JLin DID say this: This will be the first return back to MSG, and there will never be another first return. [We’re going to go out and play and have some fun.”]
Long time reader, first time poster here.... Well, as a native New Yorker and long time basketball fan, I must say I have been looking forward to this game for the longest time, ever since the whole JLin-to-Houston situation took place. I've been looking forward to it because we all know how things ended here, and how the Knicks did everything to make Jeremy look bad (by defaming the guy). So, for the longest time I, and pretty much every one I know have been waiting for this match up. Now, if I'm honest I'm a bit worried about the outcome, due to the fact that things haven't turned out how I, and many of you expected in Houston. See, before Harden joined the team, we didn't know how things where going to flow, but at least we knew that it was going to be Jeremy's team. Win or lose, it was going to be his style, his team. We all know that is not the case. We also know that Houston High Command do not hold the kid in high esteem, so they have done everything in their power to make him look bad (I mean, we all know the questionable decisions made by McHale and Sampson). I do know one thing, though, and that is that the Knicks are going to come at Jeremy hard. This is what Carmelo, Felton, and Woodson have been waiting for: to show the world why they sent Jeremy away. They'd love nothing more than to embarrass the Rockets, and especially Jeremy... So yeah, I'd love to see McHale and co. just let Jeremy go crazy, at least for one night. I'd love to see Linsanity one more time at MSG. I'd love to see something crazy, like 50 points 6 rebounds and 10 assists, but the realist in me knows that won't happen, not because the kid can't do it, but because they are sending him out there with one hand tied behind his back... Hope for the best, but expect the worst... Who knows, I might be wrong, but boy, it would be something to see Jeremy light up MSG again... :)
Not going to happen, they won't come at Jeremy hard, they know he's been a non-factor in Mcfail's system, they didn't count on Parsons to have a big night, so they'll be locking Harden/Parsons down.
I think there was a bit of contempt on Knicks part, but Rockets will be well scouted this time, and Woodson is no idiot. If Jeremy doesn't take over and goes into role player mode like last time, this game will end in disaster.
Count on Kidd to make a statement as well, he's going to be draining 3s all night.
I couldn't agree more with you. I think the Knicks have done absolutely everything to try to move on from the shadow of Jeremy, but so many fans are still resentful here, even with the recent success, that they would love it to have their current point guards (Felton, Kidd) make him look bad. They have to, just so they can move on from Linsanity. Again, I wouldn't be so upset if it was fought fair and square, but I know they won't let him take control, McHale simply won't allow it... Bleh, it's like a train wreck is coming and there's nothing we the fans can do to stop it, even deep down we know Jeremy can tap into Linsanity whenever he likes and could have a night for the ages at MSG; something to rival MJ or Reggie Miller... Oh how I'd love to see that...
its tearing my heart already.. Im hoping for the best and expecting for the worst as well(bty I remember jeremy saying that). I really want to bring back linsanity as well even just for this night because I know how the criticism on jeremy would be bad if this would one of his bad games. what Im just hoping right now is for the new york fans to just please respect him. give him applause and to not boo him. once in MSG jeremy makes them proud so please please give him the love he deserves. I cant cheer for him there because my country is too far but Im hoping NYC people will still cheer him on. just respect.
I am also a native New Yorker residing from Brooklyn. I'm a long time Knicks fan and I'm still bothered about Jeremy not staying in New York. I believe the Knicks would be just as good if not better with Lin but you have to hand it to Felton too. He has played WAY better than what I thought he would be. I was really hoping for him to do great in Houston and show Knicks management they messed up but the addition of Harden has seemingly sapped Jeremy of his powers hence his best game was with Harden out. I hope Jeremy has a great game but the Rockets have been kinda hard to watch a lot of the time.
Kind of nice of Raymond to say Lin deserves nothing more than a standing ovation.
I'm sure he'll get boos but the cheers should drown those out.
Hopefully he just shows up to game and have fun, its when he puts too much pressure on himself to do well that he screws up. They're gunna gun for Harden/Parsons for sure and Raymond will probably restrain himself on beating Lin but beating the game, I hope Lin/Smith/Asik and others can bring it.
I'm pretty sure Mchale and Sampson want Jeremy Lin to be at his best. If you don't think this you're not exactly objective. You can have issue with the decisions they make, but to think they want Jeremy to fail is simply ridiculous. They get employed for winning games and nothing else.
Sampson and McHale certainly don't want Jeremy to fail but they certainly don't have enough trust and understanding to let Jeremy be the point guard and give him the ball and the big minutes he needs to succeed. (and, they are not "saving his knee" i can tell you that). They lack the understanding that JLIN is #1 an ALPHA (but an ALPHA that needs the COACH to tell the team he's the ALPHA), #2 effects the game over time (you can't sit him for long stretches), and #3 is a 4th quarter guy and an absolute winner if he's put in that ALPHA position.
Sadly, NO coach, with the exception of D'Antoni is going to see him that way either I don't think. He's going to have to shoot his way out of this by becoming a great shooter... end of story. I truly don't believe that anybody is ever going to give him the reigns in this league...
Coaches don't want any of their players to fail but coaches fail at coaching though. JVG has said that he wished he hadn't tried to make X-player be someone play a position that wasn't suited for him. He says, you have to play to your players' strengths rather than force them into a role because it fits your system.
I just watched the first quarter of today's game on replay... and I'd have to say it was nearly as bad as I expected from all the negative chatter. First of all, yes JLIN has three turnovers. 2 bad. And, one I will accept -- the long pass over the top at the start of the game to Asik -- but if the Rockets want to "push pace" and have Asik's running the floor mean something, LIN needs to throw that pass when he thinks its there. We've seen him throw some sweet up court dimes all year... can't stop now. That's his game. The jump in the air TO was bad... he had an easy pass to Morris. And, he over thought the post feed to Asik ... just put it up high. Big Guys rarely contest the post entry pass in the PRO's. As for the defense, I almost have no problem with it. Calderon his first three because Harden is lazy and switches. Leaving Calderon matched up with a big. Then Lin goes under two on balls -- Calderon hits from behind. I'm going to assume the coaching staff wanted him under those... LIN will usually push and chase on most PNR (also, no kind of hedge help from Asik) ... then calderon hits off a screen the screener action with JLIN chasing as he's supposed to (no hedge help again from Asik). Then Calderon hit and end of shot clock bomb with LIN in his face.
Positives I saw were that JLIN took the one good open look he had with confidence. And he created or passed for probably 4-6 shots ... that while not assists and not all made ... were solid point guard stuff. Asik fumbles a ball out of bounds, Morris misses a three, Harden passes up a wide open foul line jumper to try to do the same pass to Asik that LIN attempts all the time for another fumble ...
The stuff that I think is bad is the Rockets offensive agenda. The start of the game is to willy-nilly. Every guy thinks he has the green light except JLIN... What I typically see is neither Harden or LIN getting shots up at the start of the game... and I think this is probably the number one mistake they are making. The Rockets need more purposeful starts. If Harden is your guy, run a play or two to get him a good look. And, Do the same for LIN. Stop letting the "others" have such a green light at the start. The starts are too choppy, and too unfocused.
McHale talks about tightening things and the Rockets need to be tightened way down. There are waaaaay to many guys with green lights out there.
And, If you watch Harden... Yep, he can score. But his start is not a lot better than LINS in my opionion. He's responsible for the first Calderon three, he has a bad TO, He passes up an easy foul line jumper off a JLIN pass, AND he runs right to a mid post position on a fastbreak and completely fucks JLIN's driving lane... Had he sprinted to the corner... JLIN could have had a driving land and possibly got him a shot. And, if you count all this as you should -- ALL of this MAJORLY FUCKS UP GAME FLOW and JLINS FLOW too... Hit the freethrow line jump James (assist LIN), sprint to the corner James (JLIN hits lay-up or Harden for three), don't turn it over James!, and play some defense! ... dont' switch off Calderon and maybe he doesn't hit that first three so easily and get rolling ...
Yep, LIN can play better... but that quarter wasn't as bad as it looked and there were a lot of negative factors to that quarter... Jeremy's stuff is just glaring because we are focused on him and his TO's oftentimes look very bad ... But Harden had a terrible looking TO in that quarter too.
Time to start coaching Kevin McHale... You need to give your young guys a focus on offense... not just the GREEN LIGHT.
OH, and, FUUUUUUUUUUCK... Did, I really seen Morris not outlet the ball to LIN and dribble it up the floor?!!!!
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK ME! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK US! ... ME, WE, and HE (JLIN) are so fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucked with this transition approach...
McHale insists that he wants to try to find more ways for LIN to touch the ball yet the one very easy way he could do it is give LIN the ball in transition. McHale is either an idiot or a liar or both. But watching Mercury Morris handle the ball in transition is maddening.
I agree with you that the constant freestyling goes too far. They don't need to be as regimental as Woodson's team but even an inexperienced team should have the brainpower to memorise more than 3 or 4 plays by now lol
The way the Rox are playing, one have no choice but think McHale is either malicious or stupid. How is it everybody and their mother can see where the problems are, and he can't? It makes no sense.
Meanwhile, JLin is languishing in his non-role in McHale's joke of a "system".
OK, saying McHale is malicious or stupid goes too far. Saying what you need to do is quite different from actually executing it! I have worked long enough to know that people who talk about what the problems are aren't necessarily people who can implement a solution. The obvious solutions aren't always the best solutions. As you are well aware, it's not like there aren't coaches telling Lin what he needs to do - that it is selfish not to take more shots. What McHale needs to do is to try to keep things under control and draw up some decent plays and have the mind to call plays from the bench more often. Can't just leave it to Lin/Harden/TD or whoever is playing point guard to make the decisions on the court all the time. I think the problem with the Rox is that there is no leader. As someone said, the Rox seems to play PG by committee sometimes.
It's hard not to think malice when we see how JLin is being more and more marginalized within the Rox system. There have been outright calls for JLin to just go rogue/ defy orders/ call McHale's bluff. Can you blame people for thinking this? You are demanding fans show faith towards a coach who have done the opposite of deserving it.
And isn't McHale being stupid the implicit take-away of all these advices? Apparently ideas readily known to bloggers, msm, fans on a forum, simply escapes McHale.
Or like you mentioned, he might be unable to execute those best-laid plans. He's not competent for the job then, and should prolly allow someone who could to take his place.
I kind of wish Lin wouldn't say things like “I’m my harshest critic and I’ll go ahead and say I’m doing terrible.” He is an honest and upright guy; I get that. But just like in a job interview, you should always be positive. I don't mean say that he did a great job even though he didn't. His numbers over the past 10 games haven't even been "terrible", considering how rusty he is and the fact that his knee is still swelling.
I pity his situation with the Rockets now that I'm starting to wish "Linsanity" didn't happen, wishing that he just started last season as pure rookie. I pity him more when he is being hated by 99% of NBA watchers because of those Lin Lover Only fans. admittedly, these NBA watchers have limited thinking and cannot separate the fact that Lin just wants to play AND these bandwagons didn't come out of his pockets.
@KHuang I'm not the enemy, swear. I even go into the "battlefield" in the Yahoo boards just to defend him. I've heard a lot of "Jeremy is a bust", "Jeremy is not humble for taking than 25M contract", "Jeremy is a fluke", "Jeremy is not the only humble athlete in the NBA..." and all other shIt talks. seeing how down he was last Celtics vs Rockets game, twidling with his fingers in the bench.. and now garbage play of Raptors vs Rockets. I have positive feelings with his return to MSG though...
I completely understand you and me and other fans not wanting Jeremy Lin to be subjected to negative pressure for being successful. It really would be nice if Lin could just meekly play his little NBA game and be just like other players.
However, that will NEVER HAPPEN.
Lin is an Asian American male, which means he will be HATED ON for the rest of his life let alone career. Plus he's super successful, and that only enrages the racists more.
To be an Asian American male means to be the object of scorn by the American and even certain portions of the Asian public. Jeremy Lin's dealt with it all his life very well and can TAKE THE HEAT. If Lin wants to be successful, he's going to attract negative attention.
My advice to Lin is the same I've given to other Asian American males on this board: when racists hate on you, STAND UP AND PUNK THEM!!!
I think this game might be all about defense, same as Knicks vs Bulls. Knicks defense will be all over Jeremy, Harden and Parsons. Jeremy should contain Felton the way he did last time to force the guy to shoot bricks and hog the ball.
I'd be happy if the young guys just shows more hustle. For young guys, they look very complacent on defense. For example I have been frustrated that the Rockets players don't generally care for going after the 50/50 balls.
a lot of times, they don't box out and go after defensive rebounds. I'm kind of critical with Asik, especially since he came from a defensive-minded team like Bulls who put emphasis on defensive rebounding.
Asik's offense isn't great and I think that's generally acknowledged.
As for defense, he seems to be the Rockets player who contributes the most to good team defense: on the Rockets highest contribution to defensive plus minus, highest contribution to wins through his defense, lowest points allowed per one hundred possessions.
However, it does not look to me that he is the defensive specialist that the Rockets are convinced he is. Don't know much about in depth defensive arrangements, but a few things from my untrained observation about Asik's defense bothers me.
Asik does not close out on jump shooting big men well.
Neither are opponents generally bothered by Asik's presence inside; shots aren't altered, opponents don't seem to drive any less because he is in there. He doesn't seem to be an explosive jumper on defense or offense.
Asik also does not rotate well on help defense to help opponents who have beat their man from the perimeter.
Can someone help me explain how Asik can contribute so much to the success of the Rockets defense, yet look so bad?
Is it logical to say that the other Rockets' players' defensive games are just that bad that Asik, despite being only imo a decent defender, can make that significant of a contribution to team defense?
1) Asik rebounds, which often limits opponents to one shot ... an absolute key on defense.
2) Asik does a pretty good job of protecting the basket... simply put... that is putting his body in front of his opponent and making the opponent shoot/miss over him. This is another absolute key to defense. basket protection. probably the worst basket protector on this team is Harden. He will rarely put his body in front of a dribbler to protect the basket. Watch him on transition defense... he will simply move out of the way.
Asik is VERY weak helping guards on PNR or those guys trailing their man through screens (Calderon hit two shots in the first quarter on LIN because ASIK gives absolutely no kind of hedge help. just a simple jab step at the guy and raising a hand would help tremendously.
Asik contributes defensively because Jeremy Lin is PROTECTING HIM.
The bane of center defense in the NBA is foul trouble from stopping guard penetration. Jeremy Lin stops that penetration COLD and is the only guard in the entire NBA who can do that. You have to shoot over Lin to score on him because nobody can beat Lin off the dribble, and that prevents Asik from having to rack up fouls when Lin is in the game.
Also, Jeremy Lin is by far the best help defender in the NBA. He's constantly reaching in on big men and getting steals. Asik benefits tremendously from Lin's help defense.
Asik is simply NOT THAT GOOD, not unless Lin is on the court PROTECTING him.
I know that Asik can rebound because of his size, but I see weaknesses in his defense especially on big men who can shoot from the outside. He seems slow footed and doesn't get out to contest the outside shot. Without a reliable big man inside to pass to, I hope Jeremy looks to shoot first instead of trying to force it in to Asik who has trouble catching passes.
Can James Harden please fake an injury and let Jeremy take over this game? Just one time only damn! I simply can't see Lin performing with Harden around. I am very worried. The ultimate act would be to Lin get benched again in the 4th in a close game at MSG. I am not sure even Lin and I could handle watching if this did happen.
Holy crap they had better not bench him @ MSG. ---
Did you see how down he was after that SA game? [Went Linsanity on SA and all McHale could say was meh he waived off the pick.] Taking the blame for that final possession <- TD brings his man towards JLin as he's attempting the shot.
Here's why Jeremy Lin is so messed up by the Rockets' lack of coaching with or without James Harden:
In that San Antonio game, Asik and Douglas played EXCELLENT defense on Jeremy Lin!
Asik was standing in Lin's driving path on the left as he brought Tim Duncan to help TRIPLE TEAM Lin on top of Danny Green in front. Lin called off that triple team, but Asik was still standing in Lin's path on the left and CUT OFF LIN'S LEFT!!!
Lin started to go right, but then Douglas played superb lockdown defense on Lin by stepping into Lin's path on the right and CUT OFF LIN'S RIGHT!!!
Thus in one play, Lin was triple teamed on both sides of the court. That's a major league coaching fail that Lin undeservedly took the fall for.
It doesn't matter if Harden plays alongside Lin or not, and it doesn't even matter if the Rockets plow the ball through Lin. Lin cannot beat the triple teams all by himself, especially if his well meaning but INCOMPETENT teammates keep making these kinds of rookie mistakes!!!
The Rockets are dead set at making Harden as their franchise player. It's clear that they do everything to make Harden play comfortable and make everyone else adjust to him, rather than the other away around. That's why they simply won't re-design the offense to get Lin more involved and get him to play better even when Lin showed what he could do in that SA game. Anyone who doesn't fit the Harden centric scheme will be moved away and Morey will bring in those who fit. I only hope that the Rockets are not blown away by Lin's marketing potential to keep him for all 3 years so he can get out of this mess fast in a year or 2.
If the Rockets get rid of Jeremy Lin, suddenly James Harden will see all the triple teams and defensive attention that Lin's getting.
This is why I'm not worried at all about Jeremy Lin. He's gonna produce no matter where he goes because he can fit into any system provided that there IS a system.
I agree with you. I am not worried about Lin at all. That SA game only convinced me once more as long as Lin was given a chance to run a team, he would shine in any system. Average players simply could not have Lin's types of dominating performances again and again in the nba.
At this point, I'll try not to hope too much when the situation is still like this. With the way things are going right now even after tying his career high I will be very glad if Lin can survive all the remaining games this season without any serious injury.
Hopeful thinking: Coach will put more trust in JLin once JLin logs more NBA minutes. Maybe this will happen in the second half of the season or the second year of his contract.
Mike Woodson absolutely HATES HATES HATES Jeremy Lin.
Last game, Woodson naively let his personal animosity toward Lin interfere with his game planning. He foolishly decided to leave Lin open and not trap him all over the court. The result was that that 31 point BEATING that Woodson himself was angrily kicking himself over.
This game, Woodson will make sure he clamps down on Lin and boxes him in the way every other NBA does. Woodson won't make the mistake of letting Lin play his efficient little game in elevating the play of the Rockets.
If Woodson is smart, he'll put his dislike of Lin aside and actually DEFEND HIM, which ironically constitutes the ultimate form of RESPECT.
I wonder what more Lin should do to prove himself and how many more dominating games he has to have in his career in order to have some plays run for him. Even after Linsanity, even after the SA game, so many people, McHale included, still write off those performances as one off flukes, rather than trying to tap that potential and building those performances into the norm. Did Lin's college career and undrafted status really doom him forever? How could people be so blind and fail to see that Lin is a special talent who is just lacking opportunities?
Here's a nifty quote from Voltaire, explains the naysayers quite well:
"The human brain is a complex organ with the wonderful power of enabling man to find reasons for continuing to believe whatever it is that he wants to believe."
Sad but true...JLin should go and have a open discussion with coaching staff and mgmt. As you said, he is special and full of potential, unfortunately NBA is about making money and they play by its game and unwilling to explore something different. DAntony had the same work ethic as well, until he was pressed against the wall, had to use Lin. He had nothing to loose,and his surprise, he gained the confidence Lin is the right person to make his PnR system to work...grrrr
i truly believe shuhow and harden CAN play on the court together and thrive. If you watched previously when mchale had tdouglas out there with shuhow, they were killing it with the ball movement, total unselfish plays. the real issue is that once harden has the ball, he's not looking to pass. shuhow is opposite, he's looking to pass first. and that's because harden is their guy and they want him to put up his 20 shots each night so when he gets the ball at the top of the key, he's going to attack. once the coaches and harden let up on this demand that he puts up his 20, then they'll realize that moving the ball freely to the true open man would make things easier for everyone, get everyone in rhythm. I mean, I lost count of the number of times harden eurosteps into 2-3 bodies in the paint to draw the foul, but instead turns the ball over. he stands a much better chance if he dribbles in and there's one guy standing in the lane, don't you agree? I do agree that neither parsons (nor delfino) should be handling the ball unless it's a fast break and the guards aren't caught up. they should spot up shoot, or attack the basket when the opportunities present themselves. and i'll tell you one thing...i'm pretty sure coach has figured this all out by now. Especially after that toronto game when everyone was playing like complete garbage. give shuhow the ball and watch how everything falls into place.
Well when he signed with the Rockets, the 2 other guards that he would be potentially playing with was Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, and Carlos Delfino. He was in a good position to dominate the ball. Then the Rockets were able to get Harden before the season.
I swear this fool has a vendetta on Jlin like no one else. He keeps saying JLin wanted to leave NY but time and time again JLin said he wanted to stay, LMAO. He keeps putting words in JLin's mouth and changing the narrative to quench his own motives. He also implied JLin was all about the money which is not true. I swear I want to rip this fools head off. This fool is still bitter JLin didn't suit up for the playoffs last year. As we know now it was a smart decision because at this point in timeJlin's knee is still not 100% with some swelling.
I don't read his articles or watch him either. Shocking that a BSPN, a Disney owned company has a racist pig on their payroll this long. If the races were reversed (between SAS and Jeremy), the NAACP, Jesse Jackson, and Al Sharpton will not only demand that he be taken off the air, but will never work in this field again.
although I have a bad day today, I have to LOL on the "beats Linsanity" title. I thought Hornets beat Linsanity on Feb17; no, DW said he beat Linsanity Feb20; then on Feb 24, Heat definitely KILL Linsanity. RIP Linsanity when MD left,...just how many times Linsanity got beat or killed. And Jeremy is like 'I'm not dead yet!!!'
One thing though, he seem to have quite a following. [Idiots.] You know that thing about JLin "salivating over green instead of orange and blue", it stuck. Nyk fans are always repeating that belief online. :(
I have no issue and AGREE with SAS's assertion of Liin salivating over Houston's $25 million than Lin's discarded #7 jersey in the clearance bin at Modell's, via!
Fact is, Lin has started what, 50 games? I dare someone to find another "average" player who had 2 38/7 nba performances next to their name in their 1st career 50 starts. If it's anyone else other than an Asian American like Lin, everyone would crown that player as a "future superstar" and had the whole system/team/franchise blent over him. It's Rockets loss if they failed to tap that potential.
This is a good spot for the Rockets (2-7 road record, lost their last 7 road games) to hand the Knicks (10-0 at home) their first home loss. Even though it's back-to-back games for Houston they played the Raptors at noon yesterday so they should be rested. If jeremy can shoot 45-50% 10-15pt, 7-8a, 3-5rb and keep T.O.s under 3 this game will be close. Poetic justice if JLin goes 2-0 against the Knicks :)
It's becoming redundantly clear that Rockets is not an ideal nurturing environment for Lin, but in any situation, the player has to force things to happen. Like I said getting $25 Million USD while improving one's jump shots is not a bad situation. Therefore, Lin's goal every game should be take 12 shots or more. Unless you have a talented teammate who can play with you, i.e., Malone and Stockton, you should take your shots while you can. One interesting observation made by Raptors' announcers is that they thought Lin was a starting PG material but not yet for teams which are likely to make past 1st round of playoffs. In other words, they thought Lin is a starting PG material for so so teams but not for good teams. This observation reflects the NBA coaches/executives' attitude and makes it clear for me that Lin would have almost ZERO chance of starting at a good teams at this time even if he gets traded.
Therefore, looking at things practically, Lin has a choice of "forcing the issue" at Rockets, getting traded as a starting PG on a so-so team, or getting traded as a back-up PG on a contending team. The most ideal situation for him would be getting traded as a starting PG on a so-so team without another SG/PG wanna-be franchise player like Harden. However, I could envision many situations which are actually worse than his current situation; therefore, he just have to improve his shooting and offensive game or mentality and adapt. Again, it's not a bad situation to be in getting paid $25 Million USD while trying to improve your game or become more offensive minded. I think it's good that Lin gets to go through all this stuff now. No road is going to be smooth.
I think since Knicks is winning and playing so well without Lin, they are likely to be in a more generous mood and will give a good welcome to Lin but will want to kick Rockets' ass to put an exclamation point that they made a good decision. I think not many people will dispute at this point that Knicks erred in their choice; they did good bringing in Kidd and Felton.
I agree with you. No matter where he goes, unless he gets traded to a very weak team and he is the sole main player, otherwise, there are always strong players and iso players or coaches who do not have confidence in him. JLin needs to learn how to find his rhythm, improve his game, play aggressively, and find a way to excel. BBall is a team sport. You do not choose your coach, and cannot choose your teammates. Lin needs to move on. Trust God and believe himself.
It becomes clear that while Lin is not in an ideal situation, he's not in a terrible situation. Things could be worse. For example, if Dougie was a more capable PG, Lin could easily have been relegated to a back-up position if someone like Lillard had been drafted by Rockets.
Didn't the Rockets already kick the Knicks ass? Didn't JLIN have a pretty quality game? Let's all remember that...Even if it goes badly tonight. So what? it's not like he hasn't already performed well against his former team and got a W. It's like thinking James Harden his a great player ... we all have to remember that he leads the league in TURNOVERS (according to the last game I watched... and he plays absolutely ZERO defense -- wow, what a great player!)
There is no such thing as an "ideal" situation for ANY player in the NBA.
Besides, it was Houston's $25 million or ZERO.
I'm totally happy with Houston paying Lin that $25 million. That sure beats Lin playing in China or Europe, which would have been the case had Houston not signed him.
Lin wouldn't even be in the NBA were it not for Houston!
Raptors announcers are jack-asses. I'm sorry to say. They claimed that "Toney Douglas is faster than Jlin" at the end of the game. They have no credibility in my opinion.
That's false KHuang. If the Rockets didn't sign him, he would have to just accept a lesser contract. The Mavs were interested him, but they weren't giving out multi-year deals.
The Knicks would have easily gave him a contract that wasn't poison pill. He would have gotten the deal Felton got.
JLin had best bring his intensity and aggressiveness tonight.
New York and Felton may say all the politically correct things in the media, but you know damn well that they all want to "linbarass" and humiliate both Houston and Lin in particular.
Lin needs to get rid of this passive, deferring, no confidence mentality.
It is really no big deal if NYK beat Rockets and Lin. If they humiliate Lin in any way, so what, it is not end of the world, it is just a game. Yes, media (NY&Houston both) will put the lost on Jlin and humiliate him more, so what, it is not like they're all loving and rosy on Lin before. Most fans want Lin just play his game, that's it, so fans like us should just cheer for him coming into MSG either you're in there or in front of tv.
That picture you posted reminded me of someone posting that Felton is > JLin and someone else immediately hit back writing "yeah, at pie eating contest."
Lin didn't get to this point in his career without being super competitive...He will not get "eaten alive" - he will be his most competitive tonight and he will be the "Mean" Jeremy Lin in New York. His whole season will be judged on tonight's game whether he can handle the pressure and the competitiveness of black players going at him. I think there will be some tempers flaring tonight and JLin will not back down tonight - usually he does but not tonight folks...it will be drama and theater at the Garden...everyone better not miss this game.
It's not a question of being competitive. It's about being aggressive. And Lin has not been consistently aggressive this year.
Lin simply is not confident within the EXISTING Houston offensive scheme. He is largely relegated to being a catch-and-shoot guard who has to play off the ball, all of which play directly into Lin's weaknesses.
Hence, Lin is often tentative and passive on offense, which in turn can affect his game in general.
Morey really wanted Lillard during the draft, before they thought of getting JLin. I think Lillard will probably fit in McHale's offensive system better than JLin will because of his jumper. Lowry and Dragic didn't hesitate to shoot off the screen and roll and that's probably why McHale was high on Dragic/Lowry and not JLin. JLin plays a different kind of game, but once he becomes more consistent and does not hesitate to shoot JLin will flow in McHale's offense. JLin is just one of many issues in the Rockets are having on offense now--ball movement, stagnation, not getting to their spots, etc.
Comparing JLin's pick and roll offense to Mchale's offensive system where the point guard needs to have a really good/consistent jumper is where the problem lies for JLin. McHale's unwillingness to allow Jlin to consistently run the offense as the primary playmaker also compounds the problem.
Also, Phil Jackson is great for a reason. Check out how he has his players running his offense flawlessly.
not sure if this had been shared previously? http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1444746-full-report-card-grades-for-jeremy-lin-at-nba-quarter-season-mark
Did everybody see it when Harden jammed LINS lane on the break to post up and LIN didn't pass it to him. Harden was pretty much screaming at him (not in a mean way but he was yelling nonentheless). Did you also see it a couple of games ago when Harden shoved LIN in the back to get him to switch out on defense when LIN was backing into him because LIN wasn't thinking switch. It basically buckled LIN.
Yeah JLin swung it back to the strong side and I think Chandler ended up with a layup. I thought something was up there cause Harden was open on the low block asking for the ball but JLin swung it the other way.
Point is HARDEN jammed his lane. And, JLIN got him back. JLIN wouldn't pass Carmelo the ball when he wouldn't run the offense, so I don't put it past him to intentionally swing it away from him when Harden jams his lane.
Also, I thought that push in the back was telling. Yes, teammates bump each other out on switches... But HARDENS push had way more on it that a bump out.
Tensions between teammates already. I think that probably the reason JLin is frustrated with the offense because his teammates are not in the right spots. As for the push, I missed it.
Now that you mention it I do remember Lin getting pushed from behind by a teammate. I didn't realize it was Harden. I'll have to go back and look at it again to what was going on. I remember thinking it was odd.
@Racha, they call okc a young team too! Which is younger? Okc is doing pretty good. Good for James harden he didn't get booed returned to okc again. Guess it's not the case for Lin. Although if you look at it, Lin has no reason to get booed because ny didn't gave him any offer whereas harden got offer but he didn't like it. Guess okc fans are more classy than Nyks then.
smoovies, can't remember what team it was ... very recent though... and it was more like a shove than a push and he shoved him right into an opponent and he went down. if it were my teammate i would have been pissed. plus, you can throw somebodys back out doing something like that... in my opinion, it was straight bullshit.
Jeremy, please don't pass the ball to Asik but instead take the shot yourself. While Asik is a good rebounder, he takes the team out of it's offensive flow. I know you think he is a good offensive player, but he almost never completes a contested layup. So please stop trying to pass the ball to him and ask the coach for more playing time with Smith.
Yes, I'm not sure if Greg Smith is the answer but Asik isn't getting it done offensively. Every good point guard needs a finisher, i.e. Stockton to Malone. Lin to Asik isn't going to cut it.
KHuang, I know what you mean, but if I had to choose between Jeremy passing the ball down to Asik in the low post with Tyson Chandler on his back or Jeremy pulling up and taking a mid-range shot or floater in the lane, I would choose the latter.
Teams are meeting Lin in the midrange, though NY didn't do it last game because Mike Woodson was being a coaching FAIL by mistakenly assuming Lin could not score or assist anyone against his Knicks.
The midrange game doesn't exist for Lin because opponents know that Lin will score uncontrollably if big man shotblockers don't actively step into the midrange to challenge Lin.
Smoovies, I don't think Lin can do any more than he's doing.
This is the NBA where the only way to beat traps is to make opponents pay for doubling and tripling. That can only happen if Lin's teammates can attack the YAWNING gaps created by defenses leaving those teammates alone.
Lin is justifiably frustrated because no amount of coaching can change the hard fact that his teammates CAN'T PLAY and so opponents are loading up on him all the way out to the 3 point line!
We should hope that Mike Woodson continues to pretend that Lin cannot possibly hurt his mighty Knicks and thus doesn't jam trap Lin's back with the point guard while sandwiching him between two big men in the midrange.
I have a favor/request. There is a Haberstroh Insider article on benching Lin, any way you can use your kung fu and get that for us?
I've been thinking about just this all weekend. I would be ok with him being a 6th man, especially if it would mean he gets to finish games. But that's a subject deserving of its own thread.
Go Jeremy! Sure there's gonna be boos... But sure you will still got to see some warm welcoming from jlin fans as always. Last time I got a chance to see Jeremy coming out from the garden parking lot and some Asian jlin fans there too , so I am sure some of them will come out today and show support to him too just like last time. Wish this time I can be there again but I can't. Good luck. This is the first return and after that no more first return. Great way to put it!
Haven't heard your insights in a while on here as I always look forward to your optimistic and usually accurate forecasts and summaries of the Jeremy Lin Situation. Interested in your views prior to tonights game.
This is gonna be big time news regardless of what happens and I believe there will be some serious stuff going on tonight. I think there will even be tempers flaring between Lin, JR Smith , the European Point Guard. I have little doubt that JR Smith will take give flagrant foul on Lin tonight and I believe LIn will actually go at Smith and get his first double tech of his career. KHuang will be wetting his pants on this too.
I'd like to also point out I was the lone poster on here when Jeremy first signed here that McHale is not a good coach and will not be good for JLin. I've been proven 100% accurate and there is little joy in this cause we need JLin to get a coach who believes in him (Not Predjudice Sampson who cheated his ass off in College and shows what integrite he has as a Man). Please also Note that Khuang was a full proponent and supporter of McHale and said he was great for Lin. He ratttled off all the big men who were great coaches comparing McHale to them - well KHuang eat some humble pie and admit you were wrong about McHale like you've been wrong about almost everything you post on here.
Bottom Line JLINfan....what do you think is going to go down tonight?
McHale has, in his own way, developed Lin's individual game. But the team game is not developed and I'm not even sure any other coach would do any better.
Since you want to play the flame game, Mike "FakeNice", why don't you rattle off the long illustrious list of coaches that would get guys like Asik to catch the ball and Parsons to actually be able to create his own shot? Because that's basically what you're demanding for the Rockets to improve over McHale.
I will agree with you that I'd "wet my pants" if Lin laid the SMACKDOWN on bounty hunters, just like you're wetting your pants now that I'm laying the smackdown on YOU.
Everyone on here kisses your ass real good but not me cause I know you're fake tough guy and the fact that you don't admit your miscalculations (McHale good coach) is right in line.
Not about how he coaches white players like Parsons and Asik (He gives them green light/minutes to play their games)just like Sampson does for Douglas. I'm saying LIn needs a coach who will play him and not be an enemy to him on his own team and play mindgames with Lin and bench him all over the place even when he's playing good. Thank goodness Lin is financially wealthy but I'm sure he doesn't care about that and he wants to be respected as a player.
I'm just calling you out for saying you though McHale is a good coach and good for Lin which I think 99% of people on here now know he's the worst coach for Lin (Sampson the same).
Mike Nice, you can disagree with me believing that McHale is a "good coach" - which I actually STILL believe!
McHale is a FREEDOM coach. All his players, including Lin, have total freedom. That includes your guys Parsons and Asik.
However, opponents have EXPLOITED that freedom by loading up on Lin and daring the other Rockets to make plays. In previous threads, I have CRITICIZED McHale for not instituting more plays that would theoretically move guys around the court and relieve pressure. I also checked myself by writing that NBA triple teams would still converge on Lin no matter what offensive scheme is being used.
I can completely sympathize with you, Mike Nice, in your sentiments that it appears McHale is deliberately driving the ball away from Lin. However, I also sympathize with McHale's recognition that if opponents are going to let James Harden brick shots and turn the ball over, McHale is better off taking his chances with Harden doing that than trying to force the ball through Lin and the unending traps that Lin attracts.
All of this would be solved, Mike Nice, if the Rockets had ONE frontcourter who had even a minimal clue how to play NBA offense. I was not happy when the Rockets amnestied Luis Scola, as Scola would have stepped right in and relieved triple team pressure of Jeremy Lin while also serving as a reliable pick and roll partner like he did for Dragic and Lowry.
I will go so far to say that I'd have happily lived with Luis Scola's athletic shortcomings on the defensive end because Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik would provide the help defense that Scola would have needed to stay on the court.
@mike, no body is kissing khuang's ass here and khuang doesn't need anyone to kiss his ass. When there's something to agree with what khuang said, people just agree and when people disagree, they disagree. Just like you disagree with khuang. I think you can make your disagreement statement better than that!
But look what happens to Lin's numbers in the 106 minutes he has played when Harden hits the bench: 19.7 points, 7.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds with an above-average 55.4 TS% and a 17.7 PER.
That's pretty darn good. If those numbers look familiar, there's a reason for it. Check out Lin's per-36 minute stat line in New York last season: 19.6 points, 8.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds. 55.2 TS% and a 19.9 PER.
"When the Houston Rockets visit the New York Knicks on Monday night, it will mark the first time that the Knickerbockers' point guard sensation from last season comes back to Madison Square Garden. That's right, the moment every New Yorker has been waiting for:
The return of Toney Douglas.
Oh, Jeremy Lin's playing, too?
In all seriousness, Lin's underwhelming play this season has made Linsanity seem like decades ago, prompting many Knicks fans to rejoice that their front office wiped its hands clean of Lin in the offseason. Rather than matching the Rockets' three-year, $25.1 million poison pill contract offer that would have forced the Knicks to pay a whopping $14.8 million in 2014-15, the Knicks let Lin and his fairy-tale story try to muster up some magic elsewhere.
And so far, it seems like a wise choice. After Houston's loss on Sunday to the Toronto Raptors in which Lin registered more turnovers than assists, the 24-year-old is now averaging a lukewarm 10.8 points and 6.0 assists and shooting just 39.5 percent from the floor. This after scoring 14.6 points per game last season with 44.6 percent shooting.
Obviously, Lin has gotten much worse, right?
Not so fast.
They say that context is everything and, in the case of Lin, this couldn't be more true. Despite the charming "Beardsanity" marketing blitz, the dirty little secret is that playing next to James Harden has sapped almost all of Lin's talent. Watching the film and digging into the numbers, it has become painfully obvious that the Lin and Harden partnership is not worth the sum of its parts.
Lin has played about 85 percent of his minutes next to Harden, so it's clear that the Rockets are desperately trying to let this duo figure things out on the court. In Sunday's embarrassing loss to arguably the NBA's worst team (right, Bargs?), Lin played all 33 of his minutes next to Harden, and the Rockets were minus-7 with the tandem on the court, which coincidentally turned out to be the final deficit.
This insistence to play them together is a problem once you take a whiff of Lin's putrid numbers while playing next to the Beard. On a per-36-minute basis, Lin has averaged 10.7 points, 6.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds with a ghastly 46.5 true shooting percentage (TS%) to go along with a 12.1 player efficiency rating, according to the NBA.com's StatsCube tool. You know who else has a 46.5 percent TS%? B.J. Mullens.
But look what happens to Lin's numbers in the 106 minutes he has played when Harden hits the bench: 19.7 points, 7.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds with an above-average 55.4 TS% and a 17.7 PER.
That's pretty darn good. If those numbers look familiar, there's a reason for it. Check out Lin's per-36 minute stat line in New York last season: 19.6 points, 8.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds. 55.2 TS% and a 19.9 PER.
What we're seeing here is when Lin plays without Harden, his shooting percentages and scoring rates are almost identical to his numbers from last season. In other words, he has shown he can still be the player that took the world by storm last season. But when he plays next to the ball-dominant shooting guard, everything changes. Context, as you can see, is incredibly important.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out why Lin hasn't been a perfect complement next to Harden. They're both masters of the pick-and-roll, but the problem is that they can't run a pick-and-roll at the same time. Because Harden is the better player of the two, Lin usually plays off the ball and lets Harden go to work. But if Lin had a reliable spot-up jump shot, this wouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately, Lin ranks 79th among 121 players in catch-and-shoot efficiency this season, according to SynergySports (minimum 50 such shots). Ray Allen, he is not."
Here's the most alarming trend when Lin co-pilots with Harden: Lin is taking more 3-pointers than free throw attempts. That's astonishing once you consider that Lin used to frequent the charity stripe practically every time down the floor during the height of Linsanity. Again, beware of the Harden effect. Next to Harden this season, Lin averages 2.1 free throw attempts and 2.9 3-point attempts per 36 minutes. That's not healthy for Lin.
But without Harden on the court? Lin visits the free throw line more than three times as often (6.5 attempts per 36 minutes) while his attempts from beyond the arc essentially doesn't change (3.1 attempts). Lin's averages last season: 7.0 free throw attempts and 2.9 attempts from deep. Mirror images.
Not to beat a dead horse, but the numbers tell us that the only difference between the current Lin and Linsanity appears to be Harden's presence. Now what can the Rockets do about it?
It's really quite simple: It's time for Kevin McHale to bring Lin off the bench, a la OKC Harden.
Really, the solution to Houston's Lin-Harden problem may be turning Lin into Harden. But "benching" Lin right after handing him a $25 million contract might seem like a PR nightmare, especially once you consider that Lin might actually start the All-Star Game (he's currently third in the Western Conference backcourt voting).
But look around the league and you'll see the common denominator for the top-five offenses: a score-first wing anchoring the second-unit. Ray Allen in Miami. Jamal Crawford in Los Angeles. Manu Ginobili in San Antonio. Kevin Martin in Oklahoma City. J.R. Smith in New York. The average 2012-13 salary of those players: $7.5 million, just a Harden hair below Lin's $8.3 million price tag. There are precedents here.
The Rockets aren't close to being in the same conversation as those elite offenses yet and the calendar still reads "December," so worrying about Lin and Harden's chemistry might be a bit premature. But if the Rockets want Linsanity, they should at least attempt to recreate a Linsanity environment.
What's most frustrating is that Lin scored 38 points sans-Harden last Monday against the San Antonio Spurs -- arguably the best team in the league -- and yet a week later, McHale still refuses to stagger Lin's and Harden's minutes. If Harden continues to play 38.9 minutes per game, Lin should be featured as the No. 1 option for those 10 minutes that Harden sits.
Though it might make Madison Square Garden shake from all the laughter in the stands, starting a rejuvenated Toney Douglas as a "3-and-D" specialist over Lin on Monday makes a ton of basketball sense. The numbers show that a Harden and Douglas pairing leads to an offense that scores 106 points per 100 possessions, which is five points more efficient than the production of a Lin-Harden pairing. That's no small thing.
It bears mentioning that Lin is still just 24 years old and also coming off offseason knee surgery. He still has room to grow as a professional basketball player, considering he has only 87 games under his belt. Since 1995, only one other player has averaged 15 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals per 36 minutes in their first three seasons in the league. His name: Chris Paul.
Linsanity may be impossible to replicate and Monday's environment in Madison Square Garden may not be the wisest setting to experiment with Lin coming off the bench, but the evidence is clear: Get Lin the ball and he can be an $8 million player. There's no reason why the Rockets shouldn't at least try bringing Lin off the bench, like Harden used to for Oklahoma City.
If nothing else, imagine the dramatic scene if Lin made his entrance by walking to the scorer's table in the middle of Monday's game. Now that is theater fit for Broadway.
The major problem is Lin bring the ball up court, make a pass, and 90% of the time never see the ball again. Lin need to be selfish, but that is just not Lin. The coaches need to adjust players management to make this work. But there is no way to make everyone happy with the current situation until everyone understand Lin is just one player in the Houston Team. Unforturnately a lot of Lin fans has a wrong idea what Linsanity really is, it is not about Lin being a superstar basketball player, it is about how a player (average or not) find success with teamwork instead of personal stats. Currently, a lot of people like to use stats to judge players. If personal stats is that important, the Laker should be #1 in the West right now with Kobe. Don't forget during Linsanity, the Knicks bench were the superstars of the Team. Remember Field, Jeffries, Shump, Harrellison, Novak and Walker? Tell me when have you see player like Jeffries ever score double digit games?
Please Lin fans, stop living your personal dream through Jeremey success. If you only want to see Lin stats to improve, you have to understand it is important Houston need to play as a team. Blaming everyone else or Lin alone is just not right. The team need to play like a team. Regardless if it is a players issue or a coaching issues. Here is a hint, pay attention to how Lin play when he is pair with Asik, Parson, TD, and Morris against Harden, Delfino, Patterson, and Parson.
Moving Lin around and plowing the ball into Lin sounds all nice, but opponents would still eventually adjust to the hard fact that Lin's teammates CAN'T PLAY (except Harden, of course). Thus the triple teams would still load up on Lin anyway.
In the NBA, guys like Asik and Delfino that can't play eventually get EXPOSED no matter what Jeremy Lin's role is.
@charles, we are not living our personal dream through jlin's success. I think it is most of you who keep putting your own words on jlin fan's shoulder. saying us want this from jeremy, want that from jeremy. Really. we just want to see him get treated right, have more chance and giving more opportunity to develop. If this is all just blaming like others see it then probably the jlin fans should just shut their mouth and never say anything and quietly watch.
The only thing that worries me tonight is if McHale at the urging of Sampson bench Lin again for Douglas. They may do that to screw Lin like they have all season and what better chance to do it than when the world will be watching. They will say Douglas played better defense for us or Lin was trying to do too much or that we didn't want Lin to get ahead of himself.....this is a high risk of happening tonight and Lin will have to face this challenge again....IN LIn's 38 point game vs. SA he was benched early in first quarter remember. After game McHale criticsized Lin for not getting shot up. Lin is swimming against the tide in every way this year, vs. Harden, Sampson, McHale, Douglas, every black player he plays against in the NBA and media who wants him to fail. Lin is Man.
hey shuhow...please know that tyson chandler is gunning for your head. no matter how chummy he is with you off the court. and please know that felton is now paying his respects to linsanity, rather than claiming it's just another game, because he got owned the last time and he's just covering his azz. i know the whole knicks organization is saying they're paying more attention to harden and parsons...PLEASE MAKE THEM PAY. hey coach mchale...GIVE SHUHOW THE BALL.
I have a different take about the Knick sentiment toward Jeremy Lin.
I personally think that the Knicks think Lin is such a SCRUB that they can't get excited about playing against him!
Woodson and the Knicks took Lin and the Rockets lightly, and the result was that the Knicks got LINBARRASSED. But I'll bet the Knicks are still like "Jeremy friggin Lin who's not good enough to play for us is going to scare us? NAAAAAWWWWWW!!!!'"
This reminds me of a summer game I played against a bunch of older athletic players. They saw me all short and Asian bouncing around the court, and they rolled their eyes at me. I proceeded to score on them at will, block their shots, steal the ball, and run up the score from them. Those guys didn't want to look like they were trying against a little Asian scrub like me, so I happily ate their lunch!
I just can't see the Knicks getting excited over little Jeremy Lin. I wouldn't be surprised to see a halfhearted effort from NY this game.
No, I believe the Knick wants this win at home. Think what will happen if they lost tonight game. Only home game lost will be to Lin's team? That will be a bad omen for the Knick. One game blowout is enough to change the Knicks tone. They want this one really bad. Trust me. They don't necessary want to prove Lin as a bad player, but they definiately want to prove they are better without Lin. Expect the Knicks to play hard tonight. If you are a true Lin fan, this will be the game you wants him to play well. If the Rocket win again tonight, the Lin hater will hate Lin even more........The Lin haters won't allow this to happen.
zx I agree, thankfully Lin had that game cause if not they would be killing him right now. What that game did was show people that Lin can play how he played in the Linsanity era and to show it against the most veteran and one of the best defensive teams. That changed the question from, is Lin a fluke? to, can Lin play with Harden? So that was great for him.
Now, its all up to Lin in tonights game. He needs to come out aggresive and play his brand of basketball so all the negative vibe he is getting is dealt with. If Lin has a good game tonight and Rockets win I'm projecting a break out for Lin in the coming games.
My perspective is that *nobody* is going to prove anybody wrong on this forum.
Here's why:
Those who over hype Jeremy night in and night out usually get proved wrong night in and night out. So, when Jeremy does begin to perform consistently better this is not going to vindicate those who have over hyped him. They will not be able to say 'I always told you Jeremy would be great' you haters. Because if you over hype someone constantly and then one day he does rise to the level you hyped him, you don't get credit for this because you've incessantly over hyped him in the past being incessantly wrong in the past. So, in essence, everything gets canceled out.
This post is somewhat philosophical and really just me expressing my opinion on something that I see.
Regarding this game, though... My *guess* is that Jeremy will have a good game. His warrior spirit will emerge. It's just natural. When a player of a former team plays against his former team, they are usually more agressive and this will be the case for JLin, too.
If there was ever a time to make a statement...
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteJLin DID say this: This will be the first return back to MSG, and there will never be another first return. [We’re going to go out and play and have some fun.”]
Delete- Sounds like he's bringing it.
He'll be making a statement come Monday night, loud and clear.
DeleteOff the Dribble: Knicks Speak on Lin’s Return
ReplyDeleteLong time reader, first time poster here.... Well, as a native New Yorker and long time basketball fan, I must say I have been looking forward to this game for the longest time, ever since the whole JLin-to-Houston situation took place. I've been looking forward to it because we all know how things ended here, and how the Knicks did everything to make Jeremy look bad (by defaming the guy). So, for the longest time I, and pretty much every one I know have been waiting for this match up.
ReplyDeleteNow, if I'm honest I'm a bit worried about the outcome, due to the fact that things haven't turned out how I, and many of you expected in Houston. See, before Harden joined the team, we didn't know how things where going to flow, but at least we knew that it was going to be Jeremy's team. Win or lose, it was going to be his style, his team. We all know that is not the case. We also know that Houston High Command do not hold the kid in high esteem, so they have done everything in their power to make him look bad (I mean, we all know the questionable decisions made by McHale and Sampson).
I do know one thing, though, and that is that the Knicks are going to come at Jeremy hard. This is what Carmelo, Felton, and Woodson have been waiting for: to show the world why they sent Jeremy away. They'd love nothing more than to embarrass the Rockets, and especially Jeremy...
So yeah, I'd love to see McHale and co. just let Jeremy go crazy, at least for one night. I'd love to see Linsanity one more time at MSG. I'd love to see something crazy, like 50 points 6 rebounds and 10 assists, but the realist in me knows that won't happen, not because the kid can't do it, but because they are sending him out there with one hand tied behind his back...
Hope for the best, but expect the worst... Who knows, I might be wrong, but boy, it would be something to see Jeremy light up MSG again... :)
Not going to happen, they won't come at Jeremy hard, they know he's been a non-factor in Mcfail's system, they didn't count on Parsons to have a big night, so they'll be locking Harden/Parsons down.
DeleteI think there was a bit of contempt on Knicks part, but Rockets will be well scouted this time, and Woodson is no idiot. If Jeremy doesn't take over and goes into role player mode like last time, this game will end in disaster.
Count on Kidd to make a statement as well, he's going to be draining 3s all night.
I couldn't agree more with you. I think the Knicks have done absolutely everything to try to move on from the shadow of Jeremy, but so many fans are still resentful here, even with the recent success, that they would love it to have their current point guards (Felton, Kidd) make him look bad. They have to, just so they can move on from Linsanity. Again, I wouldn't be so upset if it was fought fair and square, but I know they won't let him take control, McHale simply won't allow it... Bleh, it's like a train wreck is coming and there's nothing we the fans can do to stop it, even deep down we know Jeremy can tap into Linsanity whenever he likes and could have a night for the ages at MSG; something to rival MJ or Reggie Miller... Oh how I'd love to see that...
DeleteAs much as I would like Jeremy to light the Knicks up but I don't think it is going to happen though.
Deleteits tearing my heart already.. Im hoping for the best and expecting for the worst as well(bty I remember jeremy saying that). I really want to bring back linsanity as well even just for this night because I know how the criticism on jeremy would be bad if this would one of his bad games. what Im just hoping right now is for the new york fans to just please respect him. give him applause and to not boo him. once in MSG jeremy makes them proud so please please give him the love he deserves. I cant cheer for him there because my country is too far but Im hoping NYC people will still cheer him on. just respect.
DeleteElizabeth Wu/jimmy Chung is back trolling us.
DeleteAll I can say is, jay mac was posting again a couple of threads back. [He seem obsessed with JLin/ JLin fans..?]
DeleteAngry at the money JLin gets, the attention and caring we on this board give JLin. SMH.
Via,
Deletelook above me. Something look familiar to you?
I am also a native New Yorker residing from Brooklyn. I'm a long time Knicks fan and I'm still bothered about Jeremy not staying in New York. I believe the Knicks would be just as good if not better with Lin but you have to hand it to Felton too. He has played WAY better than what I thought he would be. I was really hoping for him to do great in Houston and show Knicks management they messed up but the addition of Harden has seemingly sapped Jeremy of his powers hence his best game was with Harden out. I hope Jeremy has a great game but the Rockets have been kinda hard to watch a lot of the time.
Delete@alcsd - quite familiar...
DeleteKind of nice of Raymond to say Lin deserves nothing more than a standing ovation.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure he'll get boos but the cheers should drown those out.
Hopefully he just shows up to game and have fun, its when he puts too much pressure on himself to do well that he screws up. They're gunna gun for Harden/Parsons for sure and Raymond will probably restrain himself on beating Lin but beating the game, I hope Lin/Smith/Asik and others can bring it.
@Kenoshi I don't find it sincere lol. after all Felton is the guy who keeps on complaining when he is not favored to be a starter
Deleteplus Felton thinks he's so damn good but he's slowly getting exposed now as Knicks ball hog 2.0
DeleteI'll say, New yorkers, don't flatter yourself, I personally do not care if they're booing him or standing O. I doubt Lin will care.
DeleteI wouldn't mind if JLin minds...
Delete:)
I'm pretty sure Mchale and Sampson want Jeremy Lin to be at his best. If you don't think this you're not exactly objective. You can have issue with the decisions they make, but to think they want Jeremy to fail is simply ridiculous. They get employed for winning games and nothing else.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they want Jeremy to fail but I think they don't trust Lin enough to give him the green light.
DeleteSampson and McHale certainly don't want Jeremy to fail but they certainly don't have enough trust and understanding to let Jeremy be the point guard and give him the ball and the big minutes he needs to succeed. (and, they are not "saving his knee" i can tell you that). They lack the understanding that JLIN is #1 an ALPHA (but an ALPHA that needs the COACH to tell the team he's the ALPHA), #2 effects the game over time (you can't sit him for long stretches), and #3 is a 4th quarter guy and an absolute winner if he's put in that ALPHA position.
DeleteSadly, NO coach, with the exception of D'Antoni is going to see him that way either I don't think. He's going to have to shoot his way out of this by becoming a great shooter... end of story. I truly don't believe that anybody is ever going to give him the reigns in this league...
Coaches don't want any of their players to fail but coaches fail at coaching though. JVG has said that he wished he hadn't tried to make X-player be someone play a position that wasn't suited for him. He says, you have to play to your players' strengths rather than force them into a role because it fits your system.
DeleteThe frustrating thing is we know what he can do.
DeleteHe said he did "Terrible. I'm not doing close to what I'm capable of doing." -> He knows what he can do.
And there seem to be no idea how to tap into that in this "system".
McHale/Sampson: Jeremy, go dominate
DeleteLin: Ok, but what about my teammates not being in the right spots due to YOUR lack of coaching?
McHale/Sampson: Just play the system and everything will be fine
Lin: PLEASE don't make me into Coach Killa!
McHale/Sampson: Just take what the defense gives you
Lin: More triple teams and teammates that have no idea where they're going? OK, I'm Coach KILLA!!!
I can't help but wonder if him resolutely not shooting -> headed into coach killa territory...
Deleteworkplace discrimination does exist. I will not rule that out.
DeleteI love "workplace discrimination." THAT is the best term for this... awesome.
DeleteI just watched the first quarter of today's game on replay... and I'd have to say it was nearly as bad as I expected from all the negative chatter. First of all, yes JLIN has three turnovers. 2 bad. And, one I will accept -- the long pass over the top at the start of the game to Asik -- but if the Rockets want to "push pace" and have Asik's running the floor mean something, LIN needs to throw that pass when he thinks its there. We've seen him throw some sweet up court dimes all year... can't stop now. That's his game. The jump in the air TO was bad... he had an easy pass to Morris. And, he over thought the post feed to Asik ... just put it up high. Big Guys rarely contest the post entry pass in the PRO's.
ReplyDeleteAs for the defense, I almost have no problem with it. Calderon his first three because Harden is lazy and switches. Leaving Calderon matched up with a big. Then Lin goes under two on balls -- Calderon hits from behind. I'm going to assume the coaching staff wanted him under those... LIN will usually push and chase on most PNR (also, no kind of hedge help from Asik) ... then calderon hits off a screen the screener action with JLIN chasing as he's supposed to (no hedge help again from Asik). Then Calderon hit and end of shot clock bomb with LIN in his face.
Positives I saw were that JLIN took the one good open look he had with confidence. And he created or passed for probably 4-6 shots ... that while not assists and not all made ... were solid point guard stuff. Asik fumbles a ball out of bounds, Morris misses a three, Harden passes up a wide open foul line jumper to try to do the same pass to Asik that LIN attempts all the time for another fumble ...
The stuff that I think is bad is the Rockets offensive agenda. The start of the game is to willy-nilly. Every guy thinks he has the green light except JLIN... What I typically see is neither Harden or LIN getting shots up at the start of the game... and I think this is probably the number one mistake they are making. The Rockets need more purposeful starts. If Harden is your guy, run a play or two to get him a good look. And, Do the same for LIN. Stop letting the "others" have such a green light at the start. The starts are too choppy, and too unfocused.
McHale talks about tightening things and the Rockets need to be tightened way down. There are waaaaay to many guys with green lights out there.
And, If you watch Harden... Yep, he can score. But his start is not a lot better than LINS in my opionion. He's responsible for the first Calderon three, he has a bad TO, He passes up an easy foul line jumper off a JLIN pass, AND he runs right to a mid post position on a fastbreak and completely fucks JLIN's driving lane... Had he sprinted to the corner... JLIN could have had a driving land and possibly got him a shot. And, if you count all this as you should -- ALL of this MAJORLY FUCKS UP GAME FLOW and JLINS FLOW too... Hit the freethrow line jump James (assist LIN), sprint to the corner James (JLIN hits lay-up or Harden for three), don't turn it over James!, and play some defense! ... dont' switch off Calderon and maybe he doesn't hit that first three so easily and get rolling ...
Yep, LIN can play better... but that quarter wasn't as bad as it looked and there were a lot of negative factors to that quarter... Jeremy's stuff is just glaring because we are focused on him and his TO's oftentimes look very bad ... But Harden had a terrible looking TO in that quarter too.
add above ...
DeleteTime to start coaching Kevin McHale... You need to give your young guys a focus on offense... not just the GREEN LIGHT.
OH, and, FUUUUUUUUUUCK... Did, I really seen Morris not outlet the ball to LIN and dribble it up the floor?!!!!
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK ME! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK US! ... ME, WE, and HE (JLIN) are so fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucked with this transition approach...
McHale insists that he wants to try to find more ways for LIN to touch the ball yet the one very easy way he could do it is give LIN the ball in transition. McHale is either an idiot or a liar or both. But watching Mercury Morris handle the ball in transition is maddening.
This team is so undercoached, It's overwhelming.
I agree with you that the constant freestyling goes too far. They don't need to be as regimental as Woodson's team but even an inexperienced team should have the brainpower to memorise more than 3 or 4 plays by now lol
DeleteThat's the thing.
DeleteThe way the Rox are playing, one have no choice but think McHale is either malicious or stupid. How is it everybody and their mother can see where the problems are, and he can't? It makes no sense.
Meanwhile, JLin is languishing in his non-role in McHale's joke of a "system".
OK, saying McHale is malicious or stupid goes too far. Saying what you need to do is quite different from actually executing it! I have worked long enough to know that people who talk about what the problems are aren't necessarily people who can implement a solution. The obvious solutions aren't always the best solutions. As you are well aware, it's not like there aren't coaches telling Lin what he needs to do - that it is selfish not to take more shots. What McHale needs to do is to try to keep things under control and draw up some decent plays and have the mind to call plays from the bench more often. Can't just leave it to Lin/Harden/TD or whoever is playing point guard to make the decisions on the court all the time. I think the problem with the Rox is that there is no leader. As someone said, the Rox seems to play PG by committee sometimes.
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DeleteIt's hard not to think malice when we see how JLin is being more and more marginalized within the Rox system. There have been outright calls for JLin to just go rogue/ defy orders/ call McHale's bluff. Can you blame people for thinking this? You are demanding fans show faith towards a coach who have done the opposite of deserving it.
DeleteAnd isn't McHale being stupid the implicit take-away of all these advices? Apparently ideas readily known to bloggers, msm, fans on a forum, simply escapes McHale.
Or like you mentioned, he might be unable to execute those best-laid plans. He's not competent for the job then, and should prolly allow someone who could to take his place.
"If I could turn it on like a switch...but that's not how it works."
ReplyDeletethe interview notes here
Deletehttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/basketball/linsanity-concludes-toronto-visit-on-losing-note/article6461098/
I kind of wish Lin wouldn't say things like “I’m my harshest critic and I’ll go ahead and say I’m doing terrible.” He is an honest and upright guy; I get that. But just like in a job interview, you should always be positive. I don't mean say that he did a great job even though he didn't. His numbers over the past 10 games haven't even been "terrible", considering how rusty he is and the fact that his knee is still swelling.
DeleteWell other than the shooting, but that's only one part of the game, and even that has improved.
DeleteGod, what did he do wrong to deserve this
DeleteHe's way to honest for his own good, seriously.
DeleteI pity his situation with the Rockets now that I'm starting to wish "Linsanity" didn't happen, wishing that he just started last season as pure rookie. I pity him more when he is being hated by 99% of NBA watchers because of those Lin Lover Only fans. admittedly, these NBA watchers have limited thinking and cannot separate the fact that Lin just wants to play AND these bandwagons didn't come out of his pockets.
DeleteWhy the heck is anybody here wishing that Lin was not successful so that he wouldn't have to handle the negative pressure?
DeleteThis is the NBA. Lin's incredible success has parlayed him a starting position and a $25 million contract. Lin can handle the pressure.
You guys need to stop worrying about Lin's mental state and social issues. He's being paid that $25 million to put up with the garbage!
woah @KHuang... relax, man. we're all of the same boat here, only seeing different views.
Delete@KHuang I'm not the enemy, swear. I even go into the "battlefield" in the Yahoo boards just to defend him. I've heard a lot of "Jeremy is a bust", "Jeremy is not humble for taking than 25M contract", "Jeremy is a fluke", "Jeremy is not the only humble athlete in the NBA..." and all other shIt talks. seeing how down he was last Celtics vs Rockets game, twidling with his fingers in the bench.. and now garbage play of Raptors vs Rockets. I have positive feelings with his return to MSG though...
DeleteNobody is calling you the enemy, isabelijane.
DeleteI completely understand you and me and other fans not wanting Jeremy Lin to be subjected to negative pressure for being successful. It really would be nice if Lin could just meekly play his little NBA game and be just like other players.
However, that will NEVER HAPPEN.
Lin is an Asian American male, which means he will be HATED ON for the rest of his life let alone career. Plus he's super successful, and that only enrages the racists more.
To be an Asian American male means to be the object of scorn by the American and even certain portions of the Asian public. Jeremy Lin's dealt with it all his life very well and can TAKE THE HEAT. If Lin wants to be successful, he's going to attract negative attention.
My advice to Lin is the same I've given to other Asian American males on this board: when racists hate on you, STAND UP AND PUNK THEM!!!
I think this game might be all about defense, same as Knicks vs Bulls. Knicks defense will be all over Jeremy, Harden and Parsons. Jeremy should contain Felton the way he did last time to force the guy to shoot bricks and hog the ball.
ReplyDeleteLets hope Knicks miss their threes and rockets scoring on the fast break off long misses.
Delete@wilc yes, and hope the Rockets play lockdown defense and plays with speed.
DeleteI'd be happy if the young guys just shows more hustle. For young guys, they look very complacent on defense. For example I have been frustrated that the Rockets players don't generally care for going after the 50/50 balls.
Deletea lot of times, they don't box out and go after defensive rebounds. I'm kind of critical with Asik, especially since he came from a defensive-minded team like Bulls who put emphasis on defensive rebounding.
DeleteAsik is a system player whose numbers and role were inflated in Chicago by the solid team around him.
DeleteJeremy Lin has done a herculean job of pretending that Asik can play, so much so that even the astute observers here are routinely fooled.
However, teams have adjusted and Asik is now being EXPOSED.
Asik's offense isn't great and I think that's generally acknowledged.
DeleteAs for defense, he seems to be the Rockets player who contributes the most to good team defense: on the Rockets highest contribution to defensive plus minus, highest contribution to wins through his defense, lowest points allowed per one hundred possessions.
However, it does not look to me that he is the defensive specialist that the Rockets are convinced he is. Don't know much about in depth defensive arrangements, but a few things from my untrained observation about Asik's defense bothers me.
Asik does not close out on jump shooting big men well.
Neither are opponents generally bothered by Asik's presence inside; shots aren't altered, opponents don't seem to drive any less because he is in there. He doesn't seem to be an explosive jumper on defense or offense.
Asik also does not rotate well on help defense to help opponents who have beat their man from the perimeter.
Can someone help me explain how Asik can contribute so much to the success of the Rockets defense, yet look so bad?
Is it logical to say that the other Rockets' players' defensive games are just that bad that Asik, despite being only imo a decent defender, can make that significant of a contribution to team defense?
Or am I just hating on Asik with my eye test?
DeleteTwo keys.
Delete1) Asik rebounds, which often limits opponents to one shot ... an absolute key on defense.
2) Asik does a pretty good job of protecting the basket... simply put... that is putting his body in front of his opponent and making the opponent shoot/miss over him. This is another absolute key to defense. basket protection. probably the worst basket protector on this team is Harden. He will rarely put his body in front of a dribbler to protect the basket. Watch him on transition defense... he will simply move out of the way.
Asik is VERY weak helping guards on PNR or those guys trailing their man through screens (Calderon hit two shots in the first quarter on LIN because ASIK gives absolutely no kind of hedge help. just a simple jab step at the guy and raising a hand would help tremendously.
Asik contributes defensively because Jeremy Lin is PROTECTING HIM.
DeleteThe bane of center defense in the NBA is foul trouble from stopping guard penetration. Jeremy Lin stops that penetration COLD and is the only guard in the entire NBA who can do that. You have to shoot over Lin to score on him because nobody can beat Lin off the dribble, and that prevents Asik from having to rack up fouls when Lin is in the game.
Also, Jeremy Lin is by far the best help defender in the NBA. He's constantly reaching in on big men and getting steals. Asik benefits tremendously from Lin's help defense.
Asik is simply NOT THAT GOOD, not unless Lin is on the court PROTECTING him.
Thanks guys. I will look out more of those in upcoming games.
DeleteI know that Asik can rebound because of his size, but I see weaknesses in his defense especially on big men who can shoot from the outside. He seems slow footed and doesn't get out to contest the outside shot. Without a reliable big man inside to pass to, I hope Jeremy looks to shoot first instead of trying to force it in to Asik who has trouble catching passes.
DeleteCan James Harden please fake an injury and let Jeremy take over this game? Just one time only damn! I simply can't see Lin performing with Harden around. I am very worried. The ultimate act would be to Lin get benched again in the 4th in a close game at MSG. I am not sure even Lin and I could handle watching if this did happen.
ReplyDeleteHoly crap they had better not bench him @ MSG.
Delete---
Did you see how down he was after that SA game? [Went Linsanity on SA and all McHale could say was meh he waived off the pick.] Taking the blame for that final possession <- TD brings his man towards JLin as he's attempting the shot.
I just sometimes feel like he's alone in that team. :(
DeleteHis coach don't trust him. He's having to take the blame for other players' mistakes. The press feasts and gloats.
I'm not a fan of Lin fans getting over-zealous on the Rox FB/ twitter but I can understand their frustrations...
@via that is also the impression I get. Oh and frustration is an understatement.
DeleteHere's why Jeremy Lin is so messed up by the Rockets' lack of coaching with or without James Harden:
DeleteIn that San Antonio game, Asik and Douglas played EXCELLENT defense on Jeremy Lin!
Asik was standing in Lin's driving path on the left as he brought Tim Duncan to help TRIPLE TEAM Lin on top of Danny Green in front. Lin called off that triple team, but Asik was still standing in Lin's path on the left and CUT OFF LIN'S LEFT!!!
Lin started to go right, but then Douglas played superb lockdown defense on Lin by stepping into Lin's path on the right and CUT OFF LIN'S RIGHT!!!
Thus in one play, Lin was triple teamed on both sides of the court. That's a major league coaching fail that Lin undeservedly took the fall for.
It doesn't matter if Harden plays alongside Lin or not, and it doesn't even matter if the Rockets plow the ball through Lin. Lin cannot beat the triple teams all by himself, especially if his well meaning but INCOMPETENT teammates keep making these kinds of rookie mistakes!!!
The Rockets are dead set at making Harden as their franchise player. It's clear that they do everything to make Harden play comfortable and make everyone else adjust to him, rather than the other away around. That's why they simply won't re-design the offense to get Lin more involved and get him to play better even when Lin showed what he could do in that SA game. Anyone who doesn't fit the Harden centric scheme will be moved away and Morey will bring in those who fit. I only hope that the Rockets are not blown away by Lin's marketing potential to keep him for all 3 years so he can get out of this mess fast in a year or 2.
DeleteIf the Rockets get rid of Jeremy Lin, suddenly James Harden will see all the triple teams and defensive attention that Lin's getting.
DeleteThis is why I'm not worried at all about Jeremy Lin. He's gonna produce no matter where he goes because he can fit into any system provided that there IS a system.
I agree with you. I am not worried about Lin at all. That SA game only convinced me once more as long as Lin was given a chance to run a team, he would shine in any system. Average players simply could not have Lin's types of dominating performances again and again in the nba.
Delete1 part worry, 9 parts anger.
DeleteAt this point, I'll try not to hope too much when the situation is still like this. With the way things are going right now even after tying his career high I will be very glad if Lin can survive all the remaining games this season without any serious injury.
ReplyDeleteWow that is seriously depressing. How did I even get here?
DeleteHopeful thinking: Coach will put more trust in JLin once JLin logs more NBA minutes. Maybe this will happen in the second half of the season or the second year of his contract.
DeleteMike Woodson absolutely HATES HATES HATES Jeremy Lin.
ReplyDeleteLast game, Woodson naively let his personal animosity toward Lin interfere with his game planning. He foolishly decided to leave Lin open and not trap him all over the court. The result was that that 31 point BEATING that Woodson himself was angrily kicking himself over.
This game, Woodson will make sure he clamps down on Lin and boxes him in the way every other NBA does. Woodson won't make the mistake of letting Lin play his efficient little game in elevating the play of the Rockets.
If Woodson is smart, he'll put his dislike of Lin aside and actually DEFEND HIM, which ironically constitutes the ultimate form of RESPECT.
I wonder what more Lin should do to prove himself and how many more dominating games he has to have in his career in order to have some plays run for him. Even after Linsanity, even after the SA game, so many people, McHale included, still write off those performances as one off flukes, rather than trying to tap that potential and building those performances into the norm. Did Lin's college career and undrafted status really doom him forever? How could people be so blind and fail to see that Lin is a special talent who is just lacking opportunities?
ReplyDeleteHere's a nifty quote from Voltaire, explains the naysayers quite well:
Delete"The human brain is a complex organ with the wonderful power of enabling man to find reasons for continuing to believe whatever it is that he wants to believe."
Sad but true...JLin should go and have a open discussion with coaching staff and mgmt. As you said, he is special and full of potential, unfortunately NBA is about making money and they play by its game and unwilling to explore something different. DAntony had the same work ethic as well, until he was pressed against the wall, had to use Lin. He had nothing to loose,and his surprise, he gained the confidence Lin is the right person to make his PnR system to work...grrrr
Deletei truly believe shuhow and harden CAN play on the court together and thrive. If you watched previously when mchale had tdouglas out there with shuhow, they were killing it with the ball movement, total unselfish plays. the real issue is that once harden has the ball, he's not looking to pass. shuhow is opposite, he's looking to pass first. and that's because harden is their guy and they want him to put up his 20 shots each night so when he gets the ball at the top of the key, he's going to attack. once the coaches and harden let up on this demand that he puts up his 20, then they'll realize that moving the ball freely to the true open man would make things easier for everyone, get everyone in rhythm. I mean, I lost count of the number of times harden eurosteps into 2-3 bodies in the paint to draw the foul, but instead turns the ball over. he stands a much better chance if he dribbles in and there's one guy standing in the lane, don't you agree? I do agree that neither parsons (nor delfino) should be handling the ball unless it's a fast break and the guards aren't caught up. they should spot up shoot, or attack the basket when the opportunities present themselves. and i'll tell you one thing...i'm pretty sure coach has figured this all out by now. Especially after that toronto game when everyone was playing like complete garbage. give shuhow the ball and watch how everything falls into place.
ReplyDeleteHopefully~
ReplyDeleteJeremy Lin should get cheered and even a standing O
I think he'll get cheered and Melo will go into a jealousy rage.
DeleteWoody will be watching. Both of them.
DeleteLOL.
DeleteTo lighten the mood a bit~
ReplyDeleteHandshake - Kung Fu version
Nice.
DeleteSpotlight on: Jeremy Lin
ReplyDeleteSo JLin signed thinking he would be the primary ball handler. Jlin got duped.
DeleteHe certainly didn't imagine he'd be relegated to the non-role he's in now...SMH
DeleteWell when he signed with the Rockets, the 2 other guards that he would be potentially playing with was Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, and Carlos Delfino. He was in a good position to dominate the ball. Then the Rockets were able to get Harden before the season.
DeleteSAS: Knicks proving reality beats Linsanity
ReplyDeleteI swear this fool has a vendetta on Jlin like no one else. He keeps saying JLin wanted to leave NY but time and time again JLin said he wanted to stay, LMAO. He keeps putting words in JLin's mouth and changing the narrative to quench his own motives. He also implied JLin was all about the money which is not true. I swear I want to rip this fools head off. This fool is still bitter JLin didn't suit up for the playoffs last year. As we know now it was a smart decision because at this point in timeJlin's knee is still not 100% with some swelling.
DeleteSAS hates Jeremy with passion. I cannot believe these kinds of people still exist.
DeleteI wish he would make a racial blunder on ESPN one day and get sacked/suspended like Rob Parker. He's unbearably annoying.
DeleteI don't read his articles. ANY of his articles...
DeleteSAS is a clown.
DeleteThe ringleader of clowns, herding idiots.
Delete"I wish he would make a racial blunder on ESPN"
- He'll just deny it.
I don't read his articles or watch him either. Shocking that a BSPN, a Disney owned company has a racist pig on their payroll this long. If the races were reversed (between SAS and Jeremy), the NAACP, Jesse Jackson, and Al Sharpton will not only demand that he be taken off the air, but will never work in this field again.
DeleteI don't take SAS seriously because he's just playacting the racist devil's advocate role that ESPiN has given him.
DeleteI pay no attention to ESPiN because they'll start fake controversies just to attract ratings. It's like pro wrestling with SCRIPTED outcomes.
although I have a bad day today, I have to LOL on the "beats Linsanity" title. I thought Hornets beat Linsanity on Feb17; no, DW said he beat Linsanity Feb20; then on Feb 24, Heat definitely KILL Linsanity. RIP Linsanity when MD left,...just how many times Linsanity got beat or killed. And Jeremy is like 'I'm not dead yet!!!'
DeleteTrue dat.
DeleteOne thing though, he seem to have quite a following. [Idiots.]
You know that thing about JLin "salivating over green instead of orange and blue", it stuck. Nyk fans are always repeating that belief online. :(
Oops, the above post was a reply to KH.
DeleteI have no issue and AGREE with SAS's assertion of Liin salivating over Houston's $25 million than Lin's discarded #7 jersey in the clearance bin at Modell's, via!
DeleteLOL
DeleteJLin + Team vs Raptors - 12/16/12
ReplyDeleteFact is, Lin has started what, 50 games? I dare someone to find another "average" player who had 2 38/7 nba performances next to their name in their 1st career 50 starts. If it's anyone else other than an Asian American like Lin, everyone would crown that player as a "future superstar" and had the whole system/team/franchise blent over him. It's Rockets loss if they failed to tap that potential.
ReplyDeleteThis is a good spot for the Rockets (2-7 road record, lost their last 7 road games) to hand the Knicks (10-0 at home) their first home loss. Even though it's back-to-back games for Houston they played the Raptors at noon yesterday so they should be rested. If jeremy can shoot 45-50% 10-15pt, 7-8a, 3-5rb and keep T.O.s under 3 this game will be close. Poetic justice if JLin goes 2-0 against the Knicks :)
ReplyDeleteNBA: Rox vs Nyk Preview
ReplyDeleteNational buzz about Lin is distant memory
ReplyDeleteIt's becoming redundantly clear that Rockets is not an ideal nurturing environment for Lin, but in any situation, the player has to force things to happen. Like I said getting $25 Million USD while improving one's jump shots is not a bad situation. Therefore, Lin's goal every game should be take 12 shots or more. Unless you have a talented teammate who can play with you, i.e., Malone and Stockton, you should take your shots while you can. One interesting observation made by Raptors' announcers is that they thought Lin was a starting PG material but not yet for teams which are likely to make past 1st round of playoffs. In other words, they thought Lin is a starting PG material for so so teams but not for good teams. This observation reflects the NBA coaches/executives' attitude and makes it clear for me that Lin would have almost ZERO chance of starting at a good teams at this time even if he gets traded.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, looking at things practically, Lin has a choice of "forcing the issue" at Rockets, getting traded as a starting PG on a so-so team, or getting traded as a back-up PG on a contending team. The most ideal situation for him would be getting traded as a starting PG on a so-so team without another SG/PG wanna-be franchise player like Harden. However, I could envision many situations which are actually worse than his current situation; therefore, he just have to improve his shooting and offensive game or mentality and adapt. Again, it's not a bad situation to be in getting paid $25 Million USD while trying to improve your game or become more offensive minded. I think it's good that Lin gets to go through all this stuff now. No road is going to be smooth.
I think since Knicks is winning and playing so well without Lin, they are likely to be in a more generous mood and will give a good welcome to Lin but will want to kick Rockets' ass to put an exclamation point that they made a good decision. I think not many people will dispute at this point that Knicks erred in their choice; they did good bringing in Kidd and Felton.
I agree with you. No matter where he goes, unless he gets traded to a very weak team and he is the sole main player, otherwise, there are always strong players and iso players or coaches who do not have confidence in him. JLin needs to learn how to find his rhythm, improve his game, play aggressively, and find a way to excel. BBall is a team sport. You do not choose your coach, and cannot choose your teammates. Lin needs to move on. Trust God and believe himself.
DeleteIt becomes clear that while Lin is not in an ideal situation, he's not in a terrible situation. Things could be worse. For example, if Dougie was a more capable PG, Lin could easily have been relegated to a back-up position if someone like Lillard had been drafted by Rockets.
Delete@eb5 - How do you get him to force the issue?
DeleteDidn't the Rockets already kick the Knicks ass? Didn't JLIN have a pretty quality game? Let's all remember that...Even if it goes badly tonight. So what? it's not like he hasn't already performed well against his former team and got a W. It's like thinking James Harden his a great player ... we all have to remember that he leads the league in TURNOVERS (according to the last game I watched... and he plays absolutely ZERO defense -- wow, what a great player!)
DeleteThere is no such thing as an "ideal" situation for ANY player in the NBA.
DeleteBesides, it was Houston's $25 million or ZERO.
I'm totally happy with Houston paying Lin that $25 million. That sure beats Lin playing in China or Europe, which would have been the case had Houston not signed him.
Lin wouldn't even be in the NBA were it not for Houston!
Raptors announcers are jack-asses. I'm sorry to say. They claimed that "Toney Douglas is faster than Jlin" at the end of the game. They have no credibility in my opinion.
DeleteThat's false KHuang. If the Rockets didn't sign him, he would have to just accept a lesser contract. The Mavs were interested him, but they weren't giving out multi-year deals.
DeleteThe Knicks would have easily gave him a contract that wasn't poison pill. He would have gotten the deal Felton got.
There were ZERO contract offers for Lin outside Houston's fair offer.
DeleteZero is not a number to be fantasized with, Anonymous.
JLin had best bring his intensity and aggressiveness tonight.
ReplyDeleteNew York and Felton may say all the politically correct things in the media, but you know damn well that they all want to "linbarass" and humiliate both Houston and Lin in particular.
Lin needs to get rid of this passive, deferring, no confidence mentality.
Otherwise, JLin will get eaten alive.
One good thing is Lin has played in MSG before, so will not be intimidated.
DeleteEaten alive alright...
DeleteIt is really no big deal if NYK beat Rockets and Lin. If they humiliate Lin in any way, so what, it is not end of the world, it is just a game. Yes, media (NY&Houston both) will put the lost on Jlin and humiliate him more, so what, it is not like they're all loving and rosy on Lin before. Most fans want Lin just play his game, that's it, so fans like us should just cheer for him coming into MSG either you're in there or in front of tv.
DeleteBut seriously, they'll be revenging this.
DeleteJLin's prepared himself.
JLin: That’s what I’m used to. Everyone wants to take their best shot.
We don't know what may happen. The Nyk could lose their presence of mind yet again, it could happen.
@via you're too funny man. where're you finding all this stuff, LOL.
DeleteThat picture you posted reminded me of someone posting that Felton is > JLin and someone else immediately hit back writing "yeah, at pie eating contest."
DeleteLOL
Delete@snowywbl: well said.
DeleteI'm going to the game tonight, and planning to bring a poster, which will be borrowing from what you said: "Jeremy, play your game, and have fun".
Ixy:
DeleteLin didn't get to this point in his career without being super competitive...He will not get "eaten alive" - he will be his most competitive tonight and he will be the "Mean" Jeremy Lin in New York. His whole season will be judged on tonight's game whether he can handle the pressure and the competitiveness of black players going at him. I think there will be some tempers flaring tonight and JLin will not back down tonight - usually he does but not tonight folks...it will be drama and theater at the Garden...everyone better not miss this game.
@ Mike Nice
DeleteIt's not a question of being competitive. It's about being aggressive. And Lin has not been consistently aggressive this year.
Lin simply is not confident within the EXISTING Houston offensive scheme. He is largely relegated to being a catch-and-shoot guard who has to play off the ball, all of which play directly into Lin's weaknesses.
Hence, Lin is often tentative and passive on offense, which in turn can affect his game in general.
Just noticed Lillard hit a clutch 3 pointer at the end for a win. He will probably end up winning ROY.
ReplyDeleteMorey really wanted Lillard during the draft, before they thought of getting JLin. I think Lillard will probably fit in McHale's offensive system better than JLin will because of his jumper. Lowry and Dragic didn't hesitate to shoot off the screen and roll and that's probably why McHale was high on Dragic/Lowry and not JLin. JLin plays a different kind of game, but once he becomes more consistent and does not hesitate to shoot JLin will flow in McHale's offense. JLin is just one of many issues in the Rockets are having on offense now--ball movement, stagnation, not getting to their spots, etc.
DeleteHere's are some vids:
Houston Offensive System Last Year with Lowry and Dragic
Breakdown of Jeremy's game compared to Steve Nash
Knicks vs. Mavericks: Nowitzki's Post Up vs. Lin's Pick And Roll
Comparing Phil Jackson's well run triangle offense to Clippers offense
Comparing JLin's pick and roll offense to Mchale's offensive system where the point guard needs to have a really good/consistent jumper is where the problem lies for JLin. McHale's unwillingness to allow Jlin to consistently run the offense as the primary playmaker also compounds the problem.
Also, Phil Jackson is great for a reason. Check out how he has his players running his offense flawlessly.
there is nothing wrong with shuhow's shot, except that he doesn't do it very often. the guy only takes like 7 shots a game.
DeleteIf Lillard didn't have max contract Aldridge and $10 million Batum siphoning defensive pressure away from him, he's be just another rookie bust.
Deletenice highlights here
ReplyDeletehttp://bleacherreport.com/articles/1447702-jeremy-lin-bittersweet-return-to-new-york-wont-fix-rockets-pgs-struggles
not sure if this had been shared previously?
ReplyDeletehttp://bleacherreport.com/articles/1444746-full-report-card-grades-for-jeremy-lin-at-nba-quarter-season-mark
Roundtable: Will Lin ever be able to recreate the success he had during Linsanity?
ReplyDeleteIf it weren't for Jlin creating such high expectations last year, the Knicks probably will still limp along this season without motivation.
DeleteDid everybody see it when Harden jammed LINS lane on the break to post up and LIN didn't pass it to him. Harden was pretty much screaming at him (not in a mean way but he was yelling nonentheless). Did you also see it a couple of games ago when Harden shoved LIN in the back to get him to switch out on defense when LIN was backing into him because LIN wasn't thinking switch. It basically buckled LIN.
ReplyDeleteThings will come to a head here...
Yeah JLin swung it back to the strong side and I think Chandler ended up with a layup. I thought something was up there cause Harden was open on the low block asking for the ball but JLin swung it the other way.
DeleteThings must be frustrating for Harden as well who is used to winning and playing with an offensively aggressive Westbrook.
DeleteIt's frustrating for the entire team. Oh well, I guess the Rockets will just have to live with having the youngest team in the NBA.
DeletePoint is HARDEN jammed his lane. And, JLIN got him back. JLIN wouldn't pass Carmelo the ball when he wouldn't run the offense, so I don't put it past him to intentionally swing it away from him when Harden jams his lane.
DeleteAlso, I thought that push in the back was telling. Yes, teammates bump each other out on switches... But HARDENS push had way more on it that a bump out.
Tensions between teammates already. I think that probably the reason JLin is frustrated with the offense because his teammates are not in the right spots. As for the push, I missed it.
DeleteNow that you mention it I do remember Lin getting pushed from behind by a teammate. I didn't realize it was Harden. I'll have to go back and look at it again to what was going on. I remember thinking it was odd.
Delete@Racha, they call okc a young team too! Which is younger? Okc is doing pretty good. Good for James harden he didn't get booed returned to okc again. Guess it's not the case for Lin. Although if you look at it, Lin has no reason to get booed because ny didn't gave him any offer whereas harden got offer but he didn't like it. Guess okc fans are more classy than Nyks then.
Deletesmoovies, can't remember what team it was ... very recent though... and it was more like a shove than a push and he shoved him right into an opponent and he went down. if it were my teammate i would have been pissed. plus, you can throw somebodys back out doing something like that... in my opinion, it was straight bullshit.
DeleteJeremy, please don't pass the ball to Asik but instead take the shot yourself. While Asik is a good rebounder, he takes the team out of it's offensive flow. I know you think he is a good offensive player, but he almost never completes a contested layup. So please stop trying to pass the ball to him and ask the coach for more playing time with Smith.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Asik has me cringing like never before when he constantly fumbles the ball and not finish.
DeleteNot having a consistent big in the game is affecting JLin's pick and roll game.
DeleteYes, I'm not sure if Greg Smith is the answer but Asik isn't getting it done offensively. Every good point guard needs a finisher, i.e. Stockton to Malone. Lin to Asik isn't going to cut it.
DeleteBut what's Lin to do, force the shot over Tyson Chandler who was Defensive Player of the Year last year (thanks largely to LIN?)
DeleteKHuang, I know what you mean, but if I had to choose between Jeremy passing the ball down to Asik in the low post with Tyson Chandler on his back or Jeremy pulling up and taking a mid-range shot or floater in the lane, I would choose the latter.
DeleteYou don't have that choice, Smoovies.
DeleteTeams are meeting Lin in the midrange, though NY didn't do it last game because Mike Woodson was being a coaching FAIL by mistakenly assuming Lin could not score or assist anyone against his Knicks.
The midrange game doesn't exist for Lin because opponents know that Lin will score uncontrollably if big man shotblockers don't actively step into the midrange to challenge Lin.
So what do you suggest for Lin? Pass the ball to Harden and have him create? I have no confidence in Asik's offensive ability.
DeleteSmoovies, I don't think Lin can do any more than he's doing.
DeleteThis is the NBA where the only way to beat traps is to make opponents pay for doubling and tripling. That can only happen if Lin's teammates can attack the YAWNING gaps created by defenses leaving those teammates alone.
Lin is justifiably frustrated because no amount of coaching can change the hard fact that his teammates CAN'T PLAY and so opponents are loading up on him all the way out to the 3 point line!
So we should more of the same tonight and hope the Rockets make their 3's.
DeleteWe should hope that Mike Woodson continues to pretend that Lin cannot possibly hurt his mighty Knicks and thus doesn't jam trap Lin's back with the point guard while sandwiching him between two big men in the midrange.
DeleteP&T: Injury Updates on Melo, Amar'e, Sheed, Camby, and Felton
ReplyDelete[SI] The Fundamentals: Is there room for both Harden and Lin in Houston?
ReplyDelete@via
ReplyDeleteYou have been on a tear with links today. Excited much about tonight?
Yes, @Nom. Also, ADD.
DeleteNo, jk.
But seriously, it's NY media gearing up for JLin.
Delete@via
DeleteI have a favor/request. There is a Haberstroh Insider article on benching Lin, any way you can use your kung fu and get that for us?
I've been thinking about just this all weekend. I would be ok with him being a 6th man, especially if it would mean he gets to finish games. But that's a subject deserving of its own thread.
Oh Per Diem, I've been waiting for the one of the Chinese forums to reprint it haha.
Delete* for one
Delete"I've been waiting for the one of the Chinese forums to reprint it haha."
DeleteAha! has @via let her guard down and is now giving up ancient Chinese secrets?
Yeah, that would be the one. I should have known you were already on top of it. Thanks in advance.
@Nom - @ntt have the article downthread. :)
DeleteGot it, thanks.
DeleteYou know, maybe there *is* something to be said about Lin and the NY media. I can't read everything that's being printed fast enough.
Thanks @via ! You post the best links
ReplyDeleteoh glad to help! :)
DeleteWill Leitch: Lin Isn’t Gonna Get Booed Tonight ... Is He?
ReplyDeleteGo Jeremy! Sure there's gonna be boos... But sure you will still got to see some warm welcoming from jlin fans as always. Last time I got a chance to see Jeremy coming out from the garden parking lot and some Asian jlin fans there too , so I am sure some of them will come out today and show support to him too just like last time. Wish this time I can be there again but I can't. Good luck. This is the first return and after that no more first return. Great way to put it!
ReplyDeleteHi Jlinfan:
ReplyDeleteHaven't heard your insights in a while on here as I always look forward to your optimistic and usually accurate forecasts and summaries of the Jeremy Lin Situation. Interested in your views prior to tonights game.
This is gonna be big time news regardless of what happens and I believe there will be some serious stuff going on tonight. I think there will even be tempers flaring between Lin, JR Smith , the European Point Guard. I have little doubt that JR Smith will take give flagrant foul on Lin tonight and I believe LIn will actually go at Smith and get his first double tech of his career. KHuang will be wetting his pants on this too.
I'd like to also point out I was the lone poster on here when Jeremy first signed here that McHale is not a good coach and will not be good for JLin. I've been proven 100% accurate and there is little joy in this cause we need JLin to get a coach who believes in him (Not Predjudice Sampson who cheated his ass off in College and shows what integrite he has as a Man). Please also Note that Khuang was a full proponent and supporter of McHale and said he was great for Lin. He ratttled off all the big men who were great coaches comparing McHale to them - well KHuang eat some humble pie and admit you were wrong about McHale like you've been wrong about almost everything you post on here.
Bottom Line JLINfan....what do you think is going to go down tonight?
You ain't nice AT ALL, Mike "Nice".
DeleteMcHale has, in his own way, developed Lin's individual game. But the team game is not developed and I'm not even sure any other coach would do any better.
Since you want to play the flame game, Mike "FakeNice", why don't you rattle off the long illustrious list of coaches that would get guys like Asik to catch the ball and Parsons to actually be able to create his own shot? Because that's basically what you're demanding for the Rockets to improve over McHale.
I will agree with you that I'd "wet my pants" if Lin laid the SMACKDOWN on bounty hunters, just like you're wetting your pants now that I'm laying the smackdown on YOU.
"well KHuang eat some humble pie and admit you were wrong about McHale like you've been wrong about almost everything you post on here. "
DeleteLOL! $hit just got real!
Khuang:
DeleteEveryone on here kisses your ass real good but not me cause I know you're fake tough guy and the fact that you don't admit your miscalculations (McHale good coach) is right in line.
Not about how he coaches white players like Parsons and Asik (He gives them green light/minutes to play their games)just like Sampson does for Douglas. I'm saying LIn needs a coach who will play him and not be an enemy to him on his own team and play mindgames with Lin and bench him all over the place even when he's playing good. Thank goodness Lin is financially wealthy but I'm sure he doesn't care about that and he wants to be respected as a player.
I'm just calling you out for saying you though McHale is a good coach and good for Lin which I think 99% of people on here now know he's the worst coach for Lin (Sampson the same).
Anonymous...don't need you to cosign and inflame anything like middleschool kid...handle your own rather than ride someone else's jock.
DeleteMike Nice, you can disagree with me believing that McHale is a "good coach" - which I actually STILL believe!
DeleteMcHale is a FREEDOM coach. All his players, including Lin, have total freedom. That includes your guys Parsons and Asik.
However, opponents have EXPLOITED that freedom by loading up on Lin and daring the other Rockets to make plays. In previous threads, I have CRITICIZED McHale for not instituting more plays that would theoretically move guys around the court and relieve pressure. I also checked myself by writing that NBA triple teams would still converge on Lin no matter what offensive scheme is being used.
I can completely sympathize with you, Mike Nice, in your sentiments that it appears McHale is deliberately driving the ball away from Lin. However, I also sympathize with McHale's recognition that if opponents are going to let James Harden brick shots and turn the ball over, McHale is better off taking his chances with Harden doing that than trying to force the ball through Lin and the unending traps that Lin attracts.
All of this would be solved, Mike Nice, if the Rockets had ONE frontcourter who had even a minimal clue how to play NBA offense. I was not happy when the Rockets amnestied Luis Scola, as Scola would have stepped right in and relieved triple team pressure of Jeremy Lin while also serving as a reliable pick and roll partner like he did for Dragic and Lowry.
I will go so far to say that I'd have happily lived with Luis Scola's athletic shortcomings on the defensive end because Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik would provide the help defense that Scola would have needed to stay on the court.
I miss Luis Scola - BADLY.
@mike, no body is kissing khuang's ass here and khuang doesn't need anyone to kiss his ass. When there's something to agree with what khuang said, people just agree and when people disagree, they disagree. Just like you disagree with khuang. I think you can make your disagreement statement better than that!
DeleteYeah I was thinking this about Scola too. Despite his defensive shortcomings, he would have been a great compliment to Jlin.
DeleteThe feeling of smooching lips on my ass is not something I want to experience here, considering the predominantly male population of this board!
DeleteBesides, I know where my ass has been! I'm too embarrassed about that to begin with!!!
espn:
ReplyDeleteBut look what happens to Lin's numbers in the 106 minutes he has played when Harden hits the bench: 19.7 points, 7.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds with an above-average 55.4 TS% and a 17.7 PER.
That's pretty darn good. If those numbers look familiar, there's a reason for it. Check out Lin's per-36 minute stat line in New York last season: 19.6 points, 8.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds. 55.2 TS% and a 19.9 PER.
"When the Houston Rockets visit the New York Knicks on Monday night, it will mark the first time that the Knickerbockers' point guard sensation from last season comes back to Madison Square Garden. That's right, the moment every New Yorker has been waiting for:
DeleteThe return of Toney Douglas.
Oh, Jeremy Lin's playing, too?
In all seriousness, Lin's underwhelming play this season has made Linsanity seem like decades ago, prompting many Knicks fans to rejoice that their front office wiped its hands clean of Lin in the offseason. Rather than matching the Rockets' three-year, $25.1 million poison pill contract offer that would have forced the Knicks to pay a whopping $14.8 million in 2014-15, the Knicks let Lin and his fairy-tale story try to muster up some magic elsewhere.
And so far, it seems like a wise choice. After Houston's loss on Sunday to the Toronto Raptors in which Lin registered more turnovers than assists, the 24-year-old is now averaging a lukewarm 10.8 points and 6.0 assists and shooting just 39.5 percent from the floor. This after scoring 14.6 points per game last season with 44.6 percent shooting.
Obviously, Lin has gotten much worse, right?
Not so fast.
They say that context is everything and, in the case of Lin, this couldn't be more true. Despite the charming "Beardsanity" marketing blitz, the dirty little secret is that playing next to James Harden has sapped almost all of Lin's talent. Watching the film and digging into the numbers, it has become painfully obvious that the Lin and Harden partnership is not worth the sum of its parts.
Lin has played about 85 percent of his minutes next to Harden, so it's clear that the Rockets are desperately trying to let this duo figure things out on the court. In Sunday's embarrassing loss to arguably the NBA's worst team (right, Bargs?), Lin played all 33 of his minutes next to Harden, and the Rockets were minus-7 with the tandem on the court, which coincidentally turned out to be the final deficit.
This insistence to play them together is a problem once you take a whiff of Lin's putrid numbers while playing next to the Beard. On a per-36-minute basis, Lin has averaged 10.7 points, 6.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds with a ghastly 46.5 true shooting percentage (TS%) to go along with a 12.1 player efficiency rating, according to the NBA.com's StatsCube tool. You know who else has a 46.5 percent TS%? B.J. Mullens.
But look what happens to Lin's numbers in the 106 minutes he has played when Harden hits the bench: 19.7 points, 7.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds with an above-average 55.4 TS% and a 17.7 PER.
That's pretty darn good. If those numbers look familiar, there's a reason for it. Check out Lin's per-36 minute stat line in New York last season: 19.6 points, 8.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds. 55.2 TS% and a 19.9 PER.
What we're seeing here is when Lin plays without Harden, his shooting percentages and scoring rates are almost identical to his numbers from last season. In other words, he has shown he can still be the player that took the world by storm last season. But when he plays next to the ball-dominant shooting guard, everything changes. Context, as you can see, is incredibly important.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out why Lin hasn't been a perfect complement next to Harden. They're both masters of the pick-and-roll, but the problem is that they can't run a pick-and-roll at the same time. Because Harden is the better player of the two, Lin usually plays off the ball and lets Harden go to work. But if Lin had a reliable spot-up jump shot, this wouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately, Lin ranks 79th among 121 players in catch-and-shoot efficiency this season, according to SynergySports (minimum 50 such shots). Ray Allen, he is not."
DeleteHere's the most alarming trend when Lin co-pilots with Harden: Lin is taking more 3-pointers than free throw attempts. That's astonishing once you consider that Lin used to frequent the charity stripe practically every time down the floor during the height of Linsanity. Again, beware of the Harden effect. Next to Harden this season, Lin averages 2.1 free throw attempts and 2.9 3-point attempts per 36 minutes. That's not healthy for Lin.
But without Harden on the court? Lin visits the free throw line more than three times as often (6.5 attempts per 36 minutes) while his attempts from beyond the arc essentially doesn't change (3.1 attempts). Lin's averages last season: 7.0 free throw attempts and 2.9 attempts from deep. Mirror images.
Not to beat a dead horse, but the numbers tell us that the only difference between the current Lin and Linsanity appears to be Harden's presence. Now what can the Rockets do about it?
It's really quite simple: It's time for Kevin McHale to bring Lin off the bench, a la OKC Harden.
Really, the solution to Houston's Lin-Harden problem may be turning Lin into Harden. But "benching" Lin right after handing him a $25 million contract might seem like a PR nightmare, especially once you consider that Lin might actually start the All-Star Game (he's currently third in the Western Conference backcourt voting).
But look around the league and you'll see the common denominator for the top-five offenses: a score-first wing anchoring the second-unit. Ray Allen in Miami. Jamal Crawford in Los Angeles. Manu Ginobili in San Antonio. Kevin Martin in Oklahoma City. J.R. Smith in New York. The average 2012-13 salary of those players: $7.5 million, just a Harden hair below Lin's $8.3 million price tag. There are precedents here.
The Rockets aren't close to being in the same conversation as those elite offenses yet and the calendar still reads "December," so worrying about Lin and Harden's chemistry might be a bit premature. But if the Rockets want Linsanity, they should at least attempt to recreate a Linsanity environment.
What's most frustrating is that Lin scored 38 points sans-Harden last Monday against the San Antonio Spurs -- arguably the best team in the league -- and yet a week later, McHale still refuses to stagger Lin's and Harden's minutes. If Harden continues to play 38.9 minutes per game, Lin should be featured as the No. 1 option for those 10 minutes that Harden sits.
Though it might make Madison Square Garden shake from all the laughter in the stands, starting a rejuvenated Toney Douglas as a "3-and-D" specialist over Lin on Monday makes a ton of basketball sense. The numbers show that a Harden and Douglas pairing leads to an offense that scores 106 points per 100 possessions, which is five points more efficient than the production of a Lin-Harden pairing. That's no small thing.
It bears mentioning that Lin is still just 24 years old and also coming off offseason knee surgery. He still has room to grow as a professional basketball player, considering he has only 87 games under his belt. Since 1995, only one other player has averaged 15 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals per 36 minutes in their first three seasons in the league. His name: Chris Paul.
Linsanity may be impossible to replicate and Monday's environment in Madison Square Garden may not be the wisest setting to experiment with Lin coming off the bench, but the evidence is clear: Get Lin the ball and he can be an $8 million player. There's no reason why the Rockets shouldn't at least try bringing Lin off the bench, like Harden used to for Oklahoma City.
If nothing else, imagine the dramatic scene if Lin made his entrance by walking to the scorer's table in the middle of Monday's game. Now that is theater fit for Broadway.
@ntt
DeleteThank you for this. Is this the Insider article?
Thx! @ntt. :)
DeleteESPN Insider: Jeremy Lin makes sense off bench
[Additional info]
The major problem is Lin bring the ball up court, make a pass, and 90% of the time never see the ball again. Lin need to be selfish, but that is just not Lin. The coaches need to adjust players management to make this work. But there is no way to make everyone happy with the current situation until everyone understand Lin is just one player in the Houston Team. Unforturnately a lot of Lin fans has a wrong idea what Linsanity really is, it is not about Lin being a superstar basketball player, it is about how a player (average or not) find success with teamwork instead of personal stats. Currently, a lot of people like to use stats to judge players. If personal stats is that important, the Laker should be #1 in the West right now with Kobe. Don't forget during Linsanity, the Knicks bench were the superstars of the Team. Remember Field, Jeffries, Shump, Harrellison, Novak and Walker? Tell me when have you see player like Jeffries ever score double digit games?
DeletePlease Lin fans, stop living your personal dream through Jeremey success. If you only want to see Lin stats to improve, you have to understand it is important Houston need to play as a team. Blaming everyone else or Lin alone is just not right. The team need to play like a team. Regardless if it is a players issue or a coaching issues. Here is a hint, pay attention to how Lin play when he is pair with Asik, Parson, TD, and Morris against Harden, Delfino, Patterson, and Parson.
That ESPN Insider article gets a C from me.
DeleteMoving Lin around and plowing the ball into Lin sounds all nice, but opponents would still eventually adjust to the hard fact that Lin's teammates CAN'T PLAY (except Harden, of course). Thus the triple teams would still load up on Lin anyway.
In the NBA, guys like Asik and Delfino that can't play eventually get EXPOSED no matter what Jeremy Lin's role is.
And Charles, most of the fans here are NOT trying to live through Lin.
DeleteIf anything, we fans here are trying to live through MCHALE by inserting ourselves into the coaching hot seat!!!
Teamwork DOESN'T WORK when you have guys that don't know how to play, as is the case with the Rockets outside of Lin and Harden.
@charles, we are not living our personal dream through jlin's success. I think it is most of you who keep putting your own words on jlin fan's shoulder. saying us want this from jeremy, want that from jeremy. Really. we just want to see him get treated right, have more chance and giving more opportunity to develop. If this is all just blaming like others see it then probably the jlin fans should just shut their mouth and never say anything and quietly watch.
DeleteThe only thing that worries me tonight is if McHale at the urging of Sampson bench Lin again for Douglas. They may do that to screw Lin like they have all season and what better chance to do it than when the world will be watching. They will say Douglas played better defense for us or Lin was trying to do too much or that we didn't want Lin to get ahead of himself.....this is a high risk of happening tonight and Lin will have to face this challenge again....IN LIn's 38 point game vs. SA he was benched early in first quarter remember. After game McHale criticsized Lin for not getting shot up. Lin is swimming against the tide in every way this year, vs. Harden, Sampson, McHale, Douglas, every black player he plays against in the NBA and media who wants him to fail. Lin is Man.
ReplyDelete@ntt, that's great info. Where's the link to it?
ReplyDeletehey shuhow...please know that tyson chandler is gunning for your head. no matter how chummy he is with you off the court. and please know that felton is now paying his respects to linsanity, rather than claiming it's just another game, because he got owned the last time and he's just covering his azz. i know the whole knicks organization is saying they're paying more attention to harden and parsons...PLEASE MAKE THEM PAY. hey coach mchale...GIVE SHUHOW THE BALL.
ReplyDeleteF*** Sampson, F*** Mchale and F*** that scrub Douglas. Lisanity dropping 40 @ the Garden
ReplyDeleteI have a different take about the Knick sentiment toward Jeremy Lin.
ReplyDeleteI personally think that the Knicks think Lin is such a SCRUB that they can't get excited about playing against him!
Woodson and the Knicks took Lin and the Rockets lightly, and the result was that the Knicks got LINBARRASSED. But I'll bet the Knicks are still like "Jeremy friggin Lin who's not good enough to play for us is going to scare us? NAAAAAWWWWWW!!!!'"
This reminds me of a summer game I played against a bunch of older athletic players. They saw me all short and Asian bouncing around the court, and they rolled their eyes at me. I proceeded to score on them at will, block their shots, steal the ball, and run up the score from them. Those guys didn't want to look like they were trying against a little Asian scrub like me, so I happily ate their lunch!
I just can't see the Knicks getting excited over little Jeremy Lin. I wouldn't be surprised to see a halfhearted effort from NY this game.
No, I believe the Knick wants this win at home. Think what will happen if they lost tonight game. Only home game lost will be to Lin's team? That will be a bad omen for the Knick. One game blowout is enough to change the Knicks tone. They want this one really bad. Trust me. They don't necessary want to prove Lin as a bad player, but they definiately want to prove they are better without Lin. Expect the Knicks to play hard tonight. If you are a true Lin fan, this will be the game you wants him to play well. If the Rocket win again tonight, the Lin hater will hate Lin even more........The Lin haters won't allow this to happen.
DeleteI hope that Jeremy's passive play in yesterday's game was due to his mind being on today's game: that he was relaxing so he could explode tonight.
ReplyDeleteJeremy will get blown out of the water tonight.
ReplyDelete20 Minutes
2 Points
1 Assist
0 Rebound
10 Turnovers.
I'll be back on this site after the game to laugh at all of you. LOL
The old reverse jinx! That's not a bad idea actually.
DeleteI am glad, by the way, that both ESPN (Insider) and Sports Ilustrated have published articles on why-Lin-is-for-real-but-can't-play-with-Harden.
That Spurs game was huge in opening haters' eyes.
zx,
DeleteIf I can send you a tissue through the internet, I would right now because you will need it.
Take my advice and turn off the TV. Do something with yourself instead of wasting your time on this fraudulent sport they call basketball!
Jeremy has not given us a penny, yet the fans are the reason why the NBA gave him a chance!
zx I agree, thankfully Lin had that game cause if not they would be killing him right now. What that game did was show people that Lin can play how he played in the Linsanity era and to show it against the most veteran and one of the best defensive teams. That changed the question from, is Lin a fluke? to, can Lin play with Harden? So that was great for him.
DeleteNow, its all up to Lin in tonights game. He needs to come out aggresive and play his brand of basketball so all the negative vibe he is getting is dealt with. If Lin has a good game tonight and Rockets win I'm projecting a break out for Lin in the coming games.
Just a certain point of view...
ReplyDeleteMy perspective is that *nobody* is going to prove anybody wrong on this forum.
Here's why:
Those who over hype Jeremy night in and night out usually get proved wrong night in and night out. So, when Jeremy does begin to perform consistently better this is not going to vindicate those who have over hyped him. They will not be able to say 'I always told you Jeremy would be great' you haters. Because if you over hype someone constantly and then one day he does rise to the level you hyped him, you don't get credit for this because you've incessantly over hyped him in the past being incessantly wrong in the past. So, in essence, everything gets canceled out.
This post is somewhat philosophical and really just me expressing my opinion on something that I see.
Regarding this game, though... My *guess* is that Jeremy will have a good game. His warrior spirit will emerge. It's just natural. When a player of a former team plays against his former team, they are usually more agressive and this will be the case for JLin, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping for a 20 point, 10 assist performance.