As everyone has been saying, the ball is too sticky. It needs to move quicker and guys need to move and cut harder. Jeremy needs to handle it more and be extra aggressive. He needs to step it up a notch. Also, we need to play Terrance Jones because our front court lacks extreme athleticism. You could see the difference in the last two games going against Batum and Faried. Jones is a guy who'll make some rookie mistakes but he can get to some of those lose balls and at least finish an alley oop. Greg Smith is another guy who will really help if he plays tonight.
What are your keys to the game?
More plays run for Jeremy, especially during crunch time. But that's up to McHale really.
ReplyDeleteAs for Jeremy, he needs to bring back his excellent mid-range game as he's not finishing consistently or getting many calls at the rim. What happened to all those ten-foot floaters, side-angle bankshots and pivot step-back jumpers?
I agree with Greg Smith getting in there. He can really catch and finish if nothing else. So many blown layups (and assists) in these first four games.
Lin needs to shoot his open jumpers better period. If he is not so confident with his 3 point shooting, he should try a pump fake or 2 and then step inside for a long 2. Okay it's a less efficient shot but if the long distance shot is not falling, he needs to get closer to the basket as much as possible. That's always the advice by the basketball coaches I have watched. :-)
ReplyDeleteHe did a nice fade away jumper in the lane the last game. Nothing but net. He should do more of those short jumpers around the rectangle to get his confidence up. His speed causes defenders to back up. The expectation that he will pass it off once he stops also causes defenders to back up. He also has huge harms which helps slightly bump defenders and cause them to back up. Consequently he has a little space to operate a short fade away jumper. He has been accurate from the free throw line so he should be able to shoot these at a high percentage as well.
DeleteJLin should try more of those free throw line short range pull up jumpers. Westbrook similarly performs this shot, likely because he is quick like JLin and defenders tend to leave him room for the shot.
Agreed. The reason Lin tries to only shoot lay-ups and 3 pointers is because he has a high basketball IQ and those are the highest value shots in basketball. But right now he's not doing either well. Taking a few mid range jumpers would help him regain his confidence.
DeleteIf you look back - Linsanity game against Nets - JLin didnt shoot well either. I think he bricked all his 3pt shots. He still managed to score 25 that night. JLin should be more active - attack the basket more and concentrate on what he is good at and he will be fine. But - giving Harden the ball and camp in the corners doesnt allow him to do so. I really dont know what McHale is up to right now...
DeleteAnyway - eventhough JLin hasnt looked that good and heroic so far I believe that he is slowly but surely comming back. It takes time to getting to trust your body again after injury. Young people tend to feel like superman - unstoppable and invincible. When they get injured they are shocked and they loose their edge for a while... its normal.
JLin should be running the plays and not JHarden.
ReplyDeleteAGREE
DeleteGive the ball to Lin = Win
I don't know if you guys have noticed. Only if Lin made one more 3 pointer per game in the games he's played so far, he would be looking at a career year in every category except block shots.
ReplyDeleteAlso, for all the talk of McHale "not trusting Lin", Lin's played one of the most minutes at the PG position in the entire league.
Well if you have Douglas, you have to play Lin no matter what.
DeleteHe wants DRAGIC and not Lin.
Upon the arrival of Harden, MCFAIL said that he finally has the guard he LIKES. So he likes Harden ONLY.
The tweet:
DeleteRic Bucher✔ @RicBucher
It took two tries, but Rockets coach Kevin McHale, sources say, now has a guard he actually likes.
28 Oct 12
"SOURCES."
Even if that is so, it's early in the season. JLin will convert him.
Yeah, and McHale was so rough with Dragic that he ran away from Houston the moment he could escape.
DeleteLin is taking his NBA lumps learning from McHale. I LIKE IT.
Who cares if McHale likes Lin or not personally. But he plays Lin and plays him big minutes as well, that is what really matters.
DeleteJeremy is no 3pt shooter. Even during Linsanity he was surprised his 3 against toronto went in. Harden is a scoring machine instead. So Mchale has to give jeremy the ball not because we're his fans but because it's the right way to play. Give the ball to the pg.
DeleteI sent a text to my mate after the game vs blazers: the play is always harden against all ... When other teams will know how to stop it there will be consecutive losing games.
I hope Mchale has something in mind to correct his mistakes. If he doesn't sorry for him, it's up to the chairman and gm.
All jeremy has to do is catch and shoot. I agree with khuang when he said all the bad things will turn jeremy in a great player. Now he has to deal with that. So please jeremy keep calm and get these 3s :D
No More Parsons please
ReplyDeleteI like Jones and Smith. Better finishers than the starting frontcourt
It is also good that the Rockets will play on the road. Maybe Harden will regain his shooting touch outside HOUSTON.
Chandler Parsons is learning how to be a solid starter.
DeleteI say PLAY HIM. He's young, athletic, and enthusiastic. He can also make some astonishing plays.
Hopefully Parsons develops some point forward tendencies.
I also trust in Parsons. He's good. He's just a bit cold like all others out there at the moment.
DeleteI like Parsons, who has been struggling too this year so far. Parsons is pretty unselfish and looks for Lin, who so far, unlike Linsanity, can't deliver when Parsons defers to him.
DeleteParson is a guy who can shine in a team concept, hit open 3's and slash and finish. He is also playing tentative this year.
I think Parsons and Lin go hand in hand and when one guy gets his game together, so will the other, for the most part.
I WANT DANTONI!
ReplyDeleteDantoni will run Lin to the ground
DeleteSloan is way better; he doesn't rely only on pnr but also interior passing.
He can figure out how to make Lin and Harden play off each other instead of taking turns.
But his system may require passing big man.
I want MCHALE.
DeleteThat guy knows how to develop star point guards. We are watching Lin learn how to REALLY PLAY under him.
Lin has been stellar in all areas except shooting from outside. It's mainly Lin, but it's also McHale's teaching.
McHale has had some very intelligent pointers for Jeremy Lin. I love the way McHale has deliberately limited Lin's turnovers and responsibility so that he doesn't constantly take the blame for losses.
No coach should simply throw minutes and opportunities at Lin just because he's "Lin". Jeremy Lin has to EARN those opportunities. I believe he's doing that right now.
Jerry Sloan doesn't accept NBA coaching jobs unless he feels the roster is good enough (i.e. turning down Michael Jordan's Charlotte offer). D'Antoni has amply demonstrated that he cannot win games without a star big man on offense, which makes him no different from any NBA coach.
KHuang, I respect your input and your analysis regarding McHale. Maybe you're seeing a different McHale than I do. No doubt that he's teaching JLin how to play a true point guard, but the way he run his offense is so predictable. I think he under-utilize JLin's and Harden's skill sets. If he reverses the role of JLin and JHarden, the Rox could have been up 4-0. JHarden's a much better shooter than JLin but his decision making is not anywhere near Lin's. JHarden holds the ball too long looking his shot. By the time he decided to give it up, it's too late. People either just throw it up there and turn it over. It happened over and over again, and McHale still hasn't changed it. All 4 games, I haven't seen McHale make any adjustment. He's just solely rely on Jharden to win games for him period. The other 4 players are just there doing custodian work, basically picking up Jharden's trashes, even JLin. I don't know man. Hope your assessment about McHale is correct. For me, I don't think he's all that.
DeleteDamn, people need to get some perspective. When are this young and lowly Rockets team supposed to be 4-0? Actually they are not even supposed to be 2-2! Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich whoever wouldn't be able to turn this team into the best in the nba!
DeleteHarden is learning too.
DeleteHe's never been a full time starter before. I said before that Lin is more advanced than Harden in dealing with intense defensive pressure, and that's playing out right now.
Right now Harden is the leading scorer in the ENTIRE NBA. Any coach should be trying to have Harden score. Harden gets paid the max for the game and the blame!
Jeremy Lin knows exactly how to attack offensively. But if his shot isn't falling, it doesn't matter how smart or aggressive he is.
McHale is protecting Lin on the court by trying to relieve the burden of having to produce for teammates every time down the court. He's also hard at work trying to come up with new ways for Lin to find his shot.
The jury is still out on McHale, but color me extremely unimpressed. Maybe McHale will get better. But D'Antoni is a sure thing. This offense would be incredible with Lin and Harden under D'Antoni. Harden would be unstoppable playing off the ball with Lin being the primary play maker. This isn't debatable. All Lin's advanced stats last year back this up. The fact that McHale does not recognize this proves that McHale does not believe it. His constant down talking since Lin arrived emphasizes it: "Last year he was playing at such a high level. There's the ceiling and the floor. Blah blah blah." WTF? No, a player in their first 25 starts doesn't ever EVER play at their ceiling. What is that ludicrous bullshit? Lin playing at the level last year in his first starts shows his true potential as long as you put the decision making in his hands. If you don't allow him to make decisions, you're taking away his major advantage.
DeleteMcHale has never minimized Harden the way he does regularly with Lin in interviews.
And there's nothing Lin could do during the games to make it so McHale puts the ball in his hands during the 4th quarter because the ball needs to be put in his hands during the 4th quarter to demonstrate it. Catch-22.
I agree with Michael Terry. Houston has made a commitment to Lin - they might as well hire Dantoni. In my eyes they are a good match. Harden is young and talented - not rooted in the team yet - so he wont be rebellious - no reason to be (no Melo 2.0). Besides that - Harden and Lin seem to be OK with each other. Under Dantoni -> they could be kicking asses all over the place.
DeleteHouston fans (clutchfans) wont stop referring to McHale as McFail so they dont have a problem with it, too - I asume.
I dont know what McHale is up to. I dont know his masterplan so I wont judge for now. Its much too early. I sure hope hes gonna get better but Dantoni/Lin/Harden -> that would really excite me!
Below is a definition of "troll". Based on the below definition, I don't know who is the real "troll". I don't think Racha fits the definition of "troll".
Deletetroll 3033 up, 806 down
1a. Noun
One who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument.
1b. Noun
A person who, on a message forum of some type, attacks and flames other members of the forum for any of a number of reasons such as rank, previous disagreements, sex, status, ect.
A troll usually flames threads without staying on topic, unlike a "Flamer" who flames a thread because he/she disagrees with the content of the thread.
1c. Noun
A member of an internet forum who continually harangues and harasses others. Someone with nothing worthwhile to add to a certain conversation, but rather continually threadjacks or changes the subject, as well as thinks every member of the forum is talking about them and only them. Trolls often go by multiple names to circumvent getting banned.
A person who is very opinionated about a player on a fansite while not seeming to have a basic grasp of the facts of his play veers dangerously into troll looking territory.
DeleteThey may not be trolls, but neither are they fans.
DeleteThe distinction is that they are fans of analysing Lin, not fans of Lin.
Agree with @willydilly, don't know what McHale's master plan is. To be fair to McHale, I'm willing to give him a chance, and wait and see what he has in store for the team and JLin. Don't think it's very fair to have him fired like Mike Brown only after a handful of game (although Mike Brown's situation is quite a bit different since the talent level set the expectations a lot higher.)
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Delete@eb5attorney:
DeleteIf thats the case -> you are blind.
Here is some Racha for you (1a):
"I'm a big JLin fan and have been supporting him since he was with Golden State, but at this point I'm really having doubts. As much as I dislike Stephen A and whomever criticizes JLin, I'm starting to feel their drift." And more. Too long to quote. Read it by yourself.
Let me add another definition of "troll" for you. It describes most trolls that come to this place:
"A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user claims to hold. The concern troll posts in Web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group"
And this is how Racha is talking to Michael Terry (1b):
"You need take your head out of JLin's a**. If Lawson is an ELITE offensive player and he's behind JLin than JLin should handle him with ease. Yes, I love JLin and I keep it real unlike your fake a**"
And finally some eb5attorney (1c):
"Below is a definition of "troll". Based on the below definition, I don't know who is the real "troll". I don't think Racha fits the definition of "troll"."
So - if you dont know who is the troll -> give it some thought. I rest my case.
If Lin were shooting up a storm and winning games, indeed I'd have real issues with McHale.
DeleteHowever, Lin has yet to consistently show the scoring touch that Les Alexander hired him for. Therefore I feel McHale is completely justified in using Lin the way he has.
Now if Lin starts bombing away and producing points, I expect McHale or any coach to utilize Lin. If McHale doesn't utilize a hot Lin, then McHale deserves to be fired. But we're not there yet.
This entire Rockets team needs to prove itself. Lin, Harden, and McHale ALL are figuring it out!!!
By eb5attorney's definition, I'M a troll. He's said so many times before.
And you know what? I LIKE IT!!!
Everybody knows that eb5attorney doesn't have any respect for me or many other Lin fans on this Lin fansite. Every time he tries to degrade the collective intelligence of this forum, I and others here CALL HIM OUT.
I am happy to be a troll to those like eb5attorney and racha who thinks we hardcore Lin fans are a bunch of idiots.
I'm a "troll". YIPPEE!!!
@willydilly,
DeleteNice. I didn't realize there was a name for it. Once you understand the archetype, I think you can spot several "concern trolls" in the various forums where Lin is a hot topic.
Whenever you see something like, "I love Lin, but he just can't keep up with some of these athletic guards" you know you have a concern troll on your hands, since there is indisputable objective proof otherwise.
Growing Pains And The Long, Slow Search For Chemistry
ReplyDelete[For anyone interested] Rox's sports analytics dept is hiring
ReplyDeleteHah! this is great -- thanks for sharing
DeleteRocketscast Live: Chemistry 101
ReplyDeleteEarly struggles not shaking Rockets’ shooters
ReplyDeleteTeams are adjusting, now James Harden must adjust, too
ReplyDeleteYup.
DeleteI called it. Harden is learning what it's like to be the focus of defenses.
Lin went throught this last year and overcame it. So will Harden.
TOGETHER, the NBA's backcourt will figure it out.
Rockets-Grizzlies Preview
ReplyDeleteThey will win on the road/ the rockets are a better team on the road anyways, can't say that about toyota center...
ReplyDeleteI wonder why.....
DeleteHigh expectations after two dominant wins to start the season. I think they freaked out when they played Portland and realized they were in a tough game for the first time in three games.
DeleteLooking forward to them breaking out of their home slump against the Detroit Slump Breakers this Saturday.
NYC
ReplyDeleteROCKETMAN: The Future of Jeremy Lin
@ Museum of Chinese in America
9 Nov, 7 - 9pm
Admission: $10/$5 Non members/members
RSVP required to programs@mocanyc.org
[Join GQ’s Devin Gordon, Grantland’s Hua Hsu, NY Mag’s Will Leitch and documentary filmmaker Ursula Liang as they discuss Jeremy Lin’s compelling story and what the next chapter might hold for Linsanity.]
Lanny Smith @LBoogie_23
ReplyDeleteShout out to Jeremy Lin jlin for signing some jerseys we will be giving away at the @Active_Faith NBA Allst
http://instagr.am/p/Rxiv5CvlyD/
7:49 AM - 8 Nov 12
As usual, JLinFan#1 is right on the money.
ReplyDeleteTerrence Jones and Greg Smith would inject a dose of much needed athleticism into the frontcourt. They actually have to be guarded, plus they can at least run and jump against guys like Batuman and Manimal.
The overriding weakness of the Rockets is the inexperience of its frontcourt. But that frontcourt also has athleticism, and that needs to be emphasized.
I'm a big JLin fan and have been supporting him since he was with Golden State, but at this point I'm really having doubts. As much as I dislike Stephen A and whomever criticizes JLin, I'm starting to feel their drift. Is JLin really an average player? JLin once said the spin move he put on Fisher was an act of God and faith. He also attributed Lisanity to God as well. This is what I really like about JLin, putting faith above all, but I really hope it's not just the act of God and that he really have skills and athleticsm. That type of skill and athletcism has been absent so far. We can attribute it to his knee and conditioning but I can't give JLin the benefit of the doubt anymore. Either he can play or not. It's critical that he produce in the next few games, regardless if the Rockets is a young and new team. Even if JLin never reaches the heights I'm expecting of him, he still did some greats things for Asian athletes. I hope JLin can prove me wrong and shut me up.
ReplyDelete"Average" players don't come #2 in the entire NBA in steals the way Lin does.
DeleteOnce Lin's shot starts going in, he'll settle down and play GREAT.
I read what he said about Linsanity also. I had a mixed reaction. It's good that he's humble, but what he said could be interpreted by many as "I am not a good basketball player, but God helped me play the level of basketball which I normally am not capable of."
DeleteAnyway, aside from shooting and varying his offensive repertoire in trying to score, Lin has been doing a good job in setting a rhythm, passing, defense and steals. I always thought Lin was capable of being more flexible in the way he scores, i.e., dribble into the paint and do step-back shots, floaters, etc., but for some reason, that's not happening. In some sense, I now wish Harden would not have joined, so Lin would have been able to control the ball more, so we can see how that would have played out. I am disappointed in Harden for not recognizing that he needs to play differently and let the game come to him instead of feeling as if he should take most shots even if he's not in good position to make those shots. I think being from OKC, Harden is not used to letting another PG handle the ball and create shots for him and others. Harden is one of those players that because he's not as athletic, let's say as Russell Westbrook, defenders can contain him, IF they know he will drive. I saw time and time again during the playoffs, the opponents were onto his little trick of holding the ball down low and driving, resulting in many TOs. Russell is too athletic for them to contain, but Harden can be contained when he forces his drives into multiple defenders instead of passing the ball.
Excellent points, eb5attorney.
DeleteBut what about Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb? Would they truly have been better than Harden and Aldrich?
My thing is that I'm not seeing JLin competetive enough against a rookie like Lillard and 5'll Lawson. Allowing the rookie to win the battle during the Portland game is unacceptable. Not being able to contain Lawson was also unacceptable. On the defensive end, I didn't think JLin did well against these two guys. And on offense, he couldn't make a shot. I thought JLin owned Vasquez and was pretty even with Knight. I'm just hoping JLin can play better so we can end the discussion on whether he's average or not.
DeleteKHuang, average as compared to other point guards.
DeleteI think even Dragic is playing "a lot" better than JLin. When JLin drove in against Lawson with intensity for a layup in the second half of the Denver game, I said to myself where was that fearless intensity in the first 3 quarters. Lawson is a midget compared to JLin. Why doesn't he take it to Lawson more.
DeleteDragic is averaging 39% shooting, Lin 33% or 36%. Plus Lin has Dragic way beaten in steals.
DeleteYou still certain that Dragic is better, Racha?
Lilliard and Lawson play for better teams with more expensive help.
DeleteDon't buy into the erroneous assumption that guys like lawson and Lilliard who get their offense playing off more expensive teammates are better than Lin who has no one other than James Harden to play off of.
The more expensive team usually wins.
Khuang, yes Dragic is better at this point in time and Dragic's stats are average now. So does that make JLin below average. If you want to pull out stats. Why dont you compare everything from assists to TOs.
DeleteDragic is not playing better than Lin. Lowry maybe but not Dragic
DeleteBy the way, the Suns sucks LOL just want to say that....
Khuang, why are bringing up expensive teams. I'm talking individual plays. JLin is not shooting as well as Lillard and cant drive as well as Lawson. One is a rookie and the other is a midget. End of discussion.
DeleteMoney ABSOLUTELY comes into the equation.
DeleteWhen Lin does a pick and roll and gets covered by two guys because Asik or Patterson's defenders can double Lin with impunity, that's totally different from Lilliard having Aldridge setting a screen and defenders having to leave Lilliard open to doubleteam Aldridge.
Aldridge is a way better player than Asik and Patterson put together. so he makes more than the two of them combined.
We saw what Lin could do with quality big men last season in NY. Same old Lin, completely different team with less paid (less CAPABLE) teammates.
Ok, so Felton was a bum when he was in Portland and will now be a star in NY. JLin was a star in NY and will now be a bum. Per your explanation, JLin/Felton swap was more than a fair trade. By the way, Felton is doing better than JLin at this point so you're right. Everyone, get ready to watch the Rockets tumble to the end of the standings by season end.
Delete@Racha,
DeleteNo way is Felton playing better than Jlin at 13.7 pts per game/6 assists/ and 1.6 assists per game (shooting better obviously). He's also had a training camp with his team.
Oh give me a break. Lin can't drive as well as Lawson? I assume you didn't watch the games? Lin seemed to have a pretty easy time blowing by Lawson for that clutch layup in the 4th, no? Lin can get by anyone easily, the ball is not being put in his hands. As demonstrated by his steals rate, an extremely good proxy for athleticism, Lin's talent hasn't gone anywhere. His shooting potential, as demonstrated by his 93% free throw percentage, is also fine. He's averaging 5.5 rebounds a game for a guard, for God's sake. Stop this rubbish. When the offense improves, his scoring numbers will go up.
DeleteAlso, there's a thin line between hero and goat. Up until overtime Lillard only had 12 points. If Houston had been able to f'n guard someone after Lin's last minute and-1, Lin would have been the hero.
Another interesting thing about the Lillard matchup: Lillard's assists are all really low quality. He's constantly making little backward passes for long two pointers, the lowest efficiency shot in basketball. Those are cheap assists. Lin's assists all create points. Although I was already aware of this, Daryl Morey pointed it out recently on his comment on Quora. This is why Lin's teams tend to win even though he's only getting around 8 assists a night. He's making winning plays, not just stats padding plays.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeletePlease stop with you didn't watch the game BS. I watch every JLin game. Your the blind one here. How many times did Lawson drive in for easy layups when there were defenders. How many times did JLin drive in other than that 1 layup he had against Lawson. Also, it don't matter how many Lillard made up to whatever point in time in the game. He shot a big 3 in OT and JLin couldn't guard him, period. At the end of the day, he scored when it matter and had a better game than JLin had that night. I was pissed as hell but I have to accept it unlike your sorry fool trying to sugar coat it.
DeleteI also touched upon the fact that Lin's assists are very high quality in that they create "easy" baskets if the darn person is capable of making easy baskets. In this sense, not all assists are the same. To certain degree, I think the fact that Lin takes some chance by allowing some distance in guarding fast PGs do create more chances for steals, but Lin can also drive past other PGs; the problem is that Lin is not successful at this time in scoring from these opportunities, I think, in part because his offensive repertoire is not as varied or flexible. If I remember correctly, he was able to score 37 points against Lakers only because his short and mid jumpers were falling from early on. I noticed that when he misses jumpers from early stage of the game, Lin has a hard time varying his offensive shots to score. I just wish he tries different ways to score, because I really think he's capable of doing so.
Delete@Racha,
Deleteas christians, we all attribute our success to God and God only, because he gave us the talent and gift to do what we do. that doesn't mean we don't believe in our capabilities - in fact we appreciate them all the more because because we know they were given to us and we need to maximize them. because just as they were given to us, they can also be taken away from us. and by attributing linsanity to God he's also recognizing that lots of things needed to happen in order for the opportunity to present itself. he took advantage of the opportunity given to him but in no way shape or form did he create them.
if he didn't believe in his own abilities he wouldn't have stuck it out all these years, even telling his mav's d-league coach "i will not be in the d-league long and will never be back here again". he clearly has talent and he knows it, from high school to college to d-league (triple double).
he's in a shooting slump (and really, it's over 2 games and who hasn't been through them??? even kobe has his 2 for 15 days) but he's doing other things to help the team and that's shows his versatility. by the way not sure if you watched the denver and portland game but lawson and lillard did NOT own lin or torch him. far from it. lawson scored around half of his points in 15min off of douglas. with lin on the floor he scored 12, with 4 of those in q4 off of pick and rolls where lin was screened off by HIS own teammate chandler.. lillard scored in OT off of lin's help defense on aldridge. that's what khuang meant by having better teammates.
Racha, my personal belief is that every player in the NBA is dependent on his teammates.
DeleteFelton IS having a good season in NY. That makes me happy because I am not strictly a Lin fan. NY felt that Felton is better than Lin, and Felton has played well. COOL.
Lin is doing well in Houston too, though his respnsibilities are very different from Felton's. Lin isn't having the team success Felton is having, but that doesn't mean Felton could just walk into Jeremy Lin's job and instantly make the Rockets 2 games better.
I want both Lin and Felton to do well. So far, they have!
Racha, you claim you watched all the games he play. I have to said you must be blind or you don't know basketball. The portland game the frontcourt was slaughter by the portland big om every play down low and thats why jlin needs to play team defense. When Khuang said expensive player means .Do you think if rockets have dhoward in the frontcourt do you think the guard need to help?
DeleteLMAO, another fool who thinks other don't know basketball. Whomever claims other don't know basketball is the one that don't know jack. JLin don't need to be worrying about the bigs of Portland. He needs to worry about himself. He needs to guard opposing point guards, period. If JLin cant stay in front of opposing PGs, he's putting pressure on his own bigs to defend for him. It goes both ways fool. You need to open your eyes.
DeleteYou're the fool if you think you can call people fools here and then whine because you can't take the heat.
DeleteYou show no respect for people here. Expect none shown back to you.
Jlin needs to produce at this time,not just passing the ball,he is already under the scrutiny of a lot of people,I would expect him to score more and do whatever he needs to do after getting a good numbers,basketball is about putting the basket to the hoop that"s how you play the game,its good to be being unselfish but you need to dominate at least on 3rd or 4th quarter to assimilate yourself and be significant.As I observed on his past 2 games they were pretty decent but not good enough to elevate himself and his team to win games,at the end of the day,people will still gonna judge you on how you perform to make the hoop not just passing the ball.
ReplyDeleteThere's another small detail here.
ReplyDeleteMemphis is a battle hardened playoff team that is 4-0 right now.
Their payroll dwarfs the Rockets payroll. They have proven All Star veteran players.
It amazes me that Jeremy Lin managed to beat this stacked Memphis team in preseason. When Lin is even halfway on his game, he can do that.
I'm not expecting much out of James Harden tonight, not with Tony Allen jamming him because Memphis's imposing frontline can protect the paint. If Jeremy Lin doesn't have a good game, this Rockets team will lose big to this much more powerful Memphis team.
As Lin goes, so do the Rockets. He's the difference maker for Houston.
This is true. When Lin is making most of the decisions for the team. When someone else is making a great share of the decisions, Lin's effect is muted. Like last year during the pre-Woodson Melo/Lin sharing phase.
DeleteKhuang, the first two games the 713(lin and harden) played off each other. But the last two was all harden forcing the shots and inside the paint. In a way the attention shifted to harden. I'm hoping the coach knows something we all don't know and he's looking at lin's knee interest.The only way the rockets going to win games is like how they play off each other like the first two games.
DeleteSo LET Harden be the star.
DeleteSee if he can win the games. If he does, then he can be the hero.
Now if he can't, somebody else has to step up. LIN!!!
This is why I never worry about Jeremy Lin. He cannot be held down by artificial means.
Looking forward to tonight's game. Always fun to watch him play. I do see progress in his game, and I am not concerned at all about him needing to get super star stats right now. It will come, and I actually like the fact that Harden has taken a lot of pressure off of Lin. :) Now Lin can slowly develop his game and gain more experience. As for needing to be very aggressive and attacking the rim, I hope he does what his body allows him to do. Last thing we would want is for him to play too aggressively on a not-yet fully recovered/conditioned knee. But I like what I saw on a couple of the drives from the Nuggets game. He exploded going to his left for a lay up toward the final minutes of the game!
ReplyDeleteIt's a long season, and I'll be patiently watching. League Pass, worth every penny. :)
it's on nbatv. i believe league pass will be blacked out when it's on national tv or nbatv, etc.
DeleteYes, this game is on NBA TV and therefore will be blocked out on League Pass.
DeleteAudio Only
DeleteKeys to the game:
ReplyDelete1. Contain Mike Conley, don't let him penetrate. I think the word around the NBA is that JLin is a bad defender, and that any good PG will have a field day scoring on him. It's time that Lin gets tougher on D and dispell that myth. He needs to get his lateral quickness back and work harder to get around screens.
2. Don't let Zach Randolph or Rudy Gay get hot shooting the ball. I think Asik will have Marc Gasol covered. But the team needs keep Randolph and Gay from going on a double digit scoring binge against the Rockets smaller front lineup.
3. Attack on the fast break, the Grizzlies are not a great transition defense. Fast break points devastated them in the preseason.
4. Bench production. Grizzlies bench is not very deep this year, compared to the Rockets who have more energy and talent off the bench. They need to get Terrence Jones, Cole Aldrich, and Scott Machado involved.
I don't really want to harp on JLin because I love JLin; however, I have to be objective. JLin doesn't fight through screens as hard as some PGs in the NBA. There's a reason JLin has a reputation as a bad defender, although I do think he's more scrutinized than others. Out of the 4 games he played so far, the only one that he defended well against was Vasquez of the Hornets. I thought he was average or below average against Knight, Lillard, and Lawson, and these are not even the elite ones.
DeleteDisagree. Many of the top point guards don't fight through screens that well. His reputation for bad defense is a creation of the media. Perception becomes reality unfortunately. Also, during the Linsanity period, every single point guard in the NBA was playing him like it was the NBA finals so he got lit up. Deron Williams even mentioned that he had his second game with Jlin circled.
DeleteI thought Lin did pretty decent against Knight and Jeff Teague. It wasn't so much that Lin wasn't defending point guards, but he was not trying to attacking them on the offensive end. He would just give the ball to Harden and go stand in the corner. Thus his defender did not have to spend any energy defending Lin standing in the corner.
DeleteJlin could have easily used his size to back down on 5'-11" Ty Lawson in the post. But as much as we want to see it, the coach Mchale would not allow for this, under his system the ball MUST go to Harden, no matter what.
And it would probably be against Lin's Christian values because Lawson might be a homosexual and enjoy having men backing down on him...
The word around the league can be whatever it wants. Fact is, team defense is greatly improved with Lin on the court, regardless of who many points the opposing PG scores. At the end of the day, team defensive efficiency is the only thing that wins games. If Lin focuses on keeping the other guy's point tally low, team defense will suffer and so will the team's wins.
DeleteAlso, @Racha either doesn't know basketball very well or is a troll. Quit with the "I love JLin" stuff if you don't understand what makes Lin a difference maker. Lawson and Knight fared much worse against Lin than they did when he was off court. Moreover, Lawson IS an elite offensive play maker in this league. He was second in the league last year behind Lin in high value pass percentage. Wages of Wins have demonstrated that he is a high impact point guard than Russell Westbrook.
DeleteAgreed with Terry. @Racha, dude if you want to be critical about JLin's game, do it like you know his game. Of anything, his shooting is a fair game when it comes to criticism, but definitely not his DEFENSE. All of your posts are nothing but negative criticism about JLin's game. Why do you love JLin again? You love him so much because of his countless flaws that you've mentioned above? C'mon man.
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Delete@Michael Terry has nothing objective to say other than make personal attacks, LMAO. I never said JLin wasn't a difference maker. At this point in the season, though I must say JLin is not a difference maker. He's a liability. He can't guard opposing opposing point guards how is he gonna help on team defense. You need take your head out of JLin's a**. If Lawson is an ELITE offensive player and he's behind JLin than JLin should handle him with ease. Yes, I love JLin and I keep it real unlike your fake a**.
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DeleteRacha, you're on a Jeremy Lin fansite where guys use NUMBERS to show that Lin can not just play, but play at an elite level.
DeleteOn this forum, stats geeks like Michael Terry and me view Lin differently than most people do. While your eye test is failing Lin, Terry and I see a much more positive picture of Lin.
You want to go against the stats, that is your right. Expect the stats guys to come at you with NUMBERS, though.
Noone has anything against constructive criticism here but when you start your critique by saying you agree with Stephen A Smith you simply have lost all sympathy on this site. If you are a real JLin fan and you havent had your head stuck in you axx during linsanity you know that Mr Smith is a JLin HATER. To agree with him on any matter is not acceptable...
DeleteRacha btw hasnt just said that JLin is a liability right now. Racha also wrote that he/she thinks JLin is just average. FIY - even Stephen A Smith admitted that JLin is "slightly above average". Sorry Racha - you can be critical but to bring up Stephen A Smith here on this site is -> trolling!
DeleteCome on people. Racha is a real fan of Lin. He just has his doubts right now due to the rough stretch that Lin is going through. I think if we are honest, we had similar feelings but never expressed them. I would sometimes cringe when another PG scored on Lin but then TD would look like he did a better job of staying in front of the same PG. And sometimes I have a nagging fear that SAS will get the last laugh if things don't work out for Lin (injury, misperceptions, bad coaching).
DeleteBut I remind myself that Linsanity was not a fluke in how he performed (the circumstances leading up to him getting his chance was a miracle though) and that the talent is obviously there. But the team is way different and the adjustments are huge. I have great confidence the team will get the straightened out and Lin will get into a nice groove.
I agree with you mr-chuckles. Racha is a real fan of Lin like myself. I observe some things that Lin does not do well, but at the same time, I am always hoping he proves me wrong.
DeleteRacha is not a fan of people on this site, though.
DeleteThat's Ok. He can take the heat.
5. And STOP giving it to James Harden to run every play ... teams are paying extra attention to shut down his offense abilities. Rockets need to move the ball and find other scorers. They are ruining the confidence of the entire team by making this a one-player offense. This team cannot shoot ... because they are hesitating, thinking if they should give the ball to Harden to take every shot.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, if they continue that pattern, the coach should be in the hot seat. They've got to be more creative than that. :) I cringe when they run that play with Lin dribbling up to pass the ball to Harden time and time again. It is too predictable.
DeleteI much prefer the pick and roll method, and pass to an open man to get the ball moving. When Lin does his pnr, the other guys can cut and move to get in better position. They can keep that up until they find the open man, or weakness in the defense and exploit it. Passing to Harden, the ball has stopped on many occasions because he is playing hero-ball.
The coach has the team on a downward spiral, with each Rockets loss, Harden is going to handle the ball more and Lin will get the ball less.
DeleteMchale has made Harden his poster boy, and Lin is the stepchild. If Lin doesn't obediently dribble the ball upcourt and hand off the ball to Harden, he might get benched for Tony Douglas for longer periods of time.
Lin's minutes have gone way down these past 2 games, from 39, down to 33. It's very possible he might be taken out of the starting lineup if he doesn't play by Mchale's demands.
The rest of the team sees this, and they are slowly losing respect for the coach and the team. It's shaking their confidence. They practiced One way during the entire offseason ... now they have to do everything differently once the season starts ... all because Harden came onboard ??
Dont worry about the minutes. In fact - there was a lot of critique from the fanbase (and in the media) because Harden and Lin played around 40 minutes - which IMHO is simply not healthy.
DeleteIm not sure what McHale is up to - but you can tell that Harden is not a ball hog. Whenever JLin showed that he wanted it - he got it. When JLin looked self confident (after a 3) Harden automatically gave Lin the ball. So - yeah - Im not sure what to think of McHale but Im pretty sure that Harden is no Melo 2.0
Lets just watch and hope for now...
I think most people are over-reacting. At this point, I'm surprised at the way they are utilizing Jlin as merely a decoy. I've been also disappointed that I haven't seen the alpha male that gave both Amare and Carmelo a dirty look for not boxing out in the Bucks game last year when he was with New York (that was awesome...a player making 750K a year yelling at a playing making 20 million). In other words, I haven't seen the leadership yet from Jlin that I saw last year in NY.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I believe that Mchale knows what he's doing, and it's still too early to make a call on this one. They simply can't continue on this path or they will keep losing obviously. If it's still this way at game 30, then you can call me out. Also, I think Morey has done an incredible job.
Mike Brown just fired!!! Very likely D'Antoni will be heading to the Lakers to coach Nash. Sorry fellas, don't think the reunion of D'Antoni & Lin will not happen anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteI felt Mike Brown designed a system for players who couldn't create their own shots. The Lakers players are good enough that they can dominate without having those complex plays to free them up. They are talented enough to free themselves or run simple pnr play with Steve. I miss Nash being utilised the correct way. Hopefully the interim and new coach will make better use of the Laker player's talents.
DeleteI don't think Kobe would allow D'Antoni to coach there. He was very supportive of Melo's insubordination of D'Antoni at New York. If Kobe could stifle his ego, though, LA would be unstoppable with D'Antoni. Just unstoppable.
DeleteKobe did play under D'Antoni during the Olympics, so perhaps Kobe built some rapport with MDA there. At least he should have had his eyes open on what MDA can offensive player like him, after seeing Melo dominate during the summer. And of course it doesn't hurt that Kobe has seen what MDA and Nash can do together, especially when they pushed Lakers to the brink so many times during the playoffs.
DeleteYes, it would be unstoppable and importantly for me really fun to watch indeed!
@Michael I don't know man. reports are Kobe is very supportive of D'Antoni coming on board. if you remember Kobe's number was 8 which he took after D'Antoni's number in italy. kobe was a huge fan of his in italy. while Melo couldnt move without the ball Kobe's a bit different and could really use D'Antoni's offense especially in his older age.
DeleteMelos "insubordination of Dantoni" was IMHO not a personal thing and if Kobe was involved in this somehow - Im sure that wasnt personal, too.
DeleteMelo couldnt work with Dantoni so he needed to form an envirement that suits him. After all - he was the star player in NY. Just compare their salaries and you understand why Dantoni had to go - not Melo.
Kobe (who was named after the Kobe steak) does speak italian (and spanish) so he and Dantoni do have some sort of connection :) People even say that Kobe - when he played in NY - used to walk by the bench and say stuff in italian :)
BTW - Melo didnt do well when he played under Dantoni in NY but for some resaon he did very well when he played under Dantoni in the olympics...
After Melo came back and ruined Linsanity, Kobe was quoted as saying, "Melo shouldn't chance his game at all. I wouldn't" or something similar. D'Antoni's offense doesn't work unless all players stick to their roles. If Kobe backs off that statement, great. But that's what he said earlier this year.
DeleteMelo played well in the Olympics because it wasn't "his" team the way NY was.
DeleteBlame not Melo, but DOLAN.
James Dolan made it clear to CAA and Melo that the Knicks were Melo's team. Thus Melo gets to pick players amd coaches.
Melo was all fine with DAntoni until DAntoni allowed Lin to lead. Woodson talked big in the papers about Melo leading, but Woodson handed the ball right back to Lin and there was nothing Melo could say at that point
I think that Melo genuinely likes and even appreciates Lin. Same with DAntoni. It's just that Melo feels that he has to be the man and will undercut anybody who threatens to topple him from his perceived top spot.
The Olympic team was stacked with superstars. Melo demands to be playing with superstars, and he didn't think Lin can ever become one.
DeleteI have No respect for a player who demands the team to bring in superstars. If he was really a superstar, he would make other players around him into better scorers... Like Nash made Amare, Shawn Marion, and Boris Diaw's careers.
Lakers sign D'Antoni, then trade Steve Nash for Jeremy. Stranger things have happened.
ReplyDeleteThat would be funny :) I am primarily a JLin fan so I would be OK with that :)
DeleteNo trade, Nash will retire or just take a bench role behind Lin when Lin goes to Lakers in free agency. Nash can just play 12-20 min behind Lin and kill second units.
DeleteSadly that is the day I wait for now because Lin is being forced to be the Asian Avery Johnson in Houston...that's not his game...Lin is the Asian Jason Kidd (an in his prime young Jason Kidd, not the old shadow of himself you see today). I've never even liked JKidd's game to be honest, but that is what Lin reminds me of most.
Lin's potential to me is to become a mix of Nash/Kidd. If he can get his game together, he can provide the best of both worlds.
Right now, he just needs to play his game and stop worrying. Keep shooting when open Lin with confidence, just let it fly! Why else do you practice 4 hours a day on shooting in the summer...
Lin is so much better than Avery Johnson, and I actually have a very high opinion pf Avery Johnson.
DeleteLin IS seizing the day. He's a work in progress and he's nowhere near done improving.
Lin can be an elite shooter. Lin's upside is a cross between Kidd and Nash.
DeleteMike D + Lin + Lakers in three years. showtime back in LA baby!
Deletei like Jeremy on a younger team better. he'll get lost in with all those "stars" in LA
DeleteI keep saying that I like Lin MORE this season than I liked him last season.
DeleteWhen the shot starts occasionally falling for Lin, I'll be completely satisfied with his game. I'm not even demanding that Lin shoot 50% from the field.
I don't necessarily think my standards for Lin are low, either. I want him to be contributing in all aspects of the game. Lin has totally satisfied me in all those nonshooting aspects.
I'm aiming for REALISTIC goals for Lin.
Of course. Lin is playing at a high level, except for his shooting percentage. If that picks up even a little, he'll be contributing so much that the Rockets can win 50 games.
DeleteLin can average close to 20, 8, 6, and 3 this year if he could just get his shot going...he is learning to play efficient basketball on this Rockets team which is good, even if it means he is often off the ball....
DeleteI'd rather see Lin on ball more and passing like crazy personally. Lin at his best is what we saw in the Sacramento game last year. Lin at his most exciting is when we saw him play the Lakers and score 38 which is what Lin crazies want to see him do every night...
If Lin can get up and maintain his field goal percentage to 45%, I will be more than happy.
DeleteOk, OMINOUS Lin sign.
ReplyDeleteHas anybody here noticed that HEADS ROLL when Jeremy Lin comes around?
Let's look the Linjury List of axed coaches:
1) Trent Johnson. Turned Lin down from Stanford. Got the boot from Stanford.
2) Lin's 1st Harvard coach. Initially skeptical of Lin's ability. Replaced by Tommy Amaker who was handpicked by Lin.
3) Keith Smart. Refused to play Lin despite Lin's league leading rookie numbers. Fired after pne season with Lin
4) Mike DAntoni. Initially skeptical of Lin and had his job saved by Linsanity. Resigned due to Melo rebellion.
5) Mike Woodson, Kevin McHale - too early to tell.
All coaches who have a low regard for Lin had bettwr watch themselves, it seems!
LOL. Nice.
DeletePerhaps Lin is purposely feeding Harden every time down to demonstrate that Harden can't win games by himself. And, hey, if he does, then so much the better: Team wins and Lin relaxes.
DeleteIdk, I think Lin has a history of being picked up by desperate teams like the Warriors, Knicks, Rockets. But then gets overlooked by the desperate losing coach. Apparently beggars can become choosers.
DeleteBWAHAHAHA!!!'
DeleteI'm cracking up at the notion that Jeremy Lin is actually a COACH KILLER!!!!
We though Carmelo Anthony was the coach killer in NY. It turns out that LIN cost D'Antoni his job, in a very direct way!!!
Jeremy Lin, coach killer. I LIKE IT.
I actually like Jeremy Lin to have that nickname. CK = COACH KILLA!!!!
DeleteIn game announcer,"Coach Killa goes to the basket and gets an And1!"
"Perhaps Lin is purposely feeding Harden every time down to demonstrate that Harden can't win games by himself...."
Deletehilarious
Here's a good article regarding the shooting slump the Rocket's are currently experiencing (But I hope will not experience it from tonight's game forward):
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2012/11/its-been-open-and-shoot-for-rockets-but-shots-not-falling/
this quote says it all:
Delete"“We know what is a good shot to us, and that’s layups, free throws, open 3s,"
hope jeremy is not taking this literally, and maybe why why we haven't seen pull up jumpers, floater, 15ft jump shots. i hope the teams understands that you need these shots to get you in rhythm early on in the game.
hope they're not passing up open 10-15 footers in favor of forced layups or contested 3's.
Lin and Harden need to play their styles, which is gunslinger style, no fear, attack the basket. I would also like to see Lin in for 5-8 mins without Harden so that Lin can play being the primary guy for some periods.
ReplyDelete