Glad that his inner circle is framing his image appropriately.
Only thing I disagree with Jeremy about is his usage of the word bipolar. Bipolar would not be appropriate, someone who dislikes or to an extreme, hate his game does not become ambivalent or like his game. They will harp on his other facets regardless whether he does well or not. There is nothing bipolar about his critics.
Therefore, what he is trying to communicate--keeping with his word usage and style--polarizing or polarized fans would be a better fit. A paly and harvard grad, sheesh!
A cringe worthy comment comes from the article's Wea H. Lee, a Taiwanese American who said
“Many parents want their kids to go to American schools to be lawyers, not athletes.” “It’s a new image for Asians,” Lee said. “We need more Jeremy Lins, not just doctors.”
which I'm starting to feel uneasy about. Why doctors as careers tinged with a slight pejorative comparison?
It also overlooks other Asian American (AA) pioneers. For example, what Alexander Wang is doing @ Balenciaga is leagues above what "Jeremy Lins" can do on impact. So is Justin Lin as a commercial director doing franchises and directing community episodes.
I would argue AA need more Alexander Wang and Justin Lin and we need more doctors, engineers, and lawyers and other careers as much as "more Jeremy Lins" that create a positive image across all spectrum.
I don't understand this "new image for Asians" for this Lee guy. Soccer is populated with Asian players who are rising in Euro leagues. Olympics are populated with Asians. MMA, which I love has new crops of Asian challengers such as Cung Le.
The only guess about new image for Asians from this Lee guy is he wants to impress people who are not worldy and not as educated. Then the question is, why do you need to impress those people?
Make money in business! Be creative in fashion and film! Help cure people! MMA power and prowess! Therefore, I just don't understand this Lee guy's quote. Maybe it's because I don't find basketball as interesting as MMA. Or haute couture. Nevertheless, I hope parents with kids who read that article isn't sucked into his narrow mindset and take his advice as some sort of anthem.
As for the sentiment or "feels" of the article--Keep on working Jeremy, we support you!
The Greeks believed that athletics had a much higher cause then our pedestrian attitude towards athletics. They believed that great athletic feats created mana that helped society spiritually. Sports teaches us that our human limitations are self made, to break the rules, to discover new scientific breakthroughs, all require the will and self belief in not accepting what we are told is the rules or limits of our beliefs. Lin is a vanguard of human achievement, equally important as any academic, philosophical or artistic pursuit.
JERÉ LONGMAN: "He is still prone to commit critical turnovers. He moves reluctantly to his left, his shooting touch can abandon him, and he does not always fight insistently through screens on defense."
Jere Longman is not a basketball writer and it shows.
It's just a fluff piece about cultural identity. Yawn.
D-Will doesn't even have the excuses of being young or being Derek Fishered or being surrounded by terrible bigs (he's got Brook Lopez) or fellow youngsters. He just stunk it up on his homecourt by losing to a banged up team that can't even score.
This is not to insult D-Will (though I'm not a big fan), but just to show that everyone has ugly games. And if you're young and misused with clumsy/selfish teammates...it's going to be even uglier.
Jeremy's career (much like Steve Nash or Chauncey Billups) will be a marathon not a sprint.
Yeah Heinrich came to play tonight as well as the rest of the team. You can clearly tell thibodeau team comes prepared every game and knows how to rebound after a demoralizing loss.
KHuang is making everything up; that's why you are delusional. Yeap, go ahead and make up story KHuang. I have seen you do that to other posters. Just go ahead and lie punk, if that makes you happy. You are just a bully who can't stand others to have different opinions from you.
Pick-and-roll? What pick-and-roll? Half ass pick-and-roll? Pick-and-roll that never came even requested, forced to pass to someone else and they get the pick? Harden pick-and-roll for switch than iso? Only got the ball with 6/7 seconds left in the shot clock and both bigs down and the low post and to far for pick-and-roll?
Seriously some people... don't get me started, Lin barely / rarely have decent pick-and-roll
This is such a bullshit. Reporters asking only about Jeremy's poor play. What Jeremy has to do. Even the mainstream media thinks Lin was the focal point if the loss. WTF.
In any case, it's good that both of them look pretty relaxed and don't seem like they are panicking.
Really McHale needs to burden the pressure off this young team while letting them know they have absolutely nothing to lose.
I do think they were intimidated. I hope they play better collectively well on Wednesday.
I agree Brent... Dint get me wrong, anything that will help lin leave this place, im all in. But what reason does cp3 have to leave la? No state income tax?
As good and seasoned(4th playoffs this year inclusive) as CP3 is, he started rather slow and was 1-6 till his 23min PT. His coaches without any doubt, gave him the rein to make play, take shots and his teammates showed up big time.
In fairness, in the last game, Lin did not lack for playing time, even with his poor play. The only reason he was taken out was because of getting into foul trouble.
CP3 is really savvy player. He's an intense little engine who will not back down from anyone and any team. I have no doubt that Lin will also get other players involved if he got that kind of trust, but the way CP3 orchestrates his offense, that's something very difficult for other players to match. Did you see how CP3 at the end almost fought to get to the basket and veered to the right and then softly banked in the jumper; Memphis players were literally stunned at the outcome. Also, it's nearly impossible for any two opposing players to trap him because he already sees what's coming and veers his body while dribbling and then makes what are unconventional passes for other players which seem very natural for him to his teammates. And he can drive in and then create an open space by looking like he's about to pass.
I agree CP3 is not coming to Houston. Bledsoe is, I think, very good in individual ability but lacks the floor leadership. But I think he's just as good as CP3 in scoring and dribbling but does not have as good court sense.
lyvrlife, even though CP3 started slow, he was very effective at penetrating and getting his teammates easy shots. And you knew who they were going to give the ball to at the end, and he delivered. He's such a savvy player because he knows when to get others involved and when to take shots. He seems to play within control all the time; I get the sense that he can turn it on more but he doesn't. His mental makeup is what makes him a better PG. Day in and out, I don't think other PGs come close. Maybe Nash during his heyday, but he was nowhere near athletic as CP3 or as quick.
Just thinking how handicapped Lin is being in such a bad situation. If only we can swap teams between CP3 and Lin, rewind to CP3 1st year playoffs, then maybe today on this forum, everybody would be more cheerful.
Remember cp3 developed as a floor general because he was given that role from the very start - like the walls and the Irving's of the world.
On the other hand, lin gts relegated to sharing ball handling duties in an offense where anyone can be a pg. Perhaps the Rox didn't trust Lin because he was struggling in the preseason ( umm coming off knee surgery?) and jumped at the opportunity to get harden to take that burden off ( not for Lin's sake but to make sure Lin gets less time with the ball).
We all were fooled by the Rox. Lin is a "floor general" only on paper. He has been forced to develop outside of what makes him a great player and now people (we) are crapping all over him because he is struggling.
If u take a step back and look at the overall picture, it's the Rox (Morey) who is the true villain of this story. He can shove his analytics up his butt.
The OKC Thunder absolutely smothered the Houston Rockets in a 120-91 Game 1 blowout. According to Serge Ibaka, the Rockets’ occasional selfishness doomed them in the series opener. Per the Houston Chronicle: “While the Rockets studied video and worked to make corrections, Oklahoma City forward Serge Ibaka offered a rapid evaluation of what happened to the Rockets’ offense when the Thunder switched on high screens throughout Sunday’s blowout. ‘They can be kind of selfish,’ Ibaka said. ‘You know, when you switch against a team like them that’s going to go one-on-one, that’s good for us. For them, they are going to take some tough shots, some contested shots. That’s something we want, that we’re looking for.’ Rockets coach Kevin McHale said Sunday that when the Thunder switched, the Rockets too often tried to go one-on-one to score, rather than driving and then continuing to move the ball. The Rockets made 36.3 percent of their shots Sunday. Their 17 assists were just three more than their fewest of the season.”
For the Rockets to be less selfish, the bigs have to be more involved off the ball.
All season long, defenses load up on Lin while closing off all his passing targets. Teams let Harden and Parsons shoot, but this is the playoffs and those guys are finally being legitimately guarded the way Lin has been all season.
As long as guys not involved in the high pick and roll are actively moving off the ball to receive passes, that should open up floor options for guys to do more than take selfish shots.
Last year during off season, people(nba tv and other so called expert) said the Lin will thrive with The Rockets because they ran a lot of pick and roll. I bitterly laugh and now here we are
U know I don't really give that much crap about whether Jeremy is a "nice" person or not. There are plenty of "nice" persons out there.
What matters is how good of a basketball player he is cause lets face it - he wouldn't have the following he has if he was just a nice person. I'm sure McHale thinks Jeremy is nice too.
So sick of people saying I don't know if Jeremy is good at basketball, but he is really nice... Oh really??
@solidz 75:Thank you very much for pointing that out. Do not get me wrong. Having good character and all is important but in order for Lin to be respected more , he needs to show what he is made of on the court. There are so many great players that are jerks but people still respect and like them because of their skills. That was why I was so drawn to Lin while he was in New york. It wasnt about him but his teammates and he comes off as a great guy to hang out with despite all that was happening. I also want to add that Lin is tough mentally but there will always come a point when you just cant take it. To be honest, what Lin is going through right now ..the hate and mockery and the seemingly lack of support from the organisation ..I really dont know how one can take it. Please do not get me wrong. I do not in anyway think Lin is weak in fact I think despite all that has happened he has not only handled it i professionally ,most importantly, he has adopted the right attitude. We can all pray to GOD to just let Lin block out whatever has been said about him and play the way he knows how and most importantly with confidence.
I keep telling you, Solidz75, that the anti Lin criticism willl NEVER CEASE.
Lin is Asian. To be Asian is to be the target of criticism whether one deserves it or not.
Outside this forum, you can't retaliate or change people's minds. Once you realize that, you'll have a much happier time following Jeremy Lin or even being Asian.
Ha, ha. I was mesmerized watching this game also. Great game, and almost no weak link among players. Conley is very good, but at crucial point cp3 did it again.
Conley has played six years at Memphis, knows his teammates, that system, his role is well defined, and he gets consistent minutes. He's very good, but look at the context too. It doesn't make sense to expect Lin to have a 'coming out year' given that he has new teammates, a young team, an inexperienced coach, a minimal playbook, an ill-defined role, inconsistent minutes. It's hard to be consistent if your role and playing time is inconsistent.
I'm just saying that Lin will never get the chance to run the team. If this wete he rockets, it would've been Harrden going at it with cp3 not Lin.
I truly believe that the Rox would've been a better team in the end if Morey didn't snatch up harden and let lin run this team. Perhaps the Rox wouldn't have made the playoffs because of a bad start but everyone would've been better.
Lin individually would've had a great year as well and IMO a much better, much more confident player. Makes me mad if I have to think about all the things that made the season so tough for him.
These guys on both teams were playing at a much intense and physical level than they usually do during regular games. They move faster, jump higher than they did during regular season. It's like they took it to another level, because usually, I would not even have watched their games during regular season because it would be boring, but this was an intense game. Every possession was a war. I just didn't see that type of mentality from Rockets and Lin during their first game, you know the attitude that says "I came here to battle" type of mentality. This is why I blame Mac and Harden more, because someone with the playoff experience should have better prepared Rockets players mentally. This is why even SAS says Rockets did not show up.
I liked the fact that SAS at least called out Harden, saying Harden didn't show up in many consecutive playoff games going back to last year with OKC. Take that Harden. If you want to be the "stud" and ball hog, you gotta show up.
Rockets' Patrick Beverley gets Thunder's attention Derek Fisher: “I think it's apparent that he [PB] only knows one way to play the game. That's to go hard, to play hard, to play with aggression and confidence. He impacted the game (Sunday) night. After (we got) off to a good start, I thought his minutes in that first half allowed them to keep the game competitive. So I think he'll be a guy that we have to key on Wednesday night, to try and do a better job of slowing down his penetration. He's a good player, and we have to view him as that. He's made us aware, and we have to be ready for that Wednesday.”
This is "player speak" that's being thrown about in the papers by a savvy playoff champion to encourage one of Houston's weakest players to play and do more.
I like it!
If I were Derek Fisher, I'd do the exact same thing.
Lin is the deadly guy that opponents want off the court. He makes the whole team go, including Beverley. Stop Lin and you stop the Rockets.
Same with you Khuang.. Those comments will deflect the pressure off Jlin. I expect him to come out firing on all cylinders.. Wonder how Bev will cope now ?
Bev did play an important role in helping Rockets tie the score at the early part, but he played too long as usual. I don't think Fisher was saying this as a ploy. Bev is a good 10 minutes back-up kinda player. No one is saying Bev should start as a PG, but he was effective during early part last game. IMO, Bev should just play 10 to 12 minutes at most.
If I were the Thunder, I'd continue to let Bev do his thing without resistance.
Lin has become a very good off the ball player that often draws double teams OFF the ball. More defensive attention to Bev means more openings for Lin when they play together.
Unlike Lin, Bev has absolutely no chance of guarding Westbrook. The goal is to encourage Bev's minutes to maximize Westbrook's scoring ability. Plus Westbrook actually has to defend Lin, and that takes away from Westbrook's offense.
I simply cannot agree more about the pick and roll thing. It's like a foreign concept in Houston. If memory serves, there is only iso here,iso there,and iso everywhere throughout the embarassing game1. JLin was basically used as a spot-up SG,and he barely touch the ball.
yes...he was kinda off game.However, he was definitely not the one to blame for the loss.
If you ask me the opinion about the Rox...I say remove McHail,then everything would fall in place.
The Rockets organization have been conducting a few damage-control PR regarding Jeremy Lin lately toward the end of the season. Rather than doing nothing or keep their mouths shut, they are actually being kinder to Lin when all he did is play badly (along the whole Rockets team). Yet they had a hard time saying anything anything remotely considered complimentary when he played quite well since since January (albeit they were fond of benching Lin whether he played good or bad). IMO, if they weren't planning to trade Lin eminently, why would they bother to take the time to do any PR about him at this time, especially a positive or neutral PR. It's also very different from how they used to treat him until recently. I would be very pleased if they do trade Lin, which I think is probable. I know many of you are as well. Ehhhhh, I'm getting anxious.....
KHuang thinks Lin should be traded to Phoenix for Dragic. That would be my favorite idea too! But any number of teams would be okay.
I'm embarrassed with all these Jeremy haters. they only know how to count how many times the ball goes in the basket.the dynamics on how you are going to put the ball in the basket,well...
anyway, haters are like dogs who bark and bark but do not bite.
Shuhow just completed a full regular season as the starting point guard and he's got really good numbers on a squad that minimized his usage and featured another ball dominant guard. He's already made the record books, has millions of loyal fans around the world, and is only 24! Assuming he stays healthy going into the summer, he'll have a full summer to hone his skills and perfect his shot. Assuming he doesn't get traded, he'll be able to get a full preseason of practice in next year with an already familiar team. His future is super bright...
If we want to focus on these playoffs, it was an overwhelming experience. that okc defense was suffocating and they definitely came to play. harden may have gotten 20 points, but he wasn't shooting any better than shuhow...just took more shots (as usual). the whole team shot poorly and i expect that to improve in game 2.
I expect Lin to feed the big men early, even if they can't catch some passes or brick a few layups.
In pro basketball, big men need their offensive touches in order to be able to compete on both ends of the court. When big guys score and feel appreciated, they rebound and defend and pass better.
One of Lin's elite talents is that he gets his big guys into scoring position. Even if they're minimum wage nobodies with bad hands, Lin will plow the ball into those guys.
Lin will do this to his own statistical detriment at times, but I see it as being completely necessary for Lin to play winning basketball.
Given the current players and coaches, I personally think Lin should just try to COMPLETELY shutting down WB.
Offensively, like you said, if the bigs can be involved, we will have a good chance. However, I seriously doubt that will happen. I mean the probability of Harden or Parsons go off and get 40pts is higher to me. lol
Russell Westbrook is a volume shooter who's going to huck the ball at the rim, no matter who's guarding him.
Lin's already doing his part to contain Westbrook, especially since Westbrook badly greyhounds Patrick Beverley. More scoring from the big menake them more ready to help Lin defensively when Lin gets screened out.
As far as DMo, I'm all for playing him as long as he doesn't just stand at the 3 point line and shy away from contact. He's gotta man up and get that 7 foot frame right into the paint.
Lin's Rockets can't afford to play scared against OKC's imposing big men.
@Khuang, that's why I said "try" to. DMO, in my opinion, is just too physically weak. He got skills, but if you put him on the floor, we will be out-rebounded very very badly. Especially because Ibaka is not slow, I doubt Dmo will be effective against him.
That been said, OKC got all the talents, if we just analyze like this, we will have zero chance of winning a game anyway. Who knows, maybe we will raining threes next game and blow them out of their own building? lol
See Brent, I still think Lin needs to offensively go at Westbrook.
Westbrook, for all of his athleticism, is not a great defender. That's why he gets all sorts of help from the bigs when Lin goes right at him.
Lin cannot afford to spend all his effort on defense without playing offense. If Westbrook gets a few scores and assists, GO BACK AT HIM and make him work defensively. Besides, Lin is the only Rocket who sets up other players for their offense.
The goal is to get everyone, including Harden, into better position on both ends of the court. Lin doesn't care who's shooting as long as a good shot is put up.
Since the Patterson and Morris trades, the Houston big men have been very receptive to Lin feeding them. All of Houston's big men have been x factors that break games open when Lin is setting them up.
For Houston to have a chance in this series, the big guys need to establish inside position and take advantage of OKC's desire to shut down perimeter scoring via big man helping defense.
Ibaka is killing the Rox. He made quite a few momentum changing plays in the game. In order for Rox to have any chance, they need to figure a way to handle him.
If the Rockets had a legitimate shot blocker they would have far less trouble containing WB.
Khuang is right when no one can contain WB 1 on 1. He's the most athletic PG in the league as far as a high flying dunking PG.
I honestly blame the overall team defense of the Rockets. I don't know if it's a coaching thing or players are slow to rotate. What they need to do is setup WB to drive but have a big step up to get in front of him to take the charge, then the other Rocket player has to rotate fast enough to block off Thunder front line.
They do the same thing to Jlin & Harden. The only difference is the Thunder have Ibaka HIGH FLYING SHOT BLOCKER to help them out. Rockets don't have a high flying shot blocker. Even Durant when he wants to can be a high flying shot blocker.
On another note, the Rockets vs. the Thunder is a match-up nightmare in all positions. I think they may even have to play a little 2-3 zone or a 1-1-3 zone (where the PG trails WB everywhere). The Mavs during their Championship run were successful switching from man to man to zone defense, which confused opponents, even the Thunder.
Even if this is the "youngest team" in the NBA. All of them played high school and college ball. They all know how to play zone defense.
As far as the offense goes, they need to watch the Clippers. Because the Clippers are exactly like the Rockets when it comes to having a bath "half court set" (which translates to more hero ball than team ball). Their are only a few differences such as:
1) Clippers ru the run PNR...double PNR..triple PNR more than the Rockets. 2) Clippers have high flying front court players (BGriffin & DJordan).
If Dmo wasn't such a liability on the defensive end, I would have him play PF, because he actually has good passing ability which they can exploit to get Asik some open looks (just the same way Gasol is used to get Howard open looks and dunks). However, that is not the case.
What I would really like to see (I know we've been saying this all season long) is Lin handle the ball as the PG General 90% of the time. It wouldn't hurt the Rockets to just try it and see how it goes for the 1st half of GM2. Run multiple PNR...this will get WB tired and frustrated, which will result in WB fouls and hero ball. Since McHale is soo great at experimenting with lineups and offensive sets; He should give this a try.
Etymology, running Lin at PG with multiple screens still would not work.
All season long, Lin draws heavy double teams and an additional help defender every time he runs the pick and roll.
If the Rockets had a picking big man who knew how to roll to rhe basket oe post up a smaller switched opponent, that would work. But Lin doesn't have such players. Thus opponents jam Lin all the way out to the 3 point line, knocking out the midrange.
KHuang, don't you think that the ibaka/perkins tandem was causing the rocket bigs some trouble in the paint. greg smith couldn't post up very well, and it looked like asik was struggling a lot also. I think the okc game plane was to focus on guarding the paint. Houston had a lot of open looks (not enough imo, but a lot) and couldn't nail them. i do think they need to do a better job of rotating the ball around because far too often harden or even lin, at times, would iso into the pull up jumper. I'm thinking maybe more pnr?
Yes, Ibaka and Perkins are the real problem for the Rockets.
The Rockets big men are not going to win the tag team wrestling match in the paint. But they can toughen up and fight inside anyway. Make the max contract guy in Ibaka EARN his dollars.
Even more pick and roll or Lin playing point won't help if OKC's helping men can rotate into the paint without offensive resistance. Every Rocket on the court has to do his job, or at least try to.
You're more of a basketball expert than that guy in CNM in youtube LOL...actually most of us if not all of us our pretty good basketball experts here =)
BTW, one of my friend's friend went to the 1st game in the OKC. He got Lin's signature on that GQ cover in the morning outside ROx's hotel. He told me Lin seems to have a bad attitude to fans. He was really puzzled.
I guess if you camp outside the hotel like a paparazzi, you are not going to get a good attitude? He told me Parsons was completely different tho, Parsons was very friendly. :P
I wouldn't be surprised. I think he's a private person and probably got tired of the spotlight everywhere he goes. But I understand fans get upset because they probably put in a lot of effort to try to meet him. I think the best way is meet him is go to the fan events that are organized by the Rockets, or somewhere at the arena before or after a game.
Please give Harden bunches of bananas wherever and whenever you see him so that after eating one he slips on the banana peel on the floor and is out for the playoffs. Lin needs all the Devine intervention he can get to be able to be put in a position to be "the point guard" on the team and not "a guard" on the team. I have been praying and praying to the banana gods for this. Banana gods, will my prayers be answered?!
It's funny how as soon as Beverly was guarding Westbrook, Westbrook pounced on him and drove by him at will. Remember that one play where he almost made Beverly fall down? If that happened to Lin, they'd make a GIF and show it everywhere. Instead, I'm sure Beverly's rep as a "great defender" is no worse for wear. Basketball fans "eye tests" are really bad.
Guys do you think Chandler Parsons would be good if he got moved at the PF position?
I don't know if he has good box out and low post fundamental skills on the defensive end?
I was thinking if McHale is going with a small lineup anyways, he should try moving CParsons to the 4 spot. So the offensive lineup should look like this:
PG Lin SG Harden SF Garcia/Delfino PF Parsons C Asik
On another note, since OKC is great on running a run n' gun offense & cherry picking just like the Rockets. The Rockets should limit their 3 point attempts if it's not going in so it leads to fewer fast breaks by the Thunder. Then they can go with a bigger line up all the time & most likely generate more offensive rebounds in which they really suck at.
"The Thunder lost Wednesday despite Harden getting 15 with 3:23 remaining in the first half and finishing with a career-playoff-high 23."
This is what we've seen many times this season. Rockets loosing even when Harden scores a lot. Because when he puts more energy on the offensive ends and scores more points, he gives up twice as much points on the defensive end.
"The Mavs managed to close the series despite a poor shooting night from the floor. They shot 41 percent, including 5-of-20 from 3-point range, but made 31 of 36 free throws. The Mavs went 11-of-13 from the line in the fourth quarter."
The Rockets needs to get the Thunder BIGS in foul trouble & get to the free throw line.
I might missed some of your early comments, what do you guys think about Lin go to far from his own man for helping pack the paint? Is it right, wrong, or both?
I'd love to see if they'll use Dragic as a SG also and see how he does in the same McHale system and whether he'll be benched from 4:00 left in 3rd Q until the the 6:00 mark in 4th Q and see how their "PG" boy does. If he doesn't get benched, then his play will also be in conflict with Harden's play, since most PGs today are by nature and role *ball dominant*. And Dragic certainly is as well. If McHale wants to make Dragic look better in comparison to Lin, thus if he treats Dragic differently on the court (off court, it's a certainty), then Harden's stats will certainly suffer. What to do.... what to do..... not easy for McHell and Sorey. LOL
It boggles my mind to think how bad the Rox coaching and management is in getting the best out of this squad of young talents. It really makes you believe that Morey and Mchale had their own agendas only in mind and not the team.
How hard is it to have Lin and Harden coexist when Lin wants to pass and harden wants to shoot?
How hard is it to see that Lin finds ways to involve the bigs much much better than Harden?
How hard is it to see that with Lin on point running the attack up the middle with the bigs, both Harden on either wing, it presents nightmares for any defense?
It leaves me with only conspiracy theory because these points are so self evident. Morey and Mchale doesn't want Lin to succeed because they had made a mistake in letting him go so they want to prove to Les that they were right and Les was wrong. Morey wanted to feature his own brilliant acquisition as the star to prove how great he is in building a team to cover for all the bad decisions he's made in the past; i.e. White!
Now, in the playoffs. We have a marginalized Lin not knowing what to do. We have bigs not having been involved in the offense all year because of Harden and Parsons hogging all the possessions. We have bigs that don't know how to PNR or finish at the basket. We have, just as Ibaka says, a Rox team that is selfish because we have had a season of players running to the corners so that Harden can run his iOS. Everything is coming home to roost.
It's truly bizarre. They played great together the first two games of the season. That was before Sampson issued his famous "this team is not a democracy" statement.
he's clearly an awesome person...
ReplyDeleteat work. not able to read the article. but i agree with him. hehe
DeleteHis comments even implies that he think those media frenzy is bad for Lin. He is kind of try to calm it down? Really? lol
ReplyDeleteGlad that his inner circle is framing his image appropriately.
ReplyDeleteOnly thing I disagree with Jeremy about is his usage of the word bipolar. Bipolar would not be appropriate, someone who dislikes or to an extreme, hate his game does not become ambivalent or like his game. They will harp on his other facets regardless whether he does well or not. There is nothing bipolar about his critics.
Therefore, what he is trying to communicate--keeping with his word usage and style--polarizing or polarized fans would be a better fit. A paly and harvard grad, sheesh!
A cringe worthy comment comes from the article's Wea H. Lee, a Taiwanese American who said
“Many parents want their kids to go to American schools to be lawyers, not athletes.”
“It’s a new image for Asians,” Lee said. “We need more Jeremy Lins, not just doctors.”
which I'm starting to feel uneasy about. Why doctors as careers tinged with a slight pejorative comparison?
It also overlooks other Asian American (AA) pioneers. For example, what Alexander Wang is doing @ Balenciaga is leagues above what "Jeremy Lins" can do on impact. So is Justin Lin as a commercial director doing franchises and directing community episodes.
I would argue AA need more Alexander Wang and Justin Lin and we need more doctors, engineers, and lawyers and other careers as much as "more Jeremy Lins" that create a positive image across all spectrum.
I don't understand this "new image for Asians" for this Lee guy. Soccer is populated with Asian players who are rising in Euro leagues. Olympics are populated with Asians. MMA, which I love has new crops of Asian challengers such as Cung Le.
The only guess about new image for Asians from this Lee guy is he wants to impress people who are not worldy and not as educated. Then the question is, why do you need to impress those people?
Make money in business! Be creative in fashion and film! Help cure people! MMA power and prowess! Therefore, I just don't understand this Lee guy's quote. Maybe it's because I don't find basketball as interesting as MMA. Or haute couture. Nevertheless, I hope parents with kids who read that article isn't sucked into his narrow mindset and take his advice as some sort of anthem.
As for the sentiment or "feels" of the article--Keep on working Jeremy, we support you!
He said bipolar, not bipolar disorder. His usage is fine
DeleteThe Greeks believed that athletics had a much higher cause then our pedestrian attitude towards athletics. They believed that great athletic feats created mana that helped society spiritually. Sports teaches us that our human limitations are self made, to break the rules, to discover new scientific breakthroughs, all require the will and self belief in not accepting what we are told is the rules or limits of our beliefs. Lin is a vanguard of human achievement, equally important as any academic, philosophical or artistic pursuit.
DeleteI believe that play and competition is an essential part of education. Do you know why the best private schools make it a mandatory scholastic requirement? It's because sports and play teaches skills that no other activities can, no books or study groups can teach teamwork, staying cool under pressure, self discipline, determination. The old ways of learning is passé. Creativity is what the new grads needs. The old ways of knowledge retention as a measurement of intelligence is nolonger relevant. Google, intel, Facebook all recognize play an essential part of improving creativity in their staff. Take note of the ping pong tables in their office space or their schedule play times for staff.
R u serious? U r commenting on his correct usage of the word bipolar?
DeleteAnyhow, JLin's influence can't be denied~
DeleteSxx @Sxxxxxxxxxx
I said Jeremy Lin and he goes http://pic.twitter.com/mPB2UjmpCp
8:55 PM - 22 Apr 13
[There are babies named Jeremylin xxxx out there too...]
I bet if MamaLin writes a Battle Hymn of a Panda Mother, it'll be a bestseller...[The next generation of AAs.]
DeleteLame article.
ReplyDeleteJERÉ LONGMAN: "He is still prone to commit critical turnovers. He moves reluctantly to his left, his shooting touch can abandon him, and he does not always fight insistently through screens on defense."
DeleteJere Longman is not a basketball writer and it shows.
It's just a fluff piece about cultural identity. Yawn.
"prone to commit critical turnovers" applies more to Harden than Lin. LOL.
DeleteIt's amusing to see the TROLLS like eb5attorney and ley and those other haters come out here whenever Lin has a bad game.
ReplyDeleteTheir only goal is to flame people here using Lin as their means for hating people.
I guess these trolls love to try to degrade people on this forum. These flameboys think that people here are STUPID.
While some other people think / refused to acknowledge how stupid McHale is
DeleteD-Will shot a brutal 1-9 in a loss to the injury-plagued Bulls. YIKES. Now that's ugly.
DeleteBTW, Nets lost to Chicago after destroying and embarrassing them in Game 1. Let's see what Game 2 brings for Houston and Jeremy...
D-Will doesn't even have the excuses of being young or being Derek Fishered or being surrounded by terrible bigs (he's got Brook Lopez) or fellow youngsters. He just stunk it up on his homecourt by losing to a banged up team that can't even score.
DeleteThis is not to insult D-Will (though I'm not a big fan), but just to show that everyone has ugly games. And if you're young and misused with clumsy/selfish teammates...it's going to be even uglier.
Jeremy's career (much like Steve Nash or Chauncey Billups) will be a marathon not a sprint.
Randy Cruz @cruzr83
DeleteSource: After the game, Deron Williams tried throwing his uniform in the hamper and missed.
8:25 PM - 22 Apr 13
Have to give credit to Hinrich for his defense.
DeleteThe mother of all haters KHuang. He is an expert in spotting trolls because he's delusional punk.
DeleteAlways saying I hate everyone when khuAng is the biggest hating elf.
DeleteYeah Heinrich came to play tonight as well as the rest of the team. You can clearly tell thibodeau team comes prepared every game and knows how to rebound after a demoralizing loss.
DeleteHow a coach can make a difference..
And we're stuck with McHale
DeleteBut you DO hate everyone, eb5attorney.
DeleteWhy is that being delusional?
From the start, eb5attorney, you have always said that we Lin fans on this site are delusional and stupid for seeing him as a future All Star.
DeleteYou simply think Lin is a SCRUB, unworthy and undeserving of accolades.
That's why I and multiple other people regard you as a TROLL.
KHuang is making everything up; that's why you are delusional. Yeap, go ahead and make up story KHuang. I have seen you do that to other posters. Just go ahead and lie punk, if that makes you happy. You are just a bully who can't stand others to have different opinions from you.
DeleteHere are KHuang's tactics against posters who disagree with him:
Delete1. When I say he's delusional, he says I think all posters here are delusional.
2. When I say I hate his calling people trolls whenever they criticize Lin in some way, KHuang says I hate everyone.
I am onto your tricks a hater.
Anyway, hoping Lin will come out to battle on Wed, not just play.
I think all the debate/fighting here are just pointless. Please focus on Lin and maybe Rox.
DeletePick-and-roll? What pick-and-roll? Half ass pick-and-roll? Pick-and-roll that never came even requested, forced to pass to someone else and they get the pick? Harden pick-and-roll for switch than iso? Only got the ball with 6/7 seconds left in the shot clock and both bigs down and the low post and to far for pick-and-roll?
ReplyDeleteSeriously some people... don't get me started, Lin barely / rarely have decent pick-and-roll
JLIN POST PRACTICE 4/22/13
ReplyDeleteMCHALE POST PRACTICE
DeleteThis is such a bullshit. Reporters asking only about Jeremy's poor play. What Jeremy has to do. Even the mainstream media thinks Lin was the focal point if the loss. WTF.
DeleteIn any case, it's good that both of them look pretty relaxed and don't seem like they are panicking.
Really McHale needs to burden the pressure off this young team while letting them know they have absolutely nothing to lose.
I do think they were intimidated. I hope they play better collectively well on Wednesday.
Yeap, they just want to create a stir.
DeleteNEW PLAYOFF BANNER AT TOYOTA CENTER
ReplyDeleteYea, Lyd. =)
DeleteThe biggest bully is in the damn building(namely McHale). Get rid of that turd first
DeleteI hope JLin comes out guns blazing for game 2, just to STFU his haters. If not, I suspect PB is gonna take most of his minutes for the home games.
ReplyDeleteMR. ENERGY
DeleteUmm.....I'm a Lin fan.
DeleteI know PB always gets a pass from the coach.
I just hope Lin plays good.
BBallbreakdown video about playoffs team defense is up:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=HrjTRIQE-K0#t=185s
^_^...One of the play, Harden is caught ball watching.
OKC PRACTICE REPORT
ReplyDelete[Not JLIn]
ReplyDeleteAllen Iverson, NBA icon, struggles with life after basketball
Clippers vs. Memphis going down to the wire...
ReplyDeleteCP3 makes the game winning floater bank shot on the right side or the paint...clips win 93-91
DeleteTony Allen played good D...Blake Griffin grabbed DArthur to remove the shot blocker...CP3 made a tremendous shot...
DeleteMike Conley played a good game 28pts 9-18FG 9-13FT 9ast, 2stl but it wasn't enough to beat the clippers.
DeleteIn the last four minutes, CP3 went 3 for 4 from the field, including the game winner. All were PnR or isolations.
DeleteGAME WINNER
DeleteIf Harden were half as clutch as that, Rox would be 6th seed.
DeleteMorey salivating...
DeleteDaryl Morey @dmorey
CP3 not only makes shot but also makes sure Memphis has no time which is almost as important. Amazing.
10:32 PM - 22 Apr 13
Morey can't salivate all he wants. Cp3 is not coming to Houston.
DeleteHe better come so Lin can go
DeleteI agree Brent... Dint get me wrong, anything that will help lin leave this place, im all in. But what reason does cp3 have to leave la? No state income tax?
DeleteAs good and seasoned(4th playoffs this year inclusive) as CP3 is, he started rather slow and was 1-6 till his 23min PT. His coaches without any doubt, gave him the rein to make play, take shots and his teammates showed up big time.
DeleteLin on the other hand, was on no man's land.
In fairness, in the last game, Lin did not lack for playing time, even with his poor play. The only reason he was taken out was because of getting into foul trouble.
DeleteCP3 is really savvy player. He's an intense little engine who will not back down from anyone and any team. I have no doubt that Lin will also get other players involved if he got that kind of trust, but the way CP3 orchestrates his offense, that's something very difficult for other players to match. Did you see how CP3 at the end almost fought to get to the basket and veered to the right and then softly banked in the jumper; Memphis players were literally stunned at the outcome. Also, it's nearly impossible for any two opposing players to trap him because he already sees what's coming and veers his body while dribbling and then makes what are unconventional passes for other players which seem very natural for him to his teammates. And he can drive in and then create an open space by looking like he's about to pass.
DeleteI agree CP3 is not coming to Houston. Bledsoe is, I think, very good in individual ability but lacks the floor leadership. But I think he's just as good as CP3 in scoring and dribbling but does not have as good court sense.
Deletelyvrlife, even though CP3 started slow, he was very effective at penetrating and getting his teammates easy shots. And you knew who they were going to give the ball to at the end, and he delivered. He's such a savvy player because he knows when to get others involved and when to take shots. He seems to play within control all the time; I get the sense that he can turn it on more but he doesn't. His mental makeup is what makes him a better PG. Day in and out, I don't think other PGs come close. Maybe Nash during his heyday, but he was nowhere near athletic as CP3 or as quick.
DeleteNo question about CP3's talent.
DeleteJust thinking how handicapped Lin is being in such a bad situation. If only we can swap teams between CP3 and Lin, rewind to CP3 1st year playoffs, then maybe today on this forum, everybody would be more cheerful.
Remember cp3 developed as a floor general because he was given that role from the very start - like the walls and the Irving's of the world.
DeleteOn the other hand, lin gts relegated to sharing ball handling duties in an offense where anyone can be a pg. Perhaps the Rox didn't trust Lin because he was struggling in the preseason ( umm coming off knee surgery?) and jumped at the opportunity to get harden to take that burden off ( not for Lin's sake but to make sure Lin gets less time with the ball).
We all were fooled by the Rox. Lin is a "floor general" only on paper. He has been forced to develop outside of what makes him a great player and now people (we) are crapping all over him because he is struggling.
If u take a step back and look at the overall picture, it's the Rox (Morey) who is the true villain of this story. He can shove his analytics up his butt.
Serge Ibaka Called the Houston Rockets Selfish
DeleteThe OKC Thunder absolutely smothered the Houston Rockets in a 120-91 Game 1 blowout. According to Serge Ibaka, the Rockets’ occasional selfishness doomed them in the series opener. Per the Houston Chronicle: “While the Rockets studied video and worked to make corrections, Oklahoma City forward Serge Ibaka offered a rapid evaluation of what happened to the Rockets’ offense when the Thunder switched on high screens throughout Sunday’s blowout. ‘They can be kind of selfish,’ Ibaka said. ‘You know, when you switch against a team like them that’s going to go one-on-one, that’s good for us. For them, they are going to take some tough shots, some contested shots. That’s something we want, that we’re looking for.’ Rockets coach Kevin McHale said Sunday that when the Thunder switched, the Rockets too often tried to go one-on-one to score, rather than driving and then continuing to move the ball. The Rockets made 36.3 percent of their shots Sunday. Their 17 assists were just three more than their fewest of the season.”
For the Rockets to be less selfish, the bigs have to be more involved off the ball.
DeleteAll season long, defenses load up on Lin while closing off all his passing targets. Teams let Harden and Parsons shoot, but this is the playoffs and those guys are finally being legitimately guarded the way Lin has been all season.
As long as guys not involved in the high pick and roll are actively moving off the ball to receive passes, that should open up floor options for guys to do more than take selfish shots.
Hoopmixtape.com @Hoopmixtape
ReplyDeleteDerrick Rose looks healthy here... http://www.beyondthebuzzer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/bullsbench.gif … via @BeyondTheBuzzer
7:35 PM - 22 Apr 13
Wow nice special lookin jersey there lol jk. Give the kid a break, basically went through the same thing as Lin did last year
DeleteYeah, people have been sympathetic...
DeleteTime to shut down Derrick Rose.
Derrick Rose and Selective Empathy.
Wish they could have been as sympathetic with JLin then too.
DeleteLast year during off season, people(nba tv and other so called expert) said the Lin will thrive with The Rockets because they ran a lot of pick and roll. I bitterly laugh and now here we are
ReplyDeleteU know I don't really give that much crap about whether Jeremy is a "nice" person or not. There are plenty of "nice" persons out there.
ReplyDeleteWhat matters is how good of a basketball player he is cause lets face it - he wouldn't have the following he has if he was just a nice person. I'm sure McHale thinks Jeremy is nice too.
So sick of people saying I don't know if Jeremy is good at basketball, but he is really nice... Oh really??
You are going to get that even after Lin retires I think. Lol
DeleteI want Lin to be recognized for being an awesome basketball player foremost.
DeleteIt's good that he is likable, but to garner respect as a bball player, he needs to show up consistently.
@solidz 75:Thank you very much for pointing that out. Do not get me wrong. Having good character and all is important but in order for Lin to be respected more , he needs to show what he is made of on the court.
DeleteThere are so many great players that are jerks but people still respect and like them because of their skills. That was why I was so drawn to Lin while he was in New york. It wasnt about him but his teammates and he comes off as a great guy to hang out with despite all that was happening.
I also want to add that Lin is tough mentally but there will always come a point when you just cant take it. To be honest, what Lin is going through right now ..the hate and mockery and the seemingly lack of support from the organisation ..I really dont know how one can take it. Please do not get me wrong. I do not in anyway think Lin is weak in fact I think despite all that has happened he has not only handled it i professionally ,most importantly, he has adopted the right attitude. We can all pray to GOD to just let Lin block out whatever has been said about him and play the way he knows how and most importantly with confidence.
I keep telling you, Solidz75, that the anti Lin criticism willl NEVER CEASE.
DeleteLin is Asian. To be Asian is to be the target of criticism whether one deserves it or not.
Outside this forum, you can't retaliate or change people's minds. Once you realize that, you'll have a much happier time following Jeremy Lin or even being Asian.
Both Memphis and Clippers are too quick, athletic, physical and skilled for Rockets. Almost no weak link in their teams.
ReplyDeleteTonight's pg battle between Conley and cp3 was beautiful to see. Going at it. Mano a Mano.
ReplyDeleteConley was going Linsanity tonight.. Something that I don't think I will ever see again as long as Jeremy plays for the Rox.
This was supposed to be a coming out year for him. Now we are asking ourselves whether Jeremy can recover from that horrific playoff debut. SMH.
Ha, ha. I was mesmerized watching this game also. Great game, and almost no weak link among players. Conley is very good, but at crucial point cp3 did it again.
DeleteConley has played six years at Memphis, knows his teammates, that system, his role is well defined, and he gets consistent minutes. He's very good, but look at the context too. It doesn't make sense to expect Lin to have a 'coming out year' given that he has new teammates, a young team, an inexperienced coach, a minimal playbook, an ill-defined role, inconsistent minutes. It's hard to be consistent if your role and playing time is inconsistent.
DeleteI'm just saying that Lin will never get the chance to run the team. If this wete he rockets, it would've been Harrden going at it with cp3 not Lin.
DeleteI truly believe that the Rox would've been a better team in the end if Morey didn't snatch up harden and let lin run this team. Perhaps the Rox wouldn't have made the playoffs because of a bad start but everyone would've been better.
Lin individually would've had a great year as well and IMO a much better, much more confident player. Makes me mad if I have to think about all the things that made the season so tough for him.
Harden is McHale's security blanket. He might actually have done some coaching if Harden weren't around.
DeleteThese guys on both teams were playing at a much intense and physical level than they usually do during regular games. They move faster, jump higher than they did during regular season. It's like they took it to another level, because usually, I would not even have watched their games during regular season because it would be boring, but this was an intense game. Every possession was a war. I just didn't see that type of mentality from Rockets and Lin during their first game, you know the attitude that says "I came here to battle" type of mentality. This is why I blame Mac and Harden more, because someone with the playoff experience should have better prepared Rockets players mentally. This is why even SAS says Rockets did not show up.
DeleteI thought Allen guy for Memphis played really well also.
DeleteI liked the fact that SAS at least called out Harden, saying Harden didn't show up in many consecutive playoff games going back to last year with OKC. Take that Harden. If you want to be the "stud" and ball hog, you gotta show up.
Delete[Ads on page]
ReplyDeleteRockets' Patrick Beverley gets Thunder's attention
Derek Fisher: “I think it's apparent that he [PB] only knows one way to play the game. That's to go hard, to play hard, to play with aggression and confidence. He impacted the game (Sunday) night. After (we got) off to a good start, I thought his minutes in that first half allowed them to keep the game competitive. So I think he'll be a guy that we have to key on Wednesday night, to try and do a better job of slowing down his penetration. He's a good player, and we have to view him as that. He's made us aware, and we have to be ready for that Wednesday.”
This is "player speak" that's being thrown about in the papers by a savvy playoff champion to encourage one of Houston's weakest players to play and do more.
DeleteI like it!
If I were Derek Fisher, I'd do the exact same thing.
Lin is the deadly guy that opponents want off the court. He makes the whole team go, including Beverley. Stop Lin and you stop the Rockets.
Same with you Khuang.. Those comments will deflect the pressure off Jlin. I expect him to come out firing on all cylinders.. Wonder how Bev will cope now ?
DeleteBev did play an important role in helping Rockets tie the score at the early part, but he played too long as usual. I don't think Fisher was saying this as a ploy. Bev is a good 10 minutes back-up kinda player. No one is saying Bev should start as a PG, but he was effective during early part last game. IMO, Bev should just play 10 to 12 minutes at most.
DeleteI think this shows clearly that Thunder didn't game plan at all for Beverly. We'll see how effective he is now that he's on the Thunder's radar.
DeleteTrue, I agree Thunder probably did not game plan at all for Bev.
DeleteIf I were the Thunder, I'd continue to let Bev do his thing without resistance.
DeleteLin has become a very good off the ball player that often draws double teams OFF the ball. More defensive attention to Bev means more openings for Lin when they play together.
Unlike Lin, Bev has absolutely no chance of guarding Westbrook. The goal is to encourage Bev's minutes to maximize Westbrook's scoring ability. Plus Westbrook actually has to defend Lin, and that takes away from Westbrook's offense.
to Rikki M
ReplyDeleteI simply cannot agree more about the pick and roll thing.
It's like a foreign concept in Houston.
If memory serves, there is only iso here,iso there,and iso everywhere throughout the embarassing game1.
JLin was basically used as a spot-up SG,and he barely touch the ball.
yes...he was kinda off game.However, he was definitely not the one to blame for the loss.
If you ask me the opinion about the Rox...I say
remove McHail,then everything would fall in place.
The Rockets organization have been conducting a few damage-control PR regarding Jeremy Lin lately toward the end of the season. Rather than doing nothing or keep their mouths shut, they are actually being kinder to Lin when all he did is play badly (along the whole Rockets team). Yet they had a hard time saying anything anything remotely considered complimentary when he played quite well since since January (albeit they were fond of benching Lin whether he played good or bad). IMO, if they weren't planning to trade Lin eminently, why would they bother to take the time to do any PR about him at this time, especially a positive or neutral PR. It's also very different from how they used to treat him until recently. I would be very pleased if they do trade Lin, which I think is probable. I know many of you are as well. Ehhhhh, I'm getting anxious.....
ReplyDeleteKHuang thinks Lin should be traded to Phoenix for Dragic. That would be my favorite idea too! But any number of teams would be okay.
I'm embarrassed with all these Jeremy haters. they only know how to count how many times the ball goes in the basket.the dynamics on how you are going to put the ball in the basket,well...
ReplyDeleteanyway, haters are like dogs who bark and bark but do not bite.
Very sorry but I have to say it again, 'MURICA!
Delete@IsabeliJane, learn from Lin, just tune it out. :P
Delete@Rikki - what's Murica?
Delete@Brent & @Lydia - yeah I'm trying to tune it out now
Shuhow just completed a full regular season as the starting point guard and he's got really good numbers on a squad that minimized his usage and featured another ball dominant guard. He's already made the record books, has millions of loyal fans around the world, and is only 24! Assuming he stays healthy going into the summer, he'll have a full summer to hone his skills and perfect his shot. Assuming he doesn't get traded, he'll be able to get a full preseason of practice in next year with an already familiar team. His future is super bright...
ReplyDeleteIf we want to focus on these playoffs, it was an overwhelming experience. that okc defense was suffocating and they definitely came to play. harden may have gotten 20 points, but he wasn't shooting any better than shuhow...just took more shots (as usual). the whole team shot poorly and i expect that to improve in game 2.
I expect Lin to feed the big men early, even if they can't catch some passes or brick a few layups.
ReplyDeleteIn pro basketball, big men need their offensive touches in order to be able to compete on both ends of the court. When big guys score and feel appreciated, they rebound and defend and pass better.
One of Lin's elite talents is that he gets his big guys into scoring position. Even if they're minimum wage nobodies with bad hands, Lin will plow the ball into those guys.
Lin will do this to his own statistical detriment at times, but I see it as being completely necessary for Lin to play winning basketball.
Given the current players and coaches, I personally think Lin should just try to COMPLETELY shutting down WB.
DeleteOffensively, like you said, if the bigs can be involved, we will have a good chance. However, I seriously doubt that will happen. I mean the probability of Harden or Parsons go off and get 40pts is higher to me. lol
What do you think about playing DMO?
DeleteBrent, nobody can truly stop Westbrook 1-on-1.
DeleteRussell Westbrook is a volume shooter who's going to huck the ball at the rim, no matter who's guarding him.
Lin's already doing his part to contain Westbrook, especially since Westbrook badly greyhounds Patrick Beverley. More scoring from the big menake them more ready to help Lin defensively when Lin gets screened out.
As far as DMo, I'm all for playing him as long as he doesn't just stand at the 3 point line and shy away from contact. He's gotta man up and get that 7 foot frame right into the paint.
Lin's Rockets can't afford to play scared against OKC's imposing big men.
@Khuang, that's why I said "try" to. DMO, in my opinion, is just too physically weak. He got skills, but if you put him on the floor, we will be out-rebounded very very badly. Especially because Ibaka is not slow, I doubt Dmo will be effective against him.
DeleteThat been said, OKC got all the talents, if we just analyze like this, we will have zero chance of winning a game anyway. Who knows, maybe we will raining threes next game and blow them out of their own building? lol
See Brent, I still think Lin needs to offensively go at Westbrook.
DeleteWestbrook, for all of his athleticism, is not a great defender. That's why he gets all sorts of help from the bigs when Lin goes right at him.
Lin cannot afford to spend all his effort on defense without playing offense. If Westbrook gets a few scores and assists, GO BACK AT HIM and make him work defensively. Besides, Lin is the only Rocket who sets up other players for their offense.
Good points, that's see how Lin approach this game.
DeleteI made the above comments because I assume Rox other players are just not set-able by Lin
DeleteI think Lin CAN move his guys around.
DeleteThe goal is to get everyone, including Harden, into better position on both ends of the court. Lin doesn't care who's shooting as long as a good shot is put up.
Since the Patterson and Morris trades, the Houston big men have been very receptive to Lin feeding them. All of Houston's big men have been x factors that break games open when Lin is setting them up.
For Houston to have a chance in this series, the big guys need to establish inside position and take advantage of OKC's desire to shut down perimeter scoring via big man helping defense.
Ibaka is killing the Rox. He made quite a few momentum changing plays in the game. In order for Rox to have any chance, they need to figure a way to handle him.
DeleteIf the Rockets had a legitimate shot blocker they would have far less trouble containing WB.
DeleteKhuang is right when no one can contain WB 1 on 1. He's the most athletic PG in the league as far as a high flying dunking PG.
I honestly blame the overall team defense of the Rockets. I don't know if it's a coaching thing or players are slow to rotate. What they need to do is setup WB to drive but have a big step up to get in front of him to take the charge, then the other Rocket player has to rotate fast enough to block off Thunder front line.
They do the same thing to Jlin & Harden. The only difference is the Thunder have Ibaka HIGH FLYING SHOT BLOCKER to help them out. Rockets don't have a high flying shot blocker. Even Durant when he wants to can be a high flying shot blocker.
On another note, the Rockets vs. the Thunder is a match-up nightmare in all positions. I think they may even have to play a little 2-3 zone or a 1-1-3 zone (where the PG trails WB everywhere). The Mavs during their Championship run were successful switching from man to man to zone defense, which confused opponents, even the Thunder.
Even if this is the "youngest team" in the NBA. All of them played high school and college ball. They all know how to play zone defense.
As far as the offense goes, they need to watch the Clippers. Because the Clippers are exactly like the Rockets when it comes to having a bath "half court set" (which translates to more hero ball than team ball). Their are only a few differences such as:
1) Clippers ru the run PNR...double PNR..triple PNR more than the Rockets.
2) Clippers have high flying front court players (BGriffin & DJordan).
If Dmo wasn't such a liability on the defensive end, I would have him play PF, because he actually has good passing ability which they can exploit to get Asik some open looks (just the same way Gasol is used to get Howard open looks and dunks). However, that is not the case.
What I would really like to see (I know we've been saying this all season long) is Lin handle the ball as the PG General 90% of the time. It wouldn't hurt the Rockets to just try it and see how it goes for the 1st half of GM2. Run multiple PNR...this will get WB tired and frustrated, which will result in WB fouls and hero ball. Since McHale is soo great at experimenting with lineups and offensive sets; He should give this a try.
Etymology, running Lin at PG with multiple screens still would not work.
DeleteAll season long, Lin draws heavy double teams and an additional help defender every time he runs the pick and roll.
If the Rockets had a picking big man who knew how to roll to rhe basket oe post up a smaller switched opponent, that would work. But Lin doesn't have such players. Thus opponents jam Lin all the way out to the 3 point line, knocking out the midrange.
KHuang, don't you think that the ibaka/perkins tandem was causing the rocket bigs some trouble in the paint. greg smith couldn't post up very well, and it looked like asik was struggling a lot also. I think the okc game plane was to focus on guarding the paint. Houston had a lot of open looks (not enough imo, but a lot) and couldn't nail them. i do think they need to do a better job of rotating the ball around because far too often harden or even lin, at times, would iso into the pull up jumper. I'm thinking maybe more pnr?
ReplyDeleteYes, Ibaka and Perkins are the real problem for the Rockets.
DeleteThe Rockets big men are not going to win the tag team wrestling match in the paint. But they can toughen up and fight inside anyway. Make the max contract guy in Ibaka EARN his dollars.
Even more pick and roll or Lin playing point won't help if OKC's helping men can rotate into the paint without offensive resistance. Every Rocket on the court has to do his job, or at least try to.
Khuang is a basketball expert.
Deleteoh, thank you for the compliment!!!
DeleteIt's good to see that I am appreciated here!!!
You're more of a basketball expert than that guy in CNM in youtube LOL...actually most of us if not all of us our pretty good basketball experts here =)
DeleteBTW, one of my friend's friend went to the 1st game in the OKC. He got Lin's signature on that GQ cover in the morning outside ROx's hotel. He told me Lin seems to have a bad attitude to fans. He was really puzzled.
ReplyDeleteI guess if you camp outside the hotel like a paparazzi, you are not going to get a good attitude? He told me Parsons was completely different tho, Parsons was very friendly. :P
Lin was probably nervous before the game. Clearly he was trying to focus. obviously showed in the way he played.
DeleteI wouldn't be surprised. I think he's a private person and probably got tired of the spotlight everywhere he goes. But I understand fans get upset because they probably put in a lot of effort to try to meet him. I think the best way is meet him is go to the fan events that are organized by the Rockets, or somewhere at the arena before or after a game.
DeleteJeremy is a shy guy and not that outgoing. I believe that's why he doesn't come across great in that kind of setting.
Deleteoh please. your friend DID get the autograph from that "bad attitude" BB player, right?
DeleteI do not think he like GQ at all , ask your friend to bring a bible instead , he might give your friend a high 5 .
DeleteAt least he got the autograph lol..
DeletePlease give Harden bunches of bananas wherever and whenever you see him so that after eating one he slips on the banana peel on the floor and is out for the playoffs. Lin needs all the Devine intervention he can get to be able to be put in a position to be "the point guard" on the team and not "a guard" on the team. I have been praying and praying to the banana gods for this. Banana gods, will my prayers be answered?!
ReplyDelete@Spencer Haywood, I am still counting on you doing the banana magic against Harden. LOL jk
DeleteIf harden is out, bev will play primary point. Who are we kidding?
DeleteWe should take dem bananas and feed them to the rest of the team.
DeleteThen they'll make the hard cuts off the ball that are needed to break OKC's perimeter heavy defense.
It's funny how as soon as Beverly was guarding Westbrook, Westbrook pounced on him and drove by him at will. Remember that one play where he almost made Beverly fall down? If that happened to Lin, they'd make a GIF and show it everywhere. Instead, I'm sure Beverly's rep as a "great defender" is no worse for wear. Basketball fans "eye tests" are really bad.
ReplyDeleteThat's what they call putting someone on skates!
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TrNu7iFgz9U#!
Yeah I really agree. I think it has a lot to do with their own biases that affect their "eye test" observation of a player.
DeleteSomeone did make a GIF of that. But they cut it off before Westbrook drove past and made the basket.
DeleteLink here:
http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1245784&start=720
Look at people's responses, they're practically salivating over it.
Oh, good. :)
DeleteGuys do you think Chandler Parsons would be good if he got moved at the PF position?
ReplyDeleteI don't know if he has good box out and low post fundamental skills on the defensive end?
I was thinking if McHale is going with a small lineup anyways, he should try moving CParsons to the 4 spot. So the offensive lineup should look like this:
PG Lin
SG Harden
SF Garcia/Delfino
PF Parsons
C Asik
On another note, since OKC is great on running a run n' gun offense & cherry picking just like the Rockets. The Rockets should limit their 3 point attempts if it's not going in so it leads to fewer fast breaks by the Thunder. Then they can go with a bigger line up all the time & most likely generate more offensive rebounds in which they really suck at.
I think Parsons at 4 is bad because of his body build and potential foul trouble. Delfino is more dispensable regarding the foul trouble.
DeleteI'd be concerned that there would be too much perimeter crowding on offense.
DeleteDefensively, it would surrender too many rebounds and points off screens.
http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/mavericks/post/_/id/4678597/rapid-react-mavs-100-thunder-96
ReplyDelete"The Thunder lost Wednesday despite Harden getting 15 with 3:23 remaining in the first half and finishing with a career-playoff-high 23."
This is what we've seen many times this season. Rockets loosing even when Harden scores a lot. Because when he puts more energy on the offensive ends and scores more points, he gives up twice as much points on the defensive end.
"The Mavs managed to close the series despite a poor shooting night from the floor. They shot 41 percent, including 5-of-20 from 3-point range, but made 31 of 36 free throws. The Mavs went 11-of-13 from the line in the fourth quarter."
The Rockets needs to get the Thunder BIGS in foul trouble & get to the free throw line.
I might missed some of your early comments, what do you guys think about Lin go to far from his own man for helping pack the paint? Is it right, wrong, or both?
ReplyDeleteToo* far
DeleteI'm totally OK with it.
DeleteIn general, Lin hasn't surrendered too many points off help defense. He has the size and quickness to close out on shooters.
Harden and Beverley's straight up LACK of defense concerns me a lot more than Lin's helping.
Don't like it. But I'm sure it's the coaches that make him do it.
DeleteNew Thread, guys
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see if they'll use Dragic as a SG also and see how he does in the same McHale system and whether he'll be benched from 4:00 left in 3rd Q until the the 6:00 mark in 4th Q and see how their "PG" boy does. If he doesn't get benched, then his play will also be in conflict with Harden's play, since most PGs today are by nature and role *ball dominant*. And Dragic certainly is as well. If McHale wants to make Dragic look better in comparison to Lin, thus if he treats Dragic differently on the court (off court, it's a certainty), then Harden's stats will certainly suffer. What to do.... what to do..... not easy for McHell and Sorey. LOL
ReplyDeleteIt boggles my mind to think how bad the Rox coaching and management is in getting the best out of this squad of young talents. It really makes you believe that Morey and Mchale had their own agendas only in mind and not the team.
ReplyDeleteHow hard is it to have Lin and Harden coexist when Lin wants to pass and harden wants to shoot?
How hard is it to see that Lin finds ways to involve the bigs much much better than Harden?
How hard is it to see that with Lin on point running the attack up the middle with the bigs, both Harden on either wing, it presents nightmares for any defense?
It leaves me with only conspiracy theory because these points are so self evident. Morey and Mchale doesn't want Lin to succeed because they had made a mistake in letting him go so they want to prove to Les that they were right and Les was wrong. Morey wanted to feature his own brilliant acquisition as the star to prove how great he is in building a team to cover for all the bad decisions he's made in the past; i.e. White!
Now, in the playoffs. We have a marginalized Lin not knowing what to do. We have bigs not having been involved in the offense all year because of Harden and Parsons hogging all the possessions. We have bigs that don't know how to PNR or finish at the basket. We have, just as Ibaka says, a Rox team that is selfish because we have had a season of players running to the corners so that Harden can run his iOS. Everything is coming home to roost.
It's truly bizarre. They played great together the first two games of the season. That was before Sampson issued his famous "this team is not a democracy" statement.
Delete