the Rox, and Rox is having trouble generating consistent offence, McHale should make more use of Jeremy. For now, if you can use your secondary offensive plays and still get wins, why the hurry to show off the bread and butter plays?
JLin will score when he needs to. So far he doesn't need to and the Rox is still winning. McHale will use him when he needs to. So far as the other Rox guys can get it done, McHale does not need to resort to Jeremy, the ultimate weapon. Resting and keeping Jeremy fresh from game to game throughout the 82 game season is also a plus to this strategy.
I see nothing wrong with Kevin Martin rwfusing to pass the ball to Lin.
Kevin Martin is a selfish scorer who is at hia best being a selfish scorer. The Rockets are winning with him being at his best!
As far as refusing to pass to Lin goes, that's not such a bad thing. Lin as the point guard is gonna get his touches no matter what. If Martin is setting up other guys, that makes Lin's life easier in both passing and even scoring. COOL.
Too bad Douglas' backup PG spot is not guaranteed. Livingstone makes good passes and can hit short jumpers but his D is not good at all. Lin's D is better.
I have defended Kevin Martin and Delfino before but I can easily see why they are not on contending teams. They can get hot and post big numbers but ultimately not well rounded enough to be stars, yet also not doing those little things to be good role players either.
I could make a youtube highlight of 50/50 plays where Parsons and Lin are both open and Martin passes to Parsons EVERY SINGLE TIME even if Lin is more open.
Since JLin was still rehabbing (unbeknownst to us - and thanks to a few people from the Nits, SIGH) and rusty, his jumper hasn't been very good and everyone knew it. When JLin hot his mojo back, I see that Kevin passed to him more.
I don't care as long as the Lin-co-led team is winning and the team as a whole get along reasonably well (which is equivalent to getting along perfect, as far as in the NBA), everything will work out fine.
What amazes me is that JLIn contributes to the team even when he's "off" that day.
I found out that in last two games that kmart is very selfish. I believevhe is jealousy of Lin's role in Rockets. He didn't want to stay in Houston this year but since Lin came, he suddenly became very aggressive and told other players that he wants to be the all star this season. I think that's because a lot of media and Lin fans said that Lin would be elected as all satr for Houston. Kmart must be stimulated by this rumor. So now he tried so hard to score more. And he knew Lin was good with assists but he 'd rather pass to parsons or others not Lin because he is afraid Lin got better stats than him. Although parsons is good friend of Lin but who knows what's going on behind in Houston. The only way Lin can beat him is to get support from coach and shoot as many as possible to show his strong skills. The big difference between Houston and Knicks is linsanity happened when there was no good shooters in Knicks but rockets has several good shooters. Also theybare young and very ompetetive. During linsanity, teammates all listened and followed his game. But in rockets, players all want to show their own skills better than Lin. That's a big challenge to Lin. But Lin can learn from them quickly and overpass them in the future. As long as team is winning, Lin maybe happy. And I hope he is smart enough to figure out what's going on with the team.
Kevin Martin says he doesn't remember Jeremy bring in last year preseason....yo!!!!! The only Asian on the team dude. One of only two yellow players in the league. Obviously only into himself.
Martin actually finally passing to Lin because Lin is showing he can finally make a jumpshot and also because Lin is freaking wide open based on pre-season history.
If Lin gets his shot together, this team is going to be a 6th-8th seed AT WORSE.
BTW, that Smith guy looks like a monster and catches Lin's passes unlike Jones.
Hahaha, I just replied to your earlier post saying the same thing.
I'm sorry for not paying attention to the fact that your earlier post was in real time! (;~/) Plus - I missed all Lin plays because I was out (but checked the boxscores).
BTW, JLin's shooting came back, so a lot of posters are hiding? Anyway, JLin played well during the whole preseason - especially if you compare him to the top 10 point guards' stats, including the +/-.
When JLin is in the game, he gets his team back in the game if his team is down, or builds up a bigger lead if his team is up. Jeremy floor time is team domination time. +/- is a good reflection of that. Even playing against good teams, this is true more often than not!
Just tuned in -> KMart pass to JLin -> JLin makes 3!!! BAMMM
But its true what you guys say. Ive noticed that KMart often ignores or even seems to disrespect JLin when it comes to passes - wasnt sure if Im right but you guys have noticed that too...
Yeah, I just wish Montiejunas was stronger so that he can get more minutes on the court. That guy can really shoot, like the 2nd coming of Dirk Nowitzki.
Mo will add muscles just like JLin did. The young Rockets are looking good already and they will improve in leaps as time goes. I bet Les the genius is proud of all of them, while the team's "basketball minds" are proud of most of them and surprised at one of them.
They are about to play real games, so I hope the young Rockets will also work hard on their conditioning. Then I think they will be a force to reckon with. But some players like Machado and Jones will only see a minimum bump in improvement, as far as from better conditioning goes, because their bodies are already built up.
Okay, Lin had 13 points. But I still don't like how Lin is used. I would like to see him initiate more plays.
Martin should not be the creator, especially in 1-on-1 situation. He should be the finisher, cutter or spot up shooter.
I don't understand how in my opinion the Rockets most effective play, Lin pick and roll is rarely used. Also I would like to see McHale put Lin in those 1-on-1 isolations instead of Martin. Lin can drive, shoot or pass. Didn't Lin have the 2nd best isolation FG% last year? Why could the Rockets fail to utilize it?
Lin was getting 2 v 1, everyone basically knows its Jeremy Lin and the Rockets. No one knows who else is on the team besides Lin and Martin on the scouting report. When the defense forces a double team on Martin, its better if he decides to just drive in and distribute. That's what lacking with someone like Novak where he cant defend or dribble but can only shoot 3s. Martin if he wants to become an all-star will NEED to distribute the ball to whoever is free and with 31 assists, I think the Rockets have proven ball movement and strong defense is the key to winning games.
Yes, I thought McHale's system last year used a lot of pick and roll that makes Lowry and Goran have their best career.
The only thing I can think of is McHale knows Lin is not 100% yet and does not want teams to press him if he is the main initiator on offense. By his own admission, KMart said he is a shooter and has a tunnel vision so he doesn't have the full court vision to be the main creator.
Another possibility is Houston wants to trade KMart early by showcasing him as the main initiator. Look he can shoot, he can pass and he can play defense :)
McHale and Jeremy both know he can run the high PnR and excel in isolations. They don't need to work on that. It's everything else they need to work on, especially with such a young, inexperienced team.
Just wait until the actual games begin -- you'll see a LOT more "bread-and-butter" plays for Jeremy. McHale isn't Keith Smart. He actually knows what he's doing.
Jeremy Lin!!!!! So much progression during preseason, he will definitely bring Linsanity to Houston. First few games he showed he defended better and could go left, next few games he showed he could hold the ball better and pass, next game he showed he could drive into the paint, now he's proven he can shoot and score again. Piece by piece Lin, we know how smart you are. I think they did a great job today, especially Martin distributing the ball to Lin and not being a Melo needing 30 shots a night.
Also, Martin is a much better percentage shooter than Carm_lo, so I'm fine with him shooting a lot when he's hot. I don't think he'll be as nearly as selfish as Carm..... But, wow, the Rockets have a lot of offensive options and plenty of ball movement.
Rockets are refreshing and fun to watch, and they have nowhere to go but up and up increasingly (since they are so young and most of them are new to each other). On the other hand, the Nits must be boring and hard to watch.
He's probably ironing out egos... As much as coaches want to implement certain plays, they still need to do it in a way where they don't bruise egos. Veteran teams like the spurs and celtics don't have that because the players already proven themselves so there's no egos and players complaining. The other teams like miami and okc have stars that are too big and basically everyone have to follow.
I don't usually believe in teams who sign second rate guys. There's usually some legitimate reasons they are 2nd rate. Gilbert Arenas is the most shining example of a 2nd rate guy who almost produced 1st rate results. But his 1 good year misled people, and he turned into a short-lived crazy hothead weirdo and thus he flamed out as a 2nd rate type guy as the NBA execs originally pegged him.
Lin is a real anomaly because he is Asian American. I believe he's truly 1st rate but nobody can see it or believe it. This is one of the few rare times in history where a team got a guy who they think is second rate and hopes and prays turns into a first rate talent will actually turn out 1st rate.
As long as neither Asik or Lin are injured significantly during the year, this is an automatic playoff team. The SG, SF, and PF spots can be covered with the moving parts on the roster.
Even though we know Lin is no scrub, even us Lin supporters aren't convinced and are afraid he might fail. We need to get over it and realize this guy is no scrub. He might not be ELITE but he will produce even if it's non-statistical.
If anything, this preseason helped convince me for sure that Jeremy IS elite. His half-court playmaking is so much more advanced.
Did you see that hesitation-dribble into the paint followed by bounce-pass to Smith for a dunk? WOW. That's CP3-level playmaking. Only truly elite PGs make those passes. Jeremy has made 7-8 or them during preseason. And he doesn't even have a polished bigman to work with.
But ultimately, this is all just preseason. I still have a feeling Jeremy will be more of a 20/7 guy than a 15/10 guy by season's end...
On the subject that many Lin fans still worry that he'll stop producing if he loses his hot shooting, these preseasons have been very revealing on his other skills.
- he could still see the floor and distribute the ball well, - he can always get into the lanes even when not 100% and not getting foul calls yet in preseason, - his half-court offense improved tremendously, - his defensive skills (steals, blocks and deflections) have been on display so when his shooting is back, he'll be much more dangerous 10-15 games into the season. - the one game that he didn't play, the Rox lost by 20 pts to Dallas.
I think Mr. Alexander and Morey are quite happy that with Lin only 85% healthy, the Rox are 5-1 with him and 0-1 without him. Again I don't put much weight into the preseason record but to me, the flow of offense and defensive effort were always solid when JLin was on the floor. I'm glad he sat out the Dallas game so his teammates can see how much they missed him on the floor.
Hoping and praying JLin and Asik will stay healthy throughout the season and make the playoff!
livingston is the odd man out. greg smith has been so impressive that he may be the rockets best option to backup asik. d-mo will get his chance to play depending on the matchups. as expected, white will need some time to adjust to the nba. he and machado should spend the first two months in the d-league.
good game from jlin, but wish he would get to the foul line. i haven's seen tonight's game, but in previous games, jlin should have gotten more foul calls. the videos clearly showed that defenders would make contact in the air and/or in the restricted area, yet no call on jlin's drive.
i think kmart is key to the rockets making the playoffs this season. having kmart will place less pressure on jlin, especially when he's still trying to regain his touch. also being such a deadly shooter, kmart will help create more space for jlin to attack the rim.
13 pts, 3rbs, 5asts, no TOs, 2 steals in just 23 min
Observations - Very efficient 5-10 FG - Passing more, not a lot of PnR. Not McHale's fault but JLin is chillin' letting his body back to normal - 1 impressive block almost like the DRose famous block after 1 Orlando steal. - no lateral quickness yet because of the knee - team will be a lot better when JLin handles the ball more when Lin is 100%, KMart might get traded. Not sure if both can coexist in the backcourt
Thoughts: - He is like Nash. Not as good of a shooter but more explosive and athletic (jumping & running) - If he does not force using the knee too soon, we can have Linsanity 3.0 this year. Saw a glimpse of that in this game, he just started rolling and noone can stop him. - A little tired at end of 3rd Q but that's okay
Summary: He played well, no TOs, plays within himself, showing signs of himself. Haters are not ready for this!
Note: Chris Paul also took a long time when recuperating from getting knee/meniscus surgery.
Jeremy had a good shooting game; He created some space for himself and his jumper looks better. His low usage may be their plan all along since this is preseason and Jeremy is probably using these games to get into game condition. I expect this to change against detroit.
Martin is a poor isolation player but a terrific spot-up shooter while Lin is definitely a great isolation player and an ok spot-up shooter. So, they would be better off using Martin to run through screens to open himself up while Lin will be the facilitator.
Moving to Lamb, let me just say that he's the WORST defender I've seen in the Rockets. Machado actually is better than him. Those two players are terrible defensively but at least Machado exerts some effort while Lamb doesn't. He may have some athleticism to be a good defender but that athleticism is useless if you are LAZY. Heck, even some Rockets fans noticed his Laziness in the defensive end. If Lamb wants minutes, he better play some defense. By the way, his shot selection is also not good.
For the Regular Seasson:
- I would like Lin to add floaters in his repertoire; he cannot afford to play with his ultra-aggressive style with that bum knee.
- He still needs to score for his team; I feel his teammates still do not fully believe in his leadership especially Martin; So, he'll have to earn his respect like the way Duncan earned the respect of Robinson and conceded to Duncan
- Smith is definitely the better back-up center; he's explosive and can be a terrific roll man; I could see a lot of Dunks and assists
- I still haven't seen a lot of pick and pop plays; Jones and PPat can be the beneficiary of those plays;
- I would also like to see Parsons play the four when they play small ball; He's a good shooter especially from the corner; By the way, he seems to be a better decision maker than the one-dimensional Martin so Parsons should be the secondary ball-handler instead of Martin
- I would also like to see some post plays from Lin when he's guarded by smaller or weaker players such as Lawson, Nash, Rondo, Paul, Collison , Augustin, Walker, Irving and the like
- Defensively, the rockets can be a top 10 in steals and probably in the top 15 in opponent FG%; I expect Lin and PArsons to average at least 2 steals
- Jeremy's Assists numbers aren't too high since most the open shots are due to the extra pass made after the initial pass
My predictions for this team: 33-49 (probably 11-13th in the west)
The Playoffs is still unlikely but not impossible; the only way that could happen is if Lin and Martin averages 20 ppg and Parsons average 15-17 ppg ; Also, there is a solid contributor from the bench (Jones, Delfino, Livingston, Lamb, Smith)
For Lin, I'm really confused on what to expect since I'm not so sure if his really a distributor or a scorer; Because there are nights where he rarely looks for his shot and there are nights where he imitates Westbrook. I prefer him to average 14 and 9 but I still feel he's a scorer first and passer second kind of player. So, I expect 18 and 6
Asik:
He's terrific in the boards but when he's the screener, opposing teams will have a high success rate in double-teaming Lin without their defense breaking down. Maybe he should practice 10 - 15 ft jumpers; or Maybe just use PPAt, Jones , or Smith as a screener instead of Asik and allow him to just grab offensive boards.
I respectfully disagree. Don't get too hung up on stats. This team will make the playoffs.
If you watch the NBA and all games, you will know NBA PG's these days sometimes score 20, sometimes 8, as the assists vary and defenses mix it up, even CP3. Only Deron Williams constantly tries to score but his teams lose or are 1st round flame outs.
Lin isn't a stats guy. He is unique that way and Asik is selfless too. When your top guys are selfless and play D, the team wins. That's why this team will win, I promise you. You can link back to this post at the end of the season and rub it in my face if I'm wrong. This is NOT a 33 win team, barring injury to Lin and Asik. I've been into basketball long enough to see that they are an 8th seed at worst and probably at least a .500 record or close to it.
I guarantee playoffs (barring injury to Lin and Asik), but don't expect much more than a first round flameout unless the team REALLY gels and Lin wins over Martin.
Don't worry, I have no plan on rubbing it in anyone's face. I actually want them to win but they are still too young. They can play great at some stretch but the trick with a young team is that they can be inconsistent. When midseason arrives, what will happen? will they be tougher or breakdown? That is probably there worst enemy: Immaturity and Inconsistency
yeah, we know the rookies will struggle and hit the rookies wall in their first year but that's the exciting part of the first year for this team.
A lot of things have to go right for them to go to the playoff but noone expects them to do so. If they exceed 35 games, that's already an accomplishment for any NBA teams with no more than 3-4 players with > 2 years of NBA experience.
We should expect some struggle but also glimpses of potential from this young talented team. Just remember how OKC Thunder had to find their ways through growing pain in the first 2-3 years. They didn't know how to close the more experienced Lakers team in their first playoff loss.
I'm just going to enjoy how JLin gels with his teammates and play Linsanity ball as a team. Hopefully more free agents will be attracted to play Linsanity ball in Houston! They will see how much JLin makes the game easier for them to shine. Just ask Novak, Landry, Tyson Chandler...
Yeah, Jeremy Lin was the ONLY Rocket who chased after Jameer Nelson on that break .... everyone else thought he had an automatic layup and 2 points, so they didn't even give any effort to run down court for the rebound after he missed.
Jeremy Lin DID NOT give up on that defensive play. And that speaks VOLUMES about his dedication to his team and the game.
- I'm high on this player because of his versatility similar to a Shawn MArion in a way. Although, PArsons is a better ball handler ad passer and MArion is the better Rebounder. I perceive him as a perfect wingman for Jeremy in fastbreak situations just like MArion was a perfect wingman for Nash; Occasionally, parsons can set a screen for Jeremy. Moreover, I like his activity on the defensive end (same as Jeremy); They play disruptive defense which will open the fastbreak offense for the Rockets. I would like Lin and PArsons to aim to be a part of the 2nd All-Defensive team. Also add Asik
DMo:
Initially, I expected this guy to be the best rookie but I was very disappointed in these preseason games. He's absolutely SOFT. I would like him to add strength and add some foot speed. I'm still not giving up in his potential. He has a decent post game and can be a deadly shooter. I'm still optimistic that he can be a future all-star. He just needs to add some strength and some quickness. By the way, he needs to learn to BOX OUT.
Someone in clutchfans mentioned he had 2 drivers to do 2 shifts for 15-hr driving.
That would be an interesting documentary for ESPN, I'm sure someone is already thinking about it "NBA Road Trip with Royce White: The Journey to Beat Anxiety Disorder"
A very good summary by Jason Friedman on how the Rox's lineup is shaping up for the first game in Detroit and how JLin has had a huge role in the young Rox team despite not being 100% yet.
Jason Friedman @RocketsJCF Rockets pass pop quiz, now the real test awaits: A look at @JLin7, Rockets' rotation, potential on offense and D
... Lastly, it’s also good to remember that amid all the hubbub over Lin’s shooting slump, he was still contributing as a distributor (6.2 assists per game) and ball-hawk (2.4 steals per game). Coaches talk all the time about the importance of being able to impact games when a player’s shot isn’t falling. Well, that’s exactly what Lin was doing and precisely the point ESPN.com’s John Hollinger made when he said this about Lin within his Houston Rockets season preview piece: “Lin simply does too many high-value things (drawing fouls, assisting at the rim, steals and rebounds) to not be an effective player.”
And let’s not forget this: Jeremy Lin has also been in charge of an offense that has really been humming this month. In fact, that brings us to our next point:
Just how good is this offense going to be? The Rockets wrapped up the preseason as the proud owners of an offense that ranked in the league’s top-5 in terms of points per possession. To be frank, that sort of potent offensive efficiency comes as a bit of a surprise. ...
Ah love the last 2 buckets. Look pretty smooth my friend. Look pretty smooth, indeed.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind Lin not playing well. But it's a bit frustrating to see Lin with such a low usage rate. I mean do McHale and the coaching staff seriously think that posting up Omer Asik and Greg Smith is a better option than letting Lin do his thing?
ReplyDeleteLin need to get rest too, Lin sub in the mid sec quarter when mav is few points away catch up, u can c the importance of Lin. By the way it seems like Lin is doing better when Martin
DeleteIs not on the court. The mid sec quartet Martin was sub by delfino.
I mean they are using and treating their best offensive weapon as the last option. Only give Lin the ball back in last resort as the shot clock running to the last second. This is dumb IMO especially when they are playing teams. Other teams will live with those Asik post up and jumpers all day long.
DeleteI got what u mean now. The positive side of looking at it is that the coach look into Lin when the team is not doing very well. U see with Lin, the magic is again falling behind rocket.
DeleteYes Lin's usage is too low because Martin ballhogs and avoids passing to him. It's not McHale and the coaching staff. You can clearly see Delfino is a scorer too but he will pass the ball quickly to Lin and will not avoid passing to Lin or get sticky with the ball like Martin. He will let Lin bail them out or reset. Martin tries to do it himself playing hero ball.
DeleteI thought the Rockets signed Delfino to start next to Lin with Lamb as the backup SG or vice versa. I am very dissapointed we are stuck with Martin even though Martin is instant offense and the best shooter on the team.
Lin is not the best offensive weapon right now because he cannot finish or hit shots consistently. Linsanity was an offensive weapon, not pre-season Lin. Even if Lin was Linsanity right now, it wouldn't last as people would triple team him and try to take him out physically.
I like Mchale's offensive philosophy of spreading the ball out so everyone gets touches and defenses can't key in on one guy. In theory it makes a heck of a lot of sense. Lin would get his touches and be the guy we want to see if Martin wasn't on the team. Martin is talented enough to be a deceptive ballhog and ruin the flow of the offense and freeze Lin out subtly. But he scores so well what can you say as long as the team wins, even to Lin's detriment.
Hopefully they trade Martin and let Delfino play more with Lin an.
Lydia, I have no doubt that McHale sees Lin's value to the team. I also don't mind the Rockets starting out the game playing inside out, as the game should be played. But I don't think he's maximizing Lin's talent, and ultimately the team's talent by using him as such a low usage player.
DeleteSwing,
DeleteCall it a conspiracy theory or not. I suspect Martin is gunning and padding his stats to attract some contending teams trade for him. And the Rockets are letting him ball hog to maximize his trade value and basically showcase him. I don't think McHale, a guy with so much bball knowledge and pure unselfish bball approach, would allow Martin to ball hog if not for that reason.
Yes, there may be some truth to that. Martin is a guy who almost has a Kobe Bryant effect....he can win you games you should lose or lose you games you could have won.
DeleteLet's hope they are trying to showcase Martin...I do think if Lin starts hitting everything, Martin will pass to Lin. I think players tend to look off people they don't trust and pass to guys they trust...it's not even about liking a guy personally.
Hopefully Lin just needs to earn Martin's trust over time by performing.
I don't mind the low usage rate. For one thing, it will help preserve his body.
DeleteHigh or low usage on offense leading to good scoring stats does not build lasting credibility. At least not with Jeremy, for whatever reason. Good offensive stats can be and already have been written off as 'easy to put up good stats on a bad team.'
What will earn Lin respect are are wins. Most spectators have predicted that Rox will be a bottom feeder team this season. When Rox, allegedly a bottom feeder roster, ends up a .500 team with 40+ wins, as a reasonable spectator I'd have to "Hey it must have something to do with Asik and Jeremy."
Some might say its the revival of KMart when the Rox make .500, which I wouldn't disagree either. But KMart's revival will only support that Jeremy has credibility as a winner. A large part of the revival will be Jeremy's presence, whether it be be making his teammates better, or just driving up competition for being seen as 'the man' on the team.
Whether it be low or high usage on offence, I trust McHale knows when and how to use Jeremy. McHale has shown he is ok so far in this regard during pre-season, and especially the past couple of games. McHale's usage of Jeremy has resulted in some good performances for Rox as a team.
In the future, with teams making adjustments to the Rox, and Rox is having trouble generating consistent offence, McHale should make more use of Jeremy. For now, if you can use your secondary offensive plays and still get wins, why the hurry to show off the bread and butter plays?
JLin will score when he needs to. So far he doesn't need to and the Rox is still winning. McHale will use him when he needs to. So far as the other Rox guys can get it done, McHale does not need to resort to Jeremy, the ultimate weapon. Resting and keeping Jeremy fresh from game to game throughout the 82 game season is also a plus to this strategy.
I see nothing wrong with Kevin Martin rwfusing to pass the ball to Lin.
DeleteKevin Martin is a selfish scorer who is at hia best being a selfish scorer. The Rockets are winning with him being at his best!
As far as refusing to pass to Lin goes, that's not such a bad thing. Lin as the point guard is gonna get his touches no matter what. If Martin is setting up other guys, that makes Lin's life easier in both passing and even scoring. COOL.
It ain't broke Don't fix it!
I mean magic. Mess up with other team. So far Lin is doing pretty good tonight.
ReplyDeleteToo bad Douglas' backup PG spot is not guaranteed. Livingstone makes good passes and can hit short jumpers but his D is not good at all. Lin's D is better.
ReplyDeleteWhere's douglas? He didnt play last game too. Like to see him got some more chance.
ReplyDeleteI have defended Kevin Martin and Delfino before but I can easily see why they are not on contending teams. They can get hot and post big numbers but ultimately not well rounded enough to be stars, yet also not doing those little things to be good role players either.
ReplyDeleteI could make a youtube highlight of 50/50 plays where Parsons and Lin are both open and Martin passes to Parsons EVERY SINGLE TIME even if Lin is more open.
ReplyDeleteSince JLin was still rehabbing (unbeknownst to us - and thanks to a few people from the Nits, SIGH) and rusty, his jumper hasn't been very good and everyone knew it. When JLin hot his mojo back, I see that Kevin passed to him more.
DeleteI don't care as long as the Lin-co-led team is winning and the team as a whole get along reasonably well (which is equivalent to getting along perfect, as far as in the NBA), everything will work out fine.
What amazes me is that JLIn contributes to the team even when he's "off" that day.
ztrta, agree with your focus on Lin leading and contributing to wins!
DeleteI found out that in last two games that kmart is very selfish. I believevhe is jealousy of Lin's role in Rockets. He didn't want to stay in Houston this year but since Lin came, he suddenly became very aggressive and told other players that he wants to be the all star this season. I think that's because a lot of media and Lin fans said that Lin would be elected as all satr for Houston. Kmart must be stimulated by this rumor. So now he tried so hard to score more. And he knew Lin was good with assists but he 'd rather pass to parsons or others not Lin because he is afraid Lin got better stats than him. Although parsons is good friend of Lin but who knows what's going on behind in Houston. The only way Lin can beat him is to get support from coach and shoot as many as possible to show his strong skills. The big difference between Houston and Knicks is linsanity happened when there was no good shooters in Knicks but rockets has several good shooters. Also theybare young and very ompetetive. During linsanity, teammates all listened and followed his game. But in rockets, players all want to show their own skills better than Lin. That's a big challenge to Lin. But Lin can learn from them quickly and overpass them in the future. As long as team is winning, Lin maybe happy. And I hope he is smart enough to figure out what's going on with the team.
DeleteKevin Martin says he doesn't remember Jeremy bring in last year preseason....yo!!!!! The only Asian on the team dude. One of only two yellow players in the league. Obviously only into himself.
ReplyDeleteWell in all fairness, that is how it went his whole career. Asians are marginalized and overlooked all the time.
DeleteLol....you hang with players for two weeks or so, don't remember....lmao.
Deletethis guy doesn't even like jlin now, he would know he existed back then? no one wants kevin martin anyways.
DeleteHuh?..... after I just cut KMart a slack (in another post).
DeleteThought he was the trainer...
DeleteFinally Lin's got it going again offensively. 3 threes and 13 points.
ReplyDeleteThree treys! Jeremy on fire...
ReplyDeleteO YE OF LITTLE FAITH.
Like I said, there's nothing wrong with his jumper. Just needs time to get his leg-strength back.
HALLELUJA!
Deleteof course this game isn't on tv.. three treys nice jlin!
ReplyDeleteMartin actually finally passing to Lin because Lin is showing he can finally make a jumpshot and also because Lin is freaking wide open based on pre-season history.
ReplyDeleteIf Lin gets his shot together, this team is going to be a 6th-8th seed AT WORSE.
BTW, that Smith guy looks like a monster and catches Lin's passes unlike Jones.
@swinglinezigzag,
DeleteHahaha, I just replied to your earlier post saying the same thing.
I'm sorry for not paying attention to the fact that your earlier post was in real time! (;~/) Plus - I missed all Lin plays because I was out (but checked the boxscores).
BTW, JLin's shooting came back, so a lot of posters are hiding? Anyway, JLin played well during the whole preseason - especially if you compare him to the top 10 point guards' stats, including the +/-.
When JLin is in the game, he gets his team back in the game if his team is down, or builds up a bigger lead if his team is up. Jeremy floor time is team domination time. +/- is a good reflection of that. Even playing against good teams, this is true more often than not!
DeleteYeperoni. consistently so.
DeleteJust tuned in -> KMart pass to JLin -> JLin makes 3!!! BAMMM
ReplyDeleteBut its true what you guys say. Ive noticed that KMart often ignores or even seems to disrespect JLin when it comes to passes - wasnt sure if Im right but you guys have noticed that too...
JLin Bang!
DeleteParsons Bang!
Delfino Bang!
KMart Bang!
Rockets Bang!
I hope they practice3-pointers all the time. Those young Rockets have been awesome, Bang!
Yeah, I just wish Montiejunas was stronger so that he can get more minutes on the court. That guy can really shoot, like the 2nd coming of Dirk Nowitzki.
DeleteMo will add muscles just like JLin did. The young Rockets are looking good already and they will improve in leaps as time goes. I bet Les the genius is proud of all of them, while the team's "basketball minds" are proud of most of them and surprised at one of them.
DeleteThey are about to play real games, so I hope the young Rockets will also work hard on their conditioning. Then I think they will be a force to reckon with. But some players like Machado and Jones will only see a minimum bump in improvement, as far as from better conditioning goes, because their bodies are already built up.
our boy looked good in final tuneup! rhythm threes and nice drives dish dunks for his team. the jeremy lin show starts next week!
ReplyDeleteFinally, see some decent interaction between Lin n Martin. Martin make two assist to lin.
ReplyDeleteAnd notice Lin has o turnover by now.
ReplyDeleteLooks like he's done for the night...
ReplyDeleteOkay, Lin had 13 points. But I still don't like how Lin is used. I would like to see him initiate more plays.
ReplyDeleteMartin should not be the creator, especially in 1-on-1 situation. He should be the finisher, cutter or spot up shooter.
I don't understand how in my opinion the Rockets most effective play, Lin pick and roll is rarely used. Also I would like to see McHale put Lin in those 1-on-1 isolations instead of Martin. Lin can drive, shoot or pass. Didn't Lin have the 2nd best isolation FG% last year? Why could the Rockets fail to utilize it?
Lin was getting 2 v 1, everyone basically knows its Jeremy Lin and the Rockets. No one knows who else is on the team besides Lin and Martin on the scouting report. When the defense forces a double team on Martin, its better if he decides to just drive in and distribute. That's what lacking with someone like Novak where he cant defend or dribble but can only shoot 3s. Martin if he wants to become an all-star will NEED to distribute the ball to whoever is free and with 31 assists, I think the Rockets have proven ball movement and strong defense is the key to winning games.
DeleteYes, I thought McHale's system last year used a lot of pick and roll that makes Lowry and Goran have their best career.
DeleteThe only thing I can think of is McHale knows Lin is not 100% yet and does not want teams to press him if he is the main initiator on offense. By his own admission, KMart said he is a shooter and has a tunnel vision so he doesn't have the full court vision to be the main creator.
Another possibility is Houston wants to trade KMart early by showcasing him as the main initiator. Look he can shoot, he can pass and he can play defense :)
Because it's preseason.
DeleteMcHale and Jeremy both know he can run the high PnR and excel in isolations. They don't need to work on that. It's everything else they need to work on, especially with such a young, inexperienced team.
Just wait until the actual games begin -- you'll see a LOT more "bread-and-butter" plays for Jeremy. McHale isn't Keith Smart. He actually knows what he's doing.
J.Lin is just now rounding into shape. I am sure in practice J.Lin wasn't bringing it, so McHale took pressure off J.Lin to let him recover his game.
DeleteJ.Lin target was to be ready to go at start of regular season. Also haven't seen and good pick and roll big men yet.
Remember Rockets had a different squad last year when they were great in PnR.
Jeremy Lin!!!!! So much progression during preseason, he will definitely bring Linsanity to Houston. First few games he showed he defended better and could go left, next few games he showed he could hold the ball better and pass, next game he showed he could drive into the paint, now he's proven he can shoot and score again. Piece by piece Lin, we know how smart you are. I think they did a great job today, especially Martin distributing the ball to Lin and not being a Melo needing 30 shots a night.
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DeleteKumakun, good observation about JLin.
DeleteAlso, Martin is a much better percentage shooter than Carm_lo, so I'm fine with him shooting a lot when he's hot. I don't think he'll be as nearly as selfish as Carm..... But, wow, the Rockets have a lot of offensive options and plenty of ball movement.
Rockets are refreshing and fun to watch, and they have nowhere to go but up and up increasingly (since they are so young and most of them are new to each other). On the other hand, the Nits must be boring and hard to watch.
He's probably ironing out egos... As much as coaches want to implement certain plays, they still need to do it in a way where they don't bruise egos. Veteran teams like the spurs and celtics don't have that because the players already proven themselves so there's no egos and players complaining. The other teams like miami and okc have stars that are too big and basically everyone have to follow.
ReplyDeleteI don't usually believe in teams who sign second rate guys. There's usually some legitimate reasons they are 2nd rate. Gilbert Arenas is the most shining example of a 2nd rate guy who almost produced 1st rate results. But his 1 good year misled people, and he turned into a short-lived crazy hothead weirdo and thus he flamed out as a 2nd rate type guy as the NBA execs originally pegged him.
ReplyDeleteLin is a real anomaly because he is Asian American. I believe he's truly 1st rate but nobody can see it or believe it. This is one of the few rare times in history where a team got a guy who they think is second rate and hopes and prays turns into a first rate talent will actually turn out 1st rate.
As long as neither Asik or Lin are injured significantly during the year, this is an automatic playoff team. The SG, SF, and PF spots can be covered with the moving parts on the roster.
Even though we know Lin is no scrub, even us Lin supporters aren't convinced and are afraid he might fail. We need to get over it and realize this guy is no scrub. He might not be ELITE but he will produce even if it's non-statistical.
If anything, this preseason helped convince me for sure that Jeremy IS elite. His half-court playmaking is so much more advanced.
DeleteDid you see that hesitation-dribble into the paint followed by bounce-pass to Smith for a dunk? WOW. That's CP3-level playmaking. Only truly elite PGs make those passes. Jeremy has made 7-8 or them during preseason. And he doesn't even have a polished bigman to work with.
But ultimately, this is all just preseason. I still have a feeling Jeremy will be more of a 20/7 guy than a 15/10 guy by season's end...
Here's that play I'm talking about:
Deletehttp://www.nba.com/video/games/magic/2012/10/26/0011200110-hou-orl-play3.nba
How good is that?
Lebron dunk???
DeleteThat is too good! :D
DeleteHe will make Greg Smith to look like 50% LeBron!
zxcvb, I believe this is the play:
Delete"Did you see that hesitation-dribble into the paint followed by bounce-pass to Smith for a dunk? WOW. That's CP3-level playmaking. Only truly elite PGs make those passes."
Ha, oops. I guess the link got misdirected!
Deletewilc has the play I'm talking about.
Hey, I've been utterly steadfast in my insistence that Lin is a first tier star!!!
DeleteOn the subject that many Lin fans still worry that he'll stop producing if he loses his hot shooting, these preseasons have been very revealing on his other skills.
Delete- he could still see the floor and distribute the ball well,
- he can always get into the lanes even when not 100% and not getting foul calls yet in preseason,
- his half-court offense improved tremendously,
- his defensive skills (steals, blocks and deflections) have been on display so when his shooting is back, he'll be much more dangerous 10-15 games into the season.
- the one game that he didn't play, the Rox lost by 20 pts to Dallas.
I think Mr. Alexander and Morey are quite happy that with Lin only 85% healthy, the Rox are 5-1 with him and 0-1 without him. Again I don't put much weight into the preseason record but to me, the flow of offense and defensive effort were always solid when JLin was on the floor. I'm glad he sat out the Dallas game so his teammates can see how much they missed him on the floor.
Hoping and praying JLin and Asik will stay healthy throughout the season and make the playoff!
Who do you think the Rockets cut to get the 15 man roster?
ReplyDeleteSmith played his way onto the roster last two games.
JJJohnson, Brockman and ?
Greg Smith will be a solid backup center for Asik.
DeleteHe got +32 (the most) in this game.
Forbes might get cut.
livingston is the odd man out. greg smith has been so impressive that he may be the rockets best option to backup asik. d-mo will get his chance to play depending on the matchups. as expected, white will need some time to adjust to the nba. he and machado should spend the first two months in the d-league.
Deletegood game from jlin, but wish he would get to the foul line. i haven's seen tonight's game, but in previous games, jlin should have gotten more foul calls. the videos clearly showed that defenders would make contact in the air and/or in the restricted area, yet no call on jlin's drive.
i think kmart is key to the rockets making the playoffs this season. having kmart will place less pressure on jlin, especially when he's still trying to regain his touch. also being such a deadly shooter, kmart will help create more space for jlin to attack the rim.
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ReplyDeleteWhy link to amazon.com???
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeletePsalm234, is this is the link you wanted?
DeleteJeremy Lin & Houston Rockets CRUSH Orlando Magic In 2012 Preseason Game #7 -- Roxs 5-2
haha :) my bad.. yes, that's the one! Thanks, wilc.
DeleteLet me repeat it below so I'm not accused of false advertisement :D
This is another good summary of the game.
Jeremy Lin & Houston Rockets CRUSH Orlando Magic In 2012 Preseason Game #7 -- Roxs 5-2
13 pts, 3rbs, 5asts, no TOs, 2 steals in just 23 min
Observations
- Very efficient 5-10 FG
- Passing more, not a lot of PnR. Not McHale's fault but JLin is chillin' letting his body back to normal
- 1 impressive block almost like the DRose famous block after 1 Orlando steal.
- no lateral quickness yet because of the knee
- team will be a lot better when JLin handles the ball more
when Lin is 100%, KMart might get traded. Not sure if both can coexist in the backcourt
Thoughts:
- He is like Nash. Not as good of a shooter but more explosive and athletic (jumping & running)
- If he does not force using the knee too soon, we can have Linsanity 3.0 this year. Saw a glimpse of that in this game, he just started rolling and noone can stop him.
- A little tired at end of 3rd Q but that's okay
Summary:
He played well, no TOs, plays within himself, showing signs of himself. Haters are not ready for this!
Note: Chris Paul also took a long time when recuperating from getting knee/meniscus surgery.
I wonder if the corporate media clown Stephen A. Smith soiled himself in anger when JLin was hitting those treys.
ReplyDeleteDon't hate. Appreciate.
Stephen A. Smith doesn't actually watch Lin's games, so he'll never feel embarrassed about Lin playing well.
DeleteJeremy had a good shooting game; He created some space for himself and his jumper looks better. His low usage may be their plan all along since this is preseason and Jeremy is probably using these games to get into game condition. I expect this to change against detroit.
ReplyDeleteMartin is a poor isolation player but a terrific spot-up shooter while Lin is definitely a great isolation player and an ok spot-up shooter. So, they would be better off using Martin to run through screens to open himself up while Lin will be the facilitator.
Moving to Lamb, let me just say that he's the WORST defender I've seen in the Rockets. Machado actually is better than him. Those two players are terrible defensively but at least Machado exerts some effort while Lamb doesn't. He may have some athleticism to be a good defender but that athleticism is useless if you are LAZY. Heck, even some Rockets fans noticed his Laziness in the defensive end. If Lamb wants minutes, he better play some defense. By the way, his shot selection is also not good.
For the Regular Seasson:
- I would like Lin to add floaters in his repertoire; he cannot afford to play with his ultra-aggressive style with that bum knee.
- He still needs to score for his team; I feel his teammates still do not fully believe in his leadership especially Martin; So, he'll have to earn his respect like the way Duncan earned the respect of Robinson and conceded to Duncan
- Smith is definitely the better back-up center; he's explosive and can be a terrific roll man; I could see a lot of Dunks and assists
- I still haven't seen a lot of pick and pop plays; Jones and PPat can be the beneficiary of those plays;
- I would also like to see Parsons play the four when they play small ball; He's a good shooter especially from the corner; By the way, he seems to be a better decision maker than the one-dimensional Martin so Parsons should be the secondary ball-handler instead of Martin
- I would also like to see some post plays from Lin when he's guarded by smaller or weaker players such as Lawson, Nash, Rondo, Paul, Collison , Augustin, Walker, Irving and the like
- Defensively, the rockets can be a top 10 in steals and probably in the top 15 in opponent FG%; I expect Lin and PArsons to average at least 2 steals
- Jeremy's Assists numbers aren't too high since most the open shots are due to the extra pass made after the initial pass
My predictions for this team: 33-49 (probably 11-13th in the west)
The Playoffs is still unlikely but not impossible; the only way that could happen is if Lin and Martin averages 20 ppg and Parsons average 15-17 ppg ; Also, there is a solid contributor from the bench (Jones, Delfino, Livingston, Lamb, Smith)
For Lin, I'm really confused on what to expect since I'm not so sure if his really a distributor or a scorer; Because there are nights where he rarely looks for his shot and there are nights where he imitates Westbrook. I prefer him to average 14 and 9 but I still feel he's a scorer first and passer second kind of player. So, I expect 18 and 6
Asik:
He's terrific in the boards but when he's the screener, opposing teams will have a high success rate in double-teaming Lin without their defense breaking down. Maybe he should practice 10 - 15 ft jumpers; or Maybe just use PPAt, Jones , or Smith as a screener instead of Asik and allow him to just grab offensive boards.
I respectfully disagree. Don't get too hung up on stats. This team will make the playoffs.
DeleteIf you watch the NBA and all games, you will know NBA PG's these days sometimes score 20, sometimes 8, as the assists vary and defenses mix it up, even CP3. Only Deron Williams constantly tries to score but his teams lose or are 1st round flame outs.
Lin isn't a stats guy. He is unique that way and Asik is selfless too. When your top guys are selfless and play D, the team wins. That's why this team will win, I promise you. You can link back to this post at the end of the season and rub it in my face if I'm wrong. This is NOT a 33 win team, barring injury to Lin and Asik. I've been into basketball long enough to see that they are an 8th seed at worst and probably at least a .500 record or close to it.
I guarantee playoffs (barring injury to Lin and Asik), but don't expect much more than a first round flameout unless the team REALLY gels and Lin wins over Martin.
Don't worry, I have no plan on rubbing it in anyone's face. I actually want them to win but they are still too young. They can play great at some stretch but the trick with a young team is that they can be inconsistent. When midseason arrives, what will happen? will they be tougher or breakdown? That is probably there worst enemy: Immaturity and Inconsistency
Deleteyeah, we know the rookies will struggle and hit the rookies wall in their first year but that's the exciting part of the first year for this team.
DeleteA lot of things have to go right for them to go to the playoff but noone expects them to do so. If they exceed 35 games, that's already an accomplishment for any NBA teams with no more than 3-4 players with > 2 years of NBA experience.
We should expect some struggle but also glimpses of potential from this young talented team. Just remember how OKC Thunder had to find their ways through growing pain in the first 2-3 years. They didn't know how to close the more experienced Lakers team in their first playoff loss.
I'm just going to enjoy how JLin gels with his teammates and play Linsanity ball as a team. Hopefully more free agents will be attracted to play Linsanity ball in Houston! They will see how much JLin makes the game easier for them to shine. Just ask Novak, Landry, Tyson Chandler...
Neph,
DeleteYou have your prediction but my prediction is if JLin stays healthy, Rockets will make the playoff with ease.
Actually, in the first 10 regular season games, they will have a winning record, possibly 6-4 or 7-3.
Let's see who get to rub it in.
JLin highlights but unfortunately no audio.
ReplyDeleteSee 0:40 for his impressive block on Jameer Nelson
[PRE-SEASON] Jeremy Lin vs Magic Highlights!Jeremy Lin Scored 13 Points, 5 Assists and 3
I'm not sure if that was counted as a block but nice effort and nice elevation!
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Deleteprobably not but that was a great timing to block the shot without fouling Jameer :D
DeleteToo bad another Orlando player got the rebound and dunked it.
Yeah, Jeremy Lin was the ONLY Rocket who chased after Jameer Nelson on that break .... everyone else thought he had an automatic layup and 2 points, so they didn't even give any effort to run down court for the rebound after he missed.
DeleteJeremy Lin DID NOT give up on that defensive play. And that speaks VOLUMES about his dedication to his team and the game.
Parsons:
ReplyDelete- I'm high on this player because of his versatility similar to a Shawn MArion in a way. Although, PArsons is a better ball handler ad passer and MArion is the better Rebounder. I perceive him as a perfect wingman for Jeremy in fastbreak situations just like MArion was a perfect wingman for Nash; Occasionally, parsons can set a screen for Jeremy. Moreover, I like his activity on the defensive end (same as Jeremy); They play disruptive defense which will open the fastbreak offense for the Rockets. I would like Lin and PArsons to aim to be a part of the 2nd All-Defensive team. Also add Asik
DMo:
Initially, I expected this guy to be the best rookie but I was very disappointed in these preseason games. He's absolutely SOFT. I would like him to add strength and add some foot speed. I'm still not giving up in his potential. He has a decent post game and can be a deadly shooter. I'm still optimistic that he can be a future all-star. He just needs to add some strength and some quickness. By the way, he needs to learn to BOX OUT.
Putting basketball aside:
ReplyDeleteDid White really drive to Orlando? What the hell is he doing?
Someone in clutchfans mentioned he had 2 drivers to do 2 shifts for 15-hr driving.
DeleteThat would be an interesting documentary for ESPN, I'm sure someone is already thinking about it "NBA Road Trip with Royce White: The Journey to Beat Anxiety Disorder"
It would only be a documentary if Royce White actually becomes a good player. ESPN wouldn't do it for a D-Leaguer.
DeleteSame reason ESPN only run Asian stories of Lin when he actually played good, not when he's buried on the bench in GS.
A very good summary by Jason Friedman on how the Rox's lineup is shaping up for the first game in Detroit and how JLin has had a huge role in the young Rox team despite not being 100% yet.
ReplyDeleteJason Friedman @RocketsJCF
Rockets pass pop quiz, now the real test awaits: A look at @JLin7, Rockets' rotation, potential on offense and D
http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/thats-wrap-0
That's A Wrap
October 26, 2012 9:40 pm EDT
Rockets appear ready for the real thing after finishing preseason strong
...
Lastly, it’s also good to remember that amid all the hubbub over Lin’s shooting slump, he was still contributing as a distributor (6.2 assists per game) and ball-hawk (2.4 steals per game). Coaches talk all the time about the importance of being able to impact games when a player’s shot isn’t falling. Well, that’s exactly what Lin was doing and precisely the point ESPN.com’s John Hollinger made when he said this about Lin within his Houston Rockets season preview piece: “Lin simply does too many high-value things (drawing fouls, assisting at the rim, steals and rebounds) to not be an effective player.”
And let’s not forget this: Jeremy Lin has also been in charge of an offense that has really been humming this month. In fact, that brings us to our next point:
Just how good is this offense going to be?
The Rockets wrapped up the preseason as the proud owners of an offense that ranked in the league’s top-5 in terms of points per possession. To be frank, that sort of potent offensive efficiency comes as a bit of a surprise.
...
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