Jeremy had a very good game against the Spurs and I actually thought he played decent while in against OKC. However, he did make a few careless decisions with the ball. I can't say I agree with McHale's tough love stance with Jeremy but if thats the case, hold your star player accountable too. Last game, Danny Green starts off 4-4 from three, with Harden no where in sight. Can you imagine how fast JLin would be sent to the bench if that was his man? First, OKC basket, Harden jogs back and doesn't even pick up his man who is wide open for a layup.
Memo to McHale: They will not make the playoffs with Harden playing this kind of defense. If Steph Curry and David Lee can play defense, Harden can if held accountable. Coach Pop holds all of his players accountable. Did you hear that he lit into Duncan and Parker during their game?
I have another question for Coach McHale. Why in the world has Cole Aldrich been in the past few games? He hasn't provided anything but turnovers. You have Greg Smith who's been playing great in very limited minutes ready to go. I just don't get it. If Smith got the 17 minutes against the Spurs instead of Cole, the Rockets likely win.
Please realize that even though McHale was a great player, he has been terrible so far as a coach (.456 winning percentage before this season). As much as Jeremy needs to prove himself and improve, Coach McHale needs to as well.
Lastly, here is a question for GM Morey. How do expect to go to the playoffs without any veterans? I can't think of one team thats ever made the playoffs without at least a few. I don't count Delfino, as I actually think the team plays better without him. We need a Carl Landry or Jared Jack type. Someone who is basically a vet who has started in the past and can bring some much needed leadership.
Great insight and questions! I appreciate that you don't ever sugarcoat your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteAll great points. Lin needs to play through his mistakes. You only improve by failing and then trying again. Plus Harden needs to step up his D no question. Good point on Greg Smith. That guy really can finish and has good hands.
ReplyDeleteI can't really find anyone who really likes McHale or backs him. Lin's agent must know that this is not the right coach for him though there is not much we can do under the current contract. Even when the assistants are talking, they always say that the Rockets have to take better care of the ball (and they are always referring to Lin). One day, someone will recognize his talent. I have been saying that Lin is like the basketball version of New England Patriots (and I hate the Pats) - he does everything to help his team win all the time - much of which does not even show up in any statistic. This type of basketball is winning basketball and that is why he was able to defeat Mater Dei when all the numbers said it couldn't be done. This is also why he made Harvard a winner and the Knicks as well.
If Lin is the PG and plays his game, even when he makes mistakes, then this team would have won 4-5 more games.
"Last game, Danny Green starts off 4-4 from three, with Harden no where in sight. Can you imagine how fast JLin would be sent to the bench if that was his man?"
ReplyDeleteThat was exactly my thought yesterday during the game. I guess the new generation of NBA players have a offense is better than defense mentality. Today's players don't challenge dunks because they don't want to get posterized, they don't take charges (Kobe even said so publicly), and they don't like to play defense.
I'm reminded of an article on JR Smith, whose dad Earl taught him all the fundamentals of basketball. "Defense was the last thing I taught them," Earl explained, "because you can make it without defense."
I totally agree that Harden needs to play more defense for the team to improve. If the coaches want to emphasize defense, then they should apply it equally to every player on the team.
Another thing that the coaches seem to bench Jeremy Lin for is turnovers. FYI Lin has 3.1 to/36, whereas Harden has 3.4 to/36. So again, if you're going to bench a player for turning the ball over, then Harden should be the most benched player on the team.
DeleteI remember a game where Harden literally let a player waltz past him for a lay up. He was sick that game but it was totally inexcusable. He didn't even wave his hands. Maybe he yelled, "Boo!"
Delete@real-dsb
Delete"because you can make it without defense."
I had never heard that, and it is so sad.
"Harden needs to play more defense"
Or at least better defense. Anything that's not what's right now.
"turnovers. FYI Lin has 3.1 to/36, whereas Harden has 3.4 to/36."
Be careful with turnovers, they can be kind of tricky to measure. I applaud your using per minute figures, which helps to normalize things a bit for comparison purposes. However, if you were to look at the number of possessions per player that ends in a TO (even better than time spent on court, right?) Lin is at 19.8% and Harden is at 13.8%. I just did this the other day, and their numbers were Lin 13.5% and Harden 11.7%, so last night was truly a statistical massacre.
Harden is a prolific scorer but terrible defender. I was cringing when he was going against Green yesterday. uncontested 3 pointers by Jeremy's summer league team mate. I wonder if he's lazy to play defense. I haven't seen Harden raise his arms up or any move to show contesting his man. made me wonder too if McHale called Harden on that, because Harden simply didn't play D yesterday until vs Thunder game. if the Rockets coach is as tough like Popovich, he may be like, "play D of I'll bench you for the rest of the game" (to Harden) or "watch how you handle the ball or you'll have to sit down" (to Jeremy)
ReplyDeletePopovich is the only coach I know who gives tough love. that barking on his players because they're slacking on D shows tough love not just on Parker and Tim, but also the whole team. last vs Raptors game I read Pop also slammed Kawhi Leonard for slacking on D, but Pop didn't bench him. that is tough love - call on the guys' plays... but don't bench them. show them you trust them and believe that they can redeem themselves. Pop's stint for US Air Force must have helped him with his coaching. I've always said that Jeremy will benefit very much with a coach like Popovich, even someone like Phil Jackson.
I myself cringe on McHale's rotations. I'm seriously disappointed with his player rotations yesterday and tonight.it's like he wanted to kill the Rockets roster with fatigue. my question more for Morey is can he do a Buford (minus that DUI) and make the Rockets like the Spurs who is running on two teams. sending the starters home? no problem, second unit can take it from there.I'm thinking now that only Les Alexander likes Jeremy.
I think a guy like Jeremy with all his condition or circumstances, there is no other way other than going HAM and put Linsane numbers at least for a full month.
ReplyDeleteI am generally all ok with Lin's play. Can't control some of the BS that is happening, but the lack of jumpers is really hurting his offensive game. I didn't understand why Lin was taken out when he had 5 or 6 quick assists at the beginning.
ReplyDeleteHerein lies the problem with McHale. JLin was subbed at the 4-5 min mark b/c that's how McHale staggers JLin and Harden's playing time. The problem with that is McHale is actually breaking the flow of the game. McHale said post-game that the players didn't understand or play within the flow. WHAT? This douchebag is the one killing the flow. Why doesn't he just keep JLin in the game since he's doing well and allow both JLin and Harden to thrive playing together longer. Isn't the ultimate goal is to have both play well together. His substitution pattern of Jlin is so damn robotic and is really getting on my nerves. So Harden got his second foul with 1 or 2 minutes left in 1Q and JLin had to come back in the game. If the fool left JLin in the game, perhaps Harden wouldn't have to do so much and end up getting his 2nd foul.
DeleteA coach like D'Antoni can ride JLin like a freakin Secretariat understands the importance of the point guard play. Unfortunately, McHale doesn't see it that way. His only point guard on the team is Harden and everyone revolves around him. McHale tries to stagger JLin's minutes but it's more of a slap in the face if you ask me. It seems that McHale cant wait to take JLin out at every opportunity, and cant wait to put Harden back in the game when JLin is on the floor.
DeleteHis shooting is just horrible. The only time he really shot it well was when Harden was not playing. Why? Is he more focused when he becomes "the guy"? His shooting slump is really puzzling to say the least.
DeleteHarden has the green light to not play D and turn the ball a lot over becasue he also scores a lot of points. Hate to say it, even as a PG, Lin flat out needs to be more aggressive and score more than he's currently doing, even at the expense of the team. He hasn't earned the right to be a "pure PG" like a Chris Paul or Steve Nash who get praised for their leadership and intangibles even they don't put up numbers because they have already put up big numbers before on losing teams. Another prime example is Kyrie Irving, who puts up huge numbers at the expense of his team but gets recognized as a top PG by everyone. Later in his career he will continue to be ranked as a top PG and get the green light even when he gets better teammates and puts up lesser numbers.
ReplyDeleteLet’s face it. If the Rockets make the playoffs, it will be in spite of McHale rather than because of him. There’s simply no evidence in his coaching career to date to suggest that the guy is any more than a novice at his craft. Just look at how long it took him to even attempt to integrate Lin’s game with Harden’s.
ReplyDeleteAlso consider:
1) What was his record in Minnesota again?
2) It’s well known he’s not an X’s and O’s coach. Which is unfortunate, coz in the game that’s really chess on hardwood, he has no idea how to play and move his pieces around, especially the key ones.
3) But maybe he’s good at fostering lockerroom morale? Er, no. His two starter-caliber PGs of last season couldn’t get away from him fast enough. Jared Jeffries is on record as saying he’d lay down his life for the crappy D’Antoni. Meanwhile, Goran Dragic wouldn’t even forgo a fourth-year player’s option for McHale. Do you see the difference?
4) What competent coach would have allowed the Rockets to go on that painfully long losing streak and crash out of the playoff race so spectacularly last season?
5) In all his blame-assigning interviews, I’ve never once heard him say any of the losses were on him. Even the execrable Woodson is usually quick to point the finger at himself first after a poor game.
All this does not even take into account his treatment of Lin. We know he was reportedly “livid” that Lowry and Dragic were let go and that he wasn’t on board with Les Alexander’s decision to go after Jeremy. Then he let on that finally he had a guard he was happy with in Harden.
If Lin’s teammates don’t treat him as a leader, can we really blame them when they’re only taking their cue from their head coach?
Thank you for this wonderful post. Everything you've just written correlate with what I feel. You've an excellent way with words. I hope you stays around here and post more often. I like common sense.
DeleteRegarding McHale, from my research is that he is not a permanent solution. They brought him in because of his leadership skill (scratching my head??). They see him as just a bridge to their next hire.
It was Les that brought in Mchale and Lin. Who will he choose? From watching the press conference, reading, and watching Morey, I don't think he was high on Lin either.
Here’s another example of how McHale lets his biases leach into the Rockets’ play, to the detriment of the entire franchise.
DeleteHouston is supposed to be rebuilding, but you wouldn’t know it from his reluctance to give his rookies any burn. Couple his 8 or 9 man rotations with the Rockets’ fastest-in-the-league pace, and you’ve got to wonder when the whole experiment called The New Age will come to a crashing halt from sheer exhaustion alone.
IMO, the run-gun-stun style allows McHale to mask his inadequacies in the X’s and O’s department.
I have never thought the run-gun style was his way of masking his inadequacies as a coach. Thanks for shedding some light into it.
DeleteI agree with alscd that McHale is not the permanent solution as coach for Lin's team.
DeletePersonally, I view McHale as a good interim coach who's going to whip Lin into shape by overly criticizing him and holding him unfairly accountable. And Lin being the WINNER he is will take it all in and continue to raise his game the way McHale's prior point guards did.
A future coach will have to be somebody who fully recognizes Lin's talent and will hold the whole team accountable, By the time that happens, Lin will be playing consistent mistake free All Star basketball and the rest of the team will have to raise their game to keep up with Lin.
A coach I can readily think of who would hold such accountability while recognizing Lin's game is David Blatt. He's a coach that I feel could step onto the Rockets once Mchale is gone and really endorse Lin.
For sure, Les Alexander will make sure that any future coach of the Rockets embraces his handpicked star point guard in Lin!
I think the current asst coach Finch is going to be the next Rockets head coach.
DeleteAdelman out, McHale in -> Chris Finch.
DeleteHere is Finch's philosophy
Deletehttp://www.nba.com/rockets/news/qa-chris-finch
@via
DeleteYou know, it's one thing to be good with google and web search in general. It's another to have the memory to actually know what to look for.
Nice connecting the dots there. Seriously, I'm impressed.
@alcsd
DeleteThanks for that. If this is our future, I like what I'm reading so far.
"CF: I want us to always be on the attack. I want us to look and feel like a herd of horses coming down the floor every single time. I want us to really, first and foremost, put the defense under pressure every way possible and I want to see us share the ball. We want to run and keep the tempo high, but to do that we have to value the right shots and we have to do it unselfishly."
Question for the group: What about our offense now, under McHale, do you see differing from this philosophy?
Lin works closely with Finch and I hope they have a good relationship. Finch seems like a good person with good character, but I question his philosophy from the article above.
Delete@KHuang:
DeleteWhat is it that McHale can teach Lin? What "shape" can McHale whip Lin into?
You do realise that the tiger-mom crap is just to sell books right? Even tiger-moms have to love and encourage their children. Or do you really believe that threatening and beating up your children is what makes them become nice, smart, confident Harvard graduates?
When you play basketball - you have to feel comfortable in order to perform well. If your coach constantly bugs you and threatens to bench you (YOU and noone else) - it only results in bad confidence. All the teammates think of you as someone to pick on - they dont respect you - dont pass you the ball or even ignore the fact that you are PG.
Sampson gave an interview in which he claimed to have encouraged Lin to demand the ball - on the other hand - players keep on bringing the ball up the court when Lin is out there (Delfino, Parsons, even Douglas). Those players continuesly loose the ball and yet Lin is the only one to get benched most of the time.
The only problem JLin has right now is shooting. Even someone as ignorant as Racha ("Lin plays like an idiot" about yesterdays game) noticed that Lins seems to shoot better when he is "free". When your sand castle falls appart to rebuild it. Confidence and swag however is not that easy to rebuild. McHale could end up messing up Lin completely.
There is a reason why great players kill coaches and fill player spots with trustworthy friends -> because thats when they play at their best. If McHale keeps on treating Lin like a stepson -> either Lin or McHale have to go.
Lin could have way lower TO numbers if the team performed better. There were times when JLin got trapped and noone moved to make it easier for JLin to pass the ball out. Also - if he woulnd be playing D all by hilmself most of the time he wouldnt be so gassed which sometimes results in TOs.
DeleteNotice - nice flow -> low TOs + high score and vitory. Bad flow - bad game and high turnovers. There is a reason why theres a thread on clutchfans titled "FREE LIN". Dont blame Lin folks. Ask yourself why Lin doesnt get in rhytm and flow well at times. Even hardcore Rox fans on CF have come to accept, love and defend Lin. People here - who are supposed to be LOF - are way behind - in fact - they often do nothing but hate on Lin.
Damn - other elite PGs throw the ball away in incredible stupid ways as well - it happens all the time. ITS BASKETBALL! Everybody wants your ball and they try to get it. Thats the point. If you dont know that you dont know basketball. You are prbably just a self hating asian or a racist who likes to bash on Lin.
You arent a real fan when you come here, cheer for the opponent, write things like "Lin plays like an idiot" (quote Racha) or "worst JLin NBA game ever". Or take RyuKen who posted twice that Lin wont make it in the NBA (yesterdays game thread). If you think yesterdays game was his worst game than you havent seen him play in the past :)
BTW - I am with the admin on this one. He didnt play that bad yesterday. Shots werent falling but he didnt get to shoot much. He is Lin - not Delfino - who shoots 4/13 and 3/11 and still gets to play 35 minutes. If you think Lin played bad - what exactly was bad?
Guys - dont think so damn one dimensional. Theres more to basketball than boxscore. PGs need to be respected - they have to be able to adjust their team on the fly if they are to perform well. JLin tries but it doesnt always work out.
The other night I noticed how JLin tried to "reasign" TD. I would expect TD to listen to his floor general and move his ass immediately (other team was shooting ft). Instead - TD "reasigned" Lin pointing to where Lin should go. WTF?
Now - I like TD and its not just TD (but also Parsons and other guys) but how is that supposed to work out for Lin when players dont play with him but compete with him? How is he to drive when he doesnt get screens? How can it work out if coaches arent his friends but acting like mad stepfathers?
At the time I thought Mitch (a Lin hater) was just trying to stir up controversy, but now I wonder how much of the truth was in this article. The biggest question is who was the one person that leaked this information?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/lawrence-lin-rockets-bargained-article-1.1182684
Lin is known to be a really harder worker and competitive with exceptional work ethic. I just wonder who leaked the stuff up about the coaches not high on Lin? It has to be the coaching staff inner circle who were mad that after Gorgic was gone.
ReplyDeleteIf the coaching staff feel this way about Lin, this is going to be a long season. Lin will never grow as a player the way I had hope he would if he stays. It's very difficult to change someone's perception once their mind has been already made up. Just like no matter how bad Parson plays, to the coaching staff, he is a good player and won't be held accountable or benched.
Actually Parsons will become a worse player in long term if he's not held accountable. Amare is a such bad defender because MDA never held him accoutable for his lazy D when he's young. The coaches holding Lin accoutable is not neccesarily a bad thing. Tony Parker would be the 1st person to tell you how he became a better player because Pop used to play tough love with him. The point is that the coaches have to be fair and hold everyone on the team accoutable, not just Lin.
DeleteActually with the minutes Parson he playing, he might end up on the injury list sooner, if not later. There were games where he played more minutes than Harden.
DeleteBut you also want Lin to play as many minutes as Parsons and end up getting injuried, no?
DeleteCara,
DeleteI only want him to play 34-38 minutes per game. There were games where he was being treated like a yo-yo and logged in like 27 minutes.
In this game, he made a couple of TOs and got benched. Dantoni never benched him. Can you image if Dantoni did, we would never witness that game winning shot in Toronto last year? Lin was horrible for 3 quarters
@Cara:
DeleteYou dont get acl trouble cause you play 35 instead of 27 minutes a night. ACL tears when overstrained (too much force at once). Example -> marathon runners never tear their ACL though they sometimes collapse and kick off (die). Soccer players, basketball players and skiers do tear acls all the time.
Holding players accountable is good. What McHale does is not holding Lin accountable. He destroys Lin. Im not saying he hates Lin cause I cant know - maybe he is simply incompetent.
At first I'm sure Mchale didn't like jeremy. He said so many things that makes you wonder. I don't know now... I think jeremy's performances have convinced him that our boy is good. But he still has some doubts...
ReplyDeleteWe know harden is the go to guy and he can miss all of his jumpers and all of the balls and he's still on court. It's not the same for jeremy. I don't know what he wants from Lin and i can't understand why he didn't fall in love with him cause Mchale likes hard worker and jeremy works really really hard.
But that's it. Jeremy will come out stronger, Khuang is right cause he's gonna work on all of his weaknesses.
I don't agree with the veteran part: this is a rebuilding team and it's right to play young so young players can develop and some of them could become trade assests.
Anyway i wouldn't be surprised if jeremy is traded for cousins for example... God only knows and works for the best. We're still here to support ... Against all odds....
There's no way they're trading Lin anytime soon. At least not before they've thoroughly broken his spirit and/or his body so he'll never reprise Linsanity somewhere else.
DeleteThink they're willing to risk looking like a bunch of fools for a second time so soon after the first?
Because they know deep in their hearts Lin is perfectly capable of going on another scorcher of a run given the right circumstances. It's just that for some reason or other, they're either unwilling or unable to recreate those circumstances for Lin in Houston.
There is a right way and a wrong way to hold a player accountable. I can understand him yelling at Lin's mistakes during the game, but put him back and let him play. That is how he is going to learn. You don't bench a player for everything little mistakes he makes. No matter how tough he is mentally, it will shake his confidence. He is human, not a machine.
DeleteYou do need veterans to make the playoffs. The Warriors are a young team but they also have a couple solid veterans. The Thunder are probably the best young team in the league but they are actually not that young apart from their core 3 (Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka). But I don't get the feeling that Morey and the Rockets management really want to make the playoffs that much as they repeatedly said that they only have one core player (Harden) on the team and this is not a finished product. The Rockets are really going to have a tough time making the playoffs this year if they make no move at the trade deadline.
DeleteI didn't watch the Roxx's game vs OKC but was listening to the guy from conservative new media (link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR5gvdH67Gc) and he basically said that Lin was having trouble running an offense, creating his own shot and others when Harden is off the floor. He also mentioned that according to a scout report, Lin has some kind of technical flaw in his shooting form and it will take time for him to get there. Can someone please clarify on what he was saying? Thanks in advance.
DeletePop was the perfect example of holding his players accountable the right way.
DeleteAlcsd, Lin won't get that far in the nba if he ever lacks self confidence himself and is as metally weak as you seem to apply. I think you really underestimate Lin as a person.
DeleteI've never underestimated Lin's confidence, but being benched for every little mistakes will make a person second guess himself especially during the game. Look what happens to him during his Warriors days.
DeleteYou are crazy. McHale doesn't sit Lin every game like his Warriors days. Last time I check, Lin is the starter and averages 32 mpg, what more do you want? 42 mpg? Sometimes sitting young players is a great teaching moment. You don't want your young players to keep picking up bad habits in a losing environment. I don't really have problem with McHale benching Lin when he makes a mistake as long as he's fair to every player. I don't think that will shake Lin's confidence either as he probably understand better than anyone that minutes should be earned through performance and contributions, not your name and fame.
Deletealcsd, I do believe that Jeremy Lin has evolved so much that he can mentally play through any type of situation.
DeleteIt is my suspicion that by the time Lin fully learns how to play under McHale, that'll be when Les Alexander brings in not just a new coach but a star forward that can actually play.
I have been saying that Lin needed an NBA mentor. He's got one in McHale, distasteful as that sounds. McHale is whipping Lin into shape and it looks awful even to me. But Lin is playing GREAT and will play GREATER as the season wears on, thanks to McHale criticizing his every move.
I am probably the only person on this entire forum that thinks McHale is the right NBA mentor for Lin NOW, but that doesn't mean that I think McHale will be the right coach for Lin LATER.
Khuang,
DeleteThere is no doubt in my mind that Lin will evolve as a player because of his competitive nature. He wants to prove all the naysayers and ignorant racists wrong and that will be his biggest motivation and not because of McHale. Lin has a good support system (his family, friends, and non-rockets coaches) and they will help him with whether challenges he faces now and in the future.
Cara,
DeleteI only want him to play 34-38 minutes per game. There were games where he was being treated like a yo-yo and logged in like 27 minutes.
In this game, he made a couple of TOs and got benched. Dantoni never benched him. Can you image if Dantoni did, we would never witness that game winning shot in Toronto last year? Lin was horrible for 3 quarters.
Duh. I don't think one player learns anything less and develops slower by playing 32 mpg instead of 34-38 mpg. It's not like Lin never get to play any minutes again due to his TOs.
DeleteCara,
DeleteI don't base solely on the minutes. If he played slow in the first 6 minutes of the quarter, don't bench him. Let him play a few more minutes. Let him get into his rhythm. Or sometimes he plays really well, and instead of letting him play, McHale bench him. Don't bench him while he is hot.
@Cara:
DeleteDont forget about the games where Lin got benched for TD and ended up playing ca. 25 minutes only.
Holding players accountable is ok if you are doing it right and do it with all players. Benching players has to make sense - it has to result in real benefit for the player. Right now - it rather seems like someone wants to destroy Lins confidence completely.
If a shooter like Delfino shoots 4/13 and 3/11 and still gets 35 minutes, keeps bringing the ball up the court though Lin is playing also, if he keeps losing the ball and still gets to play... how is that good?
Like I wrote above - dont think so one dimensional. If coaches treat Lin worse than others Lin will loose confidence and play worse. If hes out there - always afraid to do his thing cause he might get benched - he will shoot worse. If he gets benched and TD wins the game for the team - he will loose even more confidence. Either the coaches dont know that (what makes them incompetent) or they know it (what makes them evil assholes).
Dont think you (Lin critics in general) show basketball knowledge and tough but fair thinking if you say its ok how Lin is subbed.
I notice how people keep riding on Lins TOs and shooting. Guys - other elite PG loose the ball in incredible dumb ways as well. The other day when Lin had 7 TOs even hardcore clutchfans argued that only 4 of them were real TOs and even some of them prevented an opponent fastbreak.
Its basketball! People will try to get your ball - you are at risk of loosing the ball especially when you are PG.
BTW - JR Smith shot an airball during Rox game. Anyone bashing him? Novakaine shoot 1/5 threes during that game (if I remember correctly) - did anyone bashed him for that? HES THE DESIGNATED SHOOTER - the sharpshooter for gods sake! He is the one who should get tough love from the fans!
Right now - Lin has lots of troubles but its not all on him. Its a devils circle that the coaches have put Lin into. Im not saying they are neccesaryily evil - maybe they are just incompetent.
BTW:
DeletePeople keep saying "the mistakes" and "the turnovers". How about some more explaining? Like - discribing the situation in which Lin did a mistake and what sort of mistake or what happened when he lost the ball? What were his teammates doing? How about acting like basketball is a team sport?
@Willy, i really like all the questions you raise!!
Deletethe only positive way to feel good about this, is lin always get the attention. He's more popular and more significant to talk about than other players! :)
McHale is not perfect - no coach (not even Popovich or Jackson) is.
ReplyDeleteI expected rough handling of Lin, before the season even started. Nothing that has transpired surprises me. That's how McHale gets his point guards to produce BIG, and I don't even think that's intentional.
Also, ROUGH handling of a point guard is what Popovich did with Tony Parker. Even after winning the championship, Popovich wanted to supplant Parker with Jason Kidd. When Parker publicly expressed concern over losing his job, Popovich screamed and screamed at Parker about it. To me, that's much rougher than anything Mchale's dished out to Lin so far.
Even if McHale really was anti Lin, I'm not worried at all for Lin. Lin will play winning basketball no matter who the coach is. Besides, Coach Killah Lin will get McHale ejected by Les Alexander if McHale is not careful. I just hope that McHale fully whips Lin into shape before any sort of firing does happen.
@KHuang did you read discussion above your post? If you read, you'll see a valid point that the harsh treatment is only for Lin while both Harden and Parson basically got free pass even though their defensive plays often time led to team downfall.
DeleteI don't really mind rough treatment for Lin as long as it is fair and applies for everyone in the roaster.
As much as I have been sorely disappointed by the sub par coaching and the duo's apparent disrespect of Lin,I know our boy has enough self -confidence to make the best of the cards he has been dealt with. If push comes to shove, mchale is replaceable . Any businessman (Les) worth his salt will know Lin is a cash cow down the stretch as long as he is healthy and happy.
DeleteI hope the Chinese sponsors will put a clause next year that they want to see Lin on the court and not on bench.
DeleteI have read all of the posts above, Rikki M.
DeleteI've also been in Lin's shoes most of my career, getting the overly harsh treatment and getting kicked out of situations even when I was the best guy compared to everything else.
Absolutely it's unfair that Lin gets singled out. And absolutely Lin is reaping the benefit of working on his game and fine tuning himself such that he plays his best.
Everybody here would agree with me that Lin is handling this all beautifully by taking the criticism well and becoming a better player.
Trust me, Lin's going to be the one that survives all of this. He's already better now than he was during the heights of Linsanity, and he is working diligently on improving even further. By the time Lin gets it all worked out, the situation will change to accommodate Lin.
If you were in Lins shoes thats a bad sign - unless you made it and are a pro athlete dude :) Sorry... JK
DeleteThis coach has no respect to Asian guy. When lin just made 1 mistake, he took him out but not harden or parson.
ReplyDeleteThose who disagree with McHale's coaching might be buoyed by 'The Brooklyn Nets' disappointing performance over the past few weeks has led to the firing of coach Avery Johnson.' Will Rockets follow Lakers and Nets? The diff is that Rockets are playing well above expectations whereas the big spending Lakers and Nets aren't getting value for money.
ReplyDeleteMcHale is not going to be fired this year even the Rockets don't win a game again, just as Lin is not going to be traded at least for this year either. Whether people like it or not lol.
Delete@rintintin:
DeletePeople simply think Lin deserves better. Its nice they performed better than I expected but I dont like the way Lin pays for it.
People often say that coaches hardly do anything right (its the players who play right and the coaches who dont screw up) - however - coaches can screw up the team. In that sense - think of Rox without Lins speedy Gonzales like runs and defense. Would Rox have come that far?
I think McHale is not signed for next year, so he wants to win now. Developing talent is secondary. Hence he has to kiss Harden's ass no matter what. He knows that Lin can take whatever crap is sent his way without complaining, so will continue to use Lin as the whipping boy.
ReplyDeleteAs this point I am not sure what Lin can do or should do, as the Rox are still in good position. All he can do is play hard, play aggressive and re-establish is cred on the court. Open shots - keep taking them, eventually some will fall. Look for Harden as the 1st option, but when the other teams close down Harden, he needs to take charge. When Harden is on the bench he needs to take the rock from TD or CP and do something. Stop with the turnovers.
McHale [May 2011]: 3-yr deal [4th yr team option]
DeleteI think the Rockets make the playoff, McHale will stay. If they don't, then he is gone. If he stays one more year, it will hammer all the players development (except Parson).
DeleteI don't remember who said this, but it goes something like this: Coaches don't win games, raw talents do. Coaches only lose games (in the NBA level). Even though they are winning, it's because of some of the talents they have on the roster.
If McHale pisses off Les Alexander by not using Lin the way we here expect Lin to be used, McHale will be gone.
DeleteLes Alexander is just as big a fan of Jeremy Lin as we are. He will bring in whatever coach he thinks will elevate Jeremy Lin's game.
It would not surprise me in the least if Les is like "Let McHale whip Lin into shape for one year. Then we'll get a REAL coach".
@alcsd:
DeleteAgree. Teams win because players do it all right and coaches dont screw up. Its good Rox have come that far but who is paying for it and who made it happen? Even when Lin struggles to score you notice how Rox tend to loose 10 points or more the moment Lin is benched. It all speaks for Lin...
Kelvin Sampson is not on the list for BKN coaching position.
ReplyDeleteAnd I thought there was a basketball god.
DeleteSampson actually started this whole JLin benching stuff. I remember McHale before his daughter died was giving JLin major minutes. It wasn't until Sampson took over he started to trim JLin's minute in favor of TD, McHale stole his idea and ran with it.
Delete"Kelvin Sampson is not on the list for BKN coaching position." - this may not be true because the article is reporting leaked info:
Delete'PERSON WITH KNOWLEDGE of the Nets' plans said that list includes Jackson, Van Gundy, former Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan and longtime head coach Mike Dunleavy (Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland, Los Angeles Clippers for 17 seasons in all). Despite reports to the contrary, THE PERSON said Houston assistant Kelvin Sampson is not currently on the list.'
Goes either way.
DeleteSampson being in consideration, leaked info as well.
At THIS point, it's just PJ.
Just thinking out loud here, no fact to back this up, you can view this just a Sunday afternoon non-sense...
DeleteI wonder if D-Will was doing the same like M_lo, by tanking/sabotaging their games to get coach fired / force coach to resign.
With Harden and Lin jelling, Rockets are picking up steam
ReplyDeleteDecember 29 - 2:32 pm
The steam just got vaporized.
DeleteJon Barry - is it you?
DeleteMarc Stein: DeMarcus Cousins trade watch
ReplyDeleteI think the Roxs really need to get Cousins. Patterson and Morris are just not power foward quality.
DeleteIf you had asked me if I wanted Cousins months ago I would have been all over it.
DeleteNow I'm afraid he would just be poison. And I shudder to think what we would give up for him (I'm willing to risk Aldrich and throw in Machado and Cook though:). I really like the chemistry these Rox have. I don't think it can be said enough that we are young and inexperienced, so the culture we develop right now will define the character of this team for a few years to come.
Likewise, I'm over Royce White. I loved his story, was willing to swing for the fences for a sliver of a chance at Lebron Lite, but he has been disappointing to say the least.
As these past two games show, we have a ways to go before we can realistically compete with the elite. Anything that might interfere with growth is an ixnay in my book.
Cousins is an athletic big that can really play. I can careless his antics. I actually like his lunatic ways, it gives the Roxs a bad boy edge and hopefully put fear in opposing teams. If he's put in a winning environment, his attitude can be managed. The Roxs are too soft with Asik and Patterson/Morris in the front.
DeleteI like Cousins, but the Rockets don't have the assets to trade for him.
DeleteThe Rockets DO have an asset to trade for a guy who I firmly believe can have a bigger impact on winning than Cousins: TYLER HANSBROUGH.
I LOVE Tyler Hansbrough. I enjoyed his dominance in college, and I really adored him when he became a starter for the Pacers before they went out and got David West. I absolutely consider him a NBA starting power forward and feel that he's been racially mistyped and overlooked the way Jeremy Lin has been.
I view Cousins vs Hansbrough in exactly the same way I view John Wall vs Jeremy Lin.
Right now anyone other than Pat/Morris would be better.
DeleteIMO it would be a major mistake to get Hansbrough, not because of his talent but because of the accidental racial mix of the starters that it would create: Four(4!) whitish looking skins and just one(1) black due in a black-dominated sport. Imagine what the likes of Kobe would do to the whitish four with relative impunity (Kobe is well known for taking cheap shots to Yao, Rubio and Europeans for free throws.... and just like Kevin Martin's proactive elbow to Lin's head last night, for which Martin was rewarded with free throws).
DeleteHowever, what I think might happen is that the Rockets could trade Cousins for Jeremy Lin! It's a big *could* and *might*, as the 2 biggest factors against it happening could be be: (1) An endorsement contract(s) with a Chinese company that may have stipulated that Lin must be kept there for at least one year (although there could be an out-clause such as pay the pro-rated money back). (2) They wish to avoid looking like a foolish organization for letting the lad go so quickly in 2 consecutive season - especially since Lin might (imo will) take off big time again afterwards.
edit: one(1) black *dude* (not "due").
DeleteBut this is PSYCHO T we're talking about here.
DeleteTyler Hansbrough, aka "Psycho T", is an enforcer and tough guy and above the rim athlete.
I was unhappy that Psycho T was benched for David West. West is a good ground based player, but he's no athletic specimen and doesn't scare anyone. If I were the Pacers, I'd be starting Psycho T over West regardless of West's $9 million dollar per year contract.
Jeremy Lin needs an enforcer, and Psycho T is that guy. Plus Psycho T is an inside scorer who goes through and over people. He provides a physical dunking presence that the Rockets simply don't have, and I wouldn't doubt that Psycho T could catch some of those Lin alleyoops and run the pick and roll.
Ahhhh.... At first I looked up to find that Tyler is white and now he's aka Psych T (;~). Well, that sounds good, but you know that one flagrant type 2 foul (sometimes not even called a Fragrant, a la Kidd to Lin last year) could take the player completely out of commission for good. Don't underestimate black pride; many of them even think the NBA is *their* league.... Until more whites are represented in the NBA, I think just one black starter in the lineup doesn't look too good. I don't know when more whites are also willing to work extremely hard for the mega money, fame, lifestyle and women that becoming an NBA star would bring - as well as putting up with having to live out of a suitcase away from family and spend too much time with teammates, as well as willing to take risks such as a poor health at a young age (and if it happens before getting rich first, it's a double whammy coz then he may not even be able to get a normal job).
Delete"Psycho T" didn't get that nickname by cowering in fear of other players.
DeleteWhen people mess with "Psycho T", he retaliates. Things like "black pride" mean NOTHING to him. That's why Psycho T is a WINNER.
If anything, Jeremy Lin could use a guy like Psycho T on his team to fight off the hard fouls and get in people's faces.
But more importantly than Psycho T's toughness, Psycho T has GAME. He is a polished NBA player who would EXPLODE playing alongside Jeremy Lin. Psycho T is far quicker, springier, and smarter than NBA scouts realize.
I personally believe that Psycho T can play most of the league's best NBA power forwards straight up. I wouldn't hesitate to throw him the ball and ask him to score against the max contract shotblockers like Ibaka or Duncan or Aldridge or Garnett.
One question, I said that the coach McHale was the worst of the last two games of Houston
ReplyDeleteWith a better coach, Houston would have won the last two games for me
So what is more important to the Houston now, hire a coach best or 1 experienced player to be the team leader?
Honestly, Lin has to be elevated as the team leader in order for this team to continue to win and play well in the playoffs (if they make it). I think they will if Lin is the leader.
DeleteSome basketball thoughts from Kevin McHale
ReplyDeleteMcHale needs to go coach a team where "bigs" are the focal point. He's obviously one of the best bigs that ever played the game and can teach the post game. Where guards are the focal point of the team, not so much. Adelman would have been better developing JLin by leaps and bounds than Mchale.
DeleteThis isn't a surprise tho, McHale has repeatedly talked about bigs this bigs that.
DeleteHe would literally explode if Kevin Love were to join the Rockets. All he would have the backcourt do is bring up the ball and hand it to Love.
Aldrich would no longer be the favorite son...
since playing the post and the paint is his expertise, we should be seeing improvements from our bigs.
Deleteasik can play, just needs to catch the balls and go strong. none of the reverses or layups.
what about the others? who's our pf? who's our back-up c? exactly. if he can't coach them, how can he coach pg?
I do see SIGNIFICANT improvements in the Rockets big men due to McHale's coaching.
DeleteThe problem there isn't McHale. The problem is that guys like Aldrich and Patterson simply don't really have NBA talent. No amount of coaching can solve that.
The Rockets big men being stymied by opposing max contract big men is not McHale's fault. Not every max contract player is going to be outplayed by the Rockets minimim wage big men the way Kevin Love was. The last two games showcased some of the NBA's best max contract big men.
The weakest position on the Rockets is power forward, despite the glut of bodies at the position. The Rockets need a power forward that can score and defend - in short, they need a max contract power forward of their own!
@JLinfan#1
ReplyDeleteGood post.
"You have Greg Smith who's been playing great in very limited minutes ready to go."
"I don't count Delfino, as I actually think the team plays better without him."
I'm very high on GS so completely agree with the first quote. RE: the second, my eye test agrees. His shooting percentage is nowhere near where it should be for his "role". I shutter when he takes the ball down, and cringe when he tries to make a bounce pass in traffic. He's kind of like the old guy on your pick up team, does his thing and you're like hoping for a "No, No, No, No... Yes!".
Here's something someone might find interesting (I did). If you take +/- for 5 man lineups* GS is in the top 3. Say what you want about him not playing against starters, but a point against the bench is worth just as much as the first point in a game. I wasn't surprised at this, GS owns our second highest PER and it's elite at >20 (which affirms your questioning regarding why Aldrich is playing and not him).
What I *was* surprised at is that Defino is also in the top 3. As a matter of fact, even more eye opening, he is in 7 out of the top 8 5 man rotations for adjusted +/- (calc per 100 poss). Eight and up, it's at least +20. Nine and down, it's 10.5 and drops steeply.
So I go check his individual stats, both offensive and defensive. Absolutely unimpressive. As a matter of fact, one could argue they suck. What gives? (I'm serious, open to any explanations).
Maybe there is something to "veteran leadership" after all. Or maybe there is some weird chemistry thing going on. All I know is, he can do it with anyone (Lin, Harden, Asik, Parsons) and there are too many minutes played to call it an anomaly.
Based on this, you could argue that we really missed him these last two games. Last night probably didn't matter, but we may have had a chance against San Antonio. That wily Manu; now *there's* some old man trick action going on :)
*+/- can be misleading for a player, but it's ok for 5 man lineups, right? The result of a game is basically who comes out on top in +/- for that night.
imho, there is a fine line between coach's tough love and coach's masked doubt/lack of faith. personally, I'll take the latter when we're talking of McHale-Lin relationship.
ReplyDeleteJonathan Feigen @Jonathan_Feigen
ReplyDeleteShame Rockets wasted Marcus Morris' career-high scoring night. He earned it. He came in at 2 a.m. after loss in SA to "get my touch back."
_______________
That's dedication. JLin needs to practice his jumpers in his sleep.
No, I don't think Lin needs more practice than he's already getting.
DeleteMarcus Morris is not the team's catalyst like Lin. Plus nobody triple teams Marcus Morris the way Lin gets triple teamed.
Lin's just fine.
Because JLin is a catalyst. He needs to put even more work than anyone else. I didn't see a triple team on JLin yesterday when he missed at the arc 3 times.
DeleteEverybody in the NBA, including Ray Allen and Reggie Miller, goes through stretches in games where they can't hit wide open shots.
DeleteIf those guys miss all sorts of wide open shots in a row, so can Lin. Has nothing to do with a lack of effort.
Jlin's problem is obviously not a lack of effort, it's a lack of consistency. The only way you get consistency is if you practice, practice, and practice. If 17% from the arc in the past few games doesn't raise an alarm what does.
DeleteI've seen Ray Allen and Larry Bird shoot that kind of percentage over several games from 3.
DeleteThose guys practiced just as hard as Lin does, and they bricked shot after shot in games bigger than the ones Lin has played in.
Don't hold Lin to a higher standard than the NBA's greatest shooters like Allen and Miller and Bird.
No way in hec do I hold JLin in those regards, he's not even close to Allen or Miller and never will. He just needs to find some consistency; otherwise, quit shooting 3s.
DeleteI know you don't think Jeremy Lin is working hard enough.
DeleteI think he IS.
Besides, Jeremy Lin hits 3s just fine against noncontender playoff opponents. Heck, he'll even drill those threes against San Antonio like he did in the 38 point outburst.
Jeremy Lin works so hard that the coaches have had to limit his practicing.
Find Lin a competent power forward with real power and Lin's perimeter shooting will improve against the contenders.
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DeleteIf JLin is working hard on his 3s but still cant make it consistently, it's obviously not his shot so he should be wise to take at most 3 shot attempts from the arc each game. Jacking up 5 or 6 attempts per game is beyond his limit. We all know JLin is a scorer and not a shooter, so if he's not in rhythm, or hot, he should recognize it and mitigate taking 3 point shots. Do something else, a mid-range jumper like he can make pretty consistently.
DeleteAgree with the power forward.
Well, Jeremy Lin has just played against a whole bunch of playoff opponents that have shut off his drives with max contract shotblocking big men and guards that ride him defensively out to nearly the halfcourt line.
DeleteFor Lin to remain an offensive threat, he HAS to take those shots. He tried passing out of those shots earlier this year, and all that did was make the Rockets LOSE.
Racha, this team needs a power forward with real power. A small forward with some game would help too.
You wrote above that Tyler Hansbrough is a good choice for PF. Agree. The Rockets is really lacking up front. You cant compete against the Western Conf teams with a weak frontcourt.
DeleteIt's funny how the Rox is doing well against Eastern teams and not Western teams. The difference is the front court period.
DeleteRoxs shouldn't have waived Scola.
DeleteThe only Eastern Conference team with a max contract shotblocker that can threaten Lin is Boston, and Houston crushed them with ease because Rondo is no match for Lin on either end of the court.
DeleteAfter seeing Miami, I'm not even sure that Lebron can offer up the kind of shotblocking that would terrorize Lin and Harden the way Ibaka with OKC does (or especially the horrific Batum Aldridge combo that Houston just cannot beat).
Scola would help the offense, but he is such a defensive liability that he's not really a net positive player. I'd have liked to seen him on Lin's Rockets anyway.
On a lighter note~
DeleteDaryl Morey @dmorey
For comic relief, a note I received this off-season. They are probably disappointed in @JHarden13 !
pic.twitter.com/Q8Dq2t7E
2:51 PM - 24 Dec 12
Pablo S. Torre @PabloTorre
@dmorey @jharden13 They probably threw a party for @JLin7, though.
2:52 PM - 24 Dec 12
@via, saw that. It was hilarious.
Delete@Via, lol...haha...........that is funny..But I also curious what will james harden look like without the beard..
DeleteHere's my theory on why Lin is such an abysmal shooter: He's too cerebral a player.
ReplyDeleteShooting, IMO, is 100% instinctual, 0% intellectual.
It's no coincidence that the NBA's prototypal dumb jocks, Carmelo and the fittingly spastic-looking JR Smith, are such effortless and elite scorers.
No thinking is required in their marksmanship: Here's the ball in your hands, there's the basket...aim...shoot!
Meanwhile, Lin tries to bring his smarts in calculus, geometry, and possibly even algebra to bear on his arc, etc.
He's been told countless times to stop overthinking his shot and just shoot. Doesn't look like he's been listening. SMH.
You think friggin JR SMITH is an "elite" scorer????
DeleteThat's so flawed, this debate is over before it even got started.
Haha yeah JR Smith an elite scorer...
DeleteJLin just needs to keep shooting. Eventually he'll find his groove and all will be well.
All his shots except for ONE was in and out yesterday, he could have easily hit 4/5 treys.
why can't humans outrun cheetahs or climb a tree faster than a monkey? Natural instinct, a cheetah runs without thinking about running, a monkey climbs without thinking of climbing.
DeleteIf not for JR Smith's scoring prowess, who here thinks the guy would even be an NBA player? He's so dumb he'd be a complete liability on a good team if it wasn't for his ability to drain the rock from almost anywhere on the court.
DeleteSure, he's earned a reputation as a chucker over the years. But that's because he was always a slacker who was content to get by on pure talent and athleticism. This is a guy who'd rather pay a MILLION DOLLAR FINE than attend team practices during his China stint.
That's how ill-disciplined he used to be and it showed in his play.
But he appears to have turned over a new leaf under Woodson's watchful eye this season. He's been a big part of the Knicks' early-season success, and has already notched a couple of buzzer-beating game winners along with a bunch of shockingly efficient scoring sprees under his belt.
Remember the ease with which he made every one of his shots in the first quarter against the Rockets at MSG to give the Knicks their only lead in the entire game?
He's simply been New York's second most reliable scorer since the start of the season. And he's definitely in the running for Sixth Man of the Year at the rate he's going on the strength of his made baskets alone.
None of that JR Smith fan worship means a darn thing when it comes to labeling Smith ad a superior scorer to Jeremy Lin.
DeleteJR Smith is not the guy that gets triple teamed like Lin, nor do opponents game plan against Smith like they do Lin.
The notion that JR Smith is a superior scorer than Lin is one of the most eyebrow raising things I've ever seen writren on this forum. I've already WASTED TOO MUCH OF MY TIME addressing such baseless mythology.
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ReplyDeleteRockets lost by 30+ points last night. A few more points from Lin, wouldn't have made any difference, it would just be padding his stats the way Douglas, Harden, and Delfino do in losing games, it doesn't effect the outcome. What killed the Rockets was team defense.
ReplyDeleteI for one am LOVING IT that McHale is TOUGH on JLin. I do the exact same thing at work. Its because professionally I expect much more from my leaders.
ReplyDeleteWhen a JR engineer makes a dumb mistake, I tell him its alright, no worries. I make it his team lead's problem to correct it.
When my seniors/leads, basically my favorites, make the same dumb mistake, I make sure they understand its unacceptable. I don't embarrass them because HR says I can't, but I make sure everyone in my staff meeting knows their mistake is unacceptable.
So I think McHale LOVES Lin, and is being hard on him so Lin will stop making stupid mistakes, because the scrutiny Lin gets, dumb mistakes cancel out any good he does on court.
Think about it: The media looks at Lin with a fine tooth comb. Heck even on fansites like Clutchfans, people look at Lin hell of a lot closer. Sure Harden and Parsons made the same and worse mistakes during the OKC game, but you don't see them get chewed out by the coach, and you don't see many people talk about their mistakes. Its not that they don't know others are doing just as bad, just they care MORE about Lin.
Whether its because they love him or hate him, the fans view Lin's position as more significant.
And McHale being tough may also be because they know Lin is getting scrutinized, so anything they can do to improve his game, they will do.
Personally I think Lin made the RIGHT TOs yesterday. They aren't because he dozed off and got cherry picked/disrupted like during the SAS game. They were passes that would have resulted in points.
What was bone headed about them was Lin keeps underestimating his opponents. Passing to Parsons when Durant is between him and the ball, hoping to zip the ball past Durant like he usually does, is just stupid.
And Lin does it TWICE.
And I'm sure McHale had a long talk to Lin about his TOs during SAS game, I wouldn't doubt McHale making conditions for Lin to operate within, and McHale may be just making good on those promises...Lin was on his way to 5-6 TOs if he didn't pull him out.
From a practical point of view, if Lin wants to be the primary play maker, he has to stop turning over the ball so much.
Though yesterday I don't think it was the right time to pull him out in 2nd quarter. They desperately needed his defense and playmaking, I would have just called time out and talk to Lin about continuing to attack, get the bigs to clear the lane for both him and Harden (may be why Aldrich was in, he's the only person with size to contest Ibaka/Perkins, now if Patterson wasn't so soft HardLin would both have a field day) and make sure Lin knows to be careful around Durant.
By 2nd quarter I meant 2nd half lol...When he got pulled in 3Q.
Deletei hope you're right kenoshi. You made a really good point
DeleteI agree with Kenoshi.
DeleteInteresting how Kenoshi doesn't get flamed for supporting McHale while I get flamed for the same thing.
Human behavior is so predictable. Sigh.
:D
DeleteNo, he doesn't have to stop turning the ball over so much. Sorry, that's just stupid and its that stupidity, overestimating the negative influence of turnovers and underestimating the cost of trying to minimize turnovers versus scoring points, is precisely why Houston is losing games.
DeleteLast year Lin had a top 40 PER. PER cam be thought of us production per turnover. Lin's teams won way more with him than without him. If you minimize his turnovers you minimize wins. Why bother being a fan of Lin if you don't understand what makes him special? Plenty of advanced stats analyts explained last year that Lin's turnover problem was exaggerated.
People get better at things through practice. Benching Lin for turnovers reduces that practice time and also conditions Lin to feel pain when he takes winning risks.
Oops, @khuang, you didn't give me enough time. :)
DeleteI'm too mean for you, Michael Terry.
DeleteI still want Lin to be held accountable for everything, even if I agree that high turnover games are inevitable!
No problem with everything you said Kenoshi.... Except that a leader must be consistent with his hard nox, hard correcting etc. If your a hard ass on one team lead and not the others you do two things.
ReplyDelete1.) you alienate that team member and make him appear weaker to everyone else
2.) you make yourself open to much criticism by others for being inconsistent
This is what McHale is doing to jlin in my opionon. He fails because he is not consistent with Harden (TO's, playing better defense, and Parsons for everything)
That's the way I feel about it.
Talking about possible trade:
ReplyDeleteToronto are shopping bargnani around.... Wait wait wait.... I know what you're sayin'.... You're italian that's why you like bargnani :D
Honestly what do you think of a possible trade with toronto that offers bargnani/fields and houston Patterson/delfino?
Bargnani don't get so many rebounds but can hit jumpers and 3s and it's good with p'n'r. Landry could be a great sixth manmuch better than delfino. Toronto now has got alan anderson and ross and pietrus ....
I think there's Still room for the likes of millsap and jefferson in free agency : what do you think about?
If there's one team that can protect Bargnani defensively while making him into the modern Dirk Nowitzki, it's Houston with Jeremy Lin.
DeleteHowever, I seriously doubt that Houston has the assets to trade for Bargnani. Lin would have to be part of such a package.
The bottom line... Jeremy Lin can't hit 3's. He can't create a jump shot off the dribble. As much as I want him to do well, he's gotta make jumpers especially the 3 ball. He's doing everything else well. I know he had that game against the spurs where everything was going in. Every dog has it's day. Once he gets consistent with it he'll average 20+ since everything else will open up for him. This off season is crucial for him. Hire a real shooting coach and practice your ass off. No traveling to Taiwan and China wasting time. Ugh, i get so disgusted watching him brick wide open 3's. Elite pg's don't miss jumpers unless your rondo..
ReplyDeleteThe past few games teams have been leaving him open from 3pt range. They are challenging him to make that shot and beat him. He has to step up to the plate and knock those open 3's down.
DeleteCan't create jump shot off the dribble.
DeleteCan't hit 3s.
Is not consistent.
Wasted his time traveling in China and Taiwan.
Doesn't practice his ass off.
You a Lin fan or a HATER?
KHuang can you read? In his post he said "as much as I want to see him do well" means he is not a hater. He never said I want JLin to suck or play badly. The truth is that his 3pt percentage is down. You can be a fan and still be a critic. Look at the Lakers. They had die hard fans calling for a coaching change because they want the team to win and no the team wasn't performing well. No need to capitalize HATER. It doesn't add emphasis. We are all fans and well all want to see him do well. Point blank. Period.
DeleteI guess you and jsmoke have a "love hater" relationship with Lin, then, zmcva001@ucr.edu.
DeleteFrom the sounds of his post and your agreemeent of his Lin bashing, you'd think Lin couldn't possibly play in the NBA because of his laziness and lack of skillz.
If it sounds like a hater, it usually IS a hater.
KHuang I have come to the conclusion that you have limited basketball knowledge. I am a J Lin fan. Through and through. I have the J Lin 7 logo tattooed on my right arm. So don't question my loyalty. I also have every J Lin jersey, plus 2 J Lin fat heads. I am a fan by all means. J Lin needs to shoot the ball better. That doesn't make me a hater. If I said, J Lin is great and nothing about his game needs to change, I would sound dumb. Changes need to be made, and I am sure J Lin knows that just as much as we do. He's beyond smart. JR Smith is by far an elite scorer in the league by the way, thats why the NBA analysts refer to him as instant offense, because he can score from anywhere any anytime. He is a feared scorer in the league and he started the year shooting a ridiculous 72% from 3PT range. Like who does that? 72% is ridiculous. Thats 3 3's for every 1 that J Lin makes. Just put everything into perspective. J Smoke wants J Lin to do well just as much as you do. Just as much as I do. I think J Smoke will agree that all 3 of us want to see J Lin play well.
DeleteC'mon, there's no hate in neither jsmoke nor zmcva001's posts. I hope both of you keep posting.
DeleteHe has to create mid-range jump shot off dribble , every pg does that . He need to get closer , he is struggling from the 3 pts range . I hope he can do more of this instead of attacking the basket all the time or just pass the ball .
DeleteARE YOU KIDDING ME, Nom?
DeleteHere are two guys who say that Lin can't create his own shot, can't shoot 3s, is lazy, and think that JR Smith is better than Lin? And then this zmcva001 guy starts saying that I have "limited" basketball knowledge even though it's likely I've been watching basketbally likely longer than he's been alive?
This is HATER TERRITORY. Mark my words. You'll see it come out in ensuing posts from these two.
@zmcva001, KHuang is alright. Although he can be a bit defensive at times, he's pretty logical most of the time. There are others in this forum that has heighten sensitivity and are completely kookoo. They'll defend JLin with every ounce of energy regardless. They see criticism as bashing and hating.
DeleteThanks for having our backs Nom :)Ryu Ken agrees with us too. It's not hating, it's not it's not it's not. J Lin is my favorite player? How am I hating on him? lol. I don't get it. J Lin can shoot threes. He just can't make them right now lol. JR Smith is the 2nd best player on the Knicks. The Knicks have the 2nd best record in the East. Essentially, JR Smith is the 2nd best player on the 2nd best team. Can we say that about J Lin yet? I am not so sure. But he will definitely get there as he continues to refine his game.
Delete@KHuang
Delete"Here are two guys who say that Lin can't create his own shot, can't shoot 3s, is lazy, and think that JR Smith is better than Lin?"
I draw none of these conclusions from what they have posted. I presume when jsmoke says Lin "can't hit 3's. He can't create a jump shot off the dribble" he is not being literal. It's like when I scream at the TV "They can't buy a basket!", I don't actually think points can be bought. Even after Tim Donaghy.
"And then this zmcva001 guy starts saying that I have "limited" basketball knowledge"
Dude, I want *none* of this :)
"You'll see it come out in ensuing posts from these two."
I hope you're wrong, but if it turns out you're not, I will be sure to acknowledge it.
You're not sure that Jeremy Lin is better than JR Smith, zmcva????
DeleteThose two guys played on the SAME TEAM last season. Guess who was the better player on both ends of the court? Lin, not Smith.
Besides, this Houston team absolutely CRUSHED NY. JR Smith could do nothing to stop Lin from PUNKING the Knicks.
JR Smith might be the 2nd best player on the 2nd best record in the East - and Jeremy Lin absolutely WRECKED the Knicks. Lin created shots, hit 3s, and blew his ex teammates out of the water.
And this Lin thing is lazy because he went to Taiwan and China? You explain to me how Lin training 5+ hours a day in basketball on his Asia tour is lazy, zmcva001.
@Racha, if you give constructive criticism to your kids or spouse, does that mean you are 'hating' on them? No, it means you love them and want them to make a correction, right? How is this any different? It's a different context, yes, but the word is used for the same meaning in this post. :)
DeleteDude KHuang chill out. We all want him to do well. But the fact is he is the worst 3pt shooter on the rockets. Harden, Parsons, Morris, even Douglas is shooting the 3 ball better. I don't know if it's the shooting form or what but whatever it is, he won't be able to work on it till the off season. Get rid of his shooting coach doc sheppler(a high school girls bball coach) and get a real pro. Right now he's just not confident. You can't rely just on driving to the hoop all the time. I don't want to see him injured again. I'm not saying he's not working his ass off. He just needs work on the right things that make him a better shooter. Like i said before, once he gets consistent everything else will open up for him. Then he'll average 20+ pts a game. Zmcva001 you're on the money.
DeleteWhen did I call J Lin lazy? I never said that. If I did could you copy and paste it in a post so I can see it? I would never say that about J Lin, my FAVORITE player. And yes, J Lin played well on the Knicks and against the Knicks. No one is arguing with you there. No one. No one. No one. 2 games doesn't define a season or a career. Is Danny Green a better player than James Harden because he lit up the Rockets from 3pt range? I don't think so man.
DeleteNom, I'm not here to fight you.
DeleteBut whaddya expect me to do when I read nonsense from a guy who writes that Lin is lazy and can't shoot and can't create his own shot and is worse than JR Smith????
And then this zmcva kid comes and AGREES with all that?
Do you actually believe Lin is lazy, Nom? That he can't create his own shot? That JR Smith is so much better than Lin???
The 3 point shooting thing? Sure, Lin could work on his percentages. Still, the overall positive of Lin's creativity makes it easy for me to live with Lin's low percentage 3 point shooting (the sole flaw in his game). Besides, get Lin a real power forward who can actually score inside and Lin's 3 point percentage will likely come up naturally just because teams can't constantly blitz him on the perimeter. And Lin has been known to hit a few 3 pointers in a game, especially when the game is on the line.
zmcva001, you AGREED with this statement:
Delete"Hire a real shooting coach and practice your ass off. No traveling to Taiwan and China wasting time."
Do you really believe that Jeremy Lin is LAZY, wasting his time in China with those 5+ hour per day practices?
Ironically, I've been the biggest critic of Doc Scheppler but now am defending him because Lin's hitting more and more outside shots. So do you really believe that Jeremy Lin doesn't have a real shooting coach who makes him practice his ass off?
jsmoke, I don't agree with ANY of your statements.
DeleteMaybe Lin is the worst 3 point shooter on the Rockets, percentage wise. He also spends his time setting up others on the team and shooting bailout 3 pointers with the shot clock winding down.
You openly insinuate that Lin is lazy and that he can't create his own shot. These are so easily disprovable that it's ridiculous for ANYBODY to believe such garbage.
So when did I call him lazy? I never said J Lin was lazy. Please show me. I am reading through all my posts I never typed, J Lin is lazy.
Delete@zmcva001 I agree man. When I started posting and was "critical" of JLin I immediately met the wrath of KHuang and others. Even yesterday when JLin didn't do well, I was again critical but I got the kookoo bees coming at me from all angles calling me a hater and nutjob. Some you can reason with you, like KHuang, and others you cant. I have no problem with what you and JSmoke said.
Deleteplease, how is traveling to china and taiwan a problem???
DeleteI can't understand some comments like this! Hello, while you are working really hard on the job, you also need some vacation time to rest and relax. How long did he stay in Taiwan and China? Besides basketball, he also have other things he wants to do in life ok! How you know he didn't work his ass off during the off-season? besides that, he still recovering from the knee during the off season, how hard can he work on when he is still recovering?
Thank you Racha, I appreciate your support of understanding what I am trying to say, I think for now, if you'd like, you can email me zmcva001@ucr.edu (Go Highlanders!!!!!) and we can talk about the games lol, I am fair in evaluating. I love J Lin. So much, Wo Ai Ni gege! hahahahahahahahaha. J Lin is a great player,a dn he is my favorite player.
DeleteYou guys can all believe what you want.
DeleteThat JLin is lazy for having "wasted" his time in China.
That JLin cannot create his own shot.
That JLin doesn't work hard enough at shooting.
That JR Smith is better than Lin.
I have a BIG PROBLEM with you guys openly insinuating those things about Lin. That's total hater territory to me.
I don't have to agree with you guys, and you don't have to agree with me.
@KHuang
Delete"Do you actually believe Lin is lazy, Nom?"
Of course not. No one does. But the first person to bring up that word was you.
"Nom, I'm not here to fight you."
Likewise. Good thing, too, since I expect a better challenge than a straw man ;)
Now the three of you go hug.
LOL, JSmoke (Zmcva) is merely saying that JLin should dedicate more time in the states to get his shooting down instead of being distracted traveling to China and Taiwan. It's getting a bit overboard man.
DeleteYeah Racha, and I TOTALLY DISAGREE with that.
DeleteHow much more practice can Lin do than 5+ hours a day in China? 10+ hours a day?
Lin is a NBA professional. He practices as hard as any other player has ever practiced. He's been criticized here for supposedly not practicing hard or long enough in China. That's a direct criticism of his professionalism - LAZINESS. I cry FOUL.
These guys think that Lin's problems are due to his not working hard enough. It's so not true. If anything, Lin may have overworked himself in his effort to get back. Nobody should be questioning Jeremy Lin's professionalism and work ethic.
I seem like I'm blowing this out of proportion, but I'm not.
lol ya a bit overboard. I still don't get how I can be a hater of my favorite player? That's like saying, I hate my loving wife, who I love so much and love her more and more as each day passes. Wtf lol.
Delete"Elite pg's don't miss jumpers unless your rondo.."and what does this line mean? Rondo is perceive as an elite pg, so it's ok for an elite pg to miss jumpers or not?
DeleteYou might be a Lin fan, but you criticize him as if he isn't good enough.
DeleteAnd you think JR Smith is better than Lin. Pfft.
I don't think he's lazy. Far from it. Come on, he wouldn't have made it this far if he was. I just think he needs to work on the"right" things that will make him a better shooter. Like i said in my first post, he does everything else well. Assists, rebounds, steals, all of that. Now about traveling to China and Taiwan I think he would benefit by staying here and working with a pro shooting coach and practice with pro players. Its just my opinion. I don't understand why i would be called a hater for that. Again, we all want him to do well.
Delete"How much more practice can Lin do than 5+ hours a day in China? 10+ hours a day?
DeleteLin is a NBA professional. He practices as hard as any other player has ever practiced. He's been criticized here for supposedly not practicing hard or long enough in China.
If anything, Lin may have overworked himself in his effort to get back. Nobody should be questioning Jeremy Lin's professionalism and work ethic."
I agree with these things you said about Jlin, Khuang.
I disagree with the original poster for point out this as a problem. I don't think he is wasting his time in China or Taiwan. Besides the basketball thing, he also doing some good deeds during his trip to china and Taiwan.
@jssmoke, I wouldn't call you a hater or think you are a hater basic on that, i just disagree and think what you said about his trip in china and taiwan is wrong.
DeleteActually, some people try to telling others not to called people hater may also end up calling people may be a hater too.
I also completely disagree with jsmoke's assertion that Jeremy Lin "can't create off the dribble".
DeleteIf there's a player in the NBA who can create off the dribble, it's Jeremy Lin!
Not only can Jeremy Lin create for himself, he also creates for others.
The cockamanie assertion that Lin "can't create off the dribble" is totally WRONG.
i never said he sucks or isn't good enough lol. Why are you putting words in my mouth? JR Smith is better than J Lin, right now. He has a higher PER 15.77 to 14.44, shooting .363 from 3pt range compared to .271 for J Lin, 16.1 ppg compared to J Lin's 12. He is also 27 years old and has been in the league 8 years, since he finished high school, compared to J Lin being 24 and only in his 3rd season. It's okay to be younger and still developing.
DeleteCreate a "jumpshot". That's what i said.
DeleteLin cannot "create a jumpshot????"
DeleteGo watch him actually play. He penetrates, rises for that little midrange floater, among other shots. He's been "creating a jumpshot" for himself and others since the day he entered the NBA as a rookie with Golden State!!!
And JR Smith is "better than Lin right now"? Just because he has a slightly higher PER and shoots better for NY in that weak Eastern Conference? Like Jeremy Lin is going to be recovering from knee surgery forever and thus HAS to be worse than JR Smith getting his butt beat by Lin in Knicks Houston games. That's just as RIDICULOUS as jsmoke's notion that Lin cannot "create a jumpshot".
In actual NBA games, Jeremy Lin is a much better player than JR Smith and does just fine creating "jumpshots" for himself and others. That's why he's paid $5 million this season and JR Smith is paid only $2.5 million, because JR Smith is not the impact player than Jeremy Lin is.
You guys call yourselves "Lin fans", but you post like HATERS.
Khuang, i definitely understand your attitude and what you are getting on. i see the point you are try to make. I like the kind of attitude you have by defending for jlin. however, let's not called people haters too soon..I think your points are still valid and strong even if you didn't called them haters...and actually no need to call them haters though...
Delete2004-05 New Orleans Hornets NBA $1,206,600
Delete2005-06 New Orleans Hornets NBA $1,297,080
2006-07 Denver Nuggets NBA $1,387,560
2007-08 Denver Nuggets NBA $2,134,067
2008-09 Denver Nuggets NBA $4,985,001
2009-10 Denver Nuggets NBA $5,508,426
2010-11 Denver Nuggets NBA $6,757,851
2011-12 New York Knicks NBA $2,382,353
as you can see, JR Smith was already getting paid. Rashard Lewis and Joe Johnson signed some of the biggest contracts in NBA History, so since they make more than J Lin they are better players than him? Let's not bring money into this.
"You guys call yourselves "Lin fans", but you post like HATERS.", but I do somehow agree with this last sentence. Sometimes, i don't understand that from other jlin fans too..but I think anyone who bothers to come here and bothers to post some words about jlin must be a jlin fans then, or else why wouldn't they want to be here..except a guy name jay something.......is the real haters I can recall here...
DeleteI'm not talking about his floaters or shots in the paint. I'm talking about juking out his defender and popping the midrange j in his face. The bulk of his points are drives to the basket. Of course he creates for others. I already stated that in my original post. I'm not hating, I'm critical of his low shooting percentage. I WANT HIM TO DO WELL. I'm done.
DeleteWhy SHOULDN'T we bring money into this discussion?
DeleteJoe Johnson was a fabulous player for the Suns before he signed that max contract with Atlanta. He helped Atlanta reach the playoffs too. That's a player who's had a max contract impact, both for Phoenix and Atlanta.
Rashard Lewis was a 23 point 10 rebound player in Seattle before he signed that max contract with Orlando. Because Lewis was the man with the Seattle Supersonics, Lewis played and delivered like a max contract player before Orlando.
JR Smith is a known knucklehead with run ins with both coaches and players. On the court, he is not a player that teams fully trust. And when he played alongside Lin last season, he had possibly his best season. Now Smith is doing great in that pathetically weak Eastern Conference.
Nobody, I mean NOBODY, can convince me that Jeremy Lin is worse than JR Smith.
Well I'M not done, jsmoke.
DeleteJeremy Lin DOES juke his defender and pop the midrange J in people's faces. Often it's over two guys, as Lin regularly faces the double team in the midrange. He does it ALL THE TIME, as can be seen in actual games.
And as far as Lin's low shooting percentage goes, keep in mind that Lin's had several games of 60% shooting when he's not facing the top teams in the NBA. You cannot discount those games in the effort to categorize Lin as having a "low shooting percentage". He has been recovering from that knee injury and has been facing crazy defensive coverage of the likes I've never seen. Plus Lin often has to shoot with the shot clock winding down, as that's his role on the Rockets.
You guys make it seem like Lin is a SCRUB who can't shoot and can't produce, and I cannot agree with those assertions because Lin has been such an IMPACT player. Such assertions fly in the face of raw NBA evidence on and off the court.
Anytime I see guys criticizing Lin based on things that Lin is doing SUPERBLY on, my hater radar goes up.
But they make more money than J Lin, so they must be better? Right? That's what I said and that is what you are saying by bringing up JR Smith's contract, who could have made a huge splash in free agency but chose to resign for the minimum because he would rather win than get paid, like Antawn Jamison for the Lakers, and even Steve Nash, who could have got crazy money by going to Toronto. Winning is what matters, and that is what JR Smith is doing, he is proving he can be the man in NY, that's why he takes the lost shot of the game when Melo is out, they may not fully trust him in NY but they gave him the ball with the clock running out and tell him to go win the game, if that's not trust idk what is. Houston trusted J Lin to beat Miami but he air balled that 3. And it sucks because everyone wanted J Lin to hit that shot and beat Miami. Playing alongside J Lin helped JR Smiths game but his numbers are even better this year, is it because he plays alongside Raymond Felton and Raymond Felton is better than J Lin? No, it is because JR Smith is starting to mature and live up to his potential.
Deletezmcva001, you must be a screen reincarnation of billy chung or jay mac or something.
DeleteNonetheless, I'll address your basketball points because the game is more important to me than people here are.
- No other team offered JR Smith a contract this offseason, so this "huge splash in free agency" nonsense is GARBAGE!!!
- JR Smith has good numbers on a Knicks team that would be absolutely crushed if they faced the same brutal schedule that Lin's Rockets did. The two matchups against the Rockets clearly proved that Smith's Knicks were absolutely no match for Lin's Rockets.
- Rashard Lewis and Joe Johnson had significant track records of success that were longer than Jeremy Lin's has been so far. They DESERVED their max contracts, and I'm OK with people saying that they were "better" than Lin at the time they received those contracts. Money TALKS.
This is pretty one-sided obviously. Kevin McHale doesn't have the greatest record as a coach because he has never coached a good team. Ever. This is probably his most talented team and he is showing that by winning some games. Greg Smith and Omer Asik both had foul trouble before halftime so you can't say if they got more minutes they would have one. That's like saying, if Tony Douglas made 10 3's he took instead of 4 they would have won. Or if the Rockets made more baskets then the Spurs they would have fun. That's out of McHale's control that they are getting in foul trouble. And you can't place all the blame on Harden. Green is a good shooter, 40% or so from 3PT range and he lit up another team when he went 7 for 8 from deep. Jeremy Lin has had a lot of turnovers the past few games. Teams are trapping him on the pick and roll and its causing him to either make a bad pass or turn the ball over. James Harden may lack defensive intensity but he is the reason why a lot of the games they lose are even competitive. He has 9 30 point games this year. That's Melo, Kobe, and Durant territory.
ReplyDeleteJonathan Feigen @Jonathan_Feigen
ReplyDeleteAnderson to be signed for 3 yrs. Hou deals have had 2 seasons w tm option in previous deals. Likely available tmrw. Expect Cook to be cut.
2:34 PM - 30 Dec 12
I have no idea who James Anderson is, but he can't be worse than Cook, right?
DeleteIf he is any good at all, hopefully he can spell some minutes for CP.
Popovich: He's a hardworking kid. He comes early and stays late, aggresive and physical. Just hasn't found a place yet, and sometimes that happens with players.”
DeleteTony Parker flopping warning
ReplyDeleteThat's hilarious, I totally missed it.
DeleteIt's about time he got warned.
DeleteDavid AldridgeVerified @daldridgetnt
ReplyDeleteRoyce White says he won't play for Rockets' D League team, citing "unsafe" atmosphere of team officials making mental health calls.
10:43 AM - 30 Dec 12
Dear Rox: Please.Cut.Bait.
DeleteI was rooting for him in the beginning, but now...SMH.
DeleteWhite definitely got some great skills and can help the Rox at the 4. His attitude is worst than Cousins. Cut him loose already.
DeleteYou and me both. The sad thing is, I'm afraid he's really screwing this up for future players in similar situations.
DeleteI really, really hate talking about race in my posts here, but I'm going to make an exception because I think it's both relevant and important. There is a reason Yao Ming and Jeremy Lin behave the way they do. Their conduct is nothing short of exemplary. After reading Yao's book, I know he was aware that there were implications with everything he did. I believe the same goes for Lin. So I hope that the next time someone says "Jeremy should have done this" or "Jeremy should have done that", realize that he is in a game that's bigger than just basketball.
Ok, stepping off the pedestal, and sincere apologies to anyone who didn't want to read that.
Since this summer, I've been writing here that I don't think Royce White has NBA ability.
DeleteI have been writing since summertime that he doesn't have NBA footspeed, hops, or reflexes. I'm not even convinced by his passing.
I totally disagree with Daryl Morey's assertion that Royce White is a top NBA prospect who has "top 5 talent" based on basketball skills alone.
Keep in mind that I'm talking about Royce White as if he had his mental condition under control. I just don't think he has NBA game.
KHuang you're too harsh man. The boy got some skills. Check out his summer league highlights:
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncol0AUiFXE
I dont like his attitude but he definitely got skills to play in the NBA.
DeleteDoes it matter? As long as he cant deal with his problems he wont play anywhere. I loved Rox for giving him a chance but I am not so optimistic anymore.
DeleteI AM too harsh, Racha.
DeleteI've watched those summer league highlights. They're good, but I'm not measuring Royce White by summer league standards. I'm measuring them against NBA standards, which is much tougher than summer league.
If Royce White has NBA game, he needs to prove it in practice day in and day out before he can step on an NBA court. Let him go to the D-league and prove himself there first.
Didn't JLin get his start from performing well in the summer league.
DeleteWhen Jeremy Lin was killing it at Harvard, I wasn't measuring his future prowess against summer league stars like Jerome Randle and Dominique Jones.
DeleteI was measuring Lin against actual NBA competitions, guys like Nash and Kidd and other point guard stars that didn't appear to me to have more athleticism or game than Lin did.
I cannot say the same for Royce White. I don't think he could even beat out Terrence Jones, and Jones is not a rotation player for the Rockets.
oh..please...what did he really wants????didn't every rookie got sent to D-league at least once??
DeleteEven jeremy lamb been sent to D-league.And not to mention jeremy lin too. He is not the only want in this world with mental problem, i am sure there people who have mental problem do way much better than people who don't have. If they can do it, why can't you? Who's that Nobel prize winner economist with schizophrenia? This is not good to you, that is not good to you, what is good to you? obviously, you can't survive and should leave NBA if this is the attitude you have.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteRegardless if JLin was killing it at Harvard (Division 2) or not, he wouldn't have played in the NBA if he wasn't able to prove himself worthy during the summer league. You can measure all you want, but the facts are the facts.
DeleteAs fans, we all have a tendency to make comparisons of players. So you can compare all you want and say JLin is comparable to Nash and Kidd, while others may feel White is comparable to Charles Barkley. It's just your opinion. But there's no doubt White has skills or else he wouldn't have been drafted so high. Whether he will flourish in the NBA remains to be seen.
I never said that Jeremy Lin didn't have to prove himself in Summer League, Racha.
DeleteAnd as far as making comparisons of players, it's absolutely necessary in the draft process. The NBA is a competitive league and teams try to get guys who are BETTER than the competition. Because of that, I never agreed with the Royce White-Charles Barkley comparison because Charles Barkley was a one of a kind athletic specimen who clearly demonstrated All-NBA athleticism at Auburn. I'd be RAVING about Royce White if he was half the athlete that Barkley was!
I'm not saying that Royce White cannot play the game of basketball. On raw ability alone, I expect him to be a solid D-league player but not a star like Terrence Jones or Donatas Motiejeunas. The NBA, however, is several steps above the D-League in difficulty.
JLin highlights vs OKC - 12/29/12
ReplyDelete[coffeetime]
+ links to history of dirty plays by Nick Collison