I still would love to see a move by the deadline. I believe Parsons has been exposed for what he is, a solid all around player who struggles against very athletic 3's. An upgrade at the 3 with a Rudy Gay or getting Millsap to start at the 4, would make me jump for joy.
As well as the Rockets have played so far, they're surely in need of more athleticism and a stronger inside presence. I'm still not sure why Greg Smith doesn't get more burn. He and Jeremy seem to be treated the same, with not much respect. In the end, this will probably fuel both guys to be even better.
Jeremy seems to be getting his stroke going but at the same time he's been getting a bit careless with the ball. I don't mind the long home run pass turnover's but he still needs to tighten up that handle. He and Harden need to value the ball a bit more. It should be lots of fun to see Harden and Lin vs Rondo and Bradley.
Jeremy seems to be getting his stroke going but at the same time he's been getting a bit careless with the ball. I don't mind the long home run pass turnover's but he still needs to tighten up that handle. He and Harden need to value the ball a bit more. It should be lots of fun to see Harden and Lin vs Rondo and Bradley.
Agree about the celtics game. It is not going to be so easy the last time the rockets met them. They are starting to get their act together. Another team that is rising is the portland trailblazers. They have a strong inside presence and that is what is lacking on this rocket team. Harden and Lin struggle against teams with good shot blockers. One of the reasons why the defense is not very good is because of the pace the team plays.When the team is tired, they need to find other ways to win. The spurs, memphis grizzles, okc and clippers are pretty locked in for the playoffs the rest is really "up for grabs"
ReplyDeleteI still have the "flu" and I'm off until Monday. Go Jeremy Lin and the Rockets!!! ^___^
ReplyDeleteI think the Rockets willwin a close one.
ReplyDeleteWow I found out today that Nic Batum was originally drafted by the Rockets but they traded his draft right away for trash. Damn how good would the Rockets be if they had Batum in place of Parsons. It also showed that Morey is not as smart as everyone seems to think. He traded away Rudy Gay and Batum but for some reasons he and McHale are in love with Parsons.
ReplyDeleteWell, he DID let Jeremy walk on Christmas didn't he?
DeleteDoesn't surprise me, I think Batum was drafted during the Shane Battier era. So the Rockets didn't have a need for a rookie SF.
DeleteHowever, it did take several seasons for Batum to become the elite player that he is now. He needed time to develop his game.
Yeah but despite many years of developing, Batum is still younger than Parsons. That's the gap between the two players. I really dislike the Rockets fans overrated Parsons due to his cheap contract and good looks and the coaching staff and management's seemingly irrational love with him. A player should be judged by his game, and his game only.
DeleteParsons simply got too much of green light on the court for someone of his talent level.
DeleteYes Cara but he looks so so good. Im not gay but if I was :) I would be on fire for that guy...
DeleteParsons' got a gorgeous face, but is streaky player as being streaky goes.
Deleteactually, with Morey letting Scola go just to bring in Howard is enough to make me question him. upon release from Magic, I already sensed D12 wanted to go to a big market team.
[Out of Topic]
ReplyDeleteI've been reading some articles regarding Jeremy Lin's $25M/3 year contract and most articles are pathetic to be honest. First of all, I would like to point out that Knicks owner, Dolan, is an Idiot! Why?
<#1> He should not have had J.Lin explore the open market. He should've given Jeremy a contract at the beginning, if he had done that, the Knicks would've had no problem in the PG position. Right now the Knicks look like old dogs trying to play up tempo... J.Kidd isn't 24 years old and R.Felton isn't Jeremy Lin period! Enough said.
<#2> After bringing life to New York City, playing with bench players and leading the knicks to victories I still hear people saying that he's not worth $25M? Amazing how foolishness can spread like cancer... with bunch of idiots running the Knicks team, supported by foolish fans buying into the "Lin is overpaid" philosophy, no wonder the Knicks Franchise hasn't had any luck making noise in the playoffs since time immemorial. I wouldn't be shocked if the knicks gets pimped out by boston in the first round of the playoffs.
<#3> Lin is not just an NBA Star he is an IMPACT PLAYER. Okay, first of all, not all NBA Stars are Impact players, and not all Impact players are NBA Stars. Lin is both an Impact player and a Star, which is rare in this league. An impact player is a guy who can change or impact the team and the game in a unique way, just like Linsanity in New York. An impact player is a type of guy that makes other players better, and jack up the stat sheet as well.
BOTTOM LINE: $25M for 3 years for J.Lin IS A STEAL!! Only IDIOTS would look at it otherwise. I'm glad Les Alexander saw it the right. Shame on the Knicks! Shame on you Dolan! YOU HAD IT, YOU LOST IT! That summarizes my point :)
Question on #3. Are impact players valued in the NBA? Seems to me when I read the US sports media, individual stats are glorified to death while there's barely mention of intangible skills like the ones you mention.
DeleteIn soccer, impact players are highly valued. They may not be top scorers but their value to the team are highly valued,for example Patrick Viera(Arsernal), Roy Keanne(ManU) e.t.c.
lam, I'm glad you are bringing soccer up, because that's one of the most team-oriented sports there is.
DeleteI have tremendous respect to Shane Battier and Jared Jefferies for this reason. These players are even less appreciated than Ben Wallace type of blue-collar guys, because at least they have their efforts reflected on the number of rebounds. I also believe this is also why moving fossils such as Jason Kidd and Grant Hill are still so invaluable to their teams.
At the same time, I wouldn't be too hard on Parsons. Athletically speaking he may have peaked already, but I do believe that he's got the heart and attitude to be that do-it-all SF, maybe a poor man's Landry?
"Are impact players valued in the NBA?" - Iam
DeleteThat's a good question. But let my answer be a question... How much do you think these impact players are getting paid for? In a fan's point of view, they are very much appreciated, but in a "professional" point of view, I doubt it.
That's why there are many people who dislikes J.Lin because he's breaking the "Basketball Norm" in the NBA.
@lam & Hans:
DeleteSoccer fields are way bigger than bball courts. You have to run a lot - for up to 90 minutes.
A goal keeper usually doesnt score. A defensive player hardly ever gets the chance to score as well. Roles are asigned and they are fixed. Also - during a game you will see 3-4 goals tops. One goal can make the game. This is why soccer players are team players - they have to be. It would not work otherwise.
I believe that this is why ex-soccer players are more disciplined and better team players. Nash is said to be an excellent soccer player. JLin used to play soccer as well.
lam, impact players are NOT valued in the NBA.
DeleteNBA players are evaluated strictly by points, highlights, and physical measurements. No value is attribute to anything else.
I used to believe that general managers and coaches knew better. But after decades of watching nonsensical decisions like Jeremy Lin going undrafted despite a STELLAR college career that should've landed him in the high lottery, I know better.
It is very apparent to me that the bb fans here talk more about teamwork than the sports press especially ESPN and the Bleacher report. Seems to be a little disconnect between what fans wants to see and the NBA game itself.
DeleteYears and years ago I stopped watching NBA because I was put off by the heroball of NBA. Maybe that's why I like Spurs and Linsanity Knicks. They "sound" like a proper soccer team if that analogy can be applied at all.
p/s sorry for bringing up soccer in a basketball forum.
Realistically, impact players are usually role players that are usually dispensable. What is an NBA star? There are NBA superstars. To me, an NBA star is just another NBA player. Right now, JLin is just another NBA player that has potential to become great, or a superstar. To get there, he must have a greater "impact" than he is having now. I mean it in a sense that when he steps on the floor, you feel a confidence that he will carry the team. You have confidence that the team will win. You have confidence that when he shoots he's gonna make it most of the time than not. You have confidence that he will make the most of out every possession and not give it away easily. A player that you can count on each and every game. Right now, as much as I like JLin he's not there yet.
DeleteWhen I think of an "impact player", I am thinking of a guy who is NOT indispensable.
DeleteA classic example of that is Shane Battier. Every time he goes to a team, they improve dramatically. Every time he walks away from a team, that team struggles.
Another guy like that is Andre Miller. Whenever he gets traded for a "star", the team that traded him ends up suffering while the team that got him wins more. Miller is actually one of the game's great point guards.
Let's not forget that an impact player often IS a superstar, like Lebron James!
Great - lets think about it...
DeleteDoes the team often loose the lead minutes after JLin goes to the bench? YES!
Do people all over the world love him? YES!
I rest my case.
@KHuang
Delete"When I think of an "impact player", I am thinking of a guy who is NOT indispensable.
A classic example of that is Shane Battier. Every time he goes to a team, they improve dramatically. Every time he walks away from a team, that team struggles."
I'm so confused. Maybe it's the double negatives. In your example of Battier (agree with your assessment of him 100% btw) you make it sound like he's indispensable, but you're saying he's not? Or am I just reading it wrong and you actually mean that Battier an impact player (although perhaps unrecognized) and therefore indispensable?
@willydilly
Delete"Great - lets think about it..."
Okay!
"Does the team often loose the lead minutes after JLin goes to the bench? YES!"
Show me, because I don't agree with you and the +/- of the bench (TD in particular) don't support what you claim (unless we are going to nitpick the word often).
"Do people all over the world love him? YES!"
Agreed, I know I do.
"I rest my case."
Huh?
To be objective, the starters including Jeremy have been digging the team into a hole at the beggining of the games and it is the bench, especially Delfino, Smith and Douglas which pulls them out. Jeremy is not a great first quarter player.
DeleteNom, you are right.
DeleteWhat I wrote was totally confusing, even to me. I'm sorry and I need to clean it up.
I should have written that guys like Battier and Andre Miller are deemed expendable by their franchises but actually are indispensable when it comes to actually winning games.
English is not my first language, Taiwanese is. Often I find myself writing and speaking confusing things because I actively think in both languages. My thoughts are clear, but my syntax often is not.
@KHuang
DeleteNo sweat, you clarification is perfect and I agree.
I'll defend Lin first and foremost, but (like you with Duncan) Battier's also my man and I like to see him get proper recognition.
Jlin back in boston. Should be like old times. Another harvard reunion. The rox are slowly creeping up on the knicks record. Wouldnt it be devestating and funny if the rox had a better record than the knicks? Melo might throw another hissy fit. Haha
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Delete"I'm still not sure why Greg Smith doesn't get more burn."
ReplyDeleteThere's a possession against the Hornets where G. Smith grabbed and fouled Jason Smith during a pick and roll. These kind of plays is what gets a player yanked. Smith showed a lack of understanding defending the pick and roll. He hedges but doesn't get back to his man immediately and then tries to grab J. Smith so not to lose him. Let me tell you, the coaches pay attention to these things like a hawk.
Although Smith is a better finisher at the rim than Asik and provides energy off the bench, his number one task is to defend. Bonehead plays like these will keep him on the bench. I don't think it's a lack of respect at all, but a matter of learning to get better on the defensive end and play smarter.
"Jeremy seems to be getting his stroke going but at the same time he's been getting a bit careless with the ball. I don't mind the long home run pass turnover's but he still needs to tighten up that handle."
JLin said after the loss that turnovers are inevitable with their style of play and needs to avoid the "dumb" ones. Geez, I'm glad JLin admits some of those TOs were dumb. Again, the coaches see every little thing you do on the court. Right now, the Rockets are winning so they can disregard the TOs, but JLin must not make it habitual. The "dumb" TOs is what JLin commits over and over again. These things, along with Smith's constant porous defense, is what causes players to be benched and not a sign of disrespect.
JLin can't keep making dumb TOs, he just can't. I don't mean it in a bad way, but having a Harvard degree really doesn't matter when you're on a basketball court. When it comes to the playoffs, each possession is gold. Whatever it takes, JLin needs to cut them down like right now.
Against Boston, all I care about is that Jlin can take care of the ball. Don't know what else to day. Hope they win.
How about this then? Hold Harden at least slightly accountable for his horrendous D and careless turnovers. I haven't seen Mchale get upset with him or say one peep about it. Just hear how great our Franchise player is.
DeleteA lot of times, Jeremy Lin's turnovers come from his teammates not catching his passes or not being in spots where they should be.
DeleteIn short, his teammates need to DO THEIR JOBS.
When the Rockets frontcourt is tired like they have been recently, Lin's turnovers go up.
@JLinfan -> absolutely agree!
DeletePeople keep pointing out JLins TOs as if they could do better, as if it completely defined a player. They talk about it as if JLin was the only one in the NBA who turned the ball over.
Last season I kept posting that JLins TO numbers where in the same region as Lebrons and Nashs numbers. And yet - some haters kept calling Lin a "turnover machine". All of a sudden - even Lin fans picked it up.
Look - he turned it over. Lin haters are gonna laugh about us Lin fans. Lin has brought shame upon us. He should apologize to us...?!?
Yes - Im being sarcastic but there is truth in it! Why else would fans on a fanpage (HERE) call Lin dumb or refer to him as idiot? Yes - they did...
I dont know why Racha must mention JLins Harvard degree when talking about JLins TOs. Did JLin say anything like "I have a Harvard degree - therfor I am allowed to turn it over"? Whats next?
Does Racha think JLin has a lower basketball IQ than others? Does he believe that JLin makes bad passes cause he is lazy? Does he believe that JLin goes out there and thinks "well - Im in the mood to turn the ball over today..."? I really dont get the point.
The fact that TOs are bad - Im not sure but I believe JLin knows that already!?
Keep in mind - JLin has to make decisions within a split second. Sometimes he makes the wrong decision. Yes - I sometimes cringe when Lin (or any other Rox player) turns the ball over - but there is no reason to be obsessed with Lins TOs.
It takes time to get better at something and no perfect player has fallen out of the sky yet. If JLin didnt turn it over - ever - he should be paid twice as much if not more...
JLin is very demanding, self critical and some even describe him as obsessive (like his shooting coach). He can call his turnovers dumb - his coaches can call his turnovers dumb but I dont think anyone else has the right to.
Its like when JLin had a problem with his jumpers. People kept posting "He has to learn how to shoot - he has to make those 3s". Really? Seriously? Where did you guys obtain that secret knowledge? Being able to shoot 3s is good?
Now - I dont mean to stifle anyone who feels the need to post his thoughts - but - its a JLin fansite. Do we need to be overly critical? Do we have to pull something out of our behinds and claim that JLins missed 3s are worse than others? Yes - someone even insisted on that!
Does JLin not deserve better fans than this? Say he reads this site - wouldnt it make him feel bad?
Its JLins first real season. He is already doing better than many long time NBA players. Lets show some respect folks.
And:
It might not be disrespectful when JLin gets benched for something bad - but it is obviously desrespectful if he is the only one who gets benched all the time.
@KHuang: good point! I totally agree!
Delete@JLinfan#1 I definitely agree that Harden has issues with turnovers and defense. As for turnovers, there's no excuse for that at all, both Harden and JLin make dumb TOs as the ball handler, as well as others on the team--I don't mention others because I really only care about JLin. As for defense, I feel Harden's offense is his defense. He causes opposing players to have to guard him constantly which expends energy, so on defense I suppose he can slack somewhat. No excuses there either. Harden needs to be more consistent with defense.
DeleteI don't know if McHale doesn't get upset with Harden, but at this point Harden's good out weighs his bad. If JLin can pick up his scoring and have the same impact as a Parker/Paul/Nash, I don't think McHale will be on him as much either. JLin is still developing, but I expect him to handle the ball better. That's one thing he can really control.
@KHuang. I don't dispute his teammates has a tendency to drop passes, but we can't completely pass the buck. There are clear turnovers JLin commit on his own that are not the fault of his teammates. JLin needs to be accounted for those as well.
Delete@KHuang and @willydilly, excellent point, as always!
DeleteKobe Bryant
Game Played= 35 Total TOs=118 TO/GP=3.37
Russell Westbrook
Game Played=35 Total TOs=121 TO/GP=3.45
Jeremy Lin
Game Played=36 Total TOs=115; TO/GP=3.19
This comment has been removed by the author.
Delete@janelin7, actually comparing JLin's TOs to Kobe's or Westbrook's TOs are not a good comparison. Westbrook is a turnover machine and not point guard material and JLin has only has 6 less TOs. That's not good. You should compare JLin's TO to true point guards such as Paul, Parker, and Rondo etc.
DeleteFor one night, I want JLin to be selfish. Look to score first and pass second. Finish the drive instead of passing it back out. Do more of the mid range jumper and floater inside the ring. Just go nuts with the ball on offense like Harden.
DeleteIt seems like sometimes JLin will make the bad pass instead of taking a bad shot when defenses pack the lane. I'd rather he take the midrange as well in response. If he really does get caught in the air in traffic, I'd rather him take the contested shot rather than pass through heavy defense in the lane. Even better is for the teammates to be in the right position to receive passes.
DeleteLin's 5 TOs was not the reason HOU lost in the last game. He had 0 TOs in the 4Q. 1 TO should have been an 'And-1' robbed by the ref.
DeleteYes, he needs to reduce careless/risky passes in the last 2 games because defense has adjusted to his full-court passes but he can't stop being aggressive.
Defense also packed the paint reducing Lin's and Harden's effectiveness to penetrate and causing TOs (Harden had 2TOs in 4Q alone). Morris/Patterson need to step up here or they will be replaced soon.
Again, this is only an issue because they lost NOH game. This is a team problem, not just Lin.
Also, this is TO breakdown from CF courtesy from Viola
Deleteabout these 5 TO's:
3 dumb pass
- one from penetration
- one from outside-in
- one from transition game
(- another one from transition game but the technical crews counted it on Harden)
1 hustle play, great rebounding but Lin was unlucky.
1 dumb call, it should be an and-1
limited data. But in comparing TOV of JLin and Rondo thru 1/9 is interesting so far.
Delete--------TOV-----#games---avg min----TOV/gm
Jlin 115.00-----36-----33:18:03-----3.19
Rondo 110.00-----30-----37:17:32-----3.67
When I watch any basketball game, I put myself in the shoes of the players and try to imagine myself making plays.
DeleteWhen I put myself in Jeremy Lin's shoes, I see all these guys willingly moving to the right places on the court but with awkward body language that indicates they don't know if they can succeed with the ball. The only guy who moves with clear intentions is James Harden, as he's the only guy on the team that has played significant NBA scoring minutes.
On top of the tentative teammates, I see opponents loading up on Lin. EVERY defender on the court is aware of where Lin is. Lin being Lin, he sees not just the double teams coming but the secondary traps waiting to pick off his bailout passes or meet him in the midrange.
Every time Lin catches the ball, he has to beat those calculating waves of attentive defenders while forcing the ball into teammates that are still finding their game and thus look like they play on ice skates.
I don't worry about Lin's turnovers because he is making the best possible reads against committed NBA defenders and elevating the play of his tentative teammates who cannot create shots for themselves by themselves.
@wu kong, Jlin's assist/turnover ratio is low though. His ratio would be higher if he had better ball control.
DeleteAgain with the turnovers.
DeleteThere are turnovers, and then there are turnovers. It is unfortunate that it's represented by only one number, because it's a *big* difference if you dribble it off your foot out of bounds vs. if you lose a jump ball when your team had possession.
We know the Rox have the stats that pay attention to the type of TO, but we don't, so a lot of this comparison stuff is apples to oranges.
Nevertheless, as sports fans, it's inevitable. Might I respectfully suggest in that case, instead of using TO's per game (how long did you play? how often did you get a touch while you were on the floor?) we use TO ratio (percentage of your possessions that end in TO). This number, for some of the players mentioned here (and I've added Harden because he demands the ball like Lin, and TD because he spells Lin):
Lin 15
Rondo 13.4
Nash 12.9
Harden 11.8
Westbrook 10.5
Kobe 9.9
Paul 8.3
I'm posting this because I want everyone to have the right perspective (vs using inferior numbers like TO per game to pass judgement). It is *not* meant for hater fuel; I'll address any such posts should they come up.
Yea, right. " there are turnovers, and then there are turnovers " . "we use to ratio". Who are the " we" you talking about? The people who say jlin is turnover machine ?
Delete@Nom,
DeleteInteresting stats. Care to provide the source/link?
@Nom, we definitely need better understanding of JLin's TOs and have the "right perspective." If JLin wants to ascend to elitness as a point guard, one of the things he needs to do is decrease his TOs.
Delete@lydia
DeleteSo you think they are all the same? I've already given you two examples, polar ends of the spectrum. It's one thing if you don't, can't, or won't understand (as I have already pointed out the difference between absolute TO and rate to you in a previous thread), but to ridicule it says more about you than your target.
The "we" I am talking about is the group. @janelin7 and @wu kong posted numbers that paint a certain picture in terms of TO among different players, and I am pointing out there are better ways to do it. Even then, what I have written isn't the best. Apples to apples is comparing possessions, and even better is to break down those possessions the way @psalm234 reposted upthread.
"The people who say jlin is turnover machine ?"
I use the word we, but show me where I have ever called JLin a turnover machine. You trying to build a straw man? Weak, lydia. Find your hater fuel elsewhere, I already warned that I wasn't going to have any of it.
@janelin7
DeleteSure thing. There are a bunch of places you can get it, but one of the easiest (sortable and breakdown by position) can be found here:
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/statistics/_/position/pg/sort/turnoverRatio/order/false
I've linked with the TO already sorted.
Note, the post was not to knock your work, which is appreciated. It's to point out that I think there is a better way to look at things. You may still disagree, and that's cool.
@Racha
DeleteAgreed. BTW, you've been taking some flack recently, and I want you to know that while I don't agree with you 100% of the time (what fun would that be?) you are not alone in your opinions of late.
Specifically, the "dumb" TO. Seriously, who wants that? On the other hand, there was a jump ball recently (can't remember which game) where he lost the jump and was attributed the TO. Argue that he put himself in the bad position that led to that, but that's hardly an error in the same league as letting, who was it, Kawhi Leonard pick your pocket from behind because you were not paying attention.
Finally, Morey has acknowledged that the types of high risk/high reward plays that Lin tends to make are going to lead to TO's; if it's OK with the GM, it's going to be OK with me.
Thanks @Nom.
DeleteHey, no worries about providing more meaningful stats for constructive discussions. Since I'm just at my infancy stage of learning bball, I appreciate your input and I am too cheap to pay for espn insider :)
@janelin7
DeleteHey, you and me both, I'm too cheap for Insider too! But that link is free.
Perhaps maybe you are the only one who got to know that kind of tos you are talking about then. The majority don't. U think the people who call jlin a turnover machine really look at the kind of tos stats u provided? U don't get what most try to address either. Perhaps Maybe u put it perfectly: nevertheless as a sport fans, it's inevitable". Go try to convince those sport fans also then.
Delete@Nom, the high risk/reward type plays that lead to TOs are definitely not that big of a deal, it's the other ones that I wished he commit less of as you and psalm234 pointed out.
DeleteAnd what's up with the warn? Thanks. Perhaps you want to look at yourself too. Don't be too self-righteous. Based on me saying harden got more turnovers than Lin and called me maybe a
Deleteharden hater, can I say you are also trying to put a hate fuel there? You look at ur kind of stats, me look at mine kind of stats. From what I see harden is more turnovers than jlin. What's wrong with that? Except, you think you know more and loves to act smart.
I, for one, want to see Jeremy Lin continue to be TO prone. Because, the only way for Jeremy to NOT be TO prone is for him to be a point guard that never takes risks.
DeleteAnd, it's nice for Jeremy to develop a consistent 3, but it is not important. Jeremy's bread and butter is to attack the paint. I do not want to see Jeremy stand at the arc all day long.
I think all the haters want a boring Jeremy. I want an exciting Jeremy that does turn the ball over. As, when taking all of Jeremy's production as a whole into consideration, even with Jeremy's TOs, a team that is led by Jeremy simply wins and wins in an exciting way.
James Dolan is trying to make fun at Jlin-http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2013/01/11/32263/
ReplyDeleteseriously?
Delete"*This article is part of The Daily Princetonian's annual joke issue. Don't believe everything you read on the Internet. "
Lol....good try James Dolan.
Deleteanother Jeremy vs Rondo match up.... overall I just want Rockets to win this game WITHOUT any incidents of thrash talking turned for the worse...
ReplyDeleteThe city of Boston hates all minority races, and Asians are near the top of that list of contempt. Jlin will be boo'd heavily tonight and always will be for the rest of his career. They can't stand the sight of him and what he represents. People in Asia and even Asians who live in the USA can't understand it because all they know if Lin went to Harvard which is in Boston, and thus they wrongly believe Lin must be loved in Boston and Massachusetts. That misconception couldn't be further from the truth.
ReplyDeleteI hope Lin comes to play and remembers that Rondo physically punked him last year in overtime. Lin seemed to remember in Houston till he was benched for no clear reason.
Lastly, I believe limiting turnovers is a skill, and it is a skill Lin has not mastered yet, mainly in part to his decision-making and his ball handling abilities. However, he will improve, but never to the point of looking like CP3. They aren't the same type of player anyways. Like Nash, Lin will always make careless and head scratching turnovers. It's part of his DNA but he makes up for it with his all out hustle. If he can limit his "dumb" turnovers, that is enough for me. The other half are 80% his teammates inability to catch the ball and him taking chances.
Don't know what you are talking about there, but there is a huge asian community in Boston. Also alot of colleges like Harvard and MIT have many Asians. They are not going to boo Lin because they didn't boo him last time he was with the Knicks. Get your facts straight before you spew this hatred that Boston is racists against Asians.
DeleteBoos from opponent's fans pretty normal. Not a big deal.
DeleteAgreed 8cdee. To generalize that all of Boston or MA hates Lin or Asians is a fancy of the imagination. There a sour apples in every bunch, yes. But to generalize that the City of Boston hates Asians and is racist is just not true SwingLine. I've never been to Boston, but would love to visit one day and enjoy some lobsters on the cheap. :)
DeleteSometimes boos are just a sign of respect. If he wasn't good and didn't have any potential, most people wouldn't care either way.
DeleteI don't care about the boos, but they (boston fans) did boo and chanted 'overrated' last March when NYK played there. You can here them in many videos. Google the news. This just one example from foxnews: "The rest of the crowd greeted Lin rudely in the first quarter, but two fouls in the first three minutes..."
DeleteRead more: http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/03/04/lin-stalls-back-in-boston-celtics-beat-ny-115-111/#ixzz2HhLOKYh3
Snowywbl and your point? Does that mean they are racists against Asians? No! Boston always have a hatred for NY teams. A perfect example is the Boston Red Sox vs Yankees rivalry. Boston fans will boo and call Derek Jeter overrated as well. It's just a sign of respect and the reason you are booing and shouting obscenities as fans is because you want to affect the player and throw him off his game. Since the fans are not actually playing, that's their way of contributing to the home team. Hence there is such thing as home court advantage.
DeleteThat is the fact you want, they were rude to him before. Maybe it is so called rivalry, maybe it is not. No one know. If one feels there is racism, I won't discredit right away because I am not in his/her situation.
DeleteYou wouldn't discredit right away but then to think about it is bringing about the whole conspiracy theory. If that is the case then when he came back to MSG and NY they were racists against him too. He will experience this everywhere he goes and it's not only him. Lebron, Kobe, etc all experience it, just to name a few. I hate it when the first thing people point to is racism if they see some sort of negative reaction to their favorite player.
Deletefirst thing or not, hate it or not. It is just one possibility you cannot discount.
Deleteapparently you can't discount it, but I can. I already discounting it by stating my reasons.
DeleteThey need to get this one. Portland is right behind waiting to take over the 6 spot.
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree about Parsons. He's played well all season. If he has a couple games where he's not reaching his potential: I don't know how you can equate this to being 'exposed'. He does so many things well which isn't a common feature for an NBA player. Kobe Bryant has mentioned how good he is. And I've heard Drexler, if not mistaken, say he's the best sophmore in the league. Objectively speaking, Parsons is still a very good small forward.
ReplyDeleteGreg Smith made the highlights... of Shaqtin A Fool!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/category/shaqtin-a-fool/
I just saw some article in yahoo about lakers trading howard. How awesome would it be to have Howard with Lin and Harden. He also seems to have similar personality to that of Lin and Harden which would work great. I always fear for superstar because most just want the ball and don't genuinely care about the team. I feel like Howard would fit perfectly. We could finally see some of those Lin alley-ops again!
ReplyDeleteI disagree. You don't need a malcontent and broken Howard to play with Lin and Harden since you already have Asik. The rockets already spent alot of money on PG, SG and C position and although Asik has many faults he is still trying to improve. So far he has been a steal for the Rockets in terms of points scored, rebounding and defense. He just needs to work on his handling and dunking ability. Howard has already shown this year that he cannot stay healthy and cannot shoot FTs. Having Howard on the team will definitely messed up the team chemistry. I would believe the Rockets will spend the money on SF or upgrade on PF position rather than deal with Howard who is not guarantee to sign next year. He already said Brooklyn or bust. Not a good trade for Houston to make and they should stay away from Gasol and Howard.
DeleteI don't think that is the best thing they should do. I also think they should look for a really good PF instead of a C. But I just meant as in if it would happen I think it would be cool. I'm not expecting for us to get Howard at all. But in terms of Chemistry, like I said, they seem to have similar character so I would expect for them to build Chemistry faster than being in the Lakers. Kobe can be a nightmare for other players.
DeleteBoston is on 4 game winning streak. This will be a tough road game.
ReplyDeleteRox need to win 4 out of 5 to keep pace for a 50 win season at the midpoint.
Jeremy Lin needs to get out of town. Soon. Either that or get a coach who appreciates his game.
ReplyDeleteHis recent up and down success has been despite Mchale and Harden, not because of them and he needs to play with double the amount of effort he should need to in order to put up good stats. There is no question in my mind that Mchale doesnt like Lin. The difference between the way he talks about Jeremy (or doesnt talk) and D'antoni is night and day.
In the recent post game vs the Lakers Mchale said a really troubling statement. He said that Jeremy tends to end up in no mans land and he plays best when he either passes fast or drives to the hole. What the heck?? Jeremy plays best when he has the freedom he needs with the ball and doesnt get pressure from anyone to pass it fast. Mchale is basically saying that he doesnt want the ball in Jeremy's hands. Its extremely detrimental for a young guy when your coach doesnt trust you.
After the Laker game Mchale said a whole list of guys who played well. He mentioned Hero Harden, Chandler, Delfino and Douglas and he didnt mention a word about Lin until a reporter asked about him. For heavens sake the guy got twenty points....What was even more sickening was that a minute later he went on a whole minute praise of Tony Douglas and how he's a real pro. I was getting nauseous and I was pining for the D'antoni days.
Another thing: Because of Mchale's attitude this team is not putting themselves at their point guards disposal. Last year in NY the whole team rallied behind him and believed in him. On this team when Jeremy gets the ball everyone just stands around, nobody is moving or running and thats why his assist numbers arent great. Jeremy needs at team to run that will trust him - dont believe me? Watch last years highlights during Linsanity - D'antoni called it 'sappy'. The guys just loved playing for him and thoughts he was Gods gift to mankind.
Jeremy is swimming upstream right now and still playing decent. It really tells you something about his potential if he had a team and a coach who trusted him and his abilities.
I believe your love for Lin has gotten you delusional. It's true that Lin does look lost sometimes out there especially when Harden is handling the ball and he is standing around. He did look lost in the Hornets game when he was caught picking up his dribbling early or jumping in the air with no outs. McHale was justify in his comments about Lin and is often critical of Lin. See my earlier posts about McHale's treatment of Lin. He is doing this to get the best out of Lin and not get him to be too complacent with compliments and have the media swarm hon in on him. Lin needs to learn to play more aggressive and not make too many risky TO plays. I know he would like to involve his teammates but always go to your bread and butter plays first and then see if you can involve the team once you get going. Once Lin is in the zone then it will open up more opportunities for his teammates. I believe the Rockets is a good fit for Lin right now. The coaches are letting him play through his mistakes and TO's. It's up to Lin to make the adjustments.
DeleteWell, I wouldn't call music613 "delusional".
DeleteThat said, McHale is very hard on his point guards.
From a basketball standpoint, I can easily imagine why that is so. With the guard oriented teams McHale has been handed in Houston, opponents have been loading up on McHale's point guards to choke off Houston's offensive flow. The result is that McHale has been strict with his PGs because their turnovers seem magnified.
Jeremy Lin is going through what Goran Dragic and Kyle Lowry went through with McHale. It seems unfair, and it probably is. Yet Lin will take that and raise his game.
I call it delusional when you blame the coaches and not also the player. It's true McHale is critical on PG, but I think he is treating Lin much better this year than Dragic and Lowry. I think the turning point is that McHale got to see first hand that Lin can turn it on and go into Linsanity mode against one of the best and methodical team in the Spurs without Harden. McHale is trying to push Lin to find a comfort zone and at least bring that mode out of him and not only be in that zone when needed.
Delete@music613: it's simple, Mchale did not said Lin played well, because he did not think he played well in the Lakers game. I don't get why he'd reserve praising Lin's performance.
Deletea little perspective -
Deletethis is jeremy's second year. he shouldn't be treated like a franchise player and should expect to be treated as one. remember lin also credited the coaching staff after the laker game about things that they're doing with the team. and from all accounts jeremy thinks highly of mchale and appreciates the attention mchale has paid to him ever since he became a rocket.
and keep in mind - d'antoni system places the pg as the first option so of course the team and attention was built around him. in houston, jeremy is not the first option - different system, different team. i know, we all want to recapture last feb but that's likely not going to happen anytime soon.
who knows why mchale was praising douglas but he did play well too.
as for his comment regarding jeremy getting stuck in no man's land - i take it to meant that jeremy gets stuck in indecision mode and get trapped and turns over the ball. we've seen this happen before and mchale is right - jeremy needs to be more decisive with the ball. shoot it, take it to the whole, or know where you're going with the ball. this doesn't happen very often but it does a few times a game.
yeah, others (like harden) turns it over more than jeremy but i have a feeling mchale has different expectations for his point guard than other players when it comes to decision making and taking care of the ball. i don't have a problem with that.
and as we've seen lately, mchale is letting jeremy play through his mistakes and finishing up the games, which is a sign of gradual increase in trust in his young pg.
I agree with fighton perspective. That's what I have been saying all along. It falls on deaf ears of the dedicated and enamored Lin supporters on here.
DeleteI agree that it's best for Lin to get out of town.
DeleteI am not saying that there's anything wrong with McHale not treating Lin like a franchise player. However, you need to show you have confidence in your point guard's decision making and not only utilize him as a ball dribbler.
The point guard sets the pace and rhythm for the rest of the offense, and Lin usually takes his time doing so at the beginning of the game. McHale takes this away from Lin every single game.
On the other hand, Harden always asks for the ball when he's standing at the top of the key then holds the ball for half the shot clock. This kills the offense's tempo more often than not. However, McHale has no problem with this.
Yes, Houston is playing beyond expectations thus far. However, I do think Houston would be doing even better had they never traded for Harden and would give Greg Smith more minutes than Asik.
I would love to see Lin at GSW playing aside Curry and lob alleyoops to David Lee.
@ GSW you will have the same situation with the Rockets. Who will be the primary PG. GSW are fine with Curry right now. They don't need Jeremy Lin.
DeleteYou don't think Curry can play with Lin?
DeleteI personally don't think they can both play side by side and be effective.
DeleteAnd, Harden/Asik/Lin is better than Curry/Lee/Lin?
DeleteAlan Hahn (MSG analyst):
ReplyDeleteWant to send a message to KG? Don’t put him on all-star team. Use #NBABALLOT with your choice. Tyson, Joakim, Whomever. Voting ends Monday
I know it is not anything related to Jeremy but I thought this was rather interesting. This tweet was an hour ago . When he was the ESPN radio he seemed neutral about it .Now, they are asking fans not to vote KG ?
Alan Hahn was a big supporter of Jeremy Lin and was nearly crying the day the Knicks chose not to sign Jeremy Lin. I know he is faithful to the Knicks organization. I wouldn't vote KG in the all-star game. There are many others that are much more likeable and better than him.
DeleteSeriously? nearly crying? I didnt know that. I only knew that he tweeted the link of Jeremy consoling the young knick fan. KG is the kind of guy you wouldn't mind on your team but would hate a ton if he was on the opposing team . LOL :)
DeleteYeah, I listened to him on ESPN 1050 radio and him, Dave Rothensburg and another guy were basically upset about the whole way MSG handled the Lin contract debacle. They weren't a believer in Felton. They rather have youth and upside rather than old and predictable.
DeleteThat is cool. Thanks for the info! :) people are saying if they do not vote for KG then he would get to rest ..LOL
DeleteI have a question to ask everyone, and I'm kind of border-line on this one. Does McHale really dislike/not-support Jlin or is he intentionally trying to down-play Jlin because of the hype? If I were a coache, I would probably do the same thing in order to allow the player to develop without all the hoopla. At the same time, he seems to be doing too good of a job of down-playing. There's valid arguments on both sides of the fence.
ReplyDeleteOn one hand, Mchale's never publicly really supported Jeremy which is a huge indicator of true support (remember Mike Dantoni saying "Jeremy is a special player"). On the other hand, he is getting a ton of playing time albeit with limited shot attempts at times.
I tend to believe that he is trying to down-play Lin because of the whole Linsanity thing and the media. He wants his PG to develop and play better in order to be better for the team. McHale is no fool unlike Sampson. He knows what he has and is moving the chess pieces around on the board. You need to develop and play better all around game to survive in the playoffs. Yup, I said it, playoffs coach. Playoffs.
DeleteI have to agree with 8cdee620-5540-11e2-b655-000bcdcb2996 on this one . Mchale is a HOF and although he is not a pg, I would like to THINK that he knows what he is doing. That is NOT to say that if you are a good player ,it means automatically you are a good coach. However, I THINK Mchale does have high standards. It is good for Lin especially when it is a PG oriented league. Mchale did ever mention before that the best of Lin has yet to come. His comments on Lin are always very generic and it seems that he just wants Lin to develop his game quietly. Imagine if Lin hit that game winner against miami heat and then all the news would start again. It is not good for Lin he needs to be able to devleop his game without the constant media attention. . One of the cirticism that Mike D had was that he did not hold his players accountable. If you look at Mike D's players, Amare and Steve nash, they have become notoriously and rightfully so for being handicapped on defense. Partly because of the fact that Mike D just plays to their strengths .
DeleteIf there was any reason why Mchle wasnt keen on Lin I think it was because of inexperience . I read a report in which he said something to the effect that the team better do well so that they dont have to go into "rebuilding mode" and start with a bunch of new guys. Mchale is old school , he doesnt really trust guys with little experience.
I think it is too early to give Houston Coaching Staffs a lot of credit for a 21-15 record so far. The Rockets are in the West & it might take 12-15 games over .500 ball to make the playoffs. So far, I am not too impress w/ how Mchale & Sampson handle Jlin. I hope I am wrong on this; but Jlin is not free to play his games. He is afraid to make mistakes & therefore at times being very passive. a PG needs to handle the balls most of the times; especially bring the ball up court. Running from corner to corner on offense is not Jlin strength. Top of the key pick and roll is what Jlin does best. It allows him to stop & pop or drive to the hoop.
DeleteI'm surprised here. I thought there would be more anti-McHale sentiment here given what I've read on the board. The sentiment has been overwhelmingly positive on Mchale...I guess I'll take this as the 80/20 rule where 20 percent of the people complain the most. I'm thinking more and more that Mchale just wants Lin to develop without any pressure.
Delete@ downtoearth..
Deletesorry but i respectfully disagree. i wasn't a big fan of sampson or mchale early on in the season (especially after benching jeremy in Q4 against portland) but i'm starting to believe in them a bit more after looking at their body of work to date.
remember.. they're also learning more about the players and will continue to learn how to maximize their skills. just as the players need to develop chemistry between them, the coaches are developing chemistry with the players too.
considering the TEAM they have in their hands at the beginning of the season, i'd say they've done a very good job so far. youngest team in nba sitting at #6 in western conference? c'mon.
i won't judge the coaches on how much they're maximizing lin's talents RIGHT NOW because like i've said, they're still figuring him out as well. and this offense is not the pg dominant offense of dantoni with bigs that can set good picks and finish pnr plays so you can't expect them to run the same plays as jeremy did in nyc.
in order to judge the coaches you need to see how the team is doing overall. are they improving? are players more settled into their roles? i see improvements in these area as the season progresses; harden is being used correctly and efficiently, delfino and douglas seems to have found their role, jeremy is finding where to get his 10-15 shots a game and starting to figure out what it means for him to be his aggressive self in this offense, etc. all positive signs.
it all depends on what you were expecting - NYC dantoni offense with differen players? no. if you accept that then you'll be able to judge the coaches a lot better.
McHale is a good coach. I just don't see a synergy between McHale and Lin.
Delete@ superhero...
Deletewell, i don't know about others but i like to people the benefit of doubt and it hasn't been long enough of a season to warrant anything too negative, in my opinion.
yeah, i question the scheme sometimes as well as game time decisions such as adjustments and rotation but overall i'm not too sad about how things are going yet.
just like we've asked long time rocket fans to give jeremy a chance when he wasn't playing well in the beginning of the season, we also need to give others on the team, coaches included, a chance as well.
Tonight match up of Ron Jeremy Lin vs Raja Rondo. The battle of the Rons. Also, KFG vs Asik, Pope Paul vs Osama.
ReplyDeletelol, i like all the creative names except Ron Jeremy Lin. still prefer Jeremy Lin.
DeleteWhat's wrong with Ron Jeremy Lin? He's an American folk lore hero. No matter what is said of him, he keeps going and going and never let what is said of him to affect his professionalism and game.
DeleteIn fact in one of the articles written about Lin, one of the coaches actually referred to him as Ron Jeremy Lin.
Deletenothing wrong with that name it's just that it doesn't rhyme to me...Raja Rondo is nice though
Deletebut he doesn't like that name it seems...he refused to go to that school apparently
DeleteJeremy Lin is definitely better than Ron Jeremy Lin.
Delete@lydia lien - no comments. *ahem*
DeleteWow clever 8ocd. Wouldn't you like posting over at CF more. It's more your speed. It's not an slur on CF they're a good Rox fan site.
DeleteLOL.. ron jeremy. still can't believe a coach called him that... tells me more about where the coach's head is at than about jeremy.
Delete@lydia - "better" at what? penetrating with the ball? that's debatable.
I think Ron Jeremy was a better penetrator than Lin. Lin still has an upside. He is young and can still learn to penetrate better.
DeleteBesides, I believe Ron Jeremy is a better master debator over Ron Jeremy Lin. Just my two cents, nothing personal. Disclaimer: At no point in this post were any animals or humans harmed or subject to wrong doings.
DeleteActually Asik name is pronounced Ah Sick! Can't forget about Ladies man Parsonagen vs Jeff Green Mile, Courtney Cox Lee vs Mookie Morris.
DeleteI mean the name calling in a more rhythm form. Nothing related to skills or whatever.
DeleteI think Ron Jeremy Lin has alot of rhythm and penetrating skills.
DeleteTesting 1, 2, 3
ReplyDeleteMuch better than being known as a NIC Card 8cdee620-5540...
Deleteahh, for some reason I thought you're the green dot in the Matrix :) Welcome, John!
DeleteThanks Psalm234. If I was a green dot then I would be a very outspoken green dot.
DeleteAbove the following was stated:
ReplyDelete"JLin said after the loss that turnovers are inevitable with their style of play and needs to avoid the 'dumb' ones."
I saw at least three in the past couple of games where Lin drove into the paint, and instead of taking a mid-range jumper, he forced a pass that was picked off.
Agree with iHoopsAlot and wik--Lin needs to hit the high-arching mid-range jumper. Rather him missing that than getting the ball swiped.
The mid-range jumper is the easy play and the right play most of the time. I also think the coaching staff wants Lin to shoot it.
DeleteAs pierot was inferring last game thread against NOH, that loss was a good learning experience. Those shots will be available every game. He woul make a good percentage of those shots and they would win more games as a result. However the other guys (other than Harden) won't develop their games. Why does he keep passing to guys that fumble passes? It's to develop their games.
On a "contending" team I see Lin as a floor and flow general, but ideally only the 3rd-4th highest scorer on the team when the team is on cruise control.
McHale laughs at current trash talk, Garnett controversy. ‘If you heard half the stuff we used to say.’
ReplyDelete“How can you go too far?” McHale said. “You’re trying to beat the other team. What’s too far?”
I disagree with McHale's comment to support Garnett.
DeleteBeating the other team by disrespecting family members is OK? He would not say the same thing if his family member was being disrespected.
I understand Melo had to ignore KG's trash talk the day Duncan did but it doesn't make it okay. Wrong message for little kids, Coach!
Doc river seems like a "good" coach. He stand up for his players and speak for his players no matter what. He said the story is not correct. Kg never said anything related to melo's wife. He said kg knows the bottom line, anything but religion and family members. When I read this, I am also like what about Tim duncan'd mom?
DeleteI have always believed that the more limits are placed on retaliation, the more vicious the action and trash talk get.
DeleteThe 1980s era that McHale played in were much more brutal physically and mentally than today's era.
Players weren't as steroid buffed as they are today, but they were definitely TOUGHER.
For example, I remember McHale himself saying in an interview that the Lakers and Celtics should just meet in the parking lot after the game and beat each other up. Today McHale would be fined and suspended for such a statement!
Had Garnett made such a statement back then, the referees would leave him out there to be pummelled by the other team.
I vividly remember a regular season Lakers vs. Jazz game on standard TV in about 1989. Magic Johnson was taking a free throw and Karl Malone was talking trash. The referee screamed at Malone on national TV "You wanna F with me? Don't F with me!"
It's definitely hard to control what players say on the court when often times only 1 person may actually hear the exact words. As a professional athlete, whether he likes it or not, he is a role model for younger kids.
DeleteIt's disappointing to me because KG is an amazing player who can win games through his outstanding play alone. He doesn't have to stoop down to such levels by attacking other player's family etc. (ex. Tim Duncan story). It sets a bad example to kids that they should do and say anything to win.
Having said that, I do feel that Melo's reaction was over the top (ex. waiting for KG outside his dressing room and bus). If you really think about it, KG's alleged statements that Melo's wife tasted like "Honey Nut Cheerios" is more of a joke...unless KG is saying it out of his own experience. Now that I think about it, Melo and his wife are allegedly getting a divorce. =)
Now this is kind of fun.
Delete@KHuang wrote:
"meet in the parking lot after the game and beat each other up."
How would the Rockets fare in an NBA rumble? We're pretty fragile. We need a Charles Oakley type.
I started this as kind of a joke, but now that I think about it, if we had one, would other teams start thinking twice about taking out Lin? Hmm... maybe there is a role for Royce after all...
grown men can't take a little trash talk? non sense. melo needs to grow the fuck up. if only the kids nowadays heard real trash that some of us heard on the playgrounds.
Deletethere's no proof that garnett said anything family related, btw. not that it would matter.
There has been some interesting discussion regarding whether McHale supports Jeremy or not. Although it's impossible to really know what McHale is thinking, I think we can get a glimpse of what he might be thinking by looking at his actions.
ReplyDeleteWhen you look at the substitution patterns that Sampson used to make by taking Jeremy out in the 5 minute mark of the first quarter regardless of how well Jeremy was playing and taking him out at the end of the 4th quarter and playing Toney douglas instead, it's apparent that Sampson didn't trust Lin.
You have to remember that when Lin was first signed, the organization implied that the team would be built around him and that he would be it's leader. Obviously that changed when Harden was signed. If the coaches really felt Lin would be an important asset to the team in the long run, wouldn't they let him play through his mistakes, especially in the 4th quarter. Was Toney Douglas that much better than Lin that they would risk even the possibility that Jeremy's confidence could be negatively impacted by taking him out at the end of games?
When we look at McHale's first game back, he did the exact same thing Sampson did and took Lin out almost all of the 4th quarter. Why is this important? It's important because, this would have been the perfect opportunity for McHale to show his support for Lin by letting him play on his first game back. Instead, he showed that he agreed with Sampson.
Despite the non-support from McHale and Sampson, Lin played great against the Spurs. After the game, instead of boosting Lin's confidence, McHale says Lin should have used the pick n roll by Asik instead of waiving it off. It was this game however, that reminded everyone what Lin could do. It's my opinion that this put pressure on Rockets management to put pressure on the coaches to play Lin more which could explain why he is getting more minutes.
I agree with Music613 that if you really listen to all the post game comments of McHale, he hardly ever praises Lin on his own without the media bringing it up. Instead he focuses his praise on Harden and Tony.
I understand that a lot of people think that McHale might be downplaying Lin due to the media hype and I have to disagree. Harden also has tons of media attention and McHale still praises him after every game. I don't think I have ever heard McHale criticize Harden even when Harden isn't playing well.
Jeremy Lin is playing well despite the actions of the coaches, not because of their support.
This is the NBA where it actually doesn't matter what coaches think.
DeleteJeremy Lin has a JOB to do. So far, Lin has been both so Hall of Fame spectacular and also so $5 million contract average that none of us know what to expect from him game to game.
It is McHale's job to get Jeremy Lin to play like the Hall of Famer that Lin is going to be one day. If it means less praise for Lin and more criticism of his game, GOOD.
Once Jeremy Lin solidifies his role and performance to the point where the Rockets really know what they're going to get with him, then the Rockets coach will talk up Lin's game - not that it matters.
I thought in preseason that McHale and the Rockets would be great for jlin. Almost half way through the season I've totally changed my perspective. I do believe jlin is learning, if the coaches want to be tough on him for mistakes I'm fine with that. My biggest issue is like many here have said the punishment is not consistent...its like jlin is the whipping boy. I've tried to remain unbiased but it was so obvious when McHale was gone I wanted to throw up on Sampson.
DeleteOkay.. all that being said Jeremy IS getting the opportunity. They have made some adjustments to get him involved in the games. At this point I see it as super important that jlin play consistent. 15/6 or 16/7 whatever it ends up being just please consistent. I see big improvements on his defense, rebounding, steals. I believe the rockets have helped him improve his defense.
I'm not worried about McHale or Sampson or xyz coach on the Rockets any more. I believe jlin will get the opportunity and as he improves he will have Options. If he wants to come back or move on but his play will help him create the best situation for him.
Cheers.
@khuang, your last paragraph is exactly why I think the coaching is not ideal. It seems like both Sampson and McHale has done everything they can to unsolidify Lin's role on the team. Is he or isn't he the point guard and floor general?
DeleteIt's almost all star break, and the team is still playing musical chairs. At least in NYK, it only took a single game to figure out who the floor general is that is until Melo came back from surgery.
edit, not surgery, I meant injury.
DeleteEtane,
DeleteIf they are trying to unsolidify Lin's role then you think they would be more comfortable with Tony running the PG and starting over Lin? That makes obviously no sense. As a coach you are always trying to maximize and get the best out of your players and at the same time trying to teach them and implement your game plan and style. What you are trying to say is that McHale and Co wants to sabatoge Lin's career with the Rockets. I surely didn't see that happen. He went from producing very little to producing more and more and his minutes have gone up with the coaches confidence in him. I don't know what you guys are smoking but it seem to be some good stuff to flat out accuse the coaching staff of undermining Lin. Don't you know in today's NBA players hold a higher value over coaches. Players can get a coach fire and not necessary the other way around.
John Ly: Not sure how to address your post since you didn't address mine but instead used a straw man fallacy.
DeleteDuring the first two games of the season, Jeremy was the floor general for the Houston Rockets. During the third game until the 38 points game against the Spurs, Lin was not the floor general. He was just a spot up shooter who only took the ball across half court before dumping it off to Harden.
After the 38 point game against the Spurs, Lin started getting more touches again though he's still not the floor general he was last year when he was on the Knicks before Melo came back from injury. Basically, the coaching staff thus far lets Lin "solidify" his role only when the franchise player is injured.
So, if you would please, in your future responses, address points I made in my post rather than ones you made up.
Things have changed since the NYK game at MSG between HOU coaches and Lin.
DeleteThe playing time has been predictable for most times. Lin always rest with 3 min left in the 3Q. Lin/Harden start 2Q then Harden gets some rest then both will get rest at the same time in 3Q and finally play together in 4Q crucial moments.
Coaches have recognized that Lin helps HOU win games as evidenced by 10-3 record starting from the NYK game.
I don't problems with Lin getting benched quickly from making silly mistakes/TOs or playing with lack of energy. In a way, Link should be thankful that McHale's approach demands that he plays focused at all times because it will be better in the long run and "protect" Jeremy from making 9-12 TOs. D'Antoni's approach to ride Lin like Secretariat and let him play through many TOs is not good for Jeremy in the long run. He'll get injured and be known to be TO prones.
What's important is HOU coaches now play him in crucial moments in 4Q with Harden for his development and confidence.
About different treatment to Harden and Lin, I think we should see how McHale thinks as a coach relative to his old players.
DeleteLast season, McHale has KMart and Dragic/Lowry but now he has Harden playing light years better than KMart. Lin still has to learn much about being great PG so in a way, McHale compares him to Dragic/Lowry who are better at this point being PG with 4-5 seasons experience (but not necessarily in winning games). Remember that Lin did not have much PG experience in college.
Yes, I wish McHale would praise Lin more but I understand he expects much from his PG, especially in comparison to Lowry and Dragic.
As long as we know McHale personally cares for Lin's development behind the screen (i.e. he texts Lin post-game while waiting for his sick daughter in MN), I'm okay with that.
Think about this. Lin has only played 51 games as a PG starter, not a full season yet at 82 games and without college PG experience. He still has a lot to learn so give him some break, people :) His learning curve has been excellent!
Without Linsanity last season, we would be jumping for joy that he has started in HOU for so many games.
Typo: "I dont have problems" .. in 2 posts above
DeleteIt is my belief that the players still need time to learn each others' playing styles. It is because that everyone is unfamiliar with each other that is causing needless turnovers. This is just like a quarterback who always knows where his favorite receiver is at. They can feel each other through real game experience. Taking the player out after making a mistake will only make it that much harder to develop that feel with your teammates.
DeleteNow, if the player commits a turn over because he was hot dogging it, then, yes, that player should be benched immediately. However, that is not the case with Lin. Lin is leading a fast paced offensive that lends itself to higher rate of turn overs. Add to the fact that the big men on the team are completely lost during pick and rolls and one particular can't catch a pass, turn overs will happen. Benching will not solve the issue.
What the heck is a straw man fallacy can you please elaborate Etane. Your reasoning does not make sense and I will comment on what you post.
Delete"During the first two games of the season, Jeremy was the floor general for the Houston Rockets. During the third game until the 38 points game against the Spurs, Lin was not the floor general. He was just a spot up shooter who only took the ball across half court before dumping it off to Harden."
That is because the coaches were enamored by Harden's two games performance and chose to run the offense through Harden to see if they would get a better result. McHale and Co wanted to make Harden as comfortable as possible with the system since he was the newcomer and they were willing to sacrifice Lin's game to make Harden more comfortable.
"After the 38 point game against the Spurs, Lin started getting more touches again though he's still not the floor general he was last year when he was on the Knicks before Melo came back from injury. Basically, the coaching staff thus far lets Lin "solidify" his role only when the franchise player is injured."
The reason Lin is not handling the ball all the time because Lin and Harden basically have the same skill and can handle the ball. The coaches did not want what happened to Lin with the Knicks last year during the Miami game to happen to Lin this year. They needed more options at ball handling so that if teams decided to zone in on Lin they have a two or three headed monster in Harden and Parsons. It doesn't mean they let him solidify his role. They were still experimenting to see what will work having both Lin and Harden on the floor. So far the medium has been to sub Lin out with 3 - 4 minutes left in the 1st. Rest Harden in the 2nd and have Lin play with Tony. Bring Harden in with 6 minutes left in the 2nd. Have Lin and Harden start the 3rd. Rest Lin during the later half of the 3rd and then finally bringing TD, Harden and Lin in the 4th quarter and finally letting Harden and Lin combo finish up the game.
John Ly, I don't think anyone is saying that the coaches are literally trying to sabotage Lin's career. However, I understand what you are saying and it does appear that the coaches confidence in Lin has been increasing which is great.
DeleteEtane, I agree with your posts. It's frustrating because as a fan, I feel that the team as a whole does so much better when Jeremy is the floor general with the ball in his hands. I wonder if that is because of my own personal bias or whether there are any statistics that support that view. Don't get me wrong, in order for the team to win, Harden should also have his touches and his iso offense is also needed when used correctly. But, Are the coaches relying too much on running the offense through Harden? Do you think we would win more games if the offense was run exclusively through Jeremy? Interesting to think about. The good thing is it does appear the coaches are gaining more confidence in Lin and more plays are being run through him.
psalm234, Excellent post. Great points.
@Etane, I'm a big Lin fan but I admit sometimes Lin can make silly mistakes (i.e. lack of ball security being stolen by Kahwi) due to fatigue or lack of concentration.
DeleteI'm okay with benching in 1Q or 2Q for coaches to give instruction or prevent further TOs, not as a form of punishment.
But I'm not okay with 4Q (Boston) or OT benching (@Portlan) that can make Lin lose confidence as they happened before the NYK game in MSG. No way TD should play in place of Lin in the 4Q key moments.
people...
Deletethis is mchale's last year on his current contract. you really think he's worried about sabotaging jeremy's career? he's trying to win NOW. if jeremy shows that he can impact a game in the 4th quarter despite not playing well for the first three, then he will be in there in the 4th quarter, and that's what we're seeing now.
as i wrote earlier - the coaches are still finding out more and more about the players, and the attention is not only on jeremy. it's also on ppat, morris, gsmith, etc. that's why we've seen erratic playing time patterns. it seems obvious that they've figured out their back court capabilities and rotations, finally. unless he is injured and playing extremely crappy, i believe you'll see jeremy closing out games going forward.
and keep in mind that he's playing A LOT OF MINUTES even as a starting PG. if they're trying to sabotage his career they're doing a very bad job at it.
early on in the season we would scream at the tv and say "don't they know jeremy has on the highest PER in 4th quarter?? why is he sitting??". well, the coaches may not know that, nor care. maybe they needed to do their won evaluations instead of his stats from last year.
anyway, i just don't think they're out to get him. whether or not jeremy is their favorite player, i have no idea. and that doesn't really matter to me.
great point, @fighton.
DeleteMcHale only cares about WINNING NOW. If it takes alternating Harden and Lin to be the floor generals to get the most wins, he'll do it.
Lin's number would be better w/ more assists if he was the only primary general but I'm glad Harden is there now. Lin is already learning Euro-steps and getting fouled without crashing on the floor.
I see it as God's plan and blessings for him to not be the main guy in the 2-3 years and not bear the brunt of the opposing teams's attack every game. After 2-3 years, he'll be unstoppable.
And most importantly, learn to avoid injuries. (Funny that Drexler said, "Come on Lin learn to fall safely from stuntmen.. Everyone knows the key is career longevity!")
As a jeremy fan , i would love to hear mchale praise him if he deserves it. However, none of mchale's interview had shown him giving a definte positive view of lin's performance.on a previous thread, one mentioned that lin haters would start by writing or saying, lin is good but....on mchale's part, one writer asked how jlin is doing, he simply said, he is a good kid. Lolol... Seriously, that is the answer your coach would give after a game and in front of the media?that answer is totally out of the question. That is an answer you would love your mom to say , not your coach. In another interview, jlin misunderstood a question and thought that mchale said " you need to improve on your defense", jeremy was clearly stunned and out iof words. Obe can tell he is affected by this comment from his coach until the interviewer clarified that you meant the team and not jlin personally and jeremy lighten up. This shows how his coache's view of his game affects him greatly. My point is jeremy, as a new player should get affirmation from his mentor if he so deserves, not to create false belief in himself but to build his confidence.
DeletePsalm: I think you pointed out two different scenarios there where one is due to lack of concentration and the other is due to fatigue. Again, I'll say this. The careless mistakes will be minimized after each players are used to playing with each other.
DeleteAnd, staggering minutes is a great idea. I'd love to see McHale stagger Lin's minutes so that he plays with Delfino, Smith, Patterson and Douglas, basically the B team. I think Lin will find much more synergy with this group than with Harden, Patterson and especially Asik.
where one is *benched*
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI have a bad feeling that the rockets will loose tonight against Boston but hope that I am wrong. They will win against clippers!!!!! Go JLin go Rockets!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you are wrong! =)
Deletedon't worry, john. I'm sure it's just from indigestion :) Linsanity in 4Q!
DeleteDang I hate to be right......dont worry they will beat my philly......sorry sixers.....but houston need the next game to stop the loosing streak.......
DeleteDang I hate to be right......dont worry they will beat my philly......sorry sixers.....but houston need the next game to stop the loosing streak.......
DeleteI really don't know why but I'm really excited for tonight's game. I think is going to be a great one. Hope we win, and I think we will see some Linsanity tonight.
ReplyDeleteLet's all pray for a win and pray that jeremy doesn't get hurt. Have fun watching the game.
ReplyDelete