Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Rockets vs Thunder Game #56 Post Game Thread

302 comments:

  1. via, where is McHell's post game interview?

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    1. Oops I forgot to say pretty please!

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    2. McHale: "That's as efficient a game as someone can have in the NBA as a two guard."

      It was a great win for us, a great performance by James, a win we really needed. Also compliments JLin

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    3. LOL also compliments Lin? o_o

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    4. Culled fr several tweets haha.

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    5. JLin on finding out before the game about being shorthanded 4players: "It sucks." Says the team's so close, so it sucks.

      Jeremy Lin: win bittersweet. Happy for the win, but it sucks. He's clearly still thinking about the guys who are now gone. #RedNation

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    6. McHale: " Harden was sooo good tonight. Just a phenomenal player. Blah. Blah Blah. Parsons will be okay - played a gutsy game. Asik provided a great job with rebounding and defense... blah blah"

      Reporter: what about lIn

      McHale: Oh yeah. he played well. He will be okay.

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    7. I hate Kevin McHale. He's the worst. Well, his assistant Bubba Gump Sampson is the worst on the staff (defensive coordinator) but McHale is just terrible

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    8. Lin on findin out bout trades: "It was just really emotional 4me. 2be honest, I was like, 'I don't even wanna play.'"

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    9. TD, Morris and Aldrich (in that order) seem to be his buds. Patterson not so much, lol.

      He'll obviously miss Toney the most...he's a real good guy from what I've seen and they've been through so much in the past year.

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    10. This is the first time Houston crowd got to experience Linsanity? It's about to take off. Lin is winning over the home town crowd. McHell will be walking on thin ice if he continues to sabotage Lin's game.

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    11. JLin on Harden: "If he is not up for MVP consideration, I mean, I don't know what else he needs to do. 46 points on 19 shots."

      "He made every single big play down the stretch. Even the shots that I was able to have, they were created b/c of him."

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    12. Argh yeah not happy about the trade...TD was solid off the bench, all for an unproven Robinson and 2nd round draft pick. TD and Lin gone through so much together.

      Kind of heartbreaking for Lin.

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    13. I'm THRILLED about the trade.

      Patterson and Morris were BUSTS until Lin waltzed into their lives and forcefed them shots for cherrypicking!

      Those two nondefenders didn't even pretend to play defense. Lin has tried to kick both guys into defending, and they've kicked back. At least Robison and Garcia will actually put forth real defensive effort.

      Toney Douglas will be missed as Lin's sidekick, but he won't be missed on the court. Cole Aldrich will likely be out of the NBA as a lottery bust next season.

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  2. Youtube highlights taking awhile this time because there's soo many Jlin highlights =)

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    1. LOL I don't remember ever seeing so many clutch shots made in a game in my adult life.

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    2. Ha you can see Collison mouth out "did I foul him?"

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    3. @Etane

      LOL...right?

      I want to do happy jumps on my sofa =)

      @via

      Thanks for the highlight ^^

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    4. @Etane

      "Did I foul him?"

      (Thinks to himself) Hmm maybe I did because my Jaw Hurts...

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  3. Replies
    1. Some Harden~
      Harden Beats the Buzzer From Half-Court

      Houston Rockets ‏@HoustonRockets
      The face of someone who wants a win against OKC. 21 in the first half, second is underway. http://instagr.am/p/V-fPE-iEOQ/

      New career-high for Harden: 46 points

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    2. I like "Batman & Robin" or "Rush Hour," lol.

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    3. Kenoshi, took me a while to get the RH4 reference. I finally got it haha. Asian dude with a black dude...

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    4. Eww z no way, Robin gets the worst costumes :/

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    5. HardLIN outscored Durant & Westbrook by 31p, 75 - 44.
      Shot 63.4% [76.9% from 3's] and combined for 25 of Rox' 35p in the 4Q.

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  4. 1. Jeremy Lin played GREAT. Was robbed of a 3-pointer, an assist, and a steal based on my count. Always screwed by his own home court stat guy. Love that Jeremy took the most shots on the team, he should keep doing that. It was a blessing when Parsons went down, it made Jeremy a lot more aggressive. He still has the clutch ice cold veins draining those 2 big 3-pointers to seal the game. Also loved his technical, showing the emotion and also backing up his teammate.

    2. Morey just pulled off a very underrated trade. Thomas Robinson is his draft class' version of Kenneth Faried, or a 2.0 version of Charles Oakley. Super high motor, elite rebounder, very strong player. Defense average but improving, okay offensive game (no range) but lots of HUSTLE and put-backs. He's a scrapper. A shorter Joakim Noah. Robinson also sets very good screens and will be helping Lin get lots of assists cutting to the basket which is also a strength.

    The Rockets are about to take off.

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    1. This part I like:
      "Robinson also sets very good screens and will be helping Lin get lots of assists cutting to the basket which is also a strength."

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    2. I forgot to add. Thomas Robinson is a beast who has been marginalized by the dumbest coach in the league Keith Smart. We all know how he buried Jeremy in Golden State. Even being buried, Robinson has encouraging metrics (like Lin had in GS in limited minutes). Robinson averages 11 rebounds a game if you extend it to per-36 minutes, he basically has a similar rebounding rate as Asik did in Chicago which is fantastic. The Rockets will be one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the league after this trade. If Robinson can improve his interior post-D to above average, and if Harden stops playing the worst defense of any starting SG in the league, the Rockets can become a top-4 team in their conference.

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    3. Robinson is a very good rebounder...which is the most important thing. Even though he's not a great leaper, he has some sweet dunks because of excellent body control.

      I think he's being misused by the Kings -- they have an idiot coach with low IQ players (Thomas is the only half-decent playmaker on the team).

      All Robinson needs to do is 1) Rebound. 2) Dunk. 3) Set a decent pick.

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    4. THOMAS ROBINSON

      @Anonymous posted this ARTICLE ON THOMAS ROBINSON in the game thread, migrating it here so latecomers can read it.

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    5. [Some people believe Robinson might be a piece to another later deal -> Josh Smith]

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    6. Check out this link of Robinson's short NBA career:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NrgVOjiNUA

      1. Robinson is great at put-backs and hustle scores, but most importantly he's a FINISHER within 5 feet of the basket. Very silky smooth left hand finishing layups, and a ferocious dunker. Lin will probably average 2 more assists a game just having Robinson finish his plays off better.

      2. The knock on him in the draft was he wasn't the best shot blocker, but it looks like he's gotten better over the past year at this.

      3. To reiterate. Robinson is a beast at rebounding, the best in his draft class. Sets good picks, and will finish a ton of scrap buckets around the rim. He's basically perfect for this Rockets team. He also fouls people HARD. Adds inside toughness that this team didn't really have with Patterson and Morris.

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    7. [forgot to attach to my above-post~]

      Zach Lowe ‏@ZachLowe_NBA
      Just for the record: HOU is still under the cap by my math, meaning they could in theory trade Robinson right away. (No restrictions).

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    8. Mark Berman ‏@MarkBermanFox26
      Thomas Robinson on shot to play more in Houston:"I'm at a loss for words. It's all I wanted from the git-go.I'm going 2 make the best of it"

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    9. ESPN Stats & Info ‏@ESPNStatsInfo
      Thomas Robinson: only 5th time in lottery era a top-5 pick is traded during his rookie season #Elias

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    10. Thanks a lot for the video, via, it got me all excited: Finally Jeremy has someone to throw the alley-oop to!

      Can't wait to see how many more rebounds and buckets Robinson is gonna get once he gets to play with Jeremy. No more fumbles (sorry, Asik), bring back the alley-oop!

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    11. :) @Hans, miss those alley-oops!
      ---

      Morey on Thomas Robinson: "He is a very high upside guy, plays with high energy, runs the floor, can rebound."
      "He is a guy that has potential to grow into a top-level player."

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    12. Q: So we gonna keep him? [Thomas Robinson] rumors floating another deal is coming.

      JFeigan: Keeping him. Another possible but nothing close yet. (Again.)

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  5. Wow what a win. Linsanity 2 has come alive! Finally, my faithful following of Jeremy Lin has paid off; this game is worth it, after so many disappointing games.

    A tribute to Linsanity 1.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afToTYJRaEQ

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    1. Linsanity was always there. Just hidden by baseball coach McHell and his sidekick Kelvin "Kato" Sampson.

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    2. Kato? You let him play Bruces role???

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    3. Haha sorry I forgot Bruce played Kato.

      Sampson is the bunting coach then!

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  6. jeremy got his first technical foul. wow. he is having that not-in-my-home-court attitude.

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    1. I've never been prouder of an "attitude" problem.

      The refs were killing him all game! Still, he only got angry on behalf of a teammate (his backup, Beverly). Even when he gets a tech, Jeremy is a true gentleman, lol.

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    2. to defend his teammate, that is very gentlemanly behavior.

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    3. i love lin getting technical! :)

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    4. And Beverly seems to respect Lin a lot. On one occasion Beverly stole the ball and ran up the court. Some guys passed him but he waited to put the ball in Lins hands. Thats respect right there!

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    5. The NBA on ESPN ‏@ESPNNBA
      RT @HoustonRockets: Here's something you don't hear every day: Jeremy Lin just called for a technical.

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    6. You can tell he was very upset :)

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  7. I didn't watch, so Rocket won this game? and from 10 points behind in 6min? what a 4Q? tell me the story!

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    1. Rockets were down 12 points with 7 minutes left. Coincidentally they went on a huge comeback when Lin came back in with 7 minutes left...

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    2. Beverly was in for Lin and he hustled pretty good but the team couldnt score. Beverly was benched - Lin came back in and Harden (with Lins help) turned the game around. It was awesome. Big win for the team.

      Highlight of the game:

      -Harden made a 3 from behind the halfcourt line.

      Almost highlight:

      -Lin ALMOST made a 3 with a 3/4 court shot. That would have been insane had he made it.

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    3. and jeremy scores 9 pts in last 3 min of the game.

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  8. Is there a downloadable link of a full game?

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  9. Semi-long time lurker (NYK days) / first time poster. What a treat to have had the privilege to watch tonight's game! I've missed only a handful of games since the start of Linsanity and have found that my mood correlates rather well with Jeremy's performance and Rocket wins. For me, this was the most enjoyable Rockets game to watch this year and I can't wait for more!

    I'm happy that Harden finally got his win against is former team. Jeremy seems to have less trouble doing well against and beating his former team. It's nice to see that Jeremy was able to help him accomplish this with hints of Linsanity.

    Maybe I'll post more often, maybe I won't. But I certainly enjoy reading your comments here, so keep it up!

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    1. @fighton1999

      Damned trolls!

      Haha joking y'all welcome Russ and post more often :)

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    2. Thanks Kenoshi, I just might. :)

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    3. Lots of really cool people here Russell Kuo (I'm not one of them), and lots of bball knowledge, you'll love it :)

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    4. welcome, Russell!

      Yup, this was such a great game when both Harden and Lin went off under the unlikeliest circumstances of being down 12 pts with 6 min left and both HardLin hit big shots after big shots!

      Yes, do post more!

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  10. Houston Rockets ‏@HoustonRockets
    Not one bit @JLin7 was huge. 29p/8a/6r RT @geearias: Don't overlook Jeremy Lins performance tonight as well. #houstonisproud @HoustonRockets
    8:15 p.m. - Feb 20, 2013

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  11. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  12. Replies
    1. Thanks for the tip! Footwearfoot comin' up big!

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    2. fantastic!!! I watched it 3 times!! thanks via!!

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    3. Damn this highlight just gave me goosebumps!!!

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    4. thanks via! footwearfoot highlights rocks!

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    5. Remember in the beginning of the season Jeremy aired that 3 against the Heats? He even apologized to Sampson and promised him it won't happen again?

      Guess what now??

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    6. Yeah - JLin owed Sampson one 3pt but JLin gave him another one for free :) Our boy is so so generous!

      (Jin & Hanjin)

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWCdnxcBCL8

      BTW - I like the lady @1:46 in vias video. She sits behind McHale and shes like "ohhhhhh - what the hell?" when JLin got the technical. It would have been so cool had she thrown the drink at the ref :)

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  13. What a game. Jeremy played even BETTER than his great stat line.

    He had a phantom missed FGA (was a pass to Parsons). A laughable "carry" for a TO. 2-3 hard fouls with no whistle. And 3-4 blown layups/assists.

    Despite all this horrible officiating and scorekeeping, Jeremy had a MONSTER game and came up HUGE during crunch time.

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    1. And Kudos to Harden for playing SMART "Hero Ball."

      He only played hero-ball when he had a one-on-one mismatch.

      He twice gave the ball up late...leading to J-Lin DAGGER 3s that clinched the win.

      He also let Jeremy get an in-bounds pass for late FTs (which he didn't before).

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    2. Yup Lin was hammered all night and only got 3 FTA. Joke.

      There was one play in 4Q when Harden passed the ball to Lin with only 3 seconds left on the shot clock. Good thing Lin was able to create space and shoot a J. And, another good thing is after that play Harden started playing better team ball.

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    3. Yep - he scored 40+ and no one called him a ballhoger. Thats a sign...

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    4. The fact that he gave the ball up at all is progress -- seriously. To have such an amazing game and STILL give the ball up 3 times during crunch time is PROGRESS.

      No one doubts that Harden is an offensive dynamo and should be the go-to scorer. But no one can do it on their own and Jeremy is a pretty darn good scorer, too.

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  14. Torocan on CF:

    "This game was unbelievable.

    75 points from Harden and Lin? SEVENTY-FIVE POINTS?!?!

    For a season of incredibly memorable games... Utah, GSW, Harden/Lin's first 2 games, tying the 3 point record, it boggles the mind that this young team can step it up even more...

    One heck of a win."

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  15. Away on vacay. Glad I got to see the game in its entirety on LP.

    I'm not sure what the reason was for Lin finally getting extended minutes tonight. I know the players were traded but the PG position was not affected at all - McHale could've still stuck with the moronic Lin minutes.

    Well I hope he realizes that Lin is great when he gets his minutes. He could easily average 20/8 if he gets the green light to play his game with usual starter minutes.

    Needless to say, Harden was unconscious tonight and was the major reason for the win, but no way he wins without Lin. This is the backcourt duo play McHale should be envisioning and not the safe basehit Lin that McHale has publicly supported.

    On the same token, I saw a much more confident Lin. Perhaps it was his friends and/or family telling him to eff Mchale and do his thing over the AS weekend or maybe it was his own surprise at getting more minutes tonight - whatever the case, he played with his LInsanity confidence - being aggressive and draining those two crucial threes to broaden the lead. I saw him draining three 4-5 times in a row during the warm-ups - his shot has definitely improved.

    All in all, this was the best game for Houston this year. Really had a Linsanity feel to it - or should I say Beardsanity.

    We saw what they could do against a top tier competition - its now the management/coaching staff to nurture it and make sure this could happen night in and out.



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    1. Yup Rockets playing .500 is not an attaboy for McHell.

      Rox got the players to beat elite teams all along even WITH half the bench missing.

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    2. One more thing. LIn definitely needs to take more than 15 shots a game. His overall play is much better when he is involved with scoring.

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  16. OH MY GOSH! That game was exciting!

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  19. You don't play with fire. No one wants to see us in the first round.

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    1. Van Gundy during current telecast: "They (HOU) can upset somebody in 1st round. They're gonna score. Wouldn't want to see them in 1st rd"

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    2. [Wonder alongside @psalm, on what @Nom thought of the game...] :)

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    3. @psalm234

      Hey ToonDad, right back atcha!

      This was one of the best games of the season, for sure, and I think it's Lin's second best (behind the SAS game) from an individual performance POV. On the other hand, this one was a win, and given everything he has gone through up to this point I could be convinced that this has been his best performance to date. He made some clutch, clutch threes.*

      This was an unexpected win, but showcases how devastating we can be when we are well rested, as we would be in the playoffs. I think we tasted blood with tonight, and I have more confidence going forward that we are going to close this season out right.**

      I don't care where we are seeded in the playoffs. Our offense is TNT. If we go off, there isn't a team that can stop us. Can we do it 4 games out of 7? Can't wait to find out.

      * It's cruel how much import we attach to shots based on when they happen in a game. I still contend that we would have had a completely different narrative had Lin made his 3 against Miami earlier in the season. Yes, I'm a believer in the butterfly effect.

      ** Being a decades long Houston fan, I only know too well the meaning of the word heartbreak. I get nervous when I hear talk about our seeding... just make the playoffs!

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    4. @via, my dear, where are my manners, I did not mean to ignore you. How have you been? Is the new job working out well?

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    5. Hey @Nom~ I'm good. Adjusting. VERY GLAD to see you. ^^

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  20. Replies
    1. Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings have just finished their trade call with the NBA, finalizing this deal

      Zach Lowe ‏@ZachLowe_NBA
      Also for the record: Folks around the league seem largely aghast/shocked/confused by what Kings did here.

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    2. Marc J. Spears ‏@SpearsNBAYahoo
      Kings move was all about cutting costs and not something management enjoyed doing, a source said.

      Adrian Wojnarowski ‏@WojYahooNBA
      The Seattle ownership group, which has a deal to purchase the Sacramento Kings, was briefed on trade before its completion, source tells Y!

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    3. Adrian Wojnarowski ‏@WojYahooNBA
      Houston-Sacramento deal for Thomas Robinson came together within 48 hours, hatched on Monday and completed today, league source tells Y!

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  21. Les Alexander pulled off a MAJOR HEIST with the trade.

    Les got rid of Houston's malcontent power forwards and got an athletic young lottery pick jumping jack STUD along with a solid dependable veteran swingman!

    Simply getting rid of Patterson and especially Morris was going to help the Rockets even if no players were received in return. But to get Thomas Robinson, who's a real NBA power forward with game AND Francisco Garcia who's a 6'7" swingman who's a solid contributor? UNFAIR!

    Marcus Morris is now a Phoenix Sun. Even though I'm from Phoenix, I can't stand the Suns because they keep getting guys like Morris that aren't able to make an NBA impact. Without Lin to feed Morris easy shots, Marcus Morris will likely revert to his D league form.

    I do not understand what the heck Sacramento and GM Geoff Petrie is gaining out of the Houston trade. This trade not only stripped Sacramento of two rotation players, it saddled Sacramento with a bunch of stiffs (NOT Toney Douglas who has rediscovered his game).

    I also wish that Les and Morey had stripped Sacramento of a guy who'd BURN IT UP besides Lin and Harden: JIMMER. Fredette is the kind of John Paxson type gunner who would just destroy teams from outside along with the Hardliners.

    Thomas Robinson is the above the rim true power forward that Houston lacks. He's no Psycho T (the most underrated and underutilized player in the entire NBA), but Robinson gives the Rockets an athletic inside edge that they were sorely lacking.

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    1. And if Thomas Robinson is dealt for Josh Smith, I'll be very pleased.

      Now if Thomas Robinson was dealt for Tyler Hansbrough and PLAYED HIM, I'd be calling the Rockets "contenders".

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    2. What do you think about this line up:

      1-Lin
      2-Harden
      3-Royce
      4-Robinson
      5-Asik

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    3. Royce White is NOT a NBA caliber player.

      He'll get severely greyhounded, no matter what position he plays.

      I just don't see anything in his game that makes me think he's NBA caliber, though his overwhelming desire to dribble the ball upcourt on fast breaks makes him a total future candidate for "Shaqtin' a Fool!"

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    4. "This was the greatest night of Daryl Morey's life. He fleeced Sacramento for Thomas Robinson!" - Bill Simmons

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    5. I can see why you don't like White.

      The players you said you do like all seem to have similar qualities: Hansborough, Samhan and Asik. Big and stiff.

      White doesn't seem to fit your mold.

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    6. He surely isn't the next Charles Barkley.

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    7. Agreed, Royce isn't anything that fits on this Rockets team. Such a bizarre move from the beginning, especially with the risks.

      This move for Robinson is just crazy. Crazy. What would it take to get the #5 pick in the next draft? Morey just got a #5 one year removed and there's zero reason to think this 21 year old still wasn't worth a #5 pick! He just hasn't played. His dunk over Dwight and his rebound rate say he could be another Asik. He adds explosive athleticism and rebounding at PF, something the Rockets dearly needed. They need that way more than any sort of jump shooting. And if this guy can learn to set picks and roll to the basket for dunks, so much the better.

      The Rockets are even younger. They could simply sit on this team and quite possibly grow into a contender, adding pieces here or there. Or they could trade this guy for Josh Smith tomorrow and be contenders instantly.

      AND, even though they now have a totally legit, lottery pick PF prospect, they will still have max cap room in the off-season. I have to think this is the greatest year for a GM in history. Four fantastic moves already: Lin, Asik, Harden, Robinson. Other GMs may have lucked into more, but these moves owe far more to Morey's brains than anything else. Just incredible. By the start of next season, assuming no injuries, Houston will be contenders. One year from nothing to contender, with no all-star level draft picks of their own, no tanking.

      People said Morey couldn't pull this off, but he's like that guy on eBay a few years back who started with a toaster and kept on trading up on eBay until he had a new car*.

      * I don't know if it was really a toaster and car, but in principle it happened. :)

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    8. Let's see, Etane:

      Hansbrough: NCAA superstar, 20 point 10 rebound games as a starter in Indiana

      Samhan: 22 ppg, 13 rpg, 3 bpg as a senior, averaged 20+ ppg in the NCAA tournament

      Asik: a serviceable center who is more than living up to his $5 million per year.


      Etane, explain to me why Royce White is BETTER than these three players.

      Why are my three guys stiffs and Royce White isn't, Etane?

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    9. The ROX FINALLY got an inside presence that could finish the alley-oop from Lin. Miss that part of Jeremy's game SO MUCH.

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    10. Khuang: do you need me to define "stiff" for you?

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    11. Yes, actually.

      Just when we were doing good, you just HAD TO turn this into a flame war didn't you Etane??

      So yes, define "stiff".

      Take your best troll shot at me. Then I'll take my best retaliatory shot at you.

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    12. So basically, McHale traded one favorite son (Aldritch) for another (Robinson)?

      Regardless, more rebounding skills is welcome on this team, the rest well I'm sure we'll see how Robinson is used...Key word, used, it doesn't matter how good he is, if Keith Smart can misuse him, so can McHale.

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    13. "stiff" means uncoordinated, nonathletic, and dull minded.

      Samhan catches the ball better than Asik but his post moves are weak. His steps are awkward. He looks like he's going to fall over cuz he's top heavy and has weak legs.

      Tyler looks and moves like a muscle head. He's good to have on a team if you have someone you want to injure.

      And, Asik was terrible for the most part of the season. He was only good at cherry picking rebounds. He even fought Lin over a rebound once. He's only recently developing that catch and dunk mentality. In fact, he's only recently developing that catching mentality.

      White? He's better cuz 1) he's got handles 2) he's athletic which none of your stiff guys are 3) he can shoot which none of your stiff guys are good at 4) he actually fights for rebounds instead of cherry picking them 5) he's not going to slow down this Houston offense like Hansborough and Samhan will.

      Furthermore on Samhan, when he catches the ball at the post, the entire team just stands there and watch him with his back is facing the rim for half the shot clock before he decides what to do. He's infuriating to watch.

      But, for some reasons, you like pasty white refrigerators including McHell.

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    14. Wow, just watched some highlights of TR and the dunk on D12...Talk about above the rim, he's fast, athletic, good post moves, gawd McHale plz don't misuse him :/

      Royce White should be worried about his job now...I bet this was Morey's answer to White's tantrums of late.

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    15. "Pasty white refrigerators"

      LOL!

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    16. LOL it does seem like they are supplementary instead of complimentary. But, I think in certain games like against Denver, both can be utilized for their size and agility on defense.

      Actually, I have no idea how good TR is on defense. White looks good on D.

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    17. Ok Etane, that was NOT a troll post you put up. So I'll respectfully address you.

      Funny you mention slow guys, because Royce White is slower than Samhan and Psycho T and Asik!

      You're caught up in the looks of these guys, Etane - while neglecting their PRODUCTION.

      Samhan and Psycho T were incomparably better in production than Royce White as college players. Though Samhan and Psycho T may not please you aesthetically, they PERFORM way better than Royce White does.

      Frankly, Royce White looks to me like what you call a "stiff". He's got slow reflexes, dribbles the ball upcourt slowly and clumsily when he's leading the fast break, and has trouble chasing guys down or going end to end. He's much more of a clunky stiff than these white guys I mentioned, and that's why Royce White has not produced like these guys have and never will.

      I just don't see color with basketball players. I see ATHLETICISM which translates into PRODUCTION. There is no such thing as a nonathletic producer at the professional level, and I'd rather have a guy like Samhan being clunky around the court winning games than an even clunkier guy like Royce White talking smack in the media to cover up his lack of game!

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  22. The house was pretty full tonight, had a little feel of MSG finally

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    1. Yup the full house home town crowd finally got to witness Linsanity.

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    2. Registered attendance: 18,224

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    3. the crowd got me so pumped up the entire game tonight! and of course the win make it all the more exciting and sweet! it's linsane!

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    4. Jeremy Lin ‏@JLin7
      Crazyyyy energy from the fans tonight!! Bittersweet night...gonna really miss my bros @pdpatt @MookMorris2 @colea45 and TD

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  23. Someone please a link to the whole game? I missed it!

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  24. Anyone ventured to guess why Lin got the extended minutes tonight? The players traded didn't really affect his position and McHale could've stuck with his usual Lin minutes.

    Wonder I'd something happened during as break. Perhaps the management had a chat with McHale? Whatever the case, I hope McHale has finally seen the light tonight.

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    Replies
    1. The owner was watching live tonight.
      McFail and Bubba Gump Sampson can be s.tupid or p.rejudiced, but they aren't dumb enough to sit the player their owner basically hand-picked to sign.

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    2. I'll bet ownership said NOTHING about Lin to McHale.

      DEFENSE is the likely reason McHale plays Jeremy Lin.

      When Lin sits, opponents run wild against the Rockets. Lin gets stuck back in to stop the defensive bleeding.

      Even if McHale mistakenly thinks Lin is some sort of Kobe wannabe offense breaking ballhog, he still has nobody on the roster that can defensively clamp down on opponents. Not even the traded Toney Douglas can do that.

      More defensive need means more minutes for Lin, which means more comfort and more "home run" plays by Lin.

      Awww, poor Kevin McHale is "stuck" with Lin. How PAINFUL!!!

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    3. I now think the trade did affect lins minutes. There were times when all three ( harden, Lin, Beverley) were on the floor so it looks like McHale wanted to go with a different line up to account for the loss of two key role players. I hope though that mc does not go back to his old ways. He needs to realize this back court duo beat an OKC team that had Westbrook scoring 28 pts, Durant with trip dub and seflosha with 38 points. This is how good they were.

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    4. So basically Linsanity only starts in new stadiums when the team is short on players? ha.

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    5. Well McHale actually said he will not play Jeremy 42 minutes a night. Everyone got extended minutes tonight due to the late breaking trade. So his playing time was not a change of attitude of McHale towards Lin - more of an act Iof desperation. Having said that, McHale did say the players will get more minutes for the next couple of games, so if Jeremy does well again, I don't know how McHale will be Abe to justify limiting Lin to less than 30 mins a game. We shall see.

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    6. Well Lin did very well earlier in the season around the time of the 5 game winning streak and not to mention the 38pt game against Spurs. Those games didn't convince McHell that Lin is more than a singles hitter.

      If anything, I hope the home town crowd will demand to see more Lin minutes.

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    7. If Lin quickly gels with his new teammates Dunker and Dunkee, then Lin might go back to reduced minutes simply because the Rockets will win games in the 3rd quarter and garbage time will begin.

      I think Lin's become SO GOOD that he can get big numbers in 30 minutes.

      Delete
    8. Gotta give Westbrook props tho...Soon as a pick is even semi set he just explodes, if Lin even hesitates he'll blow right past him...

      Lin however, got better at defending WB as the night went on, kept WB in front of him even through PnRs a few times.

      WB however had problems with Lin all night, and it showed.

      Solid I think McHale really didn't have a choice. He had to go small due to lack of forwards and well without TD he can't sustain this 3 guard setup without Lin.

      Besides Lin sits game narrows, his presence on defense was sorely needed. And Lin was just clutch, and Beverley couldn't buy a basket so Lin had to pick up scoring duties esp when Parsons was out. He had Lin sit only enough to catch his breath!

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  25. i hope this is just the beginning of JLin being more aggressive and taking more shots. i was listening to knbr 68, home of the warriors around noon today, and the broadcaster was talking about how the warriors need dribble penetration. then he brought up JLin, and i thought he was going to say, we had a dominant penetrator, and we let him go. instead, he said, "Jeremy Lin. he can't dribble with his left, and he is not a jump shooter. but he can drive." i can't believe they won't admit what they lost in JLin. i would have to say that JLin has finished with his left far more often than westbrook with his left or harden with his right. but no one talks about that as a weakness. and i think this second half, JLin will prove he is a good 3 point shooter, and all the hard work this past summer will pay off.

    i'm not sure if i like today's trade because patterson was really getting his game together, and he has worked so hard on his outside shot, he became a real threat behind the arc. still, he wasn't rebounding, and i would like to see the rockets move away from having a 3 point shooting PF, and focus on interior defense/rebounding. if they are going to play robinson and asic together, then they should be playing smith and asic together as well. but i haven't seen that yet. i think having them both on the floor will help defensively, and i don't think it will negatively affect JLin or Harden's ability to get to the rim.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Warriors announcers are r.acist, especially their analyst not the play by play guy. They are ALWAYS looking to trash Lin with thinly veiled bigoted comments. They still say things like he's surprisingly fast. They randomly bring up lies about his left hand repeatedly during games, like the GS game before the all star game. Golden State in general surprised me, I thought their media and newspaper people were also completely ridiculous calling Lin a marketing gimmick. They can't get over the fact that this kid can actually play. They still think he's only famous bc he's Asian, when his ethnicity has held him back at every level and created discrimination for him. They have it backwards.

      Delete
  26. I don't get the excitement surrounding TRob. Granted, I don't know anything about him, and while I have seen his Youtube highlight reel, I've also looked at his stats for this year... and he looks awful. He is trumped by PPat in every category other than rebounding, and in that respect he's basically the equal of Greg Smith (bias disclosure: I love GS). GS is superior in pretty much every other relevant aspect. TRob has a *neg* WS for crying out loud; he's a TO machine, do we need any more of those?

    Unless Morey has some metric that foreshadows a brighter future, I have a feeling TRob is either riding the bench or being sent down to the DL. Good news for TJones and DMo (although if rumors of TJones being shopped around are true, then just good news for DMo?)

    Maybe it's to beef up the defense. However, should that be the case, TRob has a worse defensive rating than GS. So I need some help understanding this.

    Perhaps this is the first in a series of moves that will unfold tomorrow. Or, given the large contracts we can dump next year for the other trade pieces, we're going big game hunting this summer?

    Yes, yes, there is a Jeremy Lin angle to all this. I don't like the idea of getting rid of our stretch 4's. Lin (and Harden for that matter) need an unclogged lane for their offense. Granted, Lin's shooting has been superb of late, but I think we all agree that at his essence Lin is a havoc creating machine that begins with his first step, not spot up shooting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PPatt is not better than Thomas Robinson. You have to compare rates because Patterson played a lot more minutes per game. Robinson averaged as many rebounds as Patterson did while playing 10 fewer minutes a game.

      As for Greg Smith, he is definitely underrated by this moronic coaching staff, but he'll get more playing time since they moved Patt and Morris. The stretch PF is still there on the team, D-Mo is there if they need a stretch PF in a game situation.

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    2. Thomas Robinson is not a mere scrub.

      He was playing behind DeMarcus Cousins and Jason Thompson in Sacramento for good ol' Keith Smart who royally screwed up Lin's rookie year. Sacramento has been an utter basketball mess and Keith Smart is the main reason for that.

      Thomas Robinson is a real NBA athlete with real power forward physicality. He embarrassed Patrick Patterson right off the court when Houston played Sacramento. The Rockets don't have anybody like Robinson who's a top 5 lottery pick that can make top 5 lottery pick athletic power forward plays.

      If Houston doesn't trade Robinson for Josh Smith, I hope that they play Robinson. Lin and Harden need a guy like Robinson that can roam the midrange and finish athletically inside.

      Delete
    3. "You have to compare rates"

      I always do ;)

      PPP: PPat 1.05 TR 0.72
      TS%: PPat .571 TR .45
      TR%: PPat 10.3 TR 16.8 (better than counting per game, no?)
      TOV%: PPat 8.1 TR 19.2
      PER: PPat 15.6 TR 10.8

      I have no idea how I would post this, but if you look at the shot charts for the two, it's pretty clear which one is more limited.

      On the other hand, based only on the intensity of his highlight reel, I'd take TR over PPat in a cage fight, and maybe that's the kind of bruiser the Rox are looking for.

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    4. PER is highly influenced by simply taking more shots. It's not a reliable number to gauge value.
      PPat is the better offensive player, but his strength is stretching the floor which is redundant on a team that has Harden, Delfino, Parsons, and D-Mo. He is a below average rebounder and the defense is not noticeably different.

      The Rockets are now tougher, much better defensive rebounding team, and also will get a lot more offensive put-backs with Robinson (and also Greg Smith) playing the PF spots.

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    5. But Houston is such a better environment than toxic Sacramento.

      Anytime a player comes from Keith Smart, you cannot judge that player based on what he did under Smart. Just look at Jeremy Lin who Smart artificially made into a bust.

      Thomas Robinson is vastly superior to Patrick Patterson, and that'll become clear soon enough.

      Delete
    6. Didn't earlier in the year we called Morris a stat padder? What's changed?

      Delete
    7. Nom, just from watching the TRob highlights that via posted, it's clear that TRob got a lot higher ceiling than PPat/Morris with the physical bruising presence.

      He's a great finisher with great spin moves and leaping ability so the Rockets might gamble with the 5th pick rookie in 2012.

      PPat is not a long term solution so a move is definitely the right way to improve the Rockets. PPat is almost reaching his potential because he's never going to be a rebounding machine.

      Perhaps, TRob will get moved again but PPat/Aldrich/Morris need to go because the Rockets know what they have. I kinda wish TD would stay because he's an instant offense of the bench.

      Delete
    8. Thanks everyone for their opinions.

      @psalm, I agree PPat was not the long term solution. And quite frankly, other than the PF designation it seems like comparing PPat and TR may be like comparing apples and oranges (different player type). However, it looks like TR is similar to GS. Do you think he is better than GS? GS has had his struggles of late, but I also remember him carrying the team on his back and beating the Lakers earlier this year.

      @Anonymous: I disagree that a stretch 4 is redundant in our offense. I actually think it's essential. This is sort of the big question mark in my head - if the Rox are going to eliminate* the stretch 4 from their game plan, what does that mean for Harden? Or, even more importantly in this forum, what does that mean for Lin?

      Right now, I'm leaning towards they are not going to eliminate it, which is why I think this is a trading chip (I mean, it is a coup to get a #5, and hopefully someone else will think so too).

      *Would love for DMo to develop into this in a starting role.

      Delete
    9. It's redundant on the roster because having a PF with range, but a below average rebounder and defender, is basically D-Mo. It's almost like a fantasy basketball trade where you trade multiple mediocre guys for 1 stud, and know you can easily replace the production you traded away with guys you already have on your roster or through cheap signings.

      Also, I like having a physical PF. Not a lot of teams have success when their starting PF is that type of player.

      Delete
    10. @psalm

      "He's a great finisher with great spin moves"

      Yes, I am impressed with his highlight reel. But according to basketball-reference (I only mention this because I know you like the site too) the guy is 25/33 on dunks. How do you miss a fourth of your dunks? I mean, Asik is 75/78 for dunks (Asik also has a higher at rim shooting percentage, .617 vs .515, and Asik starts), and you know how ballistic this board gets when Asik doesn't finish up close.

      Delete
    11. Well, Asik doesn't dunk in traffic.

      Delete
    12. When Sacramento's offense is so screwed up that Isaiah Thomas is the team's only point guard who's effective at getting the ball to people, guys like Thomas Robinson are going to miss more than just dunks.

      If the Kings had Lin and played him, Sacramento would have Houston's record and Houston would have Sacramento's record!

      Delete
  27. May be the owner is watching court side had something to do with it? Also TD was not active and we short handed and harden was in foul troubr with 3 fouls mid second quarter? Hardens angle? No clue but please keep him play 35 min per game

    ReplyDelete
  28. Man I went crazy watching the HIGHLIGHTS! That looked like MGS for a minute! O man, how did I miss this game. I knew it was going to be a good one. Only watched the 1st quarter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. my bad too. 'only watched the 1st half... :(

      Delete
    2. you should download the full game from via's link :D
      Man, I thought their non-existent D will lose this game trailing 10-12 pts with 6 min left. Then Durant became Santa giving out those TOs! hahaha...

      Delete
    3. I don't understand it... I want to but I don't get it. Can someone give me just a simple Link to download? I have the iLivid so I just need the links for the second half.

      Delete
  29. Replies
    1. jeremy looks so sad when ask about the trade. what a sensitive guy.

      Delete
    2. kid has some loyalty. he treasures friendships :)

      Delete
    3. suck it up Lin! don't be a sensitive mellow pus*y! gotta represent a strong image for Asian guys!!

      Delete
    4. those guys doesn't even care shit about him! maybe TD

      Delete
    5. That was a very lukewarm compliment of
      In.. " Jeremy hit two big shots" ... The rest of the time he just spent kissing hardens ass. Not surprised though.

      Delete
  30. seriously Lin could have 35+ points, he was robbed by those racist referees. He plays as good as Harden did, no less.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly! But no surprise that Lin's getting those biased officiating. The score box doesn't tell everything Lin did on court tonight. Even off the court, Lin supported his teammate and got a technical is such a huge play for me!

      Delete
  31. Im soo proud of Jeremy tonight. I expect to hear about this game on ESPN tomorrow, first take Stephen A. You're wrong its not going to take 4-5 years for Jeremy to be an all-star. He already is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's hard enough to beat one Michael Jordan at a time.

      But TWO Michael Jordans? That's essentially what the Hardliners were tonight.

      The number one point guard and the number one shooting guard in today's NBA are playing on the same team, KILLING PEOPLE.

      Delete
    2. I think SAS changed it to 2-3 years at some point.

      Delete
  32. I just realized something about Thomas Robinson:

    He's gonna get big man coached by Kevin McHale!!!

    Mchale has a STELLAR track record of developing players, particularly big men. Kevin Garnett, Al Jefferson, Jordan Hill, and Kevin Love were all tutored by McHale!

    If Thomas Robinson can grit his teeth and accept McHale's coaching, he has the chance to become an Amare Stoudemire type player!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. in terms of offensive game. Robinson will never be as bad on D as Stoudamire. He's a scrapper lunch pail blue collar PF on defense.

      Delete
    2. I thought of that too. He's gonna be a lot better player here than under that nincompoop Keith Smart.

      BTW, Robinson is by all accounts VERY coachable and great guy.

      http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/7207167/ncb-kansas-jayhawks-center-thomas-robinson-used-basketball-help-tragedy-espn-magazine

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    3. Perhaps TRob is an even better version of Greg Smith?

      He certainly has the physical asset to finish strong but I haven't seen much jumpers yet.

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    4. Thomas Robinson is no Greg Smith with limited court awareness and nonexistent basketball skills.

      Thomas Robinson is a true player, a guy that has real basketball talent.

      He needs a lot of polishing, but the raw physical and mental tools are there. This is a guy who was mentioned as a potential #1 pick over Anthony Davis (who I'm still not sold on) and was a projected #2 overall pick.

      Still, I didn't consider Thomas Robinson or Anthony Davis in the draft. I though Orlando's Andrew Nicholson was a better player and prospect than either of them. Orlando is still learning how terrific Nicholson is, but they're starting to find out.

      Delete
  33. the awkward moment when you realise the guy you dunked on and facialised will be joining your team! lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Hi, I'm Jeremy Lin. I'm the Asian guy that dunked on you. Remember me?"

      Delete
    2. I'm glad I'm not a Houston Rocket.

      I'd be calling Thomas Robinson "Dunker" and Francisco Garcia "Dunkee".

      These are two fine players, actually. Besides, they'd dunk ME through the rim!

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    3. Do we have a highlight of this facial?

      Delete
  34. neAAto ‏@neaato
    jeremy lin, the situasian
    http://fb.me/1RO8tsYdE
    9:49 p.m. - Feb 20, 2013

    ReplyDelete
  35. [Out of NY]

    Robin Lundberg ‏@robinlundberg
    Jeremy Lin had 29 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists in a Rockets win over the Thunder. If only there was a way the Knicks could've had him.

    Michael Scotto ‏@MikeAScotto
    Jeremy Lin with flashes of "Linsanity" today. Lin had 29 points (12-22 FG, 3-5 3PT, 2-3 FT), 8 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals in 42 mins.

    Ian O'Connor ‏@Ian_OConnor
    Doesnt matter that Jeremy Lin had 29, 8 & 6 amid Harden's 46 vs OKC. Only matters that @RealMichaelKay still thinks he stinks

    Alex Kennedy ‏@AlexKennedyNBA
    James Harden's monster game is the big story, but Jeremy Lin played very well against OKC too. Lin had 29 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds.

    Skip BaylessVerified account ‏@RealSkipBayless
    James Harden 46 points, Jeremy Lin 29.

    Pablo S. Torre ‏@PabloTorre
    A) @JHarden13 is the best shooting guard in the NBA (and will be so, unanimously, by next season); B) @JLin7.
    http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?id=400278524 …

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  36. I watch Mcgail post game interview and it is just insulting your key player Lin for his impact down the stretch by only say 'he hit a couple of big shots', and spent all other time kissing hardens ass (which is fine) but at least five tiny credit to Lin for putting up 9 pr I'm last 3 min by saying he played great! Smh Mcgail even completed few smith e an tho in my opinion he played pretty just average and for his ball robbed like a few time under the basket. It is a great win. It I'm just so pissed Lin has to continue to put up this kind of bias and ignorance by the Mcgail! I mean WTH, even Sampson give Lin a pep talk and pat him on the butt so why can't Mcgail give more credit on the night when LES saw how good Lin was? I mean he basically played against Westbrook, an all star toe to toe, btw Westbrook had 7 TO.

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  37. @kenoshi, Stephen a smith said Lin will take 2 to 3 yr to be an all star? Are u serious he said that, wow! I could not believe he would say that since all I hear is 'he is all but average at best' for a clip or link? I'm so excited about any commentator say Lin can be a all star!

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  38. Just want to add that Lin was very gracious of passing the ball to harden so he can shoot foul shoots to get his career high instead of padding his own stats. Team player!

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  39. As humble as always, JLin still gave credit to Harden depsite both playing so well.

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  40. Honestly, I was hoping GM Morey could steal the King's first round pick (Shabazz??) or even Demarcus Cousins in a trade. But I was disappointed. I guess Thomas Robinson is a good pickup ... but it will take him time to develop, and the Rockets can't wait that long as they are fighting for that 8th playoff spot against Portland, Lakers, and Mavericks.

    Rockets need instant help at the Power Forward, not develop another young'un ...

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  41. Wow. Great great JLin game!! That jumper is looking great. Shoulda be 4-6 from 3pt. He hit two monster 3pts and so many last second shots. Is he becoming a sharp shooter? This is what can happen when you play Harden AND Lin for big minutes together. Watch out in the playoffs.

    Plus Lin should've had at least 6 FTs attempts on layups and the lamest carry you will ever see by refs.

    Sampson was even yucking it up with Lin.

    Great to see Jlin with that cocky walk after hitting the 3.

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