Just a food for thought. I noticed that McHale has been true in every post game in not mentioning Jeremy Lin as much and crediting all the other people except Jeremy Lin. I believe this is part of a good strategy to keep Lin out of the spot light and also not talking about Lin will prevent Lin from getting ahead of himself like he did last year with the Knicks. He always have words to say to Lin pre-game and always smiling and giving him a pat on the behind before and after games. I believe McHale is a smarter coach than some of you make him out to be. He is on Lin's side and trying to help him develop his game. You can see he is building confidence in Lin's play making abilities and skills because he is starting to leave him in on the 4th quarter to finish games instead of TD. As great as TD is at staying in front of his man, McHale knows of his short comings because he cannot create or score at will like Jeremy can. That is my two cents on this matter. Agree or disagree that is your choice, but that is how I see it.
Yeah, I've noticed this as well. Actions always speak louder than words. At first, Sampson played with Lin's minutes probably because he didn't think he was that good - again a bias of some type. Now McHale sees Lin as the finisher and true starter (probably after Les knocked some sense into him). But all along I think they have been aware of over-praising him. A lot of the backlash from everyone (as everyone knows on this forum) is that Lin got ALL the hype and praise initially and was being compared to HOFs in a week. The other people got jealous of this hype and have tried to do everything to tarnish his image such as SAS.
I have noticed that a lot of commentators (not rockets ones) have continued to praise him endlessly, while the Rockets organization has been quiet about his progress. This definitely helps Lin.
Meanwhile, Lin's passing is 50% better than last year and his defense is really very good. That Hawks coach had it right when he said Lin was a good defender. People who say he is not are the jealous types and one's who are holding a grudge against him from last year.
I was also thinking about McHale's 180 degrees turn around on playing time for Lin. I personally think it is an edict from on high (Morey or Les) to tell McHale to let Lin plays thru his mistakes. Because they are probably getting pressure from sponsors, media, fans ... on McHale's rotation on Lin. So he just let Lin plays (40 min +) for the last few games. I know he didn't play his 40 min vs BUCKs. But if he wasn't injured, I'd bet Lin would have gotten his 40 min. I think McHale is mightly surprised the results from those games with all the mistakes Lin made. May be it will make a believer out of him. If MaHale didn't mention Lin in the postgame last night, I am really suspicious on his motive of letting Lin plays all these minutes. All he has to say is Lin is tough and played hard after the head injuries. He didn't have to give him any credits for the win. He could have easily sat Lin out for the 4th quarter with his head injuries since the ROX had the game in control as some of the posters already stated in the postgame thread (which I don't really agree, the game was in control after Lin came back in the 4th and seal the deal). I don't think anyone Lin fans will blame McHale to "bench" Lin in the 4th quarter. We are more concerned about his health than the win. It doesn't matter whether McHale mention Lin at all in his postgame. Lin is a global phenomena one way or another. There is no way for McHale to divert Lin's fame away just because he didn't mention Lin in his postgame. Sorry to disagree with you on this one.
In the old days, with Lin's doing so bad in the 1st half and TD was doing so good coming in from the bench, McHale would be crazy not letting TD stay on for the 4th quarter. But since the edict from on high is to let Lin plays thru his mistakes, he will happily oblige and try to prove to the boss how bad that edict can be. But the Rox continues to win and it kind of burst MaHale's bubbles. Of course, all these are from my own observations. I sure hope I am wrong on this one that McHale really has the best interests in Lin.
The questionable benching at the end of games earlier on in the season is why fans were not recognising that "McHale is a smarter coach than some of you make him out to be"
What do you mean Lin was "getting ahead of himself like he did last year with the Knicks."
I do agree with you that it is a possibility that McHale was protecting JLin from the media. He would have had experience from handling KG. I also think another possibility was that McHale was giving JLin the time to recover from injury.
Unfortunately, neither of these explanations addresses why he would bench a ex-"face of the franchise" and starting PG at the end of games. One explanation is that he did not see the talent and impact that JLin possesses. Some people may say that such Execs who missed on Jeremy Lin should be fired
Do you think McHale coaching style changed in a matter of couple of weeks? The only reason he can change so quickly is his boss told him to or lose your job.
Here is my take on why McHale benched Lin in the earlier games. 1) McHale just returned to coaching after his daughter's death and was of course trying to have a feel for the game and roster. 2)He could not rely on what he has seen in the past and probably has to resort to Sampson to give him and update and we all know how Sampson felt about Lin 3)He was not ready to make the adjustment because Lin was playing poorly and McHale is quick to pull Rookies and McHale doesn't really get along with PGs (as evident by his battles with Lowry and Gorgan last season).
When I said Lin was getting ahead of himself last year is because the whole Linsanity thing, the scrutiny of being in the spot light night in and night out was overwhelming. McHale has made a note of this and wants to protect Lin from that happening this year. He also doesn't want Lin's teammates to be jealous of Lin by him praising Lin or at least showing some sense of favoritism because after all, Lin is the one with the "ridiculous contract" and not Harden. Many of his teammates are probably jealous of Lin and his contract except for Parsons. I don't believe it was an edict from Les because the owner tends to stay out of demanding to the coach who they have to play and how many minutes. After all, what are coaches and GM's are hired for? I am sure the owner watches the games and may drop a few suttle hints that may have reached the ears of McHale from his informers. I really truely believe that McHale likes Lin and want him to succeed. He is gaining more confidence in him by letting him play through his mistakes. He does know that Lin is a 4th quarter man like how he was last year. He wants Lin to succeed because after all, Lin and Harden are not going anywhere. The first person to be fired for the Rockets failure is the coach.
Well the coaches are still figuring it out... IMO from their perspective, they want to win games. So possibly they based their early season decision based on what they saw in practice? Still not sure about this.... Although fans here already knew that Lin has it in him if he got more usage and touches.
Unfortunate that it took the 2nd SAS game though, JLIN showed the coaches that last season was no fluke and we begin to see the ball flow through Jeremy more consistently, Harden PnR, Jeremy dribble drive from halfcourt if defender is on him, etc. These past couple of games, I see Jeremy's shooting percentage better than TD (except from downtown) and playing shut down defense on the other team's starting PG.
In addition, Jeremy gives Rockets rebound, steals, deflections, all leading to fast breaks which you know McHale just loves because it speeds up the tempo of the game. On top of all that, we're seeing really high percentage half court lobs and at the rim finishes from Jeremy..... It's an easy decision for the coaches now to keep JLIN in the game....
still think McHale and company would have gotten more WINS if they gave Jeremy more touches on the offensive side when they signed Harden, which is basically what we saw the first two games and basically what we run now.
So by praising Lin or giving him any acknowledgement might in McHale's mind bring too much attention to Jeremy Lin and also lead to unrest from the rest of his teammates. After all, most of them are mainly rookies and some are waiting for Jeremy to fail to step into his role. Something has to happen between the Knicks game and now for McHale to change his mind and play the rotation which I earlier mentioned. 1st Quarter) Lin, Harden and starter. At 2 - 3 minutes mark take Lin out and sub TD. 2nd quarter - rest Harden and bring Lin back. Bring Harden back mid 2nd quarter and sub out either Lin or Douglas. Same trend for 3rd quarter and of course 4th quarter the rotation might feature all three of them in there.
I thought McHale was entirely justified in benching Lin early.
Even though Lin trained very hard this summer and came into training camp in shape by Knick standards, Lin was not in shape by McHale standards. Lin could not play long minutes due to Lin being not in game shape.
Now that Lin is in game shape, he plays major minutes.
I should also write that when McHale was a player, his Boston Celtics championship squads did not have one guy in any set role. McHale himself would go through long stretches of the game without touching the ball. Jeremy Lin is learning how to make the most of his possessions while still being effective without the ball. I like that.
My take is McHale simply has no faith in Jeremy and he certainly does not think that Jeremy is the guy who can help the Rockets win games. Jeremy on the other hand is too modest to be taken seriously as the face of the franchise. Look around the NBA, how many teams fired their coaches because of the conflicts between the franchise player/star players and the coaches? We have seen many. Aren't coaches afraid of being fired because of the misuse of the franchise/star players? McHale claimed that he watched Jeremy played during Linsanity - he didn't watch the games to appreciate Linsanity, instead he was waiting to see Jeremy fail - confirmation bias get the better of McHale's goodwill towards and credence in Jeremy. Benching Jeremy is a statement made loud and clear by McHale that Jeremy is a lowly ranked role player in the Rockets team. Les trumped Knicks to sign Jeremy over but McHale was out to prove himself right in cutting Jeremy the first time, and Les is darn wrong in giving Jeremy the second chance. So McHale benched Jeremy at any possible opportunity available - fortunately for Jeremy but unfortunately for the Rockets, the team wa losing winnable games. Did McHale realise his mistake of not letting Jeremy play thru his mistakes? It didn't look like it. Maybe it's the pressure from the sponsors, fans or media leave Les no choice but to hand down the edict. I didn't suggest fire McHale but I absolutely wanted Jeremy to move on to another team if benching, unfair treatment persist. Now that we see Jeremy is playing starter mins and he is put in the crucial time to impact and win games, I am very happy for Jeremy and the Rockets but I just can't give credit to McHale until and unless there is evidence proving McHale indeed initiated the change without any interference from the higher-up.
Actually, I was holding out hope for (what seemed like) a very long time that coach was limiting JLin for the reasons you mentioned.
What I felt irked many posters here was "2)He could not rely on what he has seen in the past and probably has to resort to Sampson to give him and update and we all know how Sampson felt about Lin 3)He was not ready to make the adjustment because Lin was playing poorly..."
Many here already felt we've seen enough e.g. leading the charge with the Linsanity winning streak, historic numbers, athletic talent such as freakish acceleration, heart of a warrior, mind of a leader etc. etc.
Lin was playing "poorly" because partly (I personally would say mostly) because the coach failed to make adjustments. By that decision making pattern, it's kinda a vicious cycle isn't it. No adjustment -> plays poorly -> refuses to make adjustment -> continues to play poorly.
Coach has come around, but I think there's some justified resentment in that it took the 2nd SAS, which was serendipity in its own right, for McHale to realise the gem of a PG he had on his hands.
I dont agree. If anyone says that Lin got ahead of himself last season it probably means they are doubters or haters. Last season Lin did pretty well - until he got injured. How can anyone claim otherwise? Blind? Wanna revise history?
I simply believe that like the players, the coach had to get to know and learn to trust the team (respectively JLin). That is why hes playing more now. I also believe that Lin has friends who are simply more powerful than the coaches.
I dont think that McHale is smarter than people have thought and people who claim so dont justify that in any way. Im not saying hes dumb or useless. Im just saying hes not a prodigy of a coach.
Decissions about PR and so on are not made by the coach. They have PR people for that...
janelin7, and where is evidence that McHale is out to screw Lin or have little faith in him? Are you in the same locker or practices as McHale is? Also the coach decision to bench Jeremy was to insert TD. That statement doesn't make sense because why would TD be a back up to Jeremy and not get starter minutes if he has outplayed Lin? The reason for this benching because Jeremy was playing poor defense and not shooting the ball well and he needed stops in the game. Also, his beginning perception of winning the game is giving Harden the ball and playing hero ball, but apparently that doesn't work because everybody else stands around. McHale already said he wants an uptempo team because he knows his team is full or younger players and cannot play defense and cannot win games if they were to let other stronger team get into their half court defense set. That is why he needed Lin to run the point and push the tempo. He often regulate the pushing ball to Harden as well. I believe McHale is just trying out the rotations and seeing what works and what doesn't. I believe he is learning especially after seeing how Lin played when Harden was out. I don't believe that McHale believed that Linsanity could be sustained and Jeremy can continue on the same pace like he did last year. He wants Jeremy to develop other aspect of his game as well. I know all of you have alot of love for Jeremy, but I also believe from an objective bball point of view it is not what you guys make it out to be. Coaching is really hard especially in making adjustment and trying to incorporate all these different skills and personalities together. It is not something you can get within a span of a couple of games because it is a constant adjustment and it is different with every opponent you play. BTW, Lin is not the franchise player, it is Harden. McHale has to make his life as comfortable as possible at the sacrifice of making Lin comfortable.
KHuang - interesting and good point. Although last game I thought BUCKS looked dead tired in 4th quarter from our pace and our team looked fresh.
I expect Lin's shot to fall as his legs (not knee) and conditioning gets better from playing. One thing I have noticed some of Lin's J's have very little backspin... not sure if he's snapping his wrist or what?
Not many fans, coaches and players believe in Linsanity or believe it could be replicated again including Jeremy himself. It takes a bunch of circumstances for that to happen and Lin himself acknowledge that. That is why Lin is trying to improve on his game on all facets of the game. It's true that shooting takes time and it also takes confidence. I believe that Lin doesn't want to be the same pg like last year where he has to be the guy who made the shots first. He wants to go into a game and get his teammates involved first before scoring. That way his teammates are in rhythm and they can possibly win games once the 4th quarter hits. Lin believes he can score no doubt about that. He believes he can score at will and especially when it matters most in the 4th quarter.
As amazingly fun as Linsanity was, I think Jeremy Lin is doing even better now.
Lin shocked the entire NBA by bursting on the scene. Once teams adjusted to him, he still won like crazy even though his individual numbers weren't as gaudy.
Several times this season, Lin has had games as good as or better than Linsanity. So I don't see any dropoff in Lin's overall game, at least when he's not hobbled by injury.
Linsanity was because the Knicks needed a main scoring option. Once Carmelo came back it was the end of Linsanity. We saw a glimpse of Linsanity again in the Spurs game when there was no other scoring option when Harden was out. You will see it again if Harden is out again. I believe in Lin's mind he believes he can turn it on and score at will if he needs to.
Linsanity mode takes alot out of Lin because he has to play harder and he has to run back and forth alot. It is something Lin doesn't not want to do night in and night out because he knows he does not have the same team like he has in NY. In NY there were many veterans on the team and thus less TO's and mental lapses. In Houston there are alot or rookies and more chances of TO's and mental mistakes. Nobody can play above the rim in Houston. I saw the Lakers vs Clippers game yesterday and CP3 was having a field day with Blake and several other guys on his team. They all can play above the rim and catch the alley-op passes. Something Houston is lacking. Not too many strong finishers above the rim.
"The reason for this benching because Jeremy was playing poor defense and not shooting the ball well and he needed stops in the game."
Jeremy's defense was no worse than TD. If you are talking about screens, TD gets wiped out as much. And getting stops against PnR plays is not only about JLin. Asik was playing horrid PnR defense when JLin chose to go under the screen.
JLin's "Agent of Chaos" disruptive effect on the opposing team is quite effective defense.
Plus, even if TD is marginally better for man on man D at that time in the season (because of JLin's recovery), the net positive effect of JLin being on the floor is higher than TD.
"...his beginning perception of winning the game is giving Harden the ball and playing hero ball, but apparently that doesn't work because everybody else stands around. "
This is one of the reasons why people doubt coach.
"I don't believe that McHale believed that Linsanity could be sustained and Jeremy can continue on the same pace like he did last year."
Coach does not need to sustain Linsanity. He just needs to let JLin run the offense like Lillard, for example. Playing JLin like Portland playing Lillard is not asking the coach to sustain Linsanity.
"He wants Jeremy to develop other aspect of his game as well."
I don't think developing other parts of JLin's game requires playing JLin as a Derek Fisher or Chalmers type PG. You can develope other aspects of JLin's game without marginalising him.
"Coaching is really hard especially in making adjustment and trying to incorporate all these different skills and personalities together. It is not something you can get within a span of a couple of games because it is a constant adjustment and it is different with every opponent you play."
I can only imagine what coaching involves. However, coach had more than a couple of games to see JLin before he went on leave. Plus, he also had Linsanity to see what JLin can do. But, he didn't seem to acknowledge any of that. Why didn't he acknowledge JLin's achievements?
"BTW, Lin is not the franchise player, it is Harden. McHale has to make his life as comfortable as possible at the sacrifice of making Lin comfortable."
Well, Parsons is not the franchise player either, but he is allowed to make mistakes and play his position.
Point is, objectively, especially from a bball point of view, there is not much merit in benching JLin in those junctures of the game.
Considering the ball is not running through Lin as much, Lin's stat has been pretty good if not better. I know his points are down but so are his shot attempts
Jeremy Lin makes winning plays, whether he has the ball or not. Even when his individual stats aren't so good due to injury, he finds ways to dramatically impact his team positively.
The gaudy record Lin has compiled with this minimum wage Rockets team of one high lottery pick and a bunch of low rated low paid players is more impressive to me than what Lin did in Linsanity last year.
@8c I don't disagree with your points but I can't agree 100% with you on McHale. I am not in the locker room or practice - neither anyone of us here is in there. We are all looking at it from different perspective. Jeremy is the PG and we all know he usually has slow starts. Coaches who have faith in their players let them play thru their mistakes. Of course coaches want to win games and by putting trust in their key players will definitely help not only the players but also the team. Yes, Jeremy's style of play by attacking the basket can not be sustainable in the long term but some posters here rightly pointed out that Jeremy wasn't given any screen even when he asked for it. Jeremy's brother tweet says it all: Jeremy needs the ball in his hand to play an effective PG role. Coaches want to win games? Know their players well and play to their strengths.
Linsanity for me has been playing a winning brand of basketball as well.
It seems like for @8cd Linsanity is equivalent to riding JLin "like freaking Secretariat". I think the posters who were complaining about coach was not unhappy because JLin was no longer Secretariat. They were unhappy because coach was "using a Porsche to haul dirt" (I think a poster on here came up with that one).
8c has not been in any locker room as well and yet it doesnt stop him/her from making claims and using that "not in the locker room argument" - so - keep going folks!
8c - TD may have outscored JLin on occasions but outplayed? You do realise that TD is a SG - not so much a PG? Or the other way around -> JLin is more PG - not so much SG.
If you have missed that somehow -> muahahahha. If you have known that and still like to compare TD/Lins game/style/scoring -> muahahhaha
Wasn't TD running the Knicks as a PG at one point in time? You argument that I am using locker room argument is that a way of saying you are correct even though you are also guessing like I am? Also, what is the correct way of using Lin? Who plays better PNR with Lin better? Who can play above the rim so Lin can throw the alley-op lob pass? I like Lin alot and want him to succeed but I am not blinded by all his faults as well. He needs to learn from Harden and not be so timid. I believe that they don't want Lin to be the only handler of the ball because last year when the Heat stopped Lin, they stopped the Knicks offense. Don't you think McHale knows this? I don't really care if any of you agree with my assessment of McHale and his ways of using Lin or protecting him. Like I said, it's only my point of view. It doesn't make me wrong and it doesn't make me right either. It's just based on what I have seen from all the Rockets games I have been watching.
I had a similar take as you on why coach was using JLin the way he was. I tended to favor your explanations for the situation. Coach may think he was doing what was best to win basketball games or to protect JLin, but I think posters here felt that was the wrong way to go about it.
I also don't agree with some of your assertions about JLin. A new assertion that you made is that "He needs to ... not be so timid". I don't agree that he is timid. He was playing within the system. I think respecting the coach's decisions is not being timid. Is this the face of a timid man?
I notice JLin's faults because I also watch all the Rockets games. Thus, me holding the opinion that I have is not being blind.
Sorry if my detailed replies are irritating you. Reasonable people can disagree on material points. I do appreciate and agree with many of your thoughts and explanations on the McHale situation.
Not annoyed by your multiple postings or your disagreement. Just annoyed by the people who has so much loyalty that they are willing to make up stuff to justify why Lin doesn't play well, why he was benched or why coach never gives him any praises. I like you just want to bring in light of my observations of what I think McHale is doing. I could be wrong also, McHale can be a complete ahole and want to sabotage Lin's career, but I am leaning towards my earlier assessment because McHale is a bball player and also a father who just lost his daughter so I don't believe he has that evilness in him. Go Rockets! I would rather see him play for the Knicks, but it wasn't meant to be due to our egotistical owner and his jealous teammates. Thus why I am like many of the few who paid for League Pass to see Lin play and keep tabs with how he is doing in comparison to Gorgan, Lowry, CP3, etc.
Yes, exactly. I similarly don't think he is being malicious or evil. I was just disappointed with coach's initial level of distrust in JLin. That distrust to some posters is indication of his competency. I think he made some bad evaluations about JLin's abilities, but he has come around. Overall, he has also managed the young team very well. I cannot argue his record and results so far.
One factor that hasn't been discussed here was the ferocity and sophistications of the opposing defenses designed specifically to stop Lin.
Opposing coaches are paid millions of dollars to stop stars like Lin. There is no way McHale or any coach could have been prepared for the ferocity of guys wishing to show up Lin because he's Asian. People defend Lin like he's Michael Jordan, only Lin doesn't get officiated fairly due to his race.
I am impressed that the Rockets coaching staff was smart enough to finally figure out that sending their power forwards to the 3 point line on Lin's drives was what Lin needed to post Linsanity numbers in Houston. I honestly thought Lin was going to be squished by triple team help defenses all season long the way he was in the early season.
I still see Miami and OKC in Finals. And that the best Rockets can do is to make the playoff and lose 1st round. I also see Lakers not make the playoff. Anyone have other thoughts?
Optimistically, if the Rockets can continue to play as well as they've been playing, they might steal the 4th playoff spot and make it to the 2nd round. It would depend on Golden State and Memphis cooling off a bit though.
Exactly Dave T. As someone mentioned here not too long ago, the Rockets need to get the 4th or the 5th seed. It could very well be a battle between GS,Mem,Rox for the those two slots. Most likely one of GS, Mem could stay hot and keep the 4th seed. Rox stay consistent get the 5th. Rox vs GS or Rox vs Mem is managable.
I've got Wes Matthews on mine, who is a good source of scoring for the Blazers (and my fantasy team). And the Blazers have the super rookie Lillard. And a rebounder in Hickson to match Asik. Ok, now it suddenly seem like they have quite a few monster players in their starting five. Well, we do seem to have the edge with our bench. Del3no, TD, 2Pat/the younger Morris twin can provide scoring off the bench which Blazers cannot match.
Every team in the NBA has a team that they just cannot beat.
For example, the Spurs just cannot beat the NY Knicks. Gregg Popovich sends his entire squad to defend Carmelo Anthony and the Spurs lose big. Meanwhile Lin's Rockets are the Knicks nemesis but cannot beat the Spurs.
Portland is the Rockets nemesis this year. Batum and to a lesser extent Aldridge are too much for the Rockets minimum wage forwards to handle. Yet those Blazers get beaten by many of the same teams the Rockets beat with ease.
The NBA game is about matchups, and some matchups just overwhelm certain teams.
I don't necessarily have a favorite to come out on top the way I expect Miami to be #1 in the East.
Should OKC get the #1 seed, I could easily seeing them matching up against a horribly tough #8 seed like the Lakers. Or some other #8 team in the West could have an unstoppable playoff weapon like Dirk Nowitzki and Dallas.
- Head-on collisions - Bloodied nose - Scratches on arm - Chipped teeth - Torn knee ligaments - Unknown amount of shots to the groin
This is not only what Jeremy, but every basketball player, risks every time they go on the court (example, Kobe getting is nose broken last year by Dwade, Amare getting his retina detached after getting poked in the eye, Blake Griffin's tooth piercing through his face in the playoffs...etc). I don't know about you , but NO AMOUNT OF MONEY in the world can buy me to put me in such a hostile environment like this after seeing the shots these guys take night in and night out.
I hate to say it, but if I were Jeremy, I might have decided that I would be better off getting a Banking job with his Economics degree at Harvard.
But Jeremy is Jeremy, and I think that is his true desire, and that is why he has come so far in terms of being a personal figure on an International stage. You get what you put in.
All this punishment for just a meaningless game. Such a shame...
Would be funny to see JLin as a coach: He'd headbutt folks until they run the floor his way. He'd be like "quit yer cryin staple or wrap that shit up and play ball you pansies"
Hahaha I wish...He is nice to everyone except himself.
Let's hope that is the case. After seeing how boxers like Mike Tyson turned out after getting burnt out from so many shots to the head, I hope Jeremy adjusts quickly to a point where he can instinctively avoid dangerous collisions like the one last night.
...Lin battled to overcome an unfeeling system that seemed to exist only to keep him and his kind down, fighting the skeptical coaches who kept popping back up again every time he thought he’d vanquished them. Most of the people in this matrix weren't ready to be unplugged; inured and dependent on the system, they only fought to protect it. So Lin fought harder.
...A Sports Illustrated writer once said that Lin has shown “seeds of self-doubt.” Don’t worry, Jeremy, Neo had them too; he was reluctant to believe that he was the One. You have to let it all go, Jeremy. Fear, doubt and disbelief. Free your mind. Because fate is a powerful animal. It picks the special ones no matter their confidence level. And once it does, you can’t kill them with bullets, just like you can’t double-team destiny.
The Cavs will likely plow the ball through Kyrie Irving because they probably think Lin is a weak defender who can be scored on at will. I HOPE they try that, as that would result in an easy Rockets victory
Even though the Cavs have a higher payroll than the Rockets, they win far less.
Look how Harden draws the foul every time he takes the ball in. His whole head snaps back like he has been shot at point blank range and his eyes looked towards the rim. This gives the referees the impression of him being hit. Perhaps Lin should learn this from the beard or start growing a beard so he can do the same thing.
The disparity between the type of calls that Harden gets and the ones that Lin does not get is mind boggling.
It seems four out of five times that the defense sends Jeremy to the floor whenever Jeremy goes up for the lay up, and only one of out four times does Jeremy get a foul call.
I remember in the San Antonio game, Ginobli elbows Jeremy in the chest, and Jeremy got called for a foul.
Will Lin play tonight due to his head injury?
ReplyDeleteWill Lin play tonight due to his head injury?
ReplyDeleteUsually, clutchfan site has a twitter from Rockets reporter. I think he should be ok.
DeleteJust a food for thought. I noticed that McHale has been true in every post game in not mentioning Jeremy Lin as much and crediting all the other people except Jeremy Lin. I believe this is part of a good strategy to keep Lin out of the spot light and also not talking about Lin will prevent Lin from getting ahead of himself like he did last year with the Knicks. He always have words to say to Lin pre-game and always smiling and giving him a pat on the behind before and after games. I believe McHale is a smarter coach than some of you make him out to be. He is on Lin's side and trying to help him develop his game. You can see he is building confidence in Lin's play making abilities and skills because he is starting to leave him in on the 4th quarter to finish games instead of TD. As great as TD is at staying in front of his man, McHale knows of his short comings because he cannot create or score at will like Jeremy can. That is my two cents on this matter. Agree or disagree that is your choice, but that is how I see it.
ReplyDeleteYour take is a definite possibility.
DeleteYeah, I've noticed this as well. Actions always speak louder than words. At first, Sampson played with Lin's minutes probably because he didn't think he was that good - again a bias of some type. Now McHale sees Lin as the finisher and true starter (probably after Les knocked some sense into him). But all along I think they have been aware of over-praising him. A lot of the backlash from everyone (as everyone knows on this forum) is that Lin got ALL the hype and praise initially and was being compared to HOFs in a week. The other people got jealous of this hype and have tried to do everything to tarnish his image such as SAS.
DeleteI have noticed that a lot of commentators (not rockets ones) have continued to praise him endlessly, while the Rockets organization has been quiet about his progress. This definitely helps Lin.
Meanwhile, Lin's passing is 50% better than last year and his defense is really very good. That Hawks coach had it right when he said Lin was a good defender. People who say he is not are the jealous types and one's who are holding a grudge against him from last year.
DeleteI was also thinking about McHale's 180 degrees turn around on playing time for Lin. I personally think it is an edict from on high (Morey or Les) to tell McHale to let Lin plays thru his mistakes. Because they are probably getting pressure from sponsors, media, fans ... on McHale's rotation on Lin. So he just let Lin plays (40 min +) for the last few games. I know he didn't play his 40 min vs BUCKs. But if he wasn't injured, I'd bet Lin would have gotten his 40 min. I think McHale is mightly surprised the results from those games with all the mistakes Lin made. May be it will make a believer out of him. If MaHale didn't mention Lin in the postgame last night, I am really suspicious on his motive of letting Lin plays all these minutes. All he has to say is Lin is tough and played hard after the head injuries. He didn't have to give him any credits for the win. He could have easily sat Lin out for the 4th quarter with his head injuries since the ROX had the game in control as some of the posters already stated in the postgame thread (which I don't really agree, the game was in control after Lin came back in the 4th and seal the deal). I don't think anyone Lin fans will blame McHale to "bench" Lin in the 4th quarter. We are more concerned about his health than the win. It doesn't matter whether McHale mention Lin at all in his postgame. Lin is a global phenomena one way or another. There is no way for McHale to divert Lin's fame away just because he didn't mention Lin in his postgame. Sorry to disagree with you on this one.
DeleteIn the old days, with Lin's doing so bad in the 1st half and TD was doing so good coming in from the bench, McHale would be crazy not letting TD stay on for the 4th quarter. But since the edict from on high is to let Lin plays thru his mistakes, he will happily oblige and try to prove to the boss how bad that edict can be. But the Rox continues to win and it kind of burst MaHale's bubbles. Of course, all these are from my own observations. I sure hope I am wrong on this one that McHale really has the best interests in Lin.
Delete@8cd
DeleteThe questionable benching at the end of games earlier on in the season is why fans were not recognising that "McHale is a smarter coach than some of you make him out to be"
@8cd
DeleteWhat do you mean Lin was "getting ahead of himself like he did last year with the Knicks."
I do agree with you that it is a possibility that McHale was protecting JLin from the media. He would have had experience from handling KG. I also think another possibility was that McHale was giving JLin the time to recover from injury.
Unfortunately, neither of these explanations addresses why he would bench a ex-"face of the franchise" and starting PG at the end of games. One explanation is that he did not see the talent and impact that JLin possesses. Some people may say that such Execs who missed on Jeremy Lin should be fired
So posters here who are not recognising that "McHale is a smarter coach than some of you make him out to be" are already quite lenient :)
Delete@8cd
DeleteDo you think McHale coaching style changed in a matter of couple of weeks? The only reason he can change so quickly is his boss told him to or lose your job.
Here is my take on why McHale benched Lin in the earlier games. 1) McHale just returned to coaching after his daughter's death and was of course trying to have a feel for the game and roster. 2)He could not rely on what he has seen in the past and probably has to resort to Sampson to give him and update and we all know how Sampson felt about Lin 3)He was not ready to make the adjustment because Lin was playing poorly and McHale is quick to pull Rookies and McHale doesn't really get along with PGs (as evident by his battles with Lowry and Gorgan last season).
DeleteWhen I said Lin was getting ahead of himself last year is because the whole Linsanity thing, the scrutiny of being in the spot light night in and night out was overwhelming. McHale has made a note of this and wants to protect Lin from that happening this year. He also doesn't want Lin's teammates to be jealous of Lin by him praising Lin or at least showing some sense of favoritism because after all, Lin is the one with the "ridiculous contract" and not Harden. Many of his teammates are probably jealous of Lin and his contract except for Parsons. I don't believe it was an edict from Les because the owner tends to stay out of demanding to the coach who they have to play and how many minutes. After all, what are coaches and GM's are hired for? I am sure the owner watches the games and may drop a few suttle hints that may have reached the ears of McHale from his informers. I really truely believe that McHale likes Lin and want him to succeed. He is gaining more confidence in him by letting him play through his mistakes. He does know that Lin is a 4th quarter man like how he was last year. He wants Lin to succeed because after all, Lin and Harden are not going anywhere. The first person to be fired for the Rockets failure is the coach.
Well the coaches are still figuring it out... IMO from their perspective, they want to win games. So possibly they based their early season decision based on what they saw in practice? Still not sure about this.... Although fans here already knew that Lin has it in him if he got more usage and touches.
DeleteUnfortunate that it took the 2nd SAS game though, JLIN showed the coaches that last season was no fluke and we begin to see the ball flow through Jeremy more consistently, Harden PnR, Jeremy dribble drive from halfcourt if defender is on him, etc. These past couple of games, I see Jeremy's shooting percentage better than TD (except from downtown) and playing shut down defense on the other team's starting PG.
In addition, Jeremy gives Rockets rebound, steals, deflections, all leading to fast breaks which you know McHale just loves because it speeds up the tempo of the game. On top of all that, we're seeing really high percentage half court lobs and at the rim finishes from Jeremy..... It's an easy decision for the coaches now to keep JLIN in the game....
still think McHale and company would have gotten more WINS if they gave Jeremy more touches on the offensive side when they signed Harden, which is basically what we saw the first two games and basically what we run now.
So by praising Lin or giving him any acknowledgement might in McHale's mind bring too much attention to Jeremy Lin and also lead to unrest from the rest of his teammates. After all, most of them are mainly rookies and some are waiting for Jeremy to fail to step into his role. Something has to happen between the Knicks game and now for McHale to change his mind and play the rotation which I earlier mentioned. 1st Quarter) Lin, Harden and starter. At 2 - 3 minutes mark take Lin out and sub TD. 2nd quarter - rest Harden and bring Lin back. Bring Harden back mid 2nd quarter and sub out either Lin or Douglas. Same trend for 3rd quarter and of course 4th quarter the rotation might feature all three of them in there.
DeleteI thought McHale was entirely justified in benching Lin early.
DeleteEven though Lin trained very hard this summer and came into training camp in shape by Knick standards, Lin was not in shape by McHale standards. Lin could not play long minutes due to Lin being not in game shape.
Now that Lin is in game shape, he plays major minutes.
I should also write that when McHale was a player, his Boston Celtics championship squads did not have one guy in any set role. McHale himself would go through long stretches of the game without touching the ball. Jeremy Lin is learning how to make the most of his possessions while still being effective without the ball. I like that.
My take is McHale simply has no faith in Jeremy and he certainly does not think that Jeremy is the guy who can help the Rockets win games. Jeremy on the other hand is too modest to be taken seriously as the face of the franchise. Look around the NBA, how many teams fired their coaches because of the conflicts between the franchise player/star players and the coaches? We have seen many. Aren't coaches afraid of being fired because of the misuse of the franchise/star players? McHale claimed that he watched Jeremy played during Linsanity - he didn't watch the games to appreciate Linsanity, instead he was waiting to see Jeremy fail - confirmation bias get the better of McHale's goodwill towards and credence in Jeremy. Benching Jeremy is a statement made loud and clear by McHale that Jeremy is a lowly ranked role player in the Rockets team. Les trumped Knicks to sign Jeremy over but McHale was out to prove himself right in cutting Jeremy the first time, and Les is darn wrong in giving Jeremy the second chance. So McHale benched Jeremy at any possible opportunity available - fortunately for Jeremy but unfortunately for the Rockets, the team wa losing winnable games. Did McHale realise his mistake of not letting Jeremy play thru his mistakes? It didn't look like it. Maybe it's the pressure from the sponsors, fans or media leave Les no choice but to hand down the edict. I didn't suggest fire McHale but I absolutely wanted Jeremy to move on to another team if benching, unfair treatment persist. Now that we see Jeremy is playing starter mins and he is put in the crucial time to impact and win games, I am very happy for Jeremy and the Rockets but I just can't give credit to McHale until and unless there is evidence proving McHale indeed initiated the change without any interference from the higher-up.
Delete@8cd
DeleteActually, I was holding out hope for (what seemed like) a very long time that coach was limiting JLin for the reasons you mentioned.
What I felt irked many posters here was "2)He could not rely on what he has seen in the past and probably has to resort to Sampson to give him and update and we all know how Sampson felt about Lin 3)He was not ready to make the adjustment because Lin was playing poorly..."
Many here already felt we've seen enough e.g. leading the charge with the Linsanity winning streak, historic numbers, athletic talent such as freakish acceleration, heart of a warrior, mind of a leader etc. etc.
Lin was playing "poorly" because partly (I personally would say mostly) because the coach failed to make adjustments. By that decision making pattern, it's kinda a vicious cycle isn't it. No adjustment -> plays poorly -> refuses to make adjustment -> continues to play poorly.
Coach has come around, but I think there's some justified resentment in that it took the 2nd SAS, which was serendipity in its own right, for McHale to realise the gem of a PG he had on his hands.
I dont agree. If anyone says that Lin got ahead of himself last season it probably means they are doubters or haters. Last season Lin did pretty well - until he got injured. How can anyone claim otherwise? Blind? Wanna revise history?
DeleteI simply believe that like the players, the coach had to get to know and learn to trust the team (respectively JLin). That is why hes playing more now. I also believe that Lin has friends who are simply more powerful than the coaches.
I dont think that McHale is smarter than people have thought and people who claim so dont justify that in any way. Im not saying hes dumb or useless. Im just saying hes not a prodigy of a coach.
Decissions about PR and so on are not made by the coach. They have PR people for that...
janelin7, and where is evidence that McHale is out to screw Lin or have little faith in him? Are you in the same locker or practices as McHale is? Also the coach decision to bench Jeremy was to insert TD. That statement doesn't make sense because why would TD be a back up to Jeremy and not get starter minutes if he has outplayed Lin? The reason for this benching because Jeremy was playing poor defense and not shooting the ball well and he needed stops in the game. Also, his beginning perception of winning the game is giving Harden the ball and playing hero ball, but apparently that doesn't work because everybody else stands around. McHale already said he wants an uptempo team because he knows his team is full or younger players and cannot play defense and cannot win games if they were to let other stronger team get into their half court defense set. That is why he needed Lin to run the point and push the tempo. He often regulate the pushing ball to Harden as well. I believe McHale is just trying out the rotations and seeing what works and what doesn't. I believe he is learning especially after seeing how Lin played when Harden was out. I don't believe that McHale believed that Linsanity could be sustained and Jeremy can continue on the same pace like he did last year. He wants Jeremy to develop other aspect of his game as well. I know all of you have alot of love for Jeremy, but I also believe from an objective bball point of view it is not what you guys make it out to be. Coaching is really hard especially in making adjustment and trying to incorporate all these different skills and personalities together. It is not something you can get within a span of a couple of games because it is a constant adjustment and it is different with every opponent you play. BTW, Lin is not the franchise player, it is Harden. McHale has to make his life as comfortable as possible at the sacrifice of making Lin comfortable.
DeleteKHuang - interesting and good point. Although last game I thought BUCKS looked dead tired in 4th quarter from our pace and our team looked fresh.
DeleteI expect Lin's shot to fall as his legs (not knee) and conditioning gets better from playing. One thing I have noticed some of Lin's J's have very little backspin... not sure if he's snapping his wrist or what?
Not many fans, coaches and players believe in Linsanity or believe it could be replicated again including Jeremy himself. It takes a bunch of circumstances for that to happen and Lin himself acknowledge that. That is why Lin is trying to improve on his game on all facets of the game. It's true that shooting takes time and it also takes confidence. I believe that Lin doesn't want to be the same pg like last year where he has to be the guy who made the shots first. He wants to go into a game and get his teammates involved first before scoring. That way his teammates are in rhythm and they can possibly win games once the 4th quarter hits. Lin believes he can score no doubt about that. He believes he can score at will and especially when it matters most in the 4th quarter.
DeleteAs amazingly fun as Linsanity was, I think Jeremy Lin is doing even better now.
DeleteLin shocked the entire NBA by bursting on the scene. Once teams adjusted to him, he still won like crazy even though his individual numbers weren't as gaudy.
Several times this season, Lin has had games as good as or better than Linsanity. So I don't see any dropoff in Lin's overall game, at least when he's not hobbled by injury.
Linsanity was because the Knicks needed a main scoring option. Once Carmelo came back it was the end of Linsanity. We saw a glimpse of Linsanity again in the Spurs game when there was no other scoring option when Harden was out. You will see it again if Harden is out again. I believe in Lin's mind he believes he can turn it on and score at will if he needs to.
DeleteLinsanity mode takes alot out of Lin because he has to play harder and he has to run back and forth alot. It is something Lin doesn't not want to do night in and night out because he knows he does not have the same team like he has in NY. In NY there were many veterans on the team and thus less TO's and mental lapses. In Houston there are alot or rookies and more chances of TO's and mental mistakes. Nobody can play above the rim in Houston. I saw the Lakers vs Clippers game yesterday and CP3 was having a field day with Blake and several other guys on his team. They all can play above the rim and catch the alley-op passes. Something Houston is lacking. Not too many strong finishers above the rim.
Delete"The reason for this benching because Jeremy was playing poor defense and not shooting the ball well and he needed stops in the game."
DeleteJeremy's defense was no worse than TD. If you are talking about screens, TD gets wiped out as much. And getting stops against PnR plays is not only about JLin. Asik was playing horrid PnR defense when JLin chose to go under the screen.
JLin's "Agent of Chaos" disruptive effect on the opposing team is quite effective defense.
Plus, even if TD is marginally better for man on man D at that time in the season (because of JLin's recovery), the net positive effect of JLin being on the floor is higher than TD.
"...his beginning perception of winning the game is giving Harden the ball and playing hero ball, but apparently that doesn't work because everybody else stands around. "
This is one of the reasons why people doubt coach.
"I don't believe that McHale believed that Linsanity could be sustained and Jeremy can continue on the same pace like he did last year."
Coach does not need to sustain Linsanity. He just needs to let JLin run the offense like Lillard, for example. Playing JLin like Portland playing Lillard is not asking the coach to sustain Linsanity.
"He wants Jeremy to develop other aspect of his game as well."
I don't think developing other parts of JLin's game requires playing JLin as a Derek Fisher or Chalmers type PG. You can develope other aspects of JLin's game without marginalising him.
"Coaching is really hard especially in making adjustment and trying to incorporate all these different skills and personalities together. It is not something you can get within a span of a couple of games because it is a constant adjustment and it is different with every opponent you play."
I can only imagine what coaching involves. However, coach had more than a couple of games to see JLin before he went on leave. Plus, he also had Linsanity to see what JLin can do. But, he didn't seem to acknowledge any of that. Why didn't he acknowledge JLin's achievements?
"BTW, Lin is not the franchise player, it is Harden. McHale has to make his life as comfortable as possible at the sacrifice of making Lin comfortable."
Well, Parsons is not the franchise player either, but he is allowed to make mistakes and play his position.
Point is, objectively, especially from a bball point of view, there is not much merit in benching JLin in those junctures of the game.
Considering the ball is not running through Lin as much, Lin's stat has been pretty good if not better. I know his points are down but so are his shot attempts
Delete@8cd
Delete"Not many fans, coaches and players believe in Linsanity or believe it could be replicated again including Jeremy himself."
Again, I don't think playing Jeremy at important junctures of the game and utilising him in the correct way is predicated on replicating Linsanity.
Linsanity never ended for me.
DeleteJeremy Lin makes winning plays, whether he has the ball or not. Even when his individual stats aren't so good due to injury, he finds ways to dramatically impact his team positively.
The gaudy record Lin has compiled with this minimum wage Rockets team of one high lottery pick and a bunch of low rated low paid players is more impressive to me than what Lin did in Linsanity last year.
@8c
DeleteI don't disagree with your points but I can't agree 100% with you on McHale.
I am not in the locker room or practice - neither anyone of us here is in there. We are all looking at it from different perspective.
Jeremy is the PG and we all know he usually has slow starts. Coaches who have faith in their players let them play thru their mistakes. Of course coaches want to win games and by putting trust in their key players will definitely help not only the players but also the team.
Yes, Jeremy's style of play by attacking the basket can not be sustainable in the long term but some posters here rightly pointed out that Jeremy wasn't given any screen even when he asked for it. Jeremy's brother tweet says it all: Jeremy needs the ball in his hand to play an effective PG role. Coaches want to win games? Know their players well and play to their strengths.
@KHuang
DeleteLinsanity for me has been playing a winning brand of basketball as well.
It seems like for @8cd Linsanity is equivalent to riding JLin "like freaking Secretariat". I think the posters who were complaining about coach was not unhappy because JLin was no longer Secretariat. They were unhappy because coach was "using a Porsche to haul dirt" (I think a poster on here came up with that one).
8c has not been in any locker room as well and yet it doesnt stop him/her from making claims and using that "not in the locker room argument" - so - keep going folks!
Delete8c - TD may have outscored JLin on occasions but outplayed? You do realise that TD is a SG - not so much a PG? Or the other way around -> JLin is more PG - not so much SG.
If you have missed that somehow -> muahahahha. If you have known that and still like to compare TD/Lins game/style/scoring -> muahahhaha
Wasn't TD running the Knicks as a PG at one point in time? You argument that I am using locker room argument is that a way of saying you are correct even though you are also guessing like I am? Also, what is the correct way of using Lin? Who plays better PNR with Lin better? Who can play above the rim so Lin can throw the alley-op lob pass? I like Lin alot and want him to succeed but I am not blinded by all his faults as well. He needs to learn from Harden and not be so timid. I believe that they don't want Lin to be the only handler of the ball because last year when the Heat stopped Lin, they stopped the Knicks offense. Don't you think McHale knows this? I don't really care if any of you agree with my assessment of McHale and his ways of using Lin or protecting him. Like I said, it's only my point of view. It doesn't make me wrong and it doesn't make me right either. It's just based on what I have seen from all the Rockets games I have been watching.
Delete@8cd
DeleteI had a similar take as you on why coach was using JLin the way he was. I tended to favor your explanations for the situation. Coach may think he was doing what was best to win basketball games or to protect JLin, but I think posters here felt that was the wrong way to go about it.
I also don't agree with some of your assertions about JLin. A new assertion that you made is that "He needs to ... not be so timid". I don't agree that he is timid. He was playing within the system. I think respecting the coach's decisions is not being timid. Is this the face of a timid man?
I notice JLin's faults because I also watch all the Rockets games. Thus, me holding the opinion that I have is not being blind.
Sorry if my detailed replies are irritating you. Reasonable people can disagree on material points. I do appreciate and agree with many of your thoughts and explanations on the McHale situation.
Not annoyed by your multiple postings or your disagreement. Just annoyed by the people who has so much loyalty that they are willing to make up stuff to justify why Lin doesn't play well, why he was benched or why coach never gives him any praises. I like you just want to bring in light of my observations of what I think McHale is doing. I could be wrong also, McHale can be a complete ahole and want to sabotage Lin's career, but I am leaning towards my earlier assessment because McHale is a bball player and also a father who just lost his daughter so I don't believe he has that evilness in him. Go Rockets! I would rather see him play for the Knicks, but it wasn't meant to be due to our egotistical owner and his jealous teammates. Thus why I am like many of the few who paid for League Pass to see Lin play and keep tabs with how he is doing in comparison to Gorgan, Lowry, CP3, etc.
Delete@8cd
DeleteYes, exactly. I similarly don't think he is being malicious or evil. I was just disappointed with coach's initial level of distrust in JLin. That distrust to some posters is indication of his competency. I think he made some bad evaluations about JLin's abilities, but he has come around. Overall, he has also managed the young team very well. I cannot argue his record and results so far.
to your original post: it is definitely ONE of the possibilities. but we never know.
DeleteAll of you are making superb arguments.
DeleteThis is the NBA where BOTH sides might be true!!
One factor that hasn't been discussed here was the ferocity and sophistications of the opposing defenses designed specifically to stop Lin.
Opposing coaches are paid millions of dollars to stop stars like Lin. There is no way McHale or any coach could have been prepared for the ferocity of guys wishing to show up Lin because he's Asian. People defend Lin like he's Michael Jordan, only Lin doesn't get officiated fairly due to his race.
I am impressed that the Rockets coaching staff was smart enough to finally figure out that sending their power forwards to the 3 point line on Lin's drives was what Lin needed to post Linsanity numbers in Houston. I honestly thought Lin was going to be squished by triple team help defenses all season long the way he was in the early season.
I still see Miami and OKC in Finals. And that the best Rockets can do is to make the playoff and lose 1st round. I also see Lakers not make the playoff. Anyone have other thoughts?
ReplyDeleteOptimistically, if the Rockets can continue to play as well as they've been playing, they might steal the 4th playoff spot and make it to the 2nd round. It would depend on Golden State and Memphis cooling off a bit though.
DeleteExactly Dave T. As someone mentioned here not too long ago, the Rockets need to get the 4th or the 5th seed. It could very well be a battle between GS,Mem,Rox for the those two slots. Most likely one of GS, Mem could stay hot and keep the 4th seed. Rox stay consistent get the 5th. Rox vs GS or Rox vs Mem is managable.
DeleteI fully expect Rox to make 5th.
DeletePortland is sneaking up the rankings...As long as Rox don't play them 1st round or OKC/Spurs for that matter, Lin may get to see round 2.
DeleteLMA/Batum is just too much for Rox.
@Kenoshi
DeleteBut Harden and JLin may be too much for Blazers, too! And we came quite close even with JLin mis/underutilized.
True that, Rox has gotten better since both games.
DeleteBut I still hate LMA/Batum...I hate them so much they're in my fantasy team :D
I've got Wes Matthews on mine, who is a good source of scoring for the Blazers (and my fantasy team). And the Blazers have the super rookie Lillard. And a rebounder in Hickson to match Asik. Ok, now it suddenly seem like they have quite a few monster players in their starting five. Well, we do seem to have the edge with our bench. Del3no, TD, 2Pat/the younger Morris twin can provide scoring off the bench which Blazers cannot match.
DeleteEvery team in the NBA has a team that they just cannot beat.
DeleteFor example, the Spurs just cannot beat the NY Knicks. Gregg Popovich sends his entire squad to defend Carmelo Anthony and the Spurs lose big. Meanwhile Lin's Rockets are the Knicks nemesis but cannot beat the Spurs.
Portland is the Rockets nemesis this year. Batum and to a lesser extent Aldridge are too much for the Rockets minimum wage forwards to handle. Yet those Blazers get beaten by many of the same teams the Rockets beat with ease.
The NBA game is about matchups, and some matchups just overwhelm certain teams.
Rockets are a very good home team too so getting 4th instead of 5th could be the difference for making 2nd round.
DeleteThe West is VERY strong.
DeleteI don't necessarily have a favorite to come out on top the way I expect Miami to be #1 in the East.
Should OKC get the #1 seed, I could easily seeing them matching up against a horribly tough #8 seed like the Lakers. Or some other #8 team in the West could have an unstoppable playoff weapon like Dirk Nowitzki and Dallas.
On to a winning streak! Let's go Jeremy! Let's go Rockets!
ReplyDelete- Head-on collisions
ReplyDelete- Bloodied nose
- Scratches on arm
- Chipped teeth
- Torn knee ligaments
- Unknown amount of shots to the groin
This is not only what Jeremy, but every basketball player, risks every time they go on the court (example, Kobe getting is nose broken last year by Dwade, Amare getting his retina detached after getting poked in the eye, Blake Griffin's tooth piercing through his face in the playoffs...etc). I don't know about you , but NO AMOUNT OF MONEY in the world can buy me to put me in such a hostile environment like this after seeing the shots these guys take night in and night out.
I hate to say it, but if I were Jeremy, I might have decided that I would be better off getting a Banking job with his Economics degree at Harvard.
But Jeremy is Jeremy, and I think that is his true desire, and that is why he has come so far in terms of being a personal figure on an International stage. You get what you put in.
All this punishment for just a meaningless game. Such a shame...
Nemo
At least, he can pursue several good careers after his NBA job: youth minister, NBA sports agent or politician.
DeleteI would suspect a lot of Bankers would rather have JLin's job.
DeleteOr coach!
DeleteI don't think he'll do well as a politician, he's too humble.
DeleteWould be funny to see JLin as a coach: He'd headbutt folks until they run the floor his way. He'd be like "quit yer cryin staple or wrap that shit up and play ball you pansies"
DeleteHahaha I wish...He is nice to everyone except himself.
eb5,
DeleteLet's hope that is the case. After seeing how boxers like Mike Tyson turned out after getting burnt out from so many shots to the head, I hope Jeremy adjusts quickly to a point where he can instinctively avoid dangerous collisions like the one last night.
The problem with these "if it was me" assumptions is -> it isnt you :)
DeleteHahaha had to post this here. Here's one for team chemistry, this is awesome:
ReplyDeleteKung Fu Rockets
Apparently its Parsons/Lins Kung Fu handshake and Harden joins in. So good, Landry must be jealous :D
anybody have a link to a video of the original Parsons/Lin handshake (not the Lin/Landry one)? Or even a video to this one?
DeleteI think that things like this build comraderie. It's good!
Didn't via also post a picture with JLin and his two brothers doing kung fu poses?
Delete@wilc:
DeleteNot kungfu poses - more like Matrix poses.
@andrewymoon
Deletehttp://youtu.be/Q3HL817I-ms
@willydilly
DeleteYeah, and there was another picture of him with matrix sunglasses!
Thanks wilc, it was shorter than I expected, but that's probably good.
DeleteHarden totally reminded me of sho'nuff...Except the hair is on his chin and not on his head hahahahahaha...
DeleteWho's da masta?!
@wilc:
DeleteAnother picture? Where?
@willydilly
DeleteA Bruce Lee pose with shades. I felt those shades had a matrix feel to it (posted by via on the previous thread):
http://www.terezowens.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Lin-Shows-Bruce-Lee.jpg
For your entertainment, an old article comparing JLin to Neo from Matrix:
...Lin battled to overcome an unfeeling system that seemed to exist only to keep him and his kind down, fighting the skeptical coaches who kept popping back up again every time he thought he’d vanquished them. Most of the people in this matrix weren't ready to be unplugged; inured and dependent on the system, they only fought to protect it. So Lin fought harder.
...A Sports Illustrated writer once said that Lin has shown “seeds of self-doubt.” Don’t worry, Jeremy, Neo had them too; he was reluctant to believe that he was the One. You have to let it all go, Jeremy. Fear, doubt and disbelief. Free your mind. Because fate is a powerful animal. It picks the special ones no matter their confidence level. And once it does, you can’t kill them with bullets, just like you can’t double-team destiny.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis is another winnable game for the Rockets.
ReplyDeleteThe Cavs will likely plow the ball through Kyrie Irving because they probably think Lin is a weak defender who can be scored on at will. I HOPE they try that, as that would result in an easy Rockets victory
Even though the Cavs have a higher payroll than the Rockets, they win far less.
Look how Harden draws the foul every time he takes the ball in. His whole head snaps back like he has been shot at point blank range and his eyes looked towards the rim. This gives the referees the impression of him being hit. Perhaps Lin should learn this from the beard or start growing a beard so he can do the same thing.
ReplyDelete@8cd
DeleteHaha, JLin's head also snaps back, but it's because of real contact, and the refs sometimes still don't give him the foul call!
The disparity between the type of calls that Harden gets and the ones that Lin does not get is mind boggling.
DeleteIt seems four out of five times that the defense sends Jeremy to the floor whenever Jeremy goes up for the lay up, and only one of out four times does Jeremy get a foul call.
I remember in the San Antonio game, Ginobli elbows Jeremy in the chest, and Jeremy got called for a foul.
I know I am sounding very picky with McHale. Before, he was taking Lin out when he was getting hot, but, now, he's keeping Lin in when he's banged up.
ReplyDeleteYes, Lin is getting his minutes but I seem him mainly used for his defense and not yet so much for his point guard ability.
Oh, and I am still reading articles that wrote about how Lin is a liability on defense...
Etane, I sympathize with both you AND McHale.
DeleteLin was STRUGGLING, probably because of his injured knee from that hard foul in New Orleans.
Bench him and let him collect himself, or let him play through? Hard question.
McHale stuck with Lin on a night where Toney Douglas definitely deserved more minutes. Then Lin put the game out of reach. GOOD CALL.
Besides, the Rockets have the #1 offense in the NBA. Lin needs to be the point guard, but the Rockets are scoring fine and winning games.
If I were Houston's coach, I'd be a WRECK. I wouldn't know what to do!
Khuang,
DeleteI left you a message on the previous thread. Go and read it.
test
Deletefrom yesterday's game :
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KY58tf8EmXM