Here is my take on why Jeremy is struggling to find his rhythm offensively.
1. He looks to me to be at best about 85% physically. It will probably take at least a month or more before he is close to 100% in terms of his explosiveness and quickness.
2. His legs just aren't there yet, which affects his shot, which in turn has caused his loss in confidence, then it snow balls to just throw off his entire shooting rhythm.
3. He really pushed and tried to see if he could come back for the playoffs last year. This probably set him back at least a month or two. He should have just shut it down.
4. He wasn't able to really get in the gym until July and then he had his Asia Tour. Thus, he didn't spend enough time with Doc (they only worked together in July and about 10 days in Asia).
That being said, he'll still be very effective playing more like a Ason Kidd, Rajon Rondo type in the beginning of the season. Once he gets going and the spring is back, we'll start seeing the JLin we all know and love. I'm thinking early to mid December is when we start seeing the real Jeremy.
>> 3. He really pushed and tried to see if he could come back for the playoffs last year. This probably set him back at least a month or two. He should have just shut it down.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the CAA-affiliated Knicks, Wo_dson and Carm_lo wanted Jeremy to get injured for good - for the series that had essentially been already decided at the time. Thankfully, the situation was mitigated by D_lan because, as the owner of the team, he didn't want what he thought would be a trade asset to get damaged any further.
i really don't think knee is the key problem. I think something wrong with the system and the players around him not cooperating. This is not college now. Lin played with them all the way and established good relationship. this is NBA and very competetive and everyone wants to prove that he is the best of the team. And lin was undrafted and got big contract. Did his teamates respect him enough? Lin must feel lonely there. In NY he has his brother as families.
DeleteIn the NBA there are certain amount of problems with every team, just like any work place, and it's perfectly normal.
DeleteThe Rockets teammates are probably as good as any in terms of teammates getting along because there aren't hardly any arrogant veterans. The rest of them are rookies or sophomores who are trying to make the cut. Right now there are 18 players. Before the regular season starts they must cut at least 3 players, who may be waived or go to the D-league.
Mach_do was the only player I was worried about (only because of him being a die-hard Nits fan and Carm-lo's fan) but Jeremy is much better so there's nothing to worry about. Another thing is, it's perfectly normal to pass the ball to players who are hot shooters at the moment.
I am a huge Jeremy lin fan and i think he has super star potential. He has the body, the athleticism, and the skill set. However, i feel he is struggling with finding his identity as a player. The speed and explosion may not be 100% but it is definitely there, it's just not being utilized. He's trying to become a more conventional point guard, which he is not. He's just not very effective as a pass first point guard. He needs to go back to the scorer mentality and slash and dish like he was in NY. If Mchale gives him the green light i guarantee you he will go off and his teammates particularly parsons and asik well enjoy the ride. I also think jeremy lin has the same scoring ability as iverson! its just up to him to find the balance, he has the iq and the dexterity!
ReplyDeleteAbout the green light to take over, Friedman on his twitter feed replied to a fan that he should not expect the second coming of the Linsanity Show and that it is about team basketball. I agree to an extent. McHale definitely is not running the offense through Jeremy as much as D'Antoni or even Woodson did. However, McHale may not be relying so much on Jeremy to take the shots now, but later on when defenses adjust McHale will likely use Jeremy's creativity more and giving him more of a green light to truly respond to what the defense gives him. I agree that he has the potential to be iverson as well. Jeremy sure looks like iverson in the way he can get into the paint. I'm actually encourages by his performance in his penetration. He got past his defender completely and only has the bigmen to deal with, just like how iverson would. The speed of their movements at definitely similar: a gear up compared to most players.
DeleteJeremy is getting into the lane and drawing three defenders regularly. That must be a good sign. Frankly I was frustrates when he seemed to be deep in the lane and surrounded. I'd think "why drive into a crowd of defenders?" But on second thought, he isn't necessarily driving into a packed paint. The paint got packed because the defenders collapsed in response to his penetration. The question then becomes, why isn't he able to get the ball to open teammates after he has attracted the three defenders? Is it because he made the bad decision to drive deep into the lane, jumps in the air with no passing lanes? I was tempted to see it that way, too. But again on second thought, when Jeremy drew in Lopez for example, where was Asik? He wasn't in a position to receive a pass. Most of the time the big men are not positioning themselves for the pass for an open shot but instead already assuming that Jeremy will shoot it. The responsibility must be on the big men to position themselves to open up the option for Jeremy to pass to. Tyson Chandler did a good job of that last season. He would position himself in an angle where he JLin could get him the ball. A challenge would be why Jeremy would drive in without any big men being open? Why should he expect the big men to move to receive a pass? The point of penetration though is not to get the ball to big men in the paint who are already open, but to open up the big men by drawing their defenders. Thus it remains true that the big men have the corresponding responsibility to get in position to receive a pass and not leave Jeremy hanging. This though is not to fault Asik or Jone. It is likely that they still are not familiar with Jeremy's driving tendencies, such as where he takes off, at which point he is ready to deliver the ball, and thus cut or position themselves accordingly. At the end of the day, the troubles creating scoring after penetration is partly from the lack of chemistry. The point is Jeremy isn't necessarily driving recklessly into the paint even though there are already two or three defenders waiting for him there. It's a positive that he is able to get to the rim and attract defenders and at that point it is as much his teammates responsibility to take advantage of the situation by getting in proper position to receive a pass as it is Jeremy's responsibility to pass it when defensive help rotates over.
Phenomenal post.
DeleteLin's teammates are starting to realize how UNGUARDED they are because of the Jordan Rules on Jeremy Lin.
Even with Lin's guys still learning how to play in the gaps, the Rockets are still winning games easily.
Now if teams clamp down on Lin's teammates and his girly shot that he learned from Doc Scheppler still doesn't go in, the Rockets are in trouble. Allowing Jeremy Lin to shoot that broken jumpshot is probably the best way to beat the Rockets. But if the double and triple teams keep coming, it'll be Rockets WINS with Lin in charge!
I predicted 40-50 wins for Lin's Rockets. So far, so good!
Great observation Wilc.
DeleteA new coach, new system, & new teammates creates a most challenging situation for a PG. Jeremy already consistently draws 2 to 3 defenders, so 1 or 2 other Rockets should be opened. The opened man should be one or two passes away. Sometimes players just become a spectator on the court.
Watching films will help a lot. This process is called building "team chemistry". Godspeed JL.
this is a great point. during the telecast yesterday i remember one of the commentators mentioning that the bigs need to go the ball during one of these dribble drives. on one of jlin turnovers, he dumped the ball off to where he thought asik would be after davis collapse on him but asik was still a good 5 feet away, resulting in a turnover.
Deletethis will come as they play together more and learn how to react to one another. even though tyson chandler is not known to be an offensive force, he still understand big-man offense a lot better than asik but i expect asik and jlin to be on the same page sooner rather than later.
lots of good film to watch from last night's game to pinpoint what they need to work on.
Hey KHuang...You might want to reconsider your term girly shot... Thats a very prejudicial term that offends the female gender.. I've seen you talk at great length about the biases that Jeremy has faced through his basketball career.. There's no difference here. Don't be a hypocrite.
DeleteJumpah, I'd agree with you if it weren't for the fact that Lin's shooting coach Doc Scheppler is a reknowned GIRL's shooting coach!
DeleteBased on some of the things Doc has said about wanting to square Lin up to the basket and shoot his shot from the center of his forehead, I feel entirely justified in calling Lin's shot "girly". Such technique works beautifully for girls who have different elbow joints and leg placement from Lin.
At the moment, Lin is caught between the squared up girl shot that Doc Scheppler is advocating and the side soccer throwing jump shot taught to Lin by his father that Hall of Famers like John Stockton used. Lin's body wants to default to his dad's shot, but Doc's shooting advice has him corkscrewing his torso. I am not convinced Lin's knee problem has anything to do with his shooting slump.
It is not an insult for me to call Lin's shot "girly" given that he learned his form from a legendary girls' coach. My thing is that Lin should do like Jordan and Iverson and Stockton by shooting the side shot the NBA Hall of Fame Way!!!
Thanks for your insight KHuang. Where do you come up with this stuff?
Delete"reknowned girls shooting coach?" I think hes a reknowned girls high school coach who works with both genders on their skill development.
"Girls have different elbow joints and leg placement". Wasn't aware of that.. Please enlighten me.
How many girls games have you seen girls shooting a squared up shot? Do all girls shoot squared up?
"Corkscrewing torso" I'm trying to visualize a corkscrewing torso.
"legendary girls coach". I thought he coached high school boys for 17 years before he coached girls.
Wasn't he Jeremy's high school coaches coach?
Is Doc in Houston with Jeremy?
Grab a girl - GENTLY.
DeleteHave her turn her palms upward toward the sky, arms straight. You do the same.
A girl's hands will point outwards to the sides more than yours will. Women's elbow joints are built differently from men's.
Now if you raise your hands to shooting position, a girl will be most comfortable getting her hand and forearm under the basketball with the ball placed at the center of her forehead. This is due to the girl's right hand pointing outward because of her elbow joint.
Yet when Jeremy Lin does that, he unnaturally pulls the hand underneath the ball by dropping his shoulder and crunching his right hip. The result is that he has an unnatural flat release that shoots the ball sideways instead of straight up. That is because Lin's right arm release is torqued to the left due to Doc Scheppler's insistence on squaring up to the rim and shooting the ball close to the center of the forehead.
Now if you look at the shot mechanics Lin learned from his father, Lin has the ball farther on the right side of his head. His shooting motion is soft and has a high arc. It is also straight without any physical tension in the right hip and shoulder. Lin's father spent countless hours watching guys like Stockton, Jordan, and Bird shooting that shot.
Another value to that side shot is that it is extremely effective in throwing vicious shot fakes and making shots while absorbing contact. It's no surprise that guys like Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, Lin's coach McHale, Adrian Dantley (led the NBA in scoring) and other Hall of Famers used that technique. We all saw Lin default to that technique during Linsanity, and he tore apart the league with that shot. He can DO IT AGAIN if he wishes.
My hope is that Lin gets frustrated with the corkscrewing of his shot caused by his body trying to twist itself unnaturally into the girl's technique Doc Scheppler taught him. I hope Lin goes "Enough, I'm going back to my dad's NBA technique that worked for me all my life". If he does, Lin would become one of the NBA's top scorers RIGHT NOW, even with that healing knee!
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DeleteLast year, he saw what happened to Landry's reworked and broken shot. Instead of learning from that, he seems to have decided to emulate his old buddy in that department. What gives, Jeremy?
ReplyDeleteAnd shouldn't Mama Lin be in Houston to ensure he gets a daily supply of bone- and ligament-strengthening tonic soups to beef him up constitutionally? Isn't that a major advantage of being Chinese that they're not using?
He had the same surgery as Blake Griffin did, only much earlier than the latter. Yet, the LAC star is already back to his old self with nary a sign of any setback.
Really, what's wrong with Lin?
Haha, NO to "a daily supply of bone- and ligament-strengthening tonic soups."
DeleteChinese herbs + western supplements [from his fitness regimen] = disaster.
If you stayed and watched more, Jeremy rested for most of the first half (after starting for a few minutes), but came back in the 3rd period, and contributed to the ream in a significant way! He was even double teamed when he was guarding his man on defense!
Deleteztrta, was Lin really doubled teamed when he was guarding his man on defense?
DeleteI didn't see this particular game, so could you explain to me what happened? I totally believe it, given how totally disruptive Lin has been on defense this preseason.
I'm trying to remember if I ever saw a defender get double teamed. Nope, can't say that I have.
@KHuang,
DeleteYes, indeed! I thought "Wow! Respecting Lin for his D!" (;~)))..... It happened several times; a *big* man would come up and help the lad like a good daddy (;~D). You probably can watch it on YouTube soon.
Hilarious, but totally expected.
DeleteJeremy Lin is the best defensive guard I've ever seen in the NBA. And I've seen 'em ALL.
I talked about Lin terrorizing people defensively last season. Lin is even better this season. He ATTACKS opponents defensively, disrupting their offensive flow. Lin is a one man wrecking crew on defense whenever he is in the game!
What amuses me is that opposing coaches will deliberately go right at Lin, thinking that he's the WEAK LINK in the defense because he's supposedly unathletic due to being Asian. Then after Lin has singlehandedly stopped opposing offenses and won the game easily with his defense, opposing coaches go at Lin MORE. Of course, that means teams lose to Lin more!
At the least, I as an opposing coach would be running my plays on the opposite side of the court from Jeremy Lin. Even though that doesn't stop Lin from coming crosscourt and entangling up opponents, it is way better than trying to pass through Lin or (even worse) trying to score on him.
Doubleteaming Lin when he's playing defense is a step in the right direction, but it won't work because then the big men sent over to trap the defending Lin are taken out of their own offensive comfort zone!
i don't think Jeremy is playing his brand of basketball. I only watched the first half because I couldn't bear to watch someone who admire so much doing so badly.
ReplyDeleteThese are my thoughts based mostly from what I saw first quarter. There will be no Linsanity if the coaches continue to let Jeremy go to his left the majority of the time. Jeremy needs to stop going to his left unless he has to. From my memory, Jeremy was in the left side of the court 75% of the time. The Rockets have great perimeter shooters. They should open up the floor for Jeremy to do his thing, driving to the paint and going to his right.
Who knows? Maybe he's using these games to improve his left hand....
DeleteLet's wait the start of the season. Friendlies are made for testing something so.... Who knows?
@imakercome,
DeleteMy post in the thread above was meant for you (for this thread). You stopped watching too soon; there's more than one way for a team to win.
I also think they were experimenting, as they should. Sometimes the team must adjust their play during the game.
I just hope everything clicks when the season starts. Jeremy was a solid 4th quarter player. He did extremely well under pressure so we'll have to wait and see.
DeleteToo early to worry. The positive thing is he's learning to be more a point guard. Thankfully we're just in Preseason and these games don't matter at all... Take a look at steve nash :D
ReplyDeleteAnd no matter what lin poor or good, Houston has won 4 and lost 2. That's a very good sign, But i heard that poor teams alwasy win in the beginning and lostmany later because of physical problems and inexperience. Let's wait and see.
DeleteI remember Steve Nash's 1st season with his stacked Suns team.
DeleteThey rolled through preseason, losing only one game. That continued into the entire regular season where they were eventually beaten by I think the Spurs (still almost unbeatable due to Tim Duncan).
Though Jeremy Lin does not have anyone remotely close to the All Star talent Nash was surrounded with in Phoenix, Lin has the Rockets playing extremely well. A Jeremy Lin team is rugged on defense and constantly attacks the paint while spotting up for 3s, and that's a playoff style of basketball!
By the time opposing defenses figure out that the young Rockets have to be guarded, the Rockets will have racked up a bunch of wins. As opponents start actually defending the young Rockets, Jeremy Lin will physically be at 100% and start to score like Jeremy Lin is capable of. And from what I'm seeing, that day may come within 10-20 games of the regular season!
I think there are a couple of reasons.
ReplyDelete1)During the pre season games, we see Lin distributing the ball more than getting to the paint. I was thinking that if he were to be like last year, getting into the paint, he would most likely get banged up thus his knee would take even longer to recover which could explain why he is always as the perimeter. If this is a strategy to allow his knee to recover faster , then I think all is good.
2)Looking at the dynamics of this team, you would realise that most of them can score AND pass. Looking at ny's team last year, most of them cant do both , so I think in a sense Lin's involvement in the offence is not as much as in ny.
3)Speaking about his knee, I think it would take some time before he can fully recover. As for his shooting, I hope it has something to do with his knees if not, maybe he needs to get his confidence back and go back to shooting like last year.
4)I am not sure if you all feel the same way but do you think Lin is very pressurised?
Last year, he had nothing to lose , this year, everyone wants to see him fail and pounce on him. Which was why I was against him having the commercial and the GQ photshoot. He is setting himself up for criticism. Yes, he can do what he wants but at the right time. However, for the GQ shoot, I thought it was more about him using that platform to explain what happened but I just want him to move on . I think we often forget that throughout his entire life, he has been overlooked and suddenly now he is being scrutinised and for many, it is to see him fail. I think the saddest part is that all Lin did was to play well so that he could keep his job . Now, now only are his previous team mates hating on him , he has to try prove to everyone he is worth 25 million. I obviously cant say I know how he feels, but it must be a very tough situation to be in . Not only that, I read recently, that Lin said he has only 2 friends in Houston ?! I was thinking how about the rest of his teammates. Lin knows that there are people who want him to fail especially his former teammates but he needs to get rid of that mindset(albeit true) and I hope he does have a support system to help him.
If i'm right about jeremy's makeup and mindset, especially what he's learned since linsanity, i don't think he cares too much about playing up to his 25mil worth. he has always stressed about playing for god and no one else, especially not for his contract. now, it's easier said then done, but at least i know he's aware of it and will make sure he doesn't burden himself with trying to satisfy a public that never will be.
DeleteLin didn't look happy in Houston. I only saw his smile when he talked with coach on the court. Lin definately had pessure on his shoulder. Now I even think his agent pushed him to this situation. If his agent kept saying they wanted to go back to NY, now lin would not face so much critisizem. Also i wonder-- did Houston play Pnr through lin? Lin is very good with that system but coach didn't run that too much. Mark cuban said lin can be a star if he is in a right system with right players. Is he in the right system now? I don't seethat. Are his teamates jealousy of him too? Why i can not see them help him in the play? Before whenever he attached the rim, Chandler or Jeffery alwasy covered him to do that, but now anybody coveed him? Yesterday Lin got fouled 2 or 3 times by those bigs when he attacked the rim, but refs didn't give FTs to him. Is that strange? Now lin's shooting skills almost died, would his teamates still respect him? If lin keeps this bad shooting, is he going to be traded by Houston next year? I'm so concerned about him. I think lin lost that confidense, swag and something is missing in him. I hope his parents can come to Houston to give him support and encourage. Otherwise lin will be ruined by haters.
DeleteLin would not have made his $25 million if he were affected by all that emotional stuff.
DeleteWe're talking about one of the mentally strongest players in NBA history in Lin. He's more than capable of handling his role on the Rockets.
The haters have no impact on Lin. He puts his head down and does what he has to. That's the only thing Lin does.
Well, we don't know how long Jeremy's knee will not be 100%? So Jeremy better adjust for his own sake. He better learn to be effective with a different style. I still see some explosiveness but his decision making has to improved drastically. It is Basketball 101 that you do not JUMP to PASS. Also, if there are three defenders in the paint, you do not penetrate and force your way through those defenders. You can either pull up for a jumper or shoot a floater. You rather have a missed shot than a turnover.
ReplyDeleteJeremy might end up being Landry Fields with the way he is shooting. Remember Fields shooting above 40% from 3s in his rookie season. Then, he hired a shooting coach and poof.... Landry turned into one of the worst shooter I have encountered. Basically, he was useless around the perimeter. Jeremy hired the Doc and changed his shooting form resulting to a lot of Bricks. My suggestion, go back to his original shooting form. The shooting form does not need to be perfect because the important part is Jeremy is accustomed to that form. Just watch Martin's unorthodox shooting form.
I suspect that Lin's knees will be 100% in the 2013-2014 season.
agree with the knee. people don't realize how long it take for the knee to be back at the strength it was at prior to surgery. as long as the knee is healthy, he can work it back to full strength.
Deletei watched the game last night a few times and i think the turnovers also had to do with his teammates not being where he thought they should be. this will come with more playing time and learning how to react to one another. the bigs will learn to go to the ball once their man leaves them to collapse on jeremy.
You know what i suspect? i thought his teamates maybe did that on purpose by not cooperating with him. I reall ysensed something jealousy from his teamates. Last game, Jeremy got 12 assists and NBA sent it through the twitter. Kmart made it clear this year that he wants to be all star and he is the leader of this team. who knows what they talked about behind lin? Parsons is a good friend of lin but he alsi friend of Kmart. did they play some games with lin? that's what i'm scared the most. Now look at all those young players in Houston, most of them got double yesterday except lin only 2. What's the real problem? Before lin pass, thye shoot, now lin pass, another pass, another shoot. So lin's assists will be down too. If I were lin, I need to leave this leagu asap because all players become eneimis. I believe coach lked lin but he can't stop other players damage lin's game.
DeleteI have the same feeling with u , believe. I feel Jeremy is all by himself in Houston. At least in nyk,he got landry,Jeffie,n chandler also his brother.
DeleteI feel zero sympathy for Lin.
DeleteHe is a top NBA player with a good contract and his own team. He's also playing well and winning games. How could I feel sorry for a guy who's enjoying as much hard won success as Jeremy Lin?
Lin's teammates not passing him the ball and griping behind the scenes is STANDARD for ALL point guards in the NBA. A point guard's teammates are usually unhappy because they want the point guard to give them more shots.
Jealousy is normal in the NBA game. NBA veterans get used to dealing with jealousy. As long as jealousy doesn't prevent guys from making the right plays, jealousy doesn't matter as much as people think it does.
As far as players not being around when Jeremy Lin drives the lane and dishes off, there's nothing to worry about. Every missed pass is a missed score, so the Rockets will learn to cherry pick shots that Lin has created for them. It's that or miss the chance for easy dunks and shots.
If Lin is the great point guard he appears to be, he'll manage these concerns and continue to win games.
believe123 and lydia - with all due respect, and i mean this in the most sincere way - don't be ridiculous.
Deletefirst of all, the turnovers are both jeremy and teammates fault. jeremy for not knowing where to go with the ball when he is in the air, and teammates fault for not being in the right spots. that comes with experience, and they will eventually have that.
i honestly don't think there's any ill intent on the part of any of his teammates to sabotage jeremy's season. why did he only have 2 points when his others are in double digit? because he has trouble scoring the ball - he can't shoot, and when he drives he couldn't finish. he was 1 for 8 last night. those are pretty bad numbers!
jeremy is a grown man and just like any work place there's alway strife and issues. i'm sure he can handle himself just fine being in houston. these are professional basketball players paid by the team owners to perform. it's not a junior high playground.
You are seeing the real Jeremy a D-League, 12th man, undrafted, turnover prone, poor shooting, defensive liability that has shot his load in NYC. Didn't you notice the decline in his game? Felton looking like a really good move right now.
ReplyDeletePillsbury has not played good his shooting had been bad also and lots of turnovers . Felton and the knicks will struggle to make the playoffs in the weak east .
DeleteFelty had his better shooting night in back to back games, but his team lost the previous game to 76ers and yesterday they barely eeked out a win in OT by 2 points; and Felty was a -4. On the other hand, the Rockets cruised to a win by 7 points (they got sloppy fairly late in the game when they were winning by 17 points); Jeremy was a +10.
DeleteSo go back to Car_elo's and/or nits' forum.
Troll?
Deletewe don't care about felton! go to felton's page and tell him what you think please?!
DeleteI think mint could be right, that's the reason why i want jeremy to play like jeremy, with nothing to lose and for God only. But i think he's already learned the lesson.
ReplyDeleteBout felton: i don't really care what felton will do in ny. This is a lin's fan site so I'm not here to write on someone else. I want Lin to succeed in houston and if felton plays good in ny good for him.
When matches will matter we'll talk about real stuffs. To me right now is good houston win even with this jeremy cause basketball is a team game and for now can be good the assist-man version of jeremy. That's it.
Less than a week and we will finally talk about something that matters.
I have a different take than all of you here.
ReplyDeleteJeremy Lin looks JUST FINE to me.
7-1, 6-1, 4-1 (and counting)
Those are the win loss records of Jeremy Lin teams in the NBA minus the Melodrama tanking episode last year.
No other numbers matter to me. I don't even care than Jeremy Lin has what I think is a broken shot or a bad knee.
As long as Jeremy Lin continues to pile up WINS, he can shoot 0 for the season as far as I care!!!
Oh finally!!! Thanks mate :D
DeleteIt's a season of learning for jlin and the rest of the team. As long as they win, it doesn't matter what the pundits say. In fact, i think there isn't enough time for a player, especially rookies, to develop his game in the preseason. That's why it is instrumental for a coach to develop the young ones. For example, by running some play specifically for them to get them going ( a huge confidence builder), by working on their weaknesses in real gametime each and every game regardless of wins or losses because the end justifies the means ( championship), by using some college rules like every man touches the ball before a shot goes up for streches of time when the play is stagnant. Anyways, my point is even in losing we win as long as there's progress.
DeleteRight, KHuang. Some of us have said all along that the thing that Lin brings to a team is a concept of team basketball. He enforces a style of basketball on the offensive and especially defensive end that makes teams win.
DeleteIt's bizarre to me that people can watch last night's game, for example, and not see how disruptive he was on defense. Even while missing all his shots, his defense was marvelous. Vasquez tried to attack over and over, but simply could not get anything going. Lin would always cut him off. Beating Lin means either being Rajon Rondo or shooting tons of jumpers.
Lin will get numbers if the Rockets need him to. Have they needed him to in the preseason? Lin hasn't been in during the 4th quarter of any close games. Lin scores when the other team goes on a streak. He stops momentum. He's even done that this preseason when it's been necessary. Lin does NOT thrive in exhibitions. Remember the rookie/sophomore game last year? There is some part of him that only clicks if winning is in doubt. In the game they lost that he started, he wasn't played during winning time, so he had no control over that.
If Lin isn't getting numbers and Houston is losing regular season games, then it will be time to worry. But I expect the Rockets to lose fewer games than the pundits do. This is going to be a good defensive team. During the stretch after Woodson took over and Melo finally started playing defense, the Knicks coasted to wins against playoff teams and Lin was in control without statistically dominating. That's the ideal outcome for this Rockets team. If Parsons and Kmart and Delfino can score efficiently off of a structured team offense, that's possible.
Wins and losses in preseason don't matter. The Lakers are winless. Does anyone expect them to go winless this year?
DeletePeople want to come up with all sorts of excuses as to why Lin isn't playing well, but let's be real. It's not as if he isn't trying to play well.
What worries me about Lin is that his shooting has been abysmal. Thankfully, these games don't count but he's got to find his game soon.
You're right, wins and losses don't matter. Wins and losses mean just about exactly as much as individual performances. Are you seriously trying to argue that individual performances mean more than wins and losses in the preseason? Because I can quote you a few dozen stats if you'd like.
DeleteMy claim, and I've been consistent with this since the moment I first started watching Lin, is that he only cares about wins and losses. So when you say preseason wins and losses don't matter, understand that you are confirming my point.
I can't wait until the games matter.
Rockets guard Jeremy Lin continued to struggle with his shot Wednesday but in some ways saw progress. He had another in a series of preseason games in which he did many things well and got good shots for himself and teammates. But he made just one of eight attempts, taking six of those shots at the rim in the face of converging big men.
ReplyDelete“For me, it’s progress,” Lin said. “Obviously, I’m not where I want to be right now. Do I wish I played better? Of course. But I have to be realistic and understand when I came into training camp I couldn’t even get into the paint, and now I can get into the paint, but I’m not finishing. The next step is to start finishing, hitting open shots, and hopefully the dam breaks loose.
“I want to mix in the mid-range as well. But for the most part, the shots that I took are the ones I can finish and should finish. It’s one of those things (where) I took the shots and missed them, got blocked on a couple, didn’t make the right adjustment. But it will be better — much better — coming up soon.”
Lin is 8-of-36 in the preseason. On Wednesday, he had five assists, three rebounds and two steals. He also had six turnovers, with most coming like his missed shots — deep in the paint as he tried to complete plays in traffic.
“The best thing about the whole thing was my knee was fine, my wind was decent,” Lin said. “I played the most minutes (31) I played the whole preseason. I’m happy with how I felt.”
http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2012/10/jeremy-lin-is-happy-with-the-steady-progress-of-the-rockets/
DeleteAs Lin said in the article he NEEDS to mix in his mid range game.
DeleteMiss or make, Lin should take a mininum of 10 mid range jumpers (no 3 pointers) in the game tomorrow. Like his crossover shot vs Ridnour in last years game vs T-Wolves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EayD7e1J2eE
@pl17,
Deletethe link doesn't work. any other link please?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laguybOdvUI
Deletetry this one
delayed thanks :)
DeleteJeremy Lin. I know you're struggling right now, just like when you were in Summer league, D-league, Gold state, Houston. that's ok keep playing don't worry about the Media and just be yourself like Papa jumba. Pray and talk to your parents and brothers for guidance. At the end of the day you still have your God and them. Success or not we are here to support you. I was in Toronto's game last year when you hit that three. Just relax it will all come there. In fact I am going to Detroit's game Oct 31, 2012. Good luck and be aggressive, you come a long way. Don't know if you'll see this message but win or lose we are here.
ReplyDeleteROMMEL
Great post :D win or lose we are here.
Delete:) YES WE ARE!
DeleteYES
DeleteWe are here... WIN or LOSE
Amen!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHe's not gettin any foul calls from the Refs.. he should have at least 8-10 points of they called something
ReplyDeleteyeah, it does seem like he is not getting some of the calls
DeleteLin's not getting calls? GOOD.
DeleteLet him mix in the midrange stop and pop while seeing the return of the deadly floater from last year.
NBA defenses and referees will FORCE Lin to become a complete scorer. I'm all for Lin learning.
One great thing about Lin that goes unrecognized is his ability to stay out of foul trouble. Even though he's stopping guys, Lin has not been a foul machine. Lin deserves praise for that too.
refs aren't calling anything in preseason games... they care about preseason games as much as we do, which is not much. for them it's probably just another way to get their conditioning back.
DeleteLet's be patient.
ReplyDeleteJLin needs a bit of time. He's got a timetable and he'll get there. :)
McHale said the guys played with more intensity, moved the ball better this time.
They'll continue refining their play, the PRESEASON is the perfect time to experiment after all.
I like the way they move the ball too. And I think the pg has alot to do with that. When your pg is passing well, the rest of the team will follow.
DeleteFrom what I see during Preseason, the Rockets have several shooters on the roster (Martin, Chandler, Delfino, etc.) So Lin shot attempts will probably be lower but he should get more assists. I know alot of us wish he could scores more points but if he does what he needs to do and gets the Win, thats all that really matter.
ReplyDeleteI would rather have him winnning games than just trying to score the most points. There are gonna be games where he is gonna be needed for his scoring but basketball is more than just about shooting the rock.
Too early to worry about Lin...pre-season is what it is. I bet the coaches are telling Lin to take it easy, don't do too much and risk injuring yourself in pre-season.
ReplyDeleteI watched the whole game yesterday, he was finding the open man again and again. The fellas did not knock down the shots. He let the other Rockets do their stuff, which is what he should be doing in pre-season. After all, the coaching staff is trying to see who is going to be in the line up for the 6-10th man.
Finally, it'll take time to get his legs and stamina back. Slow and steady progression is the name of the game.
Last season, people were crowing about how Lin "wasn't a real point guard" and that he "couldn't impact the game without scoring".
ReplyDeleteNow Lin is playing like a real point guard and is impacting the game without scoring!
Lin's biggest hater Carmelo Anthony said it best: "Lin is about WINNING. All Lin wants to do is WIN!"
If you ask anyone on this site (Jeremy Lin fans)...we would rather see Lin do better statistically and individually than see the Rockets win games and Lin plays lousy. Rockets not expected to contend and win games, but Lin expected to produce individually (15 ppg, 7 ast, 5 reb, 2 stl, 45% fg%). No one on this site is happy about Lin's play in preseason.
DeleteWell, I can't stop you from wanting Lin to be a LOSER.
DeleteI'm happy with Lin actually being the WINNER he is.
"It's not how you play the game. It's whether you win or lose." Not my quote, but it applies here.
Someone should ask Asik in private who would he rather play with: Derrick Rose or Jlin? Last night, except for Martin, the Rockets played like a team. Good ball movement and defense. Lin's turnovers have been primarily in the paint when he tries to force the pass and the spacing is poor.
ReplyDeleteOn a lighter note, Chandler's taking the team out tonight to celebrate his bday. Some R&R bonding with the guys would be nice, just to get a bit of a break from all this pressure. :)
ReplyDeleteLol, it's Ladies Thursday.
DeleteIt shouldn't be on Parsons' though. It's *his* birthday to be treated by others - notably Jeremy/Omer. (;~)
Deletep.s.- I always refer to him as Parsons because of the other Chan_ler for the nits (though it's his last name and it's Parsons' first name).
Oh I was unclear, I meant bringing them out. Not sure but I got the impression VAiN [club] is sponsoring this...
Delete"Chandler Bang" to avoid confusion, haha.
I see. That's good!
DeleteYou know what? Ironically, because Chandler Bang! (haha) was NOT overlooked and NOT undrafted (He was a 2nd round draft pick by the Rockets in 2011), he was given the inexpensive 4-year rookie contract right away. He has proven that his worth is much more. I hope he stays healthy for his major payday in 2 years when he's up for contract re-negotiation before his contract expires the year after that. Parsons have been a *triple threat* in the sense that he's great on the court, in the locker room (he's a positive person), and off the court (his good looks hasn't hurt).
Don't worry! JLin's prayer warriors all over the globe got his back! It will be fine in no time...
ReplyDeleteJeremy knows what he is doing... see quote after last night's game
ReplyDelete“For me, it’s progress,” Lin said. “Obviously, I’m not where I want to be right now. Do I wish I played better? Of course. But I have to be realistic and understand when I came into training camp I couldn’t even get into the paint, and now I can get into the paint, but I’m not finishing. The next step is to start finishing, hitting open shots, and hopefully the dam breaks loose..."
http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2012/10/jeremy-lin-is-happy-with-the-steady-progress-of-the-rockets/
Godspeed Jeremy
After reading Jeremy's responses last night, I can understand where he is at in his rehab. If I have not play for couple weeks, even at YMCA level basketball, it will take me sometime to finish my shots and drives the way that I can.
ReplyDeleteSince Jeremy is facing tall, long arms, and elite NBA F/C, and not my Y buddies, I am sure that challenge is much greater.
He has always been honest with the media, so I believe him when he said that he is making progress.
Godspeed Jeremy. You got my support.
It's all part of the maturing process. Playing this JD/RR type of style right now will actually be better for him in the long run. It will force him to make better passes and decisions. I agree that the 100% mark will be around December. Though I'm sure Jeremy is a bit frustrated right now.
ReplyDeleteReminds me when i tore a ligament in my ring finger in soccer (don't ask me how). I wore a finger cast for 6 weeks. i'm an avid guitarist and so it a huge pain, but i eventually started practicing and getting good with my index and middle. Looking back, I was thanking for that as I wouldn't have improved had I not gotten injured.
not an apples to apples analogy but you get the point.
I know from experience that when you've had a layoff from real games, it takes a few weeks before your practice shooting is connected to your game shooting. For me, it always takes just about 3 weeks worth of games. It sucks they had that week off of preseason games. It might be different for different people, but I'd expect his shot to be poor for another couple weeks.
ReplyDeleteGood thing he's got a legit contract now, so he's got a long leash.
Jlinfan:
ReplyDeleteI agree...he should not have gone on that Asia trip and instead should have been working out, getting his knee stronger and getting in better condition. He should have been shooting 1000 shots a day minimum. Instead he spent a whole month in Taiwan and China soaking up his fame? His youtube videos were fun but NBA is cruel business and he should have took it to the maximum degree to prepare for the season. Yes, he does have the 25 million in guaranteed money so maybe he could take the foot off the pedal a bit but he needed to prove himself as everyday NBA talent and this first year is big opportunity....he runs risk of not producing (you say wait till december) - the Rockets will not wait 3 months and Lin could find himself on bench and getting only 15 minutes a night if he keeps playing like last night. He has these obstacles:
1. McHale does not run offense through Lin (no Pick n Rolls to speak of)
2. Kevin Martin does not like LIN and obvious the two hate each other.
3. Media waiting to pounce on him and call him fraud after building up Linsanity for the past 12 months.
4. His Asian Heritage is a huge obstacle to overcome and he needs to be fully confident let alone healthy to do that.
Bottom line, Lin needs to attack the rim and play his game and stop playing the point guard role. Lin is not a point guard, he's a combo guard that can make plays. He's fooling himself into passing all the time and he needs to play his game and demand McHale to run pick and roll for him to get into a rythmn. Jeremy Lin's body language not good at all during last game...looks like he thinks he doesn't belong on the court?
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI disagree with most of this post.
DeleteGiven how Lin's knee looks, the Taiwan trip didn't hurt him any. By professional medical evaluation, Lin's right where he should be in his knee.
I personally think Lin practices shooting TOO MUCH. Overtraining is just as bad as undertraining. The good thing is that once the season starts, Lin WON'T have time to overpractice and so he'll do all his shooting in games. I've always believed that being a good practice shooter often means that a guy can't hit shots in actual games.
Once Lin gets into real games and the stakes are higher, his shot will automatically return on its own.
It wasn't bad. Thar is why he purposedly has limited endorsements (also it was with the league and Rockets' approval - in fact encouraged by them to promote the NBA). Plus he took his persona coach and trainer with him. He still worked very hard on the road.
DeleteAlso, now that it came out, it's really because Jeremy was trying to come back from the injury prematurely: He apparently practiced too early for the Nits, in an attempt to rush back from the injury. Besides, I don't think the surgeons from NY are the best, despite it being a huge city.
Actually ztrtra, I think Lin had a good surgery and an excellent recovery.
DeleteIf Lin were one of those Kyrie Irving point guards who puts up a lot of shots from outside and says "Have a great day" to defenders blowing by him on the perimeter, Lin's knee injury and shooting percentages would not look so dreadful.
Also, if Lin were playing for Woodson's Knicks with his "limited" role (in truth, Lin was THE major offensive component of Woodson Knicks), the knee injury wouldn't look so bad either. Woodson would keep Lin on the floor for defense, Lin would shoot 1 for 3 while passing the ball everywhere, and the Knicks would've resumed their league crushing winning that they enjoyed right before Lin went down.
Lin is facing far greater responsibilities than he had in NY, plus he's playing for a much tougher and BETTER coach in McHale. Lin is not yet up to McHale's championship standards, but he soon will be.
By Knick standards, Lin is in excellent shape and is 100%. But this is Houston where far more is expected out of Lin if the Rockets are to win. So far, Lin is delivering on the wins!
I agree with most of your points... especially about jlin going to china and Taiwan for what 2 months? I feel like he missed out on training time he needed.
Delete1.) I agree with, but I still think Jeremy handles the ball alot. I like there offense and I think there's pleanty of opportunities for jlin to make his mark
2.) Why do you think Kevin Martin does not like jlin? Hate even..I dont know I havent been able to find any posts or news saying they dont get along. Maybe theres something I missed?
3.) Agree
4.) Agree
I'm hoping to see everything come together over the next few weeks in his game. I think he will over come.
He's out of shape that much is sure, he improved on some of his deficiencies but his stamina is shot, and yeah I've been saying his PR trip is affecting him and it has. It wasn't obvious with his limited minutes in the first 2 games but it was plain as day in the past two.
DeleteHe's doing a lot on defense, I don't remember who said it but I agree he should limit his offensive production until 4q to conserve some energy, and continue to draw defenders for open shots out to Parson/Patterson/Kmart.
And goodness he needs to stop the jump passes and attacking the crowd.
Regarding the Taiwan/China trip, I think it depends on what Jeremy Lin's life goals are. As a Christian, his ultimate goal is to please God. When he faces God on judgment day, God might say, "Wow, you scored those extra points during preseason and early on in the season during the year that the Rockets were still in the process of building. You ended up making the 7th seed instead of the 8th seed in the playoffs! Plus, you satisfied the demands of those fans who get upset whenever you don't score a lot. I am so proud of you" or God might say, "I am pleased that you put some of your basketball goals aside and served the poor and underprivileged in China and Taiwan. Visiting them meant the world to them. And you spread my name by sharing your testimony in very nonChristian nations (China and Taiwan)." From Lin's perspective, serving the poor and underprivileged and reaching out to "the lost" might be more important than extra training, extra points, and yes, even the playoffs. When you hear his Taiwan testimony and watch the audience, you can clearly see that many of those people were choosing to no longer live for themselves and to dedicating their lives to God. And that, ultimately, is what JLin lives for.
Deleteandrew, you're absolutely right.
Deletebasketball, to jeremy, is a means to an end. doesn't mean he won't work hard in practice or try to win games, because he obviously enjoys competing and playing the game. but, instead of it being merely a recreational activity he gets to do at the local y, it's now on the biggest stage which provides him a platform to do what he wants to do with his life.
again, i'm sure he will compete and work as hard as anyone because he recognizes that this is gift and is taking nothing for granted. but at the same time, it's a gift given to him and i think he loves doing the work of the "gifter" more than the gift itself.
and we as fans have every right (and should) analyze his basketball game. it's what fans do. nothing wrong with that. however, we should also refrain from commenting on his off-season activities, especially his non basketball related activities because again, he is, after all, human. it's like we have life outside of our 9-5 jobs, and i would hate for my employer to tell me what i can and cannot do as long as it doesn't put my employer in a bad light.
@andrewymoon & fighton1999,
DeleteSorry, but when you're getting paid what he does, some his obligation is to please his employers and in turn, please the fans who pays money to see him play. Of course, that's not what his mind should be on, but the bottom line is that he's got to perform. Point blank.
Leave the religious talk out of it.
You've got to PERFORM or you get FIRED. Just like how it is in any other job.
DeleteTVN, real jobs don't fire people for not working in their VACATIONS.
DeleteBesides, your wishful thinking can never come true because Lin has a guaranteed contract.
Fortunately, the NBA is a real job for Lin with a real OFFSEASON!
@TVN..
Deletehe doesn't work for you just like the ceo at apple doesn't work for you either even though you pay money for his products. and pleasing his employers means working his butt off and giving his all to win games for the rockets, and i believe he has and is doing that. he brought his whole training team to china and taiwan WHILE STILL recovering from knee surgery in the off season. do you expect kobe to bring his training team with him to maui?
and again, read my post. nowhere did i say he gets a free pass NOT to perform. not sure where you get the idea that performance on the basketball court and life goals are mutually exclusive for jeremy.
oh, and you can't "leave religion out of it" when discussing his off court religious activities.
bohdi:
DeleteIf you watch closely, martin and Lin have a problem. They don't want to acknowledge each other on good passes. ie. when lin stole ball and fed martin for layup...jeremy had to go over and give him a five instead of other way around. usually when yhou get a good pass for easy layup you go to the passer and say (point to him) good pass....but Jeremy had to go out of his way to tap hands with Martin as he didn't really want to thank lin for the pass....Also, Martin doesn't look for lin on the drive and kick unless Lin man just totally disprects lin and leaves him alone....which is actually starting to happen...guys actually daring lin to shoot outside shot by leaving him to help on other players...Lin has got to make them pay for this and it's affecting his confidence - like wow these guys must think I cannot play!!!
Mike:
Deletethey don't have to like each other but as long as they play can play well together that's all i care about. and really, not everyone acknowledges each other on stuff like that.. i really don't think it's a big deal at all. maybe that's just martin being martin. and if you were martin how would feel when you're the highest paid rocket, one lone veteran on the team, and the came out with a marketing campaign as if you've left the team already.
anyway, i'm not too concerned at all if they're not all buddies. and i doubt anything that happened in nyc will happen in houston in terms of any player allegedly masterminding the firing of a coach and choosing his teammates. martin has NO clout and leverage, unlike melo. and besides, we know that martin will play within mchale's system because it's contract year for him and he needs to be on his best behavior.
10/25/12
ReplyDeleteRocketscast Live: Dissecting last night's game
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMarc J. Spears: NBA Power Rankings 2012
ReplyDelete26. Houston Rockets (34-32 last season): Jeremy Lin is facing a lot of pressure to live up to the hype of last season – and his big contract.
Jeremy Lin is already like Jason Kidd and Rajon Rondo in one aspect: they have all shot less than 25% from the field and averaged more than 4 assists per game over 5 or more consecutive NBA games. In addition, so have Rafer Alston, Baron Davis, Mark Jackson, Kyle Lowry, Andre Miller, Steve Nash, Ricky Rubio, and John Stockton, to name a few others. But these other guys did that in the regular season, and this is still the preseason.
ReplyDeletewow interesting stats! thanks! goes to show that EVERYBODY goes through shooting slumps.
DeleteJeremy will be fine cause he got all the wonderful supporters like u and Me . Hope god speed his recovery and him being confident in himself。 whatever knicks perform good for them, we don't care。we only care about Jeremy n rocket.
ReplyDeleteLike many astute commentators here, if the Rockets can win with such a crappy looking Lin, all is well in Rocket land. And just imagine when he gets his game back...
ReplyDeleteMany fans here (esp the ones from Asia) want Lin to fill up the stat sheet. I don't blame you - stats are sexy and exciting, and in the NBA, the ones who score the ball are treated and considered as the best players.
So if Lin averages 8 PPG, 10 Ast, 4 Stl, .5 blocks per game, I'm sure that will not be enough for the Lin fans. But if Lin's team is killing it and a solid 4-6th seed type of team,
what more do you want of the guy? He is giving up his stats right now, doing what the coaches want and sacrificing his own game for it - forced to stand in the weakside corner, so Kmart and Parsons get 1st looks to score at the start of every game, all for the sake of wins.
Lin could be more selfish and really, it's the Rocket managements' fault if the Linsanity fans want to blame someone. Email Les Alexander and Morey and lobby for D'Antoni. They kept McHale around and his style of offense. Lin is stinking for other reasons though right now, not because of McHale's offense. But even if Lin was on fire, this offense is not going to allow Lin to shine like you want. And they don't trust Lin like CP3, where no matter where CP3 goes, the playbook goes in the trash and you just let CP3 dictate everything with PnRs.
As I posted before, the Rockets will do well while Lin gets average stats and the media and even fans will praise Kmart, Parsons, Jones, Asik. This is first, but many will call Lin a bust on a WINNING team, because they won't acknowledge his non-statistical contributions to the team. Everyone can see it but nobody will acknowledge it because it's not a stat.
In yesterday's game, he knocks 2-3 balls loose and the teammate who picked it up was credited with the steals. His decent defense on a weak Vasquez was so obvious but nobody will ever admit it and no media head will ever write about it. Even people here don't care because all they want is Linsanity offense.
I saw some idiots say Vasquez got his numbers on Lin (11 assists) - no, Monty Williams took Vasquez out at the 10 min mark of the 3rd so Lin couldn't play against Vasquez and rack up more steals and cause more TO's and own Vasquez. Vasquez got his second half stats on Shaun Livingston when Lin was out.
I hear these idiotic announcers say "hey Lin looks like he can really steal the ball" as if they had an epiphany. Watch a 2 minute youtube clip of Lin from high school and college and that much is evident. I said all along Lin can get 4 steals per game and lead the lead or be top 5 in steals. It's more likely to happen with the Rockets than NY because of how the Rockets play so their style will enhance Lin's defensive skills.
Right now, Lin is a 12-15ppg, 6-8 asst, 4 stl, .5 block, 3 TO type of guy in a traditional offense where he cannot dominate the ball. His effect cannot be measured in stats. When games turn ugly, physical, and TO's are mounting on both sides, Lin is at his best.
I'm not happy with Lin's horrible production right now, but even if he shoots lights out, he's only gonna be 6-8 shooting and score 12-16 points max most nights, the way this current team is constructed.
If Kmart were not on this team, I truly believe we'd already be seeing a MUCH MUCH better Lin if Delfino or Lamb were in Kmart's place. But I can't predict what effect that has on games. Right now ballhog Martin is hitting his shots enough the coaches will live with is ballhogging and freezing of Lin.
To me, it's obvious that's what Martin is doing, even if unintentionally.
Lin is a big boy.
DeleteHe has a lovely $25 million contract. He can put up with Kevin Martin refusing to pass him the ball, especially since both he and Martin are leading the Rockets to victory. Besides, Lin has the ball in his hands most of the time anyway!
There isn't a coach in the entire NBA who would limit the production of a player deliberately. Mike Woodson bit his tongue every time Lin took over games on that balky knee. Once Lin gets His game back, Kevin McHale will set lin loose jusy like he did with Lowry anf Dragic.
Winning first. That's how the game should be played, and Lin is doing GREAT!!!
Hope Mchale is good. Men he sacrificed the ankle for the game. Don't think he wants to limit jeremy but want him to be healthy to play his game.
DeleteMartin will probably be traded cause he's in the last year of contract and Lamb could really push him a lot cause i do believe in the guy from uconn.
As i said before let's wait the real games and then we'll see
Great analysis and words!!! this is to that guy Gary Richard up there! shut and leave!
DeleteFor some reason I just couldn't get this off my mind maybe you guys could help me on this one. I see thesame thing you guys see and also I'm seeing could management waiting for lin to get in shape. At the same time pump up Martin's value to be traded and have lin just taking a back sit and being a floor general for now. And once he'sget back his touch then trade martin when they have a chance and at the same time let lin figure out these teammates.
DeleteRose: One basketball question. I’m doing a profile of Jeremy Lin. What do you think of Jeremy Lin?
ReplyDeleteCuban: The Mavs were the first team to sign him as a free agent, and we loved him. He’s a kid that was fearless. He was obviously smart having got into Harvard. He was a lot more athletic than people expected. We really looked at him as a potential as another Steve Nash. We wanted to sign for summer league, wanted to sign him to a contract for the Mavs, but he wanted to go play close to home and he grew up in the Bay Area so he went to sign with the Golden State Warriors and the rest is history.
Rose: Can he be another Steve Nash?
Cuban: Yeah, he absolutely can. He’s that good. He’s got that type of talent. But, part of what made Steve Nash great, when Nash went from the Mavericks to the Suns and became MVP, it was a system that he just excelled at. So, Jeremy has got to play in the right environment with the right players and he can be a star.
Cuban understand Jeremy! hope the rocket coach is as understandable as Cuban!
Deletehe's perfectly right! "Jeremy has got to play in the right environment with the right players and he can be a star."
DeleteThat's a nice MISREPRESENTATION of the facts by Mark Cuban.
DeleteCuban's GM Donnie Nelson wanted to sign Lin to a one tear contract and stash him in the D league with no chance for a NBA callup. That means Lin would've likely missed the 2011-2012 NBA season and would be battling for a training camp position right now instead of cashing in on $25 million.
Golden State offered Lin a two year contract, plus owner Joe Lacob wanted Lin to be the backup PG. That was a much better deal than Lin's D league guarantee.
This summer, Dallas could've gotten Lin. So could've Golden State. But Dallas and Golden State didn't offer contracts while Houston did. So much for Lin's alleged hometown ties.
Mark Cuban places all the responsibility for Lin not signing with the Mavs on Lin's feet. That's irresponsible and incorrect because it would have been insane for Lin to sign with Dallas so that he could play an entire year in the D league without ever getting a chance to be called up to the NBA.
i wonder how many gm's were slapping their foreheads the minute the news came out the houston got jlin for 25mil. i assume he didn't see many offers because most probably thought what's the point if nyk was going to match anyway..
DeleteI'll bet money that EVERY GM including Daryl Morey believes that Lin is not even worth a one year $1 million no guaranteed deal!
DeleteHowever, Rockets owner Les Alexander sees Lin the same way as we do: as a dominant NBA player whose wins generated and monetary value far exceed the $25 million Lin is being paid!
Lin's value far exceeds his $25 million. Because he gets the most out of his teammates, he'll be drastically increasing their value especially if they're on fixed scale rookie contracts!
KHuang,
DeleteYou're correct that the Mavs' offer to Jeremy was for the D-league only. On the other hand, the problem with the Warriors was with the coach Keith Smart, who disobeyed his own boss to try Lin as the backup.
About other teams not making any offers:
Sadly, most team owners and GMs probably believed what Wo_dson was repeatedly saying and implying in public - including Morey (in my opinion): That Jeremy isn't a starter and that it was a fluke, and that he isn't worth developing as a player like most young guys, which (it just dawned on me) may have been a PART OF the Nits strategy to prevent other teams from making offers to Jeremy (besides the "we'll match anything" mantra); because Wo_dson believing that is one thing, but why so mean spirited and say them to the media and so often? Also, other team owners and GMs would have been too busy with their own teams to know what went on within the Nits organization (S.A.S knew everything!).
The important thing is that Jeremy's agents did their job. Also, ironically, he's with the ideal team, imo. Warriors w/h/been too weird. Mavs wanted to sign DWillams for a 4-year $80 mil instead. LA is another "big fame stage" city not suitable for him at this point.
Yeah, he played great defense on Greivis Vasquez, who is not a superstar point guard by any stretch of the imagination. I would like to see Lin play that same kind of defense on Chris Paul, Steve Nash, Russell Westbrook, etc.
ReplyDeleteI hope the coach can keep Jeremy's minutes below 35 this season. And that he stops dribbling into physical beatdowns under the basket.
Lin was ranked #2 last year among starting point guards in steals-blocks-charges taken/40.
DeleteHis two man lineup with Chandler had the 17th ranked defensive efficiency in the NBA.
Why do people say things when the information is out there? That wasn't Lin's first time playing defense.
A good info. Thx
Deleteclearly, the liar stephen a smith is no racist:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=bZEGv7RtfCI
Ugh
DeletePxxx Mxxxxx @RxxxxTxxFxx8
DAMN.....#ESPNFirstTake made Jeremy Lin look like a Scrub.
8:58 AM - 25 Oct 12
Bxxxxxxxxx- واØد @WxxxxxExxxxx
Stephen A Smith doggin Houston and Jeremy Lin but i can't be mad at that coming from him.
9:00 AM - 25 Oct 12 · Details
Jxxxxxxx Bxxxxxxx @jxxxxbxxxxxxxx0x
@stephenasmith Jeremy Lin is gonna dominate in Houston. You're wrong! #Linsanity
11:04 AM - 25 Oct 12
why do you filter their names?
DeleteNot public figures.
Delete[Just wanna be careful.]
well their tweets are in the public domain, just sayin!
DeleteTrue, that's why I feel no conflict re-posting them here. But I worry some malicious lurker [not from this site] would harass them or something. [They'll prolly twittersearch the tweets to find the source. I don't want to be the one providing the names. If that makes sense.]
Deletelol, just to clarify: I wouldn't post their tweets if I thought they'd be harassed for it.
DeleteBut still, there are crazies everywhere. [Just want to be careful.]
Hollinger on JLin
ReplyDelete[Insider article]
Houston Rockets: 2012-13 Forecast
By John Hollinger | ESPN.com
Originally Published: October 25, 2012
Overview
It's a house built on spec, basically. Houston has all the assets to make a blockbuster deal, and now it just needs a partner willing to dance with them. They had Pau Gasol, and the league vetoed it. They thought they might have Dwight Howard, and instead the Magic took another offer. Whomever is up next (Chris Paul? Josh Smith?), Houston will certainly be in the conversation. The overarching question is whether they can get one of these deals completed (and, er, approved by the league).
Until then, the Rockets are basically collecting as many opportunities as possible to get that player for themselves via other means, from signing Jeremy Lin to trading Kyle Lowry for a lottery pick to littering their own roster with a cross-section of the young and the inexpensive.
But the big theme here is that the Rockets are no longer content to tread water in the middle of the Western Conference standings. They'd much rather be very good, obviously, but if they can't do that they'd prefer to be quite bad and build up the youth, draft picks and cap flexibility needed to rebuild a better version of themselves.
All of this leaves Kevin McHale in a bit of a bind, as he was brought in for the more immediate goal of pushing last season's squad into the playoffs, something that seemed likely until a sudden, late collapse. Now his task is to form an amorphous blob of a roster into something coherent, develop the kids and make this roster look tempting enough that a star might lobby to join it.
In retrospect, Houston probably should have chose this direction sooner, but the hope was that they could still be a playoff team while slowly rebuilding their post-Yao Ming roster. And in the Eastern Conference, they probably would have been. But the Rockets' amazingly bad luck in being a playoff bridesmaid shows no sign of abating. Last year was the third straight season, and fifth since 2000, that the Rockets missed the playoffs despite finishing above .500. In that same time span, it's only happened six times to the league's other 29 teams.
2011-12 Recap
The resolute half-goodness of the 2011-12 Houston Rockets is told most tellingly in their team statistics, where they were right at the league average at darned near everything, leaving us with precious little with which to wow you in the way of graphs and charts.
Look closer, however, and a few nuggets jump out. First of all, the offense was a huge change from Rick Adelman's system, and you could see the results in the statistics for the guards. Goran Dragic and Kyle Lowry both had the best seasons of their careers in Kevin McHale's point guard-centric approach, which basically involved giving them the ball, running high pick-and-rolls, and letting them go. Meanwhile, Kevin Martin -- who had the highest scoring rate of any shooting guard in the league (yes, including Kobe and Wade) in 2011-12, became something of an afterthought, mostly spotting up and drawing markedly fewer fouls.
That showed in the one surprise statistic for Houston -- they were just 28th in free throw rate, averaging .235 tries per field goal attempt, despite employing one of the best foul-drawers in captivity in Martin. The Rockets made up for it in other respects, as they both took and made more 3s than average, and that helped them slightly eclipse the league average overall. Nonetheless, it was a decline from their sixth-best rank with similar personnel in 2010-11. Presumably Jeremy Lin will get them to the line more.
con't
If McHale disappointed offensively, he did squeeze more out of the defense. This came with some friction, especially with Lowry, but the Rockets coaxed a league-average season from what, on paper, looked to be some very iffy defensive pairings.
DeleteHouston's key was cutting off the 3-pointer. The Rockets were fourth in both opponent 3-point frequency and opponent 3-point accuracy; overall only the three elite defenses (Boston, Chicago and Philly) gave up fewer 3-pointers last season. This appears to have been a conscious choice to trade 2s for 3s: Houston was 24th in 2-point defense but had the second-lowest rate of opponent assisted baskets.
HOLLINGER'S '11-12 STATS
W-L: 34-32 (Pythagorean W-L: 34-32)
Offensive Efficiency: 102.8 (12th)
Defensive Efficiency: 102.1 (15th)
Pace Factor: 94.3 (11th)
Highest PER: Marcus Camby (19.6)
From a big-picture perspective, the play of the young players was a bit concerning. Chandler Parsons was the exception, proving to be a second-round steal and taking over as the starting small forward. However, first-round pick Marcus Morris couldn't get on the floor, second-year pro Patrick Patterson regressed after a solid rookie year, and Chase Budinger again failed to improve and was traded after the season.
Despite all this, Houston looked good until the bitter end. The Rockets were 32-25 and seemingly challenging for a top-six seed, but lost six straight games -- including three at home and one on the road to lowly New Orleans -- to suddenly fall out of contention and miss the playoffs.
Offseason Moves
Moves? Why, yes, the Rockets made one or two. Kevin Martin, Chandler Parsons and Patrick Patterson are the only rotation players left from last year's team. Expect more -- the Rockets go into training camp with 20 players under contract. Three have non-guaranteed deals (Greg Smith, Diamon Simpson and Courtney Fortson), but at least two others must be cut or traded.
Traded Kyle Lowry to Toronto for Gary Forbes and a future first-round pick: Lowry had a breakout year in Houston and has one of the league's most cap-friendly contracts, so the Rockets decided to sell high and get a likely future lottery pick. Houston creatively protected the pick on the low side, so that if it's anywhere from 15 to 30 it pushes to the next year -- the first time we've seen a team do this. In doing so, the Rockets basically guarantee themselves a lottery pick from Toronto at some point in the next half-decade. This pick is likely to be the centerpiece of any potential trade Houston puts together for its elusive superstar, although the Raptors are likely to be juuuust good enough that it lands around 10th in 2013.
Let Goran Dragic go, signed Jeremy Lin for three years, $25.2 million: Obviously it's a gamble letting both point guards walk, but Houston left a pretty good plan B for itself by using the "Gilbert Arenas rule" to devise an offer sheet that would have whacked the Knicks financially in the third year. In doing so, they became the rare team to have an offer sheet go unmatched.
This wasn't just a case of spending for spending's sake either. Lin's talents seemingly translate very well to McHale's system, given the success that Lowry and Dragic had a year ago, so he may be a bargain even at this price. Similarly, Houston seems to have made a calculated risk that McHale's system was making the previous two point guards look better than they were, and thereby overvalued in the market.
Signed Omer Asik for three years, $25.2 million: Houston went big with the rest of its free-agent bucks, again targeting a team with luxury tax issues via the Arenas rule. Asik is a poor offensive player, but defensively he's among the best in basketball. The Rockets have been soft at that end since Yao's injury woes began, although Sam Dalembert papered over some of those problems a year ago, but Asik should solidify the interior defense right away. Let's just say he'll get plenty of chances to guard the rim given all the kids at the other spots.
Traded Sam Dalembert to Milwaukee for Jon Leuer, Shaun Livingston and Jon Brockman and swap of first-round picks: A cap move by the Rockets that also moved them up two spots in the 2012 draft, the main point here was to clear Dalembert's contract. They also netted Livingston, however, who is likely to be the backup point guard and should provide decent value. Leuer was waived and Brockman is likely to follow, as he appears to be the 13th-string power forward.
DeleteTraded Chase Budinger to Minnesota for a 2012 first-round pick: Budinger has one of the best contracts in basketball, but the Rockets dropped him because he was about to become an unrestricted free agent and paying him in the summer of 2013 might have blocked other moves that are more palatable. So Houston essentially did what a lot of smart teams do in this situation: They reset the clock for three years by getting another player (Terrence Jones) on a rookie contract.
Drafted Terrence Jones, Jeremy Lamb, Royce White and Furkan Aldemir: Houston ended up with three first-round picks and got good value with all three picks. (Aldemir, the late second-rounder, is a talented Turkish big man, but an overseas stash pick who reportedly may be reluctant to play in the U.S.).
Signed Donatas Motiejunas. Houston's 2011 first-rounder had a solid year in his native Lithuania. He's another player who is probably more comfortable at the 4, but may need to play some 5 this year to get on the floor. He's not physical at all, but a high skill guy who can shoot and handle.
Signed-and-traded Courtney Lee to Boston for JaJuan Johnson, Sean Williams, E'Twaun Moore and rights to Jon Diebler: Lee wasn't in Houston's plans after they drafted Lamb, so they converted him into more assets by obtaining 2011 first-rounder Johnson and limited sharpshooter Diebler in a three-way deal with Boston and Portland. Williams and Moore had non-guaranteed contracts and were waived.
Signed-and-traded Marcus Camby to New York for Toney Douglas, Jerome Jordan, Josh Harrellson, two second-round picks and cash: Similar to the Lee deal above, the Rockets got assets for a player who wasn't in their plans -- in this case second-rounders from New York in 2014 and 2015. The Knicks sent money to pay Douglas' contract, and the other two players had non-guaranteed deals and were waived.
Signed Carlos Delfino for two years, $6 million: The second year of this deal is non-guaranteed and one suspects the Rockets will either waive or trade Delfino after the season. In the meantime, he provides something of a stopgap as a wing defender and 3-point shooter, but his play tailed off sharply last season so it's not clear how much help he'll provide. From Houston's perspective, his primary value was his willingness to play on what's effectively a one-year deal and not mess up their cap planning.
2012-13 Outlook
DeleteI'll give you two predictions. First, Lin will be the real deal. In this system, with the point guard as the focus, he will thrive just as he did during the heights of Linsanity under Mike D'Antoni. And despite scouts' misgivings about some of his weaknesses, Lin simply does too many high-value things (drawing fouls, assisting at the rim, steals and rebounds) to not be an effective player.
Unfortunately, he won't have much help. Asik will provide a nice backstop defensively but provide little scoring, and the kids are a year or two away from being able to contribute enough to make a substantial difference. About the one potential positive factor would be a return of the 2010-11 Martin, but that would likely require the Rockets to revert to Rick Adelman's offense and take the ball out of Lin's hands more. In fact, it's more likely that Martin is traded at some point and the Rockets just go all-in with Lin on offense.
Unfortunately, there's just not enough else to justify a lofty prediction for this team. The Rockets have six players from the past two drafts that are likely to get meaningful playing time, and the assorted role players on hand (Delfino, Livingston, Forbes) don't have the kind of pedigree that suggests they'll make much impact on the standings.
The only two players who project to have a PER better than the league average are Martin and Lin; while Asik is also likely a net positive due to his defense, that still leaves Houston a few players short unless a couple of the kids greatly outperform expectations. Stranger things have happened, of course, but this is not the way to bet.
Prediction: 27-55, 5th in Southwest, tied for 13th in Western Conference.
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Mike Wilbon said on PTI JLin will shoot under 40% this year.
ReplyDelete[Can't wait for the season to get going. People will have egg on their faces.]
JLin is the Anti Melo, remember ?
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't want to pack the stats and his team loses.
He rather have poor stats with a team win.
Do we want wins or nice stats for JLin ?
The positive aspect of Jlin's misses are: (A) He's getting to the painted area. You don't get to waltz in there anytime you like. He just needs to finish or get it to a teammate when the defense collapses. (B) He's open. That means something good has happened. No matter how cold he is, the opposing team simple can't let him take shots unchallenged.
ReplyDeleteLike Jlin said, he's waiting for the floodgates to open.
Sorry, guys, I'm not worried at all.
ReplyDeleteIt's preseason. Lots of great scorers are shooting crappily (James Harden anyone?). Jeremy's still shaking off rust and focused on being more of a floor general this year. Meanwhile, I've been extremely impressed with his half-court passing and play-making.
Both McHale and Jeremy are trying new things right now instead of playing to their strengths (i.e. high pick-and-rolls; isolations)...and that's good. That's what they should be doing in preseason.
Also, in every single sport, there are some athletes who simply don't shine in "meaningless" games -- e.g. preseason, Spring Training, exhibitions, or All-Star games. Some players just need the intensity of real game action to thrive.
DeleteI finally found the full game link.
ReplyDeleteHouston Rockets vs New Orleans Hornets 10/24/2012
JLin's steal on Vasquez after getting screened by Lopez was quite impressive because he accelerated from behind to steal it and fed KMart for the dunk. Vasquez did not see that coming at all. :D Of course Vasquez is not Tony Parker quick but it's still quite impressive when JLin is not 100% yet.
Overall, JLin looks very quick all over the place but he was not able to get any lift or body control yet to finish strong when driving to the basket. So the quickness is back so no wonder he was happy in the post-game interview because he felt like could get to any where he wanted.
Don't worry, folks! When he regains the full body control and explosive jump, he will be able to finish the layups, floaters, mid-range jumpers. They will come back sooner than later. And the shooting is always the last to come back after knee injuries.
What people never talked about is that Lin's among the league leaders in assists and steals in preseason. If you really believe that his bad shooting will carry over to the regular season, you better believe that his assists and steals will translate too.
ReplyDeleteAlso, let's not forget Lin's circumstance. He's a young PG going into a new team, a totally different city, different arena, running an offense he's not familiar with, playing for a new coach, with teammates he's never played together before, with a roster full of rookies who don't know where to stand let alone play. And also coming back from knee injury.
DeleteBasically, anyone would struggle in this same situation. And PG is unlike other positions where you couldn't just walk into any team and plug into nicely. Take a look at Steve Nash, even an ultimate veteran PG like him with one of highest bball IQ isn't going to look good right away with a new team, new teammates and a new offense. Let alone Lin.
just watched a replay of the entire hornets game. jlin actually looked very good running the offense, aside from a few errors in the paint. he had at least 5-6 great passes and had control of the tempo.
ReplyDeletenot worried at all. what's the commotion about?
I just watch 3 quarter of the full game, wasn't bad at all!
DeleteTeammate keep bricking his nice passes, he drives to the paint alot, making a lot of ball movement, nice game I thought!
I sometimes get a good laugh reading some of the posts. Some folks get so worked up because Lin didn't get his stats in one or two games, and all of a sudden the wheel is coming off the wagon. :)
DeleteAnd yet, folks forget this is preseason, the team is trying new things and not looking for Lin to do too much. In addition, of the five games Lin's played, he looked GREAT in three games racking up the assists. But, oh no, just one game when the stats are down, all is coming to and end, hehe. :)
It's like the stock market, it'll be up and down at any given point. But, we all know Lin's value to the Rockets and his skill set will keep on trending upwards. Slow and steady progression is what I'll be watching for as the season progresses.
Yeah, it's funny how people are treating a Preseason game like it's game 7 of the playoffs. When the game really matters, watch the full game and judge from that.
Deleteperception is the name of the game in pro sports...Fans across country don't watch the game in entirety - they quickly glance the box score and see what the numbers tell you....in 90% of cases, numbers do not lie...they tell you who is all around player, who is selfish, who is not confident and who can play. Jeremy needs to get his numbers up - that's just law of the jungle and he knows it and he needs to produce statistically, then he can concentrate on winning games...first prove your skills and then become part of winning team. His heritage and situation demand that first...people still do believe it's a fluke last year. Jeremy needs to come out with chip on shoulder and prove his skills all over.
Delete"Perception" is that Lin can't play, regardless of how much he actually dominates in the NBA.
DeleteJeremy Lin getting his numbers "up" (a tall task considering he was at the top of the NBA in so many different categories) won't change people's negative opinions of Lin one iota.
Lin for the WIN. That's the only way he needs to play.
Yeah his pereception is overated - I'll agree there. But he does need to get his scoring numbers up into double digits - that's the bare minimum or he will be viewed as a bust no matter what houston record is...cause if Jeremy only scoring 6 points a game...Rockets will go nowhere....If rockets win and lin scoring 6 points a game it will be coming from the Bench and some other starter will be putting up better numbers from point guard postions....that would be the worst situation.
DeleteLessons learnt - watch the full game and do not rely on the tweets, blogs, comments as they just gives you an anxiety attack!!
ReplyDeleteI'm expecting a breakthrough tonight. 20 pts 8-10 assists.
ReplyDelete