That's the key to every damn game for the rest of Jeremy's career. Let him run the offense and good things will happen for everyone else -- on both ends of the court.
I seriously doubt McHale will let him run the offense most nights, but over the course of the season, Jeremy will make that simpleton see what is so clear to everyone here (not to mention Rockets HOFer Calvin Murphy).
Mchale probably sees what Kobe is doing and is now the last few games and is more reinforced than ever that Harden can do the same with the ball in his hands.
Nash has become an off the ball shooter/occasional playmaker pretty much like what Lin has been all year.
Nash and Lin are pretty much facing the same difficulties where they both have to deal with dominant/talented SG's and personnel that is not catered around the PG's specific abilities.
Nash even has D'Antoni but Kobe's ego/dominance won't let Nash lead. Kobe wants to be THE MAN so he's figured out on the Lakers, that to be THE MAN while winning games, means he has to usurp the role that was supposed to be Nash's, and Nash will pretty much turn into an off the ball scorer. Kobe thought jacking up 35 shots a game was the way to be dominant on the Lakers but he was completely wrong and it caused friction among the team/losses. Still I am not convinced Kobe the passing the machine is a long term thing. I think it's just an aberration, but we'll see.
Now if Harden grows half a brain and starts brilliantly and unselfishly passing long term, Lin is screwed and better learn how to hit jumpshots because he'll never touch the ball otherwise.
I don't think most NBA guys are that bright but we'll see...
Lin is credited with only 1 steal for Saturday's game (Jan 25) vs the Nets: http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400278366
Yet, according to this video, the announcer said it was Lin's 2nd steal of the night: http://www.nba.com/video/channels/top_plays/2013/01/26/20130126-sotn.nba/index.html
I remember hearing this live. It didn't reflect on the boxscore then, and I was going to check back later but forgot, until someone posted the Steal of the Night link. It's strange that the score keepers cheat Lin of steals fairly often!
Not sure how the NBA works, but its a Rox home game. I assume the Rockets hire statisticians? I don't think the NBA sends out their own guys/gals.
So blame the Rockets own organization for screwing Lin on assists and steals.
Really though, as long as Lin touches the ball/gets to have the ball in his hands to make plays, I can care less if they cheat him out of several assists and steals per game.
It's clear that when Harden is out, Lin is more confident shooting the ball in general and making decisions for the team. When Harden is in, Lin hesitates mentally and is probably thinking too much in his head about whether or not he should shoot, pass, defer to Harden. I don't put that on Harden, I put that on Lin, but it's really hard to overcome that stuff.
Khuang, I agree with you but no scoring SG or "best player on the team" plays that way in the NBA. They are just selfish guys who don't think they are selfish at all, looking for glory and truly believe they are more capable than their teammates. This includes Harden now.
What you are suggesting is what Calvin Murphy is suggesting and what I'd like to see. But the selfish NBA hero ball culture is too prevalent these days.
Harden will not cut off the ball and let Lin lead esp. in the 4th Quarter. Harden wants to be the one doing it even though we all believe Lin is better at it. So that's why Lin hesitates mentally. He knows he's not THE MAN on the team, but he wants to instinctively make "THE MAN" type plays just because he's capable of doing it and been doing that his whole life.
Lin is a 4th Quarter guy but no matter what, in the 4th Q, they put the ball in Harden's hands and Lin runs to the corner. Hopefully it gets better as I've seen them go back to the Lin Harden PNR and seen Lin playing more off the curl than run and hide in the corner the last couple games.
That's why I'm putting it on Lin, not that it's Lin's fault at all. But the only way to overcome the problem, in reality, is for Lin to mentally overcome that block because nobody is going to hand him the keys.
Lin has to go and take it, nobody is going to hand him anything. Perhaps Lin will just steadily improve his game the next few years to the point he will just be that much better...that's what I'm banking on because Lin isn't an overtly egotistical/confrontational player & teammate.
The BK Nets game was pretty good. I'd still like to see even more Lin with the ball particularly 4th Q, but I don't even think Harden needs to cut all that much...
Because Harden doesn't iso all day long, his limited 4th Q iso's become damn effective. ANd the guy guarding him hasn't established a rhythm in guarding Harden because the Rox offense has been unpredictable.
And thus Harden was darn effective in the 4th Q going 1 on 1 and scoring the ball and plus he made a nice pass to Delfino that he got from Lin while Harden was curling to into the paint. The Defense was basically confused and backpedling.
It's about sacrifice and trust, and hopefully these young Rox get it soon. I'm more than happy if Lin gets 10ppg, 6asst,3rbs,1st forever as long as he is used properly, gets the ball enough to do something, and doesn't have to hide in the corner all day long. I would give him a higher average in points but the refs are way too inconsistent/biased in calling fouls for Lin.
Now that the ASG roster has been settled, I seriously doubt McHale would revert to the losing ways again. In retrospect, it looks like it had a lot more to do with Morey getting his crown jewel into ASG (by purposely downplaying Lin) rather than McHale's incompetence. If there's foul play from the coaching staff, it's more likely coming from Sampson.
Agree with you, if Lin was allowed to play like 5 game winning streak and in recent 2 games during the 7 losing streak, that means Lin is consistently good, and he will for sure got the fan vote for the starter, that would seriously get Harden out of the roster, I'm not sure how Rockets will do to face all the media during the AS week.
I don't think it is all just stat padding for James, since his stats actually dropped when Lin's role is limited, and he has to play long time each game. He lost his 25 pt streak, and get right back in the past 2 games.
I remember the radio mentioned that McHale could not face their player eye to eye at the end of loosing streak, if a coach believe in what he is doing, even it is not the best way, why they could not face their players?
Hopefully I'm not thinking too much here, I'd like to trust McHale, even his talent might be limited.
wth is going on? boston beats miami? LAL beats OKC? Hornets beat Memphis? if the Rockets can get some kind of consistent ball going, and if harden can stop throwing away the ball, we can make a strong run into the playoffs!
Kobe's success in his change into a facilitator's role perfectly emphasizes the importance of PG play. It also draws a parallel between the Lakers and Rockets, where the super-scorer takes away from the team flow and puts all the eggs in one basket. When facing playoff teams, no one can play one-on-five hero ball consistently every game. It's an amazing to see how with the same crew using different tactics, the guys can play as if they're a different team. This is what Linsanity was about, not 58-points per game, not 70% shooting percentage, but to take a bunch of no-name, D-Leaguers and facilitate/motivate them into looking like all stars. If anyone would like to argue, I suggest talking to Landry Fields and Steve Novak first, and ask about the fat checks they got.
I disagree with your premise--Linsanity was about J.Lin scoring first, dropping 20 or more, and distributing to second tier players very far second. Vehemently disagree in particular about "no-name D-leaguers" as Fields, Chandler, Fields, Bibby, Shumpert, R. Blackman were all 1st rders and Walker and Novak were 2nd rd picks. People put their jobs on their line to draft these players. J lin's supporting cast was not even close to J. Lin's D-league background.
You cite Kobe's 2 game success as a facilitator but I would think he can do it because he has Howard, Nash, and Gasol around him. Too much noise concerning Kobe's shot selection but he has 6 rings. He has way more "veteran rope: than the current generation of iso Stars--from Irving, Melo, and Harden, or whoever.
Lin's weakness right now is he thinks he is Steve Nash circa Phoenix (Joe Johnson, Amare, Matrix) or Dallas (Nowitzki, Finley, Walker, Jamison) where he can afford to facilitate instead of being a scorer. No matter how optimistic the projections for the current Houston roster, outside of Harden, there is no other player who can score as effectively as J. Lin hero ball.
That's why front office around the league are questioning his makeup--not on the competitive, mental toughness front, but on his desire to be the best and trust his own skills. If J. Lin seemingly defers to Parsons, Patterson, Asik, Delfino, and Morris, why would a front office risk his own neck to build around J. Lin as a franchise player?
@Pierrot, you talked like JLin own the team, and he can do whatever he desire. If by now, you don't see his hands are tied by either the FO or the coaching staffs then I guess you've been watching Rox basketball in another dimension. If JLin is allowed to play his style of basketball, he's unstoppable, period. WTH is this: "if J Lin seemingly defers to Parsons, Patterson, Asik, Delfino, and Morris..." Dude, he's a PG. He controls the flow of the game and keep everyone involve. So setting up your teammate for the best shot is deferring? Man, you obviously don't play organized ball. If one man play his heart out and the other 4 stand around, do you think the whole team will win? Give me some proof that it will work then I will accept your comment. Until then, don't go saying JLin's weakness this and weakness that. Who the hell are you to say such thing? Just freaking enjoy the show man.
@Pierrot, I thought there was only one Fields with the Knicks? Joking aside, I stand my point that with the exception of Tyson Chandler and perhaps Jeffries, the rest of the team that Lin had available were basically D-League level talents. Shumps was super-energetic yet much unpolished, Fields was athletic and good with Alley-oops but had no jumper, Bibby was hardly his former self, Novak was actually in the D-League, and where is Blackman now? Secondly, sure Kobe has some older, yet still effective talents, but the Harden/Lin ain't no slouch either. If Asik can rid himself of the "butterfinger" symptoms and start dunking instead of attempting <5ft jumpers, as demonstrated in the Nets game, and Parsons start practicing Alley-oop plays with Harden/Lin, what they lack in experience can be made up with their youth and energy, as long as McHale is careful with sub patterns. In addition, the Rockets have Carlos "Half-Novak" Delfino, and Smith/Patterson/Morris are all diamonds in the rough, showing blips of promise when Lin was able to distribute the ball. Heck, in his D-League days, there were times when Lin would make Jerome Jordan look like the Mailman. THAT, my friend, IS what makes Linsanity a sensation, the instant upgrade of any and all teammates.
Kobe's consecutive 14 assists per game shows me that that the opponents have to respect your scoring ability first and then you will be able to make high-quality passes to your teammates. Kobe has been playing in a very unselfish mode the last two games, and therefore, Lakers won the two games. The same thing with RW of OKC; his assists number has also gone up this season. I agree with Pierrot that Lin has to have the mentality of score first, but whether he can score a lot this season, I don't know.
I do agree that the scoring ability has to be there in the first place, no question about it. That said, let's face the fact that Lin's big scoring days are basically done, and the Spurs game was more an exception rather than the norm. Lin's on every teams scouting report, and many a PGs in the league now have a bulls eye painted on Lin's back and look to "shut him down." Look no further than Linsanity's first victim Deron Williams, Jose "The 3" Calderon, Ray Felton, Ricky Rubio, amongst others.
To say most of his Knicks' teammates were D Leaguers is not fair. I would say they were good "role" players. Heck, most NBA players are "role" players anyway. Asik is a good role player; Battier is a good role player; Chalmers is a good role player, etc. Whether they were role players or not, they were very suitable to Lin's game and played their roles very well.
I wish things were as black and white that Lin is unwilling to score and "chose" to defer to his less-talented teammates.
This statement was true in the first 10-15 games when he's still recovering but did he defer to his teammates in his 38-pt explosion Spurs game? If your theory was true, wouldn't Lin ONLY score 18 or 20 when Harden was out in that game and deferred to PPat, Asik, Parsons?
Two things caused Linsanity not to explode: 1. Harden still plays more PG role than he should. 2. Lin's strength in midrange jumpers are still discouraged in HOU system preferring 3PT and layups. We've seen him hitting long 2PTs but Sampson "corrected" him afterwards.
The Hornets and Nets wins still masked these 2 problems. Lin was allowed to play more PG role when his minutes were staggered with Harden and we saw a glimpse of Linsanity with his back-to-back 3PTs and PnR with Asik/Patterson plus Parsons cutting to the basket.
I don't see Problem No 2 addressed yet because the 3PT shooting was working well and the big men in these two teams are not as athletic as OKC/Portland/perhaps Utah.
When in doubt, trust the words of Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy that Lin needs play PG and Harden needs to play SG.
In the meantime, staggering Lin's and Harden's minutes on court would work to solve this dual PG role but would HOU allow long 2PTs on the nights when 3PT shooting and layups don't work against OKC and Denver?
I mildly disagree with Pierrot, mainly because I'd like him to check his facts just a bit more.
Landry Fields was a second round pick, Renaldo BALKman (not Rolando BLACKMAN who did nothing for the Knicks but should've been played more) was a 20th pick, Mike Bibby was a hobbled veteran, and Iman Shumpert was not a lottery pick. None of these players except Shumpert was performing at a true NBA rotation level except Fields, and Fields is no first rounder the way Pierrot mistakenly says.
Also, Kobe Bryant has FIVE rings not six. He's trying to match Michael Jordan's six rings, though not even Kobe could convince me that he's as good as Michael Jordan.
I believe that Lin is trying to play team basketball within the context of his team. And for all this talk by people here about Lin screwing up his game by not scoring enough, let's not forget that Steve Nash made his reputation too by scoring plenty in Dallas and Phoenix.
I also disagree that front offices around the NBA "question Lin's makeup". The verdict from NBA front offices is unaninimous: LIN CAN'T PLAY!
Linsanity was about scoring, passing, defending, winning, and simply an Asian guy earning NBA minutes. It's all good.
Lin can't score first on this team unless the coaches are prepared to switch Harden and Lin's roles. Without Lin's unselfishness, this team would implode with Harden as a shoot first PG. They would be closer to 10-30 right now than just above .500.
Imagine if Lin just jacked up shots and drives looking to get points, and Harden had to get his as well, nobody else would score at all, leading to selfish play. Did you see DWill jacking up shots for himself and not passing at all in the first quarter? Did you not see the outcome of that game? That's why Lin cannot play that way & probably doesn't want to even if it means he becomes a 20PPG scorer.
Lin is in a tough tough spot. It's clear Lin can easily get 20PPG if he were the lead guard on any team, but he is not so he's going to get a weak 8-12PPG. Because his usage is so low, he doesn't get to shoot AND pass. In his limited touches, he can only really go for 1 stat, and Lin wants to be known as a true PG for whatever reason. He'd prefer to try and get 10Assists per game with 8-10PPG than 20PPG with 2 assist per game.
Unless his usage rate changes (and it looks like it's been going back up these last 2 games), there is nothing Lin can do to be more spectacular or dynamic.
In summary, I think Lin has shown his "willingness" to score when he is allowed to play PG. Back-to-back 3PTs off the dribble is a strong evidence of his comfort level.
As for his aggressiveness to score when he plays as SG when Harden plays SG, it's something that he needs to develop. It's not his strength and I don't think he'll overcome it this season.
What's mindboggling to me is if Harden can score 25-30pts even when not playing as PG and Lin can't score 18-25pts when playing SG, why do the coaches not let Lin play PG and Harden play SG most of the time?
It's been frustrating to watch how slow the coaches recognize what fans and other coaches (George Karl thinks Lin is the "motor" of the HOU offense) and Calvin Murphy recognized.
PSALM, simple, they don't want Lin to shine and become the face of the team. Letting Lin play that way will allow Lin to look great. The guy with the ball in his hand is the man, period. I don't think Morey wants that as it will cause him to become fired and/or ridiculed. Harden will look like a "B PLAYER" everyone says he is, and they will again laugh at Morey for not recognizing what they had in Lin when they brought in Harden.
We all want Harden to be the James Worthy to Lin's Magic. The Rox want Lin to be BJ ARMSTRONG to Harden's MJ.
I think the team thought Lin was going to be garbage at the start of the year. He did indeed look lost on and off the court in preseason and the first 10 games or so.
Now that the real Lin is back, Houston has a problem. And that's why they are suffocating him, plus Harden had been playing out of his mind and got all the calls his way prior to his cold spell during the losing streak.
But talent cannot be surpressed forever. If Lin is what we think he is and shows out, the Rox, meaning Morey, will trade him quick for a talented big man unless Les fires Morey first.
@swingline, if it were true that HOU coaches and Morey don't want to look stupid for waiving Lin in the first place by taking the ball from Lin as PG, then they're really not as smart as we think. Winning should be more important.
The theory that Morey and the coaches conspired to pad the stats for Harden's All-Star selection had some merit because it would explain why they played Harden for 39-40 minutes even during blowouts. If Lin's usage rate increases steadily while Harden's minute decrease then we know they were "showcasing" Harden for All-Star selection all along. This would help attract free-agents to come to HOU to star next to Harden.
I truly hope that HOU will use Lin the right way as the PG, not being afraid that Linsanity will overshadow Harden's numbers. There's no reason not to push both of them as All-Stars. You're right, talent cannot be suppressed forever.
I'm still leaning to the thought that HOU coaches simply thought Harden as the better PG so Lin needs to be the backup PG and SG next to Harden. I think they're finding out that Harden is a playmaker but not a natural PG. Lin has more knack to involve his teammates w/o hugging the ball for 8 seconds.
PSALM, you are probably right. The Rox probably don't think Lin can really play, period. So they just tried to minimize his touches and his effect on the game.
That's probably the answer in reality as to why Lin keeps getting hidden in the corner.
However, as Lin's usage rate goes up, assuming it does, I do think there will be a Linsanity v. Beardsanity issue unless the players and team and coaches and management are mature and understanding about it.
I think it's funny you read all sorts of idiotic articles and media coverage on things related to the ROckets and their woes, but nobody want to talk about Calvin Murphy's comments whether online or on ESPN or NBA TV. Guess it's more fun to say "Lin can't play" than to acknowledge anything else.
I wonder how Murph's comments actually affect the Rockets FO and coaches behind the scenes.
Generally, the only ex-players supportive of Lin are former point guards. Cousy, Magic, Frazier, Nash, Murphy, with Kenny Smith & Greg Anthony to a much lesser degree all say Lin's effect is basic and obvious.
Aside from these PG's, few others seem to have much nice to say about Lin. Most SG's don't really say much of anything nice about Lin. Even Ty Chandler said Lin didn't have what it took to lead the Knicks.
So it's no surprise Mchale has nothing nice to say about Lin other than that he's a great kid who plays hard. He's saying Lin is a limited basketball player without saying it...we all know it.
The good thing is I do think there is an agenda to play Lin more effectively. For all we know, Murphy might be Les's mouthpiece to the media. I have no clue. I doubt Murphy, Hall of Famer or not, has the guts to spout these things outloud without fearing for his job unless the comments were sanctioned beforehand.
Mchale will be forced to play Lin more like what we saw in the Nets game because the owner forked out 25mill for Lin, not to watch TD play in the 4th Quarter.
I guess Kobe wants to win the 6th title more than Harden wants to get into playoff. Harden is just too young to think about sacrificing his stats for a team win. I hope he can take a hint from Kobe: when a guy who can score 30 points per game is willing to score 15 to 20 per game and get teammates involved, Harden should take notice. And Harden is not even close to Kobe in getting off good shots no matter who is guarding him. LeBron, KD, Kobe -- these guys can get off decent shots no matter who is guarding them. Only problem is Lin is not as good as Nash when it comes to making open shots. If I were guarding Lin, I would dare him to shoot long 3s from the beginning of the game to get his confidence down. I doubt Harden can get 14 assists like Kobe even if he plays unselfishly though. One reason why Rockets is stuck with Harden having his hands on the ball is because Harden is good at driving to the basket and drawing fouls, so if Harden was forced to just catch and shoot, a lot of his effectiveness will be diminished. However, they should still let Lin have the ball and try to create something during the first 10 seconds and then if it doesn't work, Lin can pass to Harden and Harden can try to do his thing.
Utah Jazz is a tough opponent. But if the Rockets play the way they've been playing lately (at least putting the ball more in JLin's hands and let him be the playmaker) , they can continue the streak and let the team roll to the playoffs.
This is a winnable game as long as you protect the paint. If they can stop Paul and Al they can def win. I think Lin will have a good game tonight. It surprised me that in the last two games when the lead was going down McHale will put Lin in. As I was watching the Detroit Piston (first game) highlights, the announcers said the same thing. With Lin out the Rockets got in trouble but once he was put back in everything got better. McHale can't let those lapses go for long. He is been doing a decent job in the last two game just got to keep it on. He also needs to let Lin shoot the mid-range jumper cause he can easily make those.
On a sidenote: I'm excited for this season, and I really want to see Lin in the playoff that would be amazing. But, I'm even more excited about next season. We can tell that Lin worked on his TO off season. Imagine when he now works on his shooting. I can't wait to see that!
Just a thought. When McHell pulls Lin out, he should put in all the reserves in with Harden. Harden just need bodies to stand at the 3 pt line anyways. This is also a good chance to give the bench some minutes as well as resting the rest of the starters.
As a change of style, I'm going to scout the Rockets from the perspective of the Jazz.
OPPONENT: HOUSTON ROCKETS
Midseason Summary: Thus far in the 2013 NBA Season, the Houston Rockets have been the most unpredictable team in the NBA.
They can look like exactly what they are: the youngest and least experienced AND least athletic team. And then they'll come out and play perfect "pinball" basketball where the ball flies around the court on offense and hits the open man, no matter who the defense is.
How to play the Rockets: This team is comprised of two basic approaches: James Harden vs. Jeremy Lin.
James Harden is a traditional isolation scorer who is going to get his numbers win or lose. He loves to dribble upcourt, look for his own shot, and pass only when he can't score on his own. Harden is willing to shoot over double and triple teams, and sometimes he makes those shots. He's also turnover prone, so hurling those double and triple teams works against him really well if you have a defender waiting in the wings to pick off his passes.
As good in boxscores as James Harden is, the real guy to watch out for is Jeremy Lin.
Lin is listed at point guard, but in truth he's the rare capable combo guard who can play either guard position and often does. He's the quickest guard in the NBA, having athletically tested out as faster than Derrick Rose and equally fast as John Wall. People think Lin doesn't have great athleticism because he's Asian, but he's actually the most athletic player on the Rockets and makes highlight reel plays on both ends. Lin is the X-factor on the Rockets due to his athletic dominance.
In Summary: Our Jazz team is very big and athletic in the frontcourt positions, not so much in the backcourt. We don't have an athlete truly capable of keeping up with either Lin or Harden, but Houston does not have athletes that can battle our frontcourt.
Plow the ball inside against Houston's minimum wage big men for easy scores while also jamming the midrange against Lin but NOT Harden. DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT go directly at Jeremy Lin, as he's a defensive whiz who is underrated defensively only because of his race. Go right at Harden, as that'll also wear him out so that he has heavy legs on offense. Play tight perimeter coverage on all of Houston's players, ESPECIALLY Lin who'd actually be a deadly scorer if Houston was smart enough to play Harden off the ball.
There's one deadly scenario that has popped up for Houston lately. When Jeremy Lin is given the ball and Harden starts to move without the basketball, watch out. Lin will find Harden for easy scores, and that's very hard to stop. If that happens, make sure Harden is double covered when he makes the catch. Harden will still shoot it, but at least make his life difficult.
In short: 1) score inside 2) let Harden catch and shoot over multiple defenders 3) don't let Lin go into "superhero" mode where he bashes around the court athletically
LOL, Jazz fans will totally hate KHuang's scout report. Such a pretender to be be on Jazz's side, even I can tell.
Serious, KHuang, do you mind to do a Scout report from the perspective of Rockets? I do worry that they have nice shot blockers, which usually give problem to Jeremy and James. And I don't know how Asik behave in high altitude, he wasn't that great last time.
The biggest concern is I don't know how McHale will behave, usually in a nice blow out game, they stay with the good way, but when the shot stop falling, they tend to try weird things that make it worse......
Lin hasn't proven that he's a consistent shooter. So, defensively, I'd start the game by forcing Lin to shoot rather than pass. It's possible that he can throw himself out or rhythm especially since his FG% is lower in Q1. If effective, this could lead McHell to go back to iso Harden for the rest of the game.
This ploy will work especially if Harden continues to not move off ball. Then, 5 guys only need to defend 3 guys to prevent Lin from passing.
If even Kobe can get that idea of iso hero play is not good for the team and dished out 14 assists took only 12 shots in last two games, then McHale and Harden should have no problem understand that. If they still decide to go back to the old way, I will simple stop watching the Rockets game in the future.
TN4, I don't know enough about the Jazz to really scout them the way I do some other teams.
What I do know is that they're a PLODDING team with very limited footspeed. There are no greyhounds on that roster.
Jeremy Lin does well against Utah because they don't have anybody that can match his footspeed. Even trapping doesn't work, because Lin is so quick he can beat the trap. Lin is a very difficult cover for the entire Jazz team.
This is a nice one to read. Some nice feedback from Jeremy.
“That would have been really weird,” Lin said. “My agent suggested I invite everybody in the organization. I was like, “that will be pretty awkward.” I was thankful because some of my teammates and staff members were excited to see it. I was like, ‘That’s really cool they would take the time to watch a documentary about me.
“It’s just crazy to think the New Jersey Nets game (that launched Linsanity) was less than a year ago. It’s crazy.”
I dont think anyone of his teammates made it to sundance to see the movie bec of the weather. Jlin barely made it, he said he saw almost the end of the story.
huh? what's so offensive about a big group of fans waiting for jeremy wearing harvard gear. like... a big group of harvard alum/fans waiting for jeremy since there aren't a lot of harvard grads in the nba.
even if there ARE a large group of asians (asian americans and immigrants like my parents) there waiting for jeremy and jonathan has said "large group of asians" i wouldn't find that insensitive or offensive - he is the ONLY asian american in the nba, so of course he's gonna draw a crowd of fans.
c'mon people - let's turn down our race-dar (radar but for racists) a bit, please?
Game is starting late here in the east.it will be at 9pm.i'll watch the replay tom if you guys would report a good game, meaning jeremy played PG.i think this will be an exciting game. Hope u guys have fun on this thread as you enjoy the game. Jeremy, win this for us.
As usual, IF they put the ball in Lin's hands and his teammates willing to follow, everything else will take care itself
ReplyDeleteAmen.
DeleteThat's the key to every damn game for the rest of Jeremy's career. Let him run the offense and good things will happen for everyone else -- on both ends of the court.
I seriously doubt McHale will let him run the offense most nights, but over the course of the season, Jeremy will make that simpleton see what is so clear to everyone here (not to mention Rockets HOFer Calvin Murphy).
exactly
DeleteMchale probably sees what Kobe is doing and is now the last few games and is more reinforced than ever that Harden can do the same with the ball in his hands.
DeleteNash has become an off the ball shooter/occasional playmaker pretty much like what Lin has been all year.
Nash and Lin are pretty much facing the same difficulties where they both have to deal with dominant/talented SG's and personnel that is not catered around the PG's specific abilities.
Nash even has D'Antoni but Kobe's ego/dominance won't let Nash lead. Kobe wants to be THE MAN so he's figured out on the Lakers, that to be THE MAN while winning games, means he has to usurp the role that was supposed to be Nash's, and Nash will pretty much turn into an off the ball scorer. Kobe thought jacking up 35 shots a game was the way to be dominant on the Lakers but he was completely wrong and it caused friction among the team/losses. Still I am not convinced Kobe the passing the machine is a long term thing. I think it's just an aberration, but we'll see.
Now if Harden grows half a brain and starts brilliantly and unselfishly passing long term, Lin is screwed and better learn how to hit jumpshots because he'll never touch the ball otherwise.
I don't think most NBA guys are that bright but we'll see...
That means Harden will have to take less shots like Kobe did too.
DeleteLin is credited with only 1 steal for Saturday's game (Jan 25) vs the Nets: http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400278366
ReplyDeleteYet, according to this video, the announcer said it was Lin's 2nd steal of the night: http://www.nba.com/video/channels/top_plays/2013/01/26/20130126-sotn.nba/index.html
I remember hearing this live. It didn't reflect on the boxscore then, and I was going to check back later but forgot, until someone posted the Steal of the Night link. It's strange that the score keepers cheat Lin of steals fairly often!
Not just steals even assists ... And even when he's hammered most of the time can't get calls from refs :(
DeleteNot just steals even assists ... And even when he's hammered most of the time can't get calls from refs :(
DeleteNot sure how the NBA works, but its a Rox home game. I assume the Rockets hire statisticians? I don't think the NBA sends out their own guys/gals.
DeleteSo blame the Rockets own organization for screwing Lin on assists and steals.
Really though, as long as Lin touches the ball/gets to have the ball in his hands to make plays, I can care less if they cheat him out of several assists and steals per game.
It's clear that when Harden is out, Lin is more confident shooting the ball in general and making decisions for the team. When Harden is in, Lin hesitates mentally and is probably thinking too much in his head about whether or not he should shoot, pass, defer to Harden. I don't put that on Harden, I put that on Lin, but it's really hard to overcome that stuff.
If Harden started cutting off the ball the way an ordinary NBA 2 guard would, Lin's hesitation would disappear.
DeleteBy not playing his position, James Harden is screwing up court spacing not just for Lin but the other 4 players on the court.
I blame Harden exclusively for this, based on what I'm seeing in games.
Khuang, I agree with you but no scoring SG or "best player on the team" plays that way in the NBA. They are just selfish guys who don't think they are selfish at all, looking for glory and truly believe they are more capable than their teammates. This includes Harden now.
DeleteWhat you are suggesting is what Calvin Murphy is suggesting and what I'd like to see. But the selfish NBA hero ball culture is too prevalent these days.
Harden will not cut off the ball and let Lin lead esp. in the 4th Quarter. Harden wants to be the one doing it even though we all believe Lin is better at it. So that's why Lin hesitates mentally. He knows he's not THE MAN on the team, but he wants to instinctively make "THE MAN" type plays just because he's capable of doing it and been doing that his whole life.
Lin is a 4th Quarter guy but no matter what, in the 4th Q, they put the ball in Harden's hands and Lin runs to the corner. Hopefully it gets better as I've seen them go back to the Lin Harden PNR and seen Lin playing more off the curl than run and hide in the corner the last couple games.
That's why I'm putting it on Lin, not that it's Lin's fault at all. But the only way to overcome the problem, in reality, is for Lin to mentally overcome that block because nobody is going to hand him the keys.
Lin has to go and take it, nobody is going to hand him anything. Perhaps Lin will just steadily improve his game the next few years to the point he will just be that much better...that's what I'm banking on because Lin isn't an overtly egotistical/confrontational player & teammate.
I actually believe that Harden will learn to play with Lin.
DeleteWhen it comes to winning, Harden has found out that letting Lin set him up is good for the team.
I come off as a Harden basher, but I'm not. He needs to learn that he can trust Lin to get him the ball.
The BK Nets game was pretty good. I'd still like to see even more Lin with the ball particularly 4th Q, but I don't even think Harden needs to cut all that much...
DeleteBecause Harden doesn't iso all day long, his limited 4th Q iso's become damn effective. ANd the guy guarding him hasn't established a rhythm in guarding Harden because the Rox offense has been unpredictable.
And thus Harden was darn effective in the 4th Q going 1 on 1 and scoring the ball and plus he made a nice pass to Delfino that he got from Lin while Harden was curling to into the paint. The Defense was basically confused and backpedling.
It's about sacrifice and trust, and hopefully these young Rox get it soon. I'm more than happy if Lin gets 10ppg, 6asst,3rbs,1st forever as long as he is used properly, gets the ball enough to do something, and doesn't have to hide in the corner all day long.
I would give him a higher average in points but the refs are way too inconsistent/biased in calling fouls for Lin.
Let's go Jeremy! Be aggressive and play your game!
ReplyDeleteNow that the ASG roster has been settled, I seriously doubt McHale would revert to the losing ways again. In retrospect, it looks like it had a lot more to do with Morey getting his crown jewel into ASG (by purposely downplaying Lin) rather than McHale's incompetence. If there's foul play from the coaching staff, it's more likely coming from Sampson.
ReplyDeleteAgree with you, if Lin was allowed to play like 5 game winning streak and in recent 2 games during the 7 losing streak, that means Lin is consistently good, and he will for sure got the fan vote for the starter, that would seriously get Harden out of the roster, I'm not sure how Rockets will do to face all the media during the AS week.
DeleteI don't think it is all just stat padding for James, since his stats actually dropped when Lin's role is limited, and he has to play long time each game. He lost his 25 pt streak, and get right back in the past 2 games.
I remember the radio mentioned that McHale could not face their player eye to eye at the end of loosing streak, if a coach believe in what he is doing, even it is not the best way, why they could not face their players?
Hopefully I'm not thinking too much here, I'd like to trust McHale, even his talent might be limited.
wth is going on? boston beats miami? LAL beats OKC? Hornets beat Memphis? if the Rockets can get some kind of consistent ball going, and if harden can stop throwing away the ball, we can make a strong run into the playoffs!
ReplyDeleteKobe's success in his change into a facilitator's role perfectly emphasizes the importance of PG play. It also draws a parallel between the Lakers and Rockets, where the super-scorer takes away from the team flow and puts all the eggs in one basket. When facing playoff teams, no one can play one-on-five hero ball consistently every game. It's an amazing to see how with the same crew using different tactics, the guys can play as if they're a different team. This is what Linsanity was about, not 58-points per game, not 70% shooting percentage, but to take a bunch of no-name, D-Leaguers and facilitate/motivate them into looking like all stars. If anyone would like to argue, I suggest talking to Landry Fields and Steve Novak first, and ask about the fat checks they got.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with your premise--Linsanity was about J.Lin scoring first, dropping 20 or more, and distributing to second tier players very far second. Vehemently disagree in particular about "no-name D-leaguers" as Fields, Chandler, Fields, Bibby, Shumpert, R. Blackman were all 1st rders and Walker and Novak were 2nd rd picks. People put their jobs on their line to draft these players. J lin's supporting cast was not even close to J. Lin's D-league background.
DeleteYou cite Kobe's 2 game success as a facilitator but I would think he can do it because he has Howard, Nash, and Gasol around him. Too much noise concerning Kobe's shot selection but he has 6 rings. He has way more "veteran rope: than the current generation of iso Stars--from Irving, Melo, and Harden, or whoever.
Lin's weakness right now is he thinks he is Steve Nash circa Phoenix (Joe Johnson, Amare, Matrix) or Dallas (Nowitzki, Finley, Walker, Jamison) where he can afford to facilitate instead of being a scorer. No matter how optimistic the projections for the current Houston roster, outside of Harden, there is no other player who can score as effectively as J. Lin hero ball.
That's why front office around the league are questioning his makeup--not on the competitive, mental toughness front, but on his desire to be the best and trust his own skills. If J. Lin seemingly defers to Parsons, Patterson, Asik, Delfino, and Morris, why would a front office risk his own neck to build around J. Lin as a franchise player?
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteJeremy offense is about probing the defense and dropping the ball to whoever is most open.
DeleteAnd, because Jlin is so good at reacting to mismatches, those who play with Lin usually will have a good stat night.
@Pierrot, you talked like JLin own the team, and he can do whatever he desire. If by now, you don't see his hands are tied by either the FO or the coaching staffs then I guess you've been watching Rox basketball in another dimension. If JLin is allowed to play his style of basketball, he's unstoppable, period. WTH is this: "if J Lin seemingly defers to Parsons, Patterson, Asik, Delfino, and Morris..." Dude, he's a PG. He controls the flow of the game and keep everyone involve. So setting up your teammate for the best shot is deferring? Man, you obviously don't play organized ball. If one man play his heart out and the other 4 stand around, do you think the whole team will win? Give me some proof that it will work then I will accept your comment. Until then, don't go saying JLin's weakness this and weakness that. Who the hell are you to say such thing? Just freaking enjoy the show man.
Delete@Pierrot, I thought there was only one Fields with the Knicks? Joking aside, I stand my point that with the exception of Tyson Chandler and perhaps Jeffries, the rest of the team that Lin had available were basically D-League level talents. Shumps was super-energetic yet much unpolished, Fields was athletic and good with Alley-oops but had no jumper, Bibby was hardly his former self, Novak was actually in the D-League, and where is Blackman now? Secondly, sure Kobe has some older, yet still effective talents, but the Harden/Lin ain't no slouch either. If Asik can rid himself of the "butterfinger" symptoms and start dunking instead of attempting <5ft jumpers, as demonstrated in the Nets game, and Parsons start practicing Alley-oop plays with Harden/Lin, what they lack in experience can be made up with their youth and energy, as long as McHale is careful with sub patterns. In addition, the Rockets have Carlos "Half-Novak" Delfino, and Smith/Patterson/Morris are all diamonds in the rough, showing blips of promise when Lin was able to distribute the ball. Heck, in his D-League days, there were times when Lin would make Jerome Jordan look like the Mailman. THAT, my friend, IS what makes Linsanity a sensation, the instant upgrade of any and all teammates.
DeleteCheers.
Pierrot just nailed it with his post.
DeleteKobe's consecutive 14 assists per game shows me that that the opponents have to respect your scoring ability first and then you will be able to make high-quality passes to your teammates. Kobe has been playing in a very unselfish mode the last two games, and therefore, Lakers won the two games. The same thing with RW of OKC; his assists number has also gone up this season. I agree with Pierrot that Lin has to have the mentality of score first, but whether he can score a lot this season, I don't know.
DeleteI do agree that the scoring ability has to be there in the first place, no question about it. That said, let's face the fact that Lin's big scoring days are basically done, and the Spurs game was more an exception rather than the norm. Lin's on every teams scouting report, and many a PGs in the league now have a bulls eye painted on Lin's back and look to "shut him down." Look no further than Linsanity's first victim Deron Williams, Jose "The 3" Calderon, Ray Felton, Ricky Rubio, amongst others.
DeleteTo say most of his Knicks' teammates were D Leaguers is not fair. I would say they were good "role" players. Heck, most NBA players are "role" players anyway. Asik is a good role player; Battier is a good role player; Chalmers is a good role player, etc. Whether they were role players or not, they were very suitable to Lin's game and played their roles very well.
Delete@Pierrot,
DeleteI wish things were as black and white that Lin is unwilling to score and "chose" to defer to his less-talented teammates.
This statement was true in the first 10-15 games when he's still recovering but did he defer to his teammates in his 38-pt explosion Spurs game? If your theory was true, wouldn't Lin ONLY score 18 or 20 when Harden was out in that game and deferred to PPat, Asik, Parsons?
Two things caused Linsanity not to explode:
1. Harden still plays more PG role than he should.
2. Lin's strength in midrange jumpers are still discouraged in HOU system preferring 3PT and layups. We've seen him hitting long 2PTs but Sampson "corrected" him afterwards.
The Hornets and Nets wins still masked these 2 problems. Lin was allowed to play more PG role when his minutes were staggered with Harden and we saw a glimpse of Linsanity with his back-to-back 3PTs and PnR with Asik/Patterson plus Parsons cutting to the basket.
I don't see Problem No 2 addressed yet because the 3PT shooting was working well and the big men in these two teams are not as athletic as OKC/Portland/perhaps Utah.
When in doubt, trust the words of Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy that Lin needs play PG and Harden needs to play SG.
In the meantime, staggering Lin's and Harden's minutes on court would work to solve this dual PG role but would HOU allow long 2PTs on the nights when 3PT shooting and layups don't work against OKC and Denver?
I mildly disagree with Pierrot, mainly because I'd like him to check his facts just a bit more.
DeleteLandry Fields was a second round pick, Renaldo BALKman
(not Rolando BLACKMAN who did nothing for the Knicks but should've been played more) was a 20th pick, Mike Bibby was a hobbled veteran, and Iman Shumpert was not a lottery pick. None of these players except Shumpert was performing at a true NBA rotation level except Fields, and Fields is no first rounder the way Pierrot mistakenly says.
Also, Kobe Bryant has FIVE rings not six. He's trying to match Michael Jordan's six rings, though not even Kobe could convince me that he's as good as Michael Jordan.
I believe that Lin is trying to play team basketball within the context of his team. And for all this talk by people here about Lin screwing up his game by not scoring enough, let's not forget that Steve Nash made his reputation too by scoring plenty in Dallas and Phoenix.
I also disagree that front offices around the NBA "question Lin's makeup". The verdict from NBA front offices is unaninimous: LIN CAN'T PLAY!
Linsanity was about scoring, passing, defending, winning, and simply an Asian guy earning NBA minutes. It's all good.
Lin can't score first on this team unless the coaches are prepared to switch Harden and Lin's roles. Without Lin's unselfishness, this team would implode with Harden as a shoot first PG. They would be closer to 10-30 right now than just above .500.
DeleteImagine if Lin just jacked up shots and drives looking to get points, and Harden had to get his as well, nobody else would score at all, leading to selfish play. Did you see DWill jacking up shots for himself and not passing at all in the first quarter? Did you not see the outcome of that game? That's why Lin cannot play that way & probably doesn't want to even if it means he becomes a 20PPG scorer.
Lin is in a tough tough spot. It's clear Lin can easily get 20PPG if he were the lead guard on any team, but he is not so he's going to get a weak 8-12PPG. Because his usage is so low, he doesn't get to shoot AND pass. In his limited touches, he can only really go for 1 stat, and Lin wants to be known as a true PG for whatever reason. He'd prefer to try and get 10Assists per game with 8-10PPG than 20PPG with 2 assist per game.
Unless his usage rate changes (and it looks like it's been going back up these last 2 games), there is nothing Lin can do to be more spectacular or dynamic.
In summary, I think Lin has shown his "willingness" to score when he is allowed to play PG. Back-to-back 3PTs off the dribble is a strong evidence of his comfort level.
DeleteAs for his aggressiveness to score when he plays as SG when Harden plays SG, it's something that he needs to develop. It's not his strength and I don't think he'll overcome it this season.
What's mindboggling to me is if Harden can score 25-30pts even when not playing as PG and Lin can't score 18-25pts when playing SG, why do the coaches not let Lin play PG and Harden play SG most of the time?
It's been frustrating to watch how slow the coaches recognize what fans and other coaches (George Karl thinks Lin is the "motor" of the HOU offense) and Calvin Murphy recognized.
PSALM, simple, they don't want Lin to shine and become the face of the team. Letting Lin play that way will allow Lin to look great. The guy with the ball in his hand is the man, period. I don't think Morey wants that as it will cause him to become fired and/or ridiculed. Harden will look like a "B PLAYER" everyone says he is, and they will again laugh at Morey for not recognizing what they had in Lin when they brought in Harden.
DeleteWe all want Harden to be the James Worthy to Lin's Magic. The Rox want Lin to be BJ ARMSTRONG to Harden's MJ.
I think the team thought Lin was going to be garbage at the start of the year. He did indeed look lost on and off the court in preseason and the first 10 games or so.
Now that the real Lin is back, Houston has a problem. And that's why they are suffocating him, plus Harden had been playing out of his mind and got all the calls his way prior to his cold spell during the losing streak.
But talent cannot be surpressed forever. If Lin is what we think he is and shows out, the Rox, meaning Morey, will trade him quick for a talented big man unless Les fires Morey first.
@swingline, if it were true that HOU coaches and Morey don't want to look stupid for waiving Lin in the first place by taking the ball from Lin as PG, then they're really not as smart as we think. Winning should be more important.
DeleteThe theory that Morey and the coaches conspired to pad the stats for Harden's All-Star selection had some merit because it would explain why they played Harden for 39-40 minutes even during blowouts. If Lin's usage rate increases steadily while Harden's minute decrease then we know they were "showcasing" Harden for All-Star selection all along. This would help attract free-agents to come to HOU to star next to Harden.
I truly hope that HOU will use Lin the right way as the PG, not being afraid that Linsanity will overshadow Harden's numbers. There's no reason not to push both of them as All-Stars. You're right, talent cannot be suppressed forever.
I'm still leaning to the thought that HOU coaches simply thought Harden as the better PG so Lin needs to be the backup PG and SG next to Harden. I think they're finding out that Harden is a playmaker but not a natural PG. Lin has more knack to involve his teammates w/o hugging the ball for 8 seconds.
PSALM, you are probably right. The Rox probably don't think Lin can really play, period. So they just tried to minimize his touches and his effect on the game.
DeleteThat's probably the answer in reality as to why Lin keeps getting hidden in the corner.
However, as Lin's usage rate goes up, assuming it does, I do think there will be a Linsanity v. Beardsanity issue unless the players and team and coaches and management are mature and understanding about it.
I think it's funny you read all sorts of idiotic articles and media coverage on things related to the ROckets and their woes, but nobody want to talk about Calvin Murphy's comments whether online or on ESPN or NBA TV. Guess it's more fun to say "Lin can't play" than to acknowledge anything else.
I wonder how Murph's comments actually affect the Rockets FO and coaches behind the scenes.
yeah, it's sad that HOU coaches hasn't recognized Lin's strength or utilize him to the fullest potential. It would only help them to win more games.
DeleteI hope Calvin Murphy would serve as a consultant. I'm sure his words carried some weight to the coaches because he has the inside connection.
Generally, the only ex-players supportive of Lin are former point guards. Cousy, Magic, Frazier, Nash, Murphy, with Kenny Smith & Greg Anthony to a much lesser degree all say Lin's effect is basic and obvious.
DeleteAside from these PG's, few others seem to have much nice to say about Lin. Most SG's don't really say much of anything nice about Lin. Even Ty Chandler said Lin didn't have what it took to lead the Knicks.
So it's no surprise Mchale has nothing nice to say about Lin other than that he's a great kid who plays hard. He's saying Lin is a limited basketball player without saying it...we all know it.
The good thing is I do think there is an agenda to play Lin more effectively. For all we know, Murphy might be Les's mouthpiece to the media. I have no clue. I doubt Murphy, Hall of Famer or not, has the guts to spout these things outloud without fearing for his job unless the comments were sanctioned beforehand.
Mchale will be forced to play Lin more like what we saw in the Nets game because the owner forked out 25mill for Lin, not to watch TD play in the 4th Quarter.
I guess Kobe wants to win the 6th title more than Harden wants to get into playoff. Harden is just too young to think about sacrificing his stats for a team win. I hope he can take a hint from Kobe: when a guy who can score 30 points per game is willing to score 15 to 20 per game and get teammates involved, Harden should take notice. And Harden is not even close to Kobe in getting off good shots no matter who is guarding him. LeBron, KD, Kobe -- these guys can get off decent shots no matter who is guarding them. Only problem is Lin is not as good as Nash when it comes to making open shots. If I were guarding Lin, I would dare him to shoot long 3s from the beginning of the game to get his confidence down. I doubt Harden can get 14 assists like Kobe even if he plays unselfishly though. One reason why Rockets is stuck with Harden having his hands on the ball is because Harden is good at driving to the basket and drawing fouls, so if Harden was forced to just catch and shoot, a lot of his effectiveness will be diminished. However, they should still let Lin have the ball and try to create something during the first 10 seconds and then if it doesn't work, Lin can pass to Harden and Harden can try to do his thing.
DeleteGreat points, @swingline. Only PGs appreciated Lin's talent and what he brings to the table. Great minds think alike.
DeleteAnd Les definitely respects Murphy when he and team president invited Murphy to dinner in Sept 2012 to welcome him back to Rockets organization even with the baggage of dismissed child abuse case.
You might be onto something here. Les definitely uses Murphy to make his point clear to Morey and McHale: "Use Lin OR ELSE!"
Utah Jazz is a tough opponent. But if the Rockets play the way they've been playing lately (at least putting the ball more in JLin's hands and let him be the playmaker) , they can continue the streak and let the team roll to the playoffs.
ReplyDeleteLet's go JLin! C'mon Rockets!
This is a winnable game as long as you protect the paint. If they can stop Paul and Al they can def win. I think Lin will have a good game tonight. It surprised me that in the last two games when the lead was going down McHale will put Lin in. As I was watching the Detroit Piston (first game) highlights, the announcers said the same thing. With Lin out the Rockets got in trouble but once he was put back in everything got better. McHale can't let those lapses go for long. He is been doing a decent job in the last two game just got to keep it on. He also needs to let Lin shoot the mid-range jumper cause he can easily make those.
ReplyDeleteOn a sidenote: I'm excited for this season, and I really want to see Lin in the playoff that would be amazing. But, I'm even more excited about next season. We can tell that Lin worked on his TO off season. Imagine when he now works on his shooting. I can't wait to see that!
Just a thought. When McHell pulls Lin out, he should put in all the reserves in with Harden. Harden just need bodies to stand at the 3 pt line anyways. This is also a good chance to give the bench some minutes as well as resting the rest of the starters.
ReplyDeleteAs a change of style, I'm going to scout the Rockets from the perspective of the Jazz.
ReplyDeleteOPPONENT: HOUSTON ROCKETS
Midseason Summary:
Thus far in the 2013 NBA Season, the Houston Rockets have been the most unpredictable team in the NBA.
They can look like exactly what they are: the youngest and least experienced AND least athletic team. And then they'll come out and play perfect "pinball" basketball where the ball flies around the court on offense and hits the open man, no matter who the defense is.
How to play the Rockets:
This team is comprised of two basic approaches: James Harden vs. Jeremy Lin.
James Harden is a traditional isolation scorer who is going to get his numbers win or lose. He loves to dribble upcourt, look for his own shot, and pass only when he can't score on his own. Harden is willing to shoot over double and triple teams, and sometimes he makes those shots. He's also turnover prone, so hurling those double and triple teams works against him really well if you have a defender waiting in the wings to pick off his passes.
As good in boxscores as James Harden is, the real guy to watch out for is Jeremy Lin.
Lin is listed at point guard, but in truth he's the rare capable combo guard who can play either guard position and often does. He's the quickest guard in the NBA, having athletically tested out as faster than Derrick Rose and equally fast as John Wall. People think Lin doesn't have great athleticism because he's Asian, but he's actually the most athletic player on the Rockets and makes highlight reel plays on both ends. Lin is the X-factor on the Rockets due to his athletic dominance.
In Summary:
Our Jazz team is very big and athletic in the frontcourt positions, not so much in the backcourt. We don't have an athlete truly capable of keeping up with either Lin or Harden, but Houston does not have athletes that can battle our frontcourt.
Plow the ball inside against Houston's minimum wage big men for easy scores while also jamming the midrange against Lin but NOT Harden. DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT go directly at Jeremy Lin, as he's a defensive whiz who is underrated defensively only because of his race. Go right at Harden, as that'll also wear him out so that he has heavy legs on offense. Play tight perimeter coverage on all of Houston's players, ESPECIALLY Lin who'd actually be a deadly scorer if Houston was smart enough to play Harden off the ball.
There's one deadly scenario that has popped up for Houston lately. When Jeremy Lin is given the ball and Harden starts to move without the basketball, watch out. Lin will find Harden for easy scores, and that's very hard to stop. If that happens, make sure Harden is double covered when he makes the catch. Harden will still shoot it, but at least make his life difficult.
In short:
1) score inside
2) let Harden catch and shoot over multiple defenders
3) don't let Lin go into "superhero" mode where he bashes around the court athletically
In World War II, you will be executed by Red Army because you leaking information to enemy.
DeleteI'd have to execute myself, alan xie!
DeleteI'm a fan of the entire NBA, not just Jeremy Lin. So in a sense, both the Rockets and Jazz are my "home teams!"
I'm definitely not a "Lin Only Fan".
LOL, Jazz fans will totally hate KHuang's scout report. Such a pretender to be be on Jazz's side, even I can tell.
DeleteSerious, KHuang, do you mind to do a Scout report from the perspective of Rockets? I do worry that they have nice shot blockers, which usually give problem to Jeremy and James. And I don't know how Asik behave in high altitude, he wasn't that great last time.
The biggest concern is I don't know how McHale will behave, usually in a nice blow out game, they stay with the good way, but when the shot stop falling, they tend to try weird things that make it worse......
Agree.
DeleteOne more point.
Lin hasn't proven that he's a consistent shooter. So, defensively, I'd start the game by forcing Lin to shoot rather than pass. It's possible that he can throw himself out or rhythm especially since his FG% is lower in Q1. If effective, this could lead McHell to go back to iso Harden for the rest of the game.
This ploy will work especially if Harden continues to not move off ball. Then, 5 guys only need to defend 3 guys to prevent Lin from passing.
If even Kobe can get that idea of iso hero play is not good for the team and dished out 14 assists took only 12 shots in last two games, then McHale and Harden should have no problem understand that. If they still decide to go back to the old way, I will simple stop watching the Rockets game in the future.
DeleteTN4, I don't know enough about the Jazz to really scout them the way I do some other teams.
DeleteWhat I do know is that they're a PLODDING team with very limited footspeed. There are no greyhounds on that roster.
Jeremy Lin does well against Utah because they don't have anybody that can match his footspeed. Even trapping doesn't work, because Lin is so quick he can beat the trap. Lin is a very difficult cover for the entire Jazz team.
Well, the game's not over but it's over.
DeleteMy scouting report was SPOT ON.
Jazz fans can hate me if they want.
‘Linsanity’ comes to Sundance, but storm makes Lin arrive late
ReplyDeleteThis is a nice one to read. Some nice feedback from Jeremy.
“That would have been really weird,” Lin said. “My agent suggested I invite everybody in the organization. I was like, “that will be pretty awkward.” I was thankful because some of my teammates and staff members were excited to see it. I was like, ‘That’s really cool they would take the time to watch a documentary about me.
“It’s just crazy to think the New Jersey Nets game (that launched Linsanity) was less than a year ago. It’s crazy.”
Awesome! BTW:
Deletehttp://www.kickstarter.com/projects/linsanitymovie/linsanity-the-movie
There are now 744 backers. 76,501 pledged (117,000 goal). Means they are at 65,4 percent. 17 days to go!
Cool! It's now at 752 with $76,919.
Delete~$400 in 15 min ain't bad at all.
I really hope the DVD would be Blu-Ray but perhaps it's asking for too much.
Any one know which teammates came with Lin to the preview at Sundance ?
DeleteCurious to know !
Jeremy Lin @JLin7
Deletesaw Evan Leong's film @LinsanityMovie last night..crazy reliving those moments. He needs backers if anyone's interested http://kck.st/SF4njE
7:36 PM - 28 Jan 13
Wow, Linsanity on Kickstarter has raised almost $1,000 in 30 minutes. That's the power of a Tweet sent by Jeremy himself.
DeleteHaha, actually that tweet was 5 hours ago. My time zone is not North American.
Deletefeltball
DeleteI dont think anyone of his teammates made it to sundance to see the movie bec of the weather. Jlin barely made it, he said he saw almost the end of the story.
Jonathan Feigen @Jonathan_Feigen
ReplyDeleteWat. Masaka, 1st Asian American in NBA, here to meet Jeremy Lin. Sitting behind Rockets bench to watch him warmup.
12:27 AM - 29 Jan 13
Jonathan Feigen @Jonathan_Feigen
Pretty big group here waiting for Jeremy Lin. Lots of Harvard gear.
12:34 AM - 29 Jan 13
It it just me or is this insensitive? What if I said "Large group of Caucasians here waiting for Justin Bieber?"
DeleteI think John simply meant a big group "of fans". I don't think he suggested that it was a big group of "Asians".
DeleteFeigan definitely did not intentionally or unintentionally say anything offensive there...He was referring to a big group of "fans"
Deletehuh? what's so offensive about a big group of fans waiting for jeremy wearing harvard gear. like... a big group of harvard alum/fans waiting for jeremy since there aren't a lot of harvard grads in the nba.
Deleteeven if there ARE a large group of asians (asian americans and immigrants like my parents) there waiting for jeremy and jonathan has said "large group of asians" i wouldn't find that insensitive or offensive - he is the ONLY asian american in the nba, so of course he's gonna draw a crowd of fans.
c'mon people - let's turn down our race-dar (radar but for racists) a bit, please?
JLin greeting everyone with a message saying Happy Year of the Snake
ReplyDeleteI am guessing a photoshopped version of the photo which I expect at least a few fan girls wish JLin had said instead.
only if he is saying that to me..other than that, i prefer the happy new year one!!haha..
DeleteGo Jeremy Lin!
ReplyDeleteLet's hope that we see JLin the floor general this game.
DeleteHa, the general to pacify the west...
DeleteGame is starting late here in the east.it will be at 9pm.i'll watch the replay tom if you guys would report a good game, meaning jeremy played PG.i think this will be an exciting game. Hope u guys have fun on this thread as you enjoy the game. Jeremy, win this for us.
ReplyDeleteObservations of the game appreciated everyone! (Gotta sleep as well, a few more hours ahead of @jlin74ever)
Deletesleep well, folks :) I'm sure many of us will share their assessment after the game.
DeleteWe will wait.thanks for taking time to dissect the game for us who will missed the live action.
DeleteHoping for some LINSANITY! Tonight... Only if Lin would have seen the whole film :(... But anything is possible! :D
ReplyDeletewilc
ReplyDeleteYou are few hrs ahead?are you somewhere in europe?
Jonathan Feigen:
ReplyDeleteWat. Masaka, 1st Asian American in NBA, here to meet Jeremy Lin. Sitting behind Rockets bench to watch him warmup.
Pretty big group here waiting for Jeremy Lin. Lots of Harvard gear.
Harvard Club of Utah is here. They seem interested in Jeremy Lin's warmup routine.
Lin on meeting Wat Misaka: "He broke a lot of barriers and racial stereotypes. You have to pay respect to the people who came before you.”
Misaka, 89 and a native of Ogden, was 1st Asian American in NBA. Knicks drafted him out of Utah in 1947. Lin on meeting: “It was humbling."
a Japanese! so long ago! very impressive!
DeleteJeremy and Wat Misaka
Deletewow! mr. misaka is relatively short. props to him for being the 1st asian american nba man.
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