I feel like you have some sort of vendetta against Harden. Who cares who's getting assists? The Rockets are smashing the Kings, Lin is playing really well defensively and although he's not getting a lot of stats he's not playing that bad offensively.
I love Harden when he plays unselfish and intensely on defense. I don't like how he pads stats against weak teams and chokes against top defenses -- while freezing out the most clutch player on the team (statistically and anecdotally). No man can do it alone and a true leader must realize that.
Like I said, Jeremy is fine. This game isn't that important and he needs to stay healthy.
He's the opposite of Harden -- when the stakes and intensity are low, he "struggles." And when the pressure is on, he's at his best while Harden struggles.
As of halftime: Lin played well in the 2nd quarter after a slow start in the first quarter but it doesn't show on his stats. Alexandra, the owner, will be more convinced than ever by McHell and Sorey that Lin isn't really a starter material. LOL LMAO. Especially since in this particular game Harden is playing great the entire game from from the beginning to end: They will showcase this game to Alexandra to show how good Harden is and how "bad" Lin is. LOL LMAO tummy hurts.
Parson the 3-point shooter is back! To me Parson is getting better and better at being a great shooter. He shoots with such confidence. Lin will shoot with that kind of confidence too, if he plays for other coaches (*most* - not all - other coaches, including 50% black coaches).
No way -- Les isn't fooled. He's the one who brought Lin here and was the only one who complimented Lin even earlier in the season when his jumper was off.
Not that I can find. And no need to "diss" him by calling him Alexandra! Les is great!
Les Alexander isn't James Dolan -- he doesn't meddle and interfere. He spoke up during All-Star weekend because it was in Houston and thus a good time to review the first half. But nothing since. Probably after the playoffs are over for the Rockets, we'll hear from him again.
The team owner Alexandra's total silence while his staff stumped Lin to the ground in the media has been such a mind opening revelation - not to mention letting them bench Lin in the 4th quarters for no good reason; only some were called for, not most. I hope Lin and Asik will be traded together - I think they might! For DHoward. Rubbing my hands together with a (;~) on my face.
If Kobe's injury is career ending (Kobe even went on a long distraught Facebook rant), maybe they'll trade Lin and Asik for Howard...how sweet would that be?
The Lakers is not the best but it'll do. They could get involved as a third party too. The Lakers can attract ready-made superstars who want a bright stage, but Lin will be happy to be help out an underdog medium market to smallish team.
Sriously, you want Lin on the Lakers??? No frigging way that is going to be good for his career. You guys are delusional if you think Lakers will win before Houston, even if they keep DH12. Lin is a young player and will greatly benefit by building something in Houston and not having to jump from team to team. The players that get the most respect when their careers are done are the ones that played mostly for one organisation.
I feel certain that the Lakers don't want Lin and vice versa. Lin can do away with the excessive drama and the Lakers are one of several teams who can attract 22 to 28 year olds who are *already* top 20 players and have at least 2 full years experience as a starter and have a significant amount of playoff experience. The Lakers could be a third party, but I don't see Lin becoming a Laker.
In the pregame scouting thread here, I wrote that Jeremy Lin was way too much for Isaiah Thomas to handle. Lin's just KILLING not just Thomas, but the entire Kings team.
The only bucket he has was on Beverly. He's recording assists, but that's what happens when a PG handles the ball and has teammates who can dunk and make layups.
Harden is left in to fatten up his stats. At the end of the season that's all pundits and Sorey's peers and his boss Alexandra will remember. Hahaha, my tummy.
Lin made ONE mistake by fouling Isaiah Thomas on a drive. Doesn't matter, Lin is responsible for this 24 pt Rockets lead, when he came in it was only a 4 pt lead. Now with Lin out ... the Kings go on a run again.
It's that slow reaction time from Bev that I keep complaining about, Blackie Chan.
I know that a lot of people here like Bamboo Forest and eb5attorney feel that Bev is a better defender than Lin, but games like this are why I politely disagree with them.
Bev gets scorched EVERY TIME he faces Isaiah. Actually, Bev gets scorched against EVERY NBA opponent.
KHuang, I said Bev is a better defender than Lin against certain opposing PGs and in certain types of situation (for example I think Bev has a knack for getting rebounds). I never said Bev is flat out better defender than Lin. For example, today, I feel Lin did very well in defending. Against Isaiah and Kings, Lin has no problem defending at all.
So, after having established that you misquoted me, I would respond to your question that where a PG is generally a decent 3 points shooter and not so quick, i.e., Chalmers or Lillard who get good screens, I think Bev does just as well. This is because Lin does over-help and sometimes loses his man as he looks towards another opposing player who has the ball. With these guys, Bev's style of staying close to his man works pretty well.
I deserve the heat on this one. I didn't mean to flame you, but it came out sounding as if I misquoted you. SORRY.
Bev has NBA raw physical speed. But when I saw him against a truly slow PG like Kendall Marshall of the Suns, Bev kept getting lost in screens and could not keep the incredibly slow Marshall in front of him. All season long, I have not seen a single NBA player that couldn't go right at Bev and do whatever he wanted especially off a screen where Beverley cannot do anything other than funnel his man into a Rockets big man.
As far as Lin's help goes, I'd say that it's a risk he happily takes because it completely disrupts the opponent's game plan. Unlike anybody else in the NBA, Lin has the physical size and speed to guard passing lanes and help on defense but also be able to recover if his man catches a pass and tries to score. Lin has figured out that he can cover several guys all at once because his timing on recovering is so phenomenal.
I thank you for your response, eb5attorney. I still disagree with your assessment that Bev is better than Lin in the situations you outlined. But once again, thanks for your thoughtful analysis.
Yeah let's wait till the playoffs to see how McHale and the gang REALLY thinks about Jeremy's importance. The most important games of the year ... the truth will finally be revealed (confirmed)
Lin seemed to be trying out sensation in his jaw afterwards, so he got hit in the face.
It's just not worth taking a charge from a reckless behemoth of a man like Cousins, esp in non-playoff game like this. Props for courage I guess but I thought that was straight stupid heh.
Jared Jeffries taught him too well. Those two are the masters of taking charges.
I think Jeremy felt bad about playing soft/safe in the first half and tried to make up for it on defense by taking hard charges -- not worth it! This game isn't that important.
Like I said, these games don't really mean much. I'm gonna reserve my judgement until the playoffs are over. Then no freaking excuses McHale. Lets see what is going thru the thick head of yours.
Yeah, that's fine. It's playoff time soon -- SO much more important to stay healthy.
Spurs have gone from amazing to questionable with Ginobli out and Parker banged up. Lawson is playing well but who knows if he'll be 100% against a big defender like Lin in the playoffs. And of course the whole Kobe-situation...
I have been criticizing Beverley's game from BEFORE the Rockets signed him.
This game, however, makes him look even worse than i had predicted.
With Lin in the game, the Rockets outscored the Kings like 24-12. But with Bev in, the Kings scored 32 to match the Rockets in the entire quarter!
I've been constantly criticizing Bev's not-good-for-NBA game. This game is a typical example of why I feel that Patrick Beverley is overmatched in the NBA.
What's your take on Terrence Jones? I think he's the most talented all-around PF on the Rockets and could be starting caliber with another year of seasoning.
zxcvb, Terrence Jones is an unskilled raw athlete who can do his jumping jack thing against a defensively absent minded team like the Kings.
But against good teams that block out and play solid team defense, Terrence Jones is of little use.
Terrence Jones needs to get stronger and work on his game. He's going to have to be a stretch 4 with dribble skills and a perimeter shot if he's to survive in the NBA. Fortunately, he's playing for the greatest big man coach in Kevin McHale and getting fed by the game's best passer in Jeremy Lin.
But he made some nice plays against Memphis the other night, no? A big block and a putback dunk off a Harden miss.
I'm not saying he's going to be a star, but playing alongside Lin and Harden, he just needs to do the simple things to be a solid starter. Even Smith would be okay if he could defend without fouling so much.
Well, Terrence Jones still doesn't have the strength to battle the true battleship power forwards.
Greg Smith has the body of a true NBA center, and he's starting to throw it around too. I like guys like him that play like big men close to the basket and are able to hold position in the paint.
I view Jones more as an oversized 3 than an undersized 4.
I'd almost rather Terrence Jones get a post up small forward coach like Kiki Vandeweghe or Mark Aguirre or Adrian Dantley and learn how to be an actual small forward.
For some reason, I can see Terrence Jones becoming like a Bernard King type player who has only one move: take a few dribbles in one direction, then elevate for a midrange turnaround jump shot over either shoulder.
Bernard King had only one move, and that's all he ever needed. He even told people how he did it in an interview. King said that the key was never going straight up with his jumper, that he always shot the ball with a side stance because he felt taking a straight on jumper would be blocked!
Asik is still a quality defender -- though Lin makes him look a lot better with his constant "over"-help defense and expert funneling of guards into Asik's path (so he barely has to move to contest shots).
But lately, he's been downright awful. I think it's just fatigue (he's a big, big guy!) and I would suggest McHale sitting him now that the 7th seed is clinched.
True, don't want to be too hard on Asik, but Rockets need a franchise type center like D Howard to be a championship contender and should not be satisfied to just make the playoffs.
An upgrade at PF and proper usage of Jeremy would make them a contender. Smith, Millsap...even they would be enough, IMO. I especially like Millsap and think he would fit in easily with no ego/chemistry problems.
People laughed at me last summer when I wrote that Jeremy Lin would be more impactful than Dwight Howard, but Lin's minimum wage Rockets have been incomparably better than Dwight's maximum wage Lakers.
I guarantee that if Howard took Asik's spot, the Rockets would lose more games especially if Howard got better stats than Asik did. That guy has so many holes in his game, not even the biased NBA refs can save him.
I would prefer the Rockets to get a true battleship power forward with quick feet, an above the rim game, a mean nasty hard edge, the ability to shoot inside or outside, a bruising physical game, and true power forward size. Josh Smith and Paul Millsap don't fit that bill, but Indiana's Tyler Hansbrough does and then some.
Don't forget the guy that's out of the rotation, Thomas Robinson. He's been ruined by starting his rookie year with Keith Smart, but McHale will work with him and develop his game. Trob is no Psycho T in terms of skills, but he can be a bruising presence sort of like a cross between Smith and Milsap.
If I were the Rockets, I would sign Josh Smith who I believe can be a game changer on defensive end and a stretch 4 on offensive end. Needs to teach him to turn his long 2 into 3 though.
And also trade Parsons, Jones plus others for a true defensive stopper at 3 like Shawn Marion. Marion can shoot the 3 ball consistently and at least cover for Harden's D a little bit rather than further expose it like with Parsons and Jones.
I know better than to doubt KHuang, but we have to realistic -- even if Hansbrough would be the best option, Morey would never even consider it. Word is (both through media leaks and that confirmed "insider") that they're looking at Smith and Millsap if they can't get K-Love, which seems unlikely with his injuries (he'll stay at least one more year to see how far a healthy Minny team can go).
Oh yeah, need to get a better backup PG than Beverley as well but I don't know any candidate now. At least get someone who though lacks playmaking skills but can play real nba D like Douglas.
I worry about Smith because he strikes me as someone who wants to be "the man" even though he's just not good enough to be that guy.
Paul Millsap isn't too exciting, but he does a little bit of everything. And most importantly, I have no doubt whatsoever that he'd be fine as the "3rd banana" in Houston. Also, he makes up for his height with his long wingspan.
Cara, I like power forwards who play a power inside game.
One of the reasons Atlanta can never advance in the playoffs is because Josh Smith gets overwhelmed by battleship power forwards every year.
I watched too many years of a powerless power forward in Amare Stoudemire getting overpowered in the playoffs by battleship power forwards - and Amare Stoudemire is far more of a power guy than Josh Smith ever will be.
I just don't see who they would realistically get who IS a power-inside guy. Morey won't get someone "off-the-radar" like Hansbrough and Tim Duncan ain't coming to Houston any time soon...
Sometimes you gotta make do with what's available. And Smith and Millsap will undoubtedly be available.
Why did McHale take Lin out and leave Harden in with more than a 20 pt lead? What the h? 28 pts and 9 assists not enough for freakin Harden? McHale will break this guy right before the play offs. What an ass! It's Beverly time. Snooooooooooze
McHale mistakenly attributes the team's succees to strictly Harden, so he leaves Harden in supposedly to keep the lead going while Lin sits in favor of his pet project Bev.
Unfortunately from McHale, he'd be better off benching HARDEN and letting Bev be protected defensively by playing alongside Lin.
Harden takes the shots, but he's no game changer like Lin.
Lin is going to have to guard Dragic and he wasn't having a particularly good night tonight (didn't seem motivated to elevate his game, given level of competition tonight).
Just be glad he got enough time to hopefully keep him sharp, and didn't get injured.
Delfino's shot looking better. He had some sort of lose flap in arm that caused pain everytime he shot, so maybe that has healed up a bit and isn't as much pain when he shoots. Would be nice if we could get some of the Delfino we had early on in season in playoffs (ability to get red hot and make numerous threes in a row).
Thanks Khuang and Guys, When McHale plays Harden like that in garbage time, he makes such a fool of himself. Why pour 40 dollar extra virgin olive oil into a deep frier to cook fried chicken, when a five dollar bottle of oil will do the trick! McFoolish!
Ha ha! KHuang, Harden better put a hair net around that beard while he is chopping the onions! Keep the temp on the court very low because like OccupatiO says, he burns at a lower temp than others!
TRob still on the bench. Looks like G Smith and T Jones will be sharing the starting PF's during the playoffs with T Rob backing up. DMo's minutes here are because they're showcasing him for the summer trade. Garcia also being showcased - can't see Rockets keeping his relatively expensive contract.
WHOA. This could change A LOT. It's only an ankle sprain but he was "carted off" and didn't leave under his own power. Hmm. I love watching The Manimal, but he kills the Rockets soft, slow PFs every time.
I think it's Denver's coach that is the key to their formidable showing. Lawson and Gallo went out of injury and they still proved to be the team to beat...
That's probably one of the flaws from a George Karl led team. As great a coach as he is, the playing style he instilled made it difficult for his players to sustain health. His teams always seem to be banged up come playoffs time.
Gallo is really overrated. Wilson Chandler is a very good shooter (his %s were actually BETTER than Gallo's) and Brewer is a very good defender. Together, the "new" SF rotation is better than Gallinari playing heavy minutes.
Lawson is a big loss but Miller was able to hold down the fort because of athletic forwards like Faried. Without Faried, they lose their biggest advantage against the Rockets. And who knows how sore Lawson will be in a physical 7-game series against Jeremy Lin!
Karl is a superb coach, though, no doubt. I wish he were coaching the Rockets. They'd be the 4th or 5th seed if only because Karl would use Lin correctly...
Gallo is not overrated. He's really good and Denver are better with his sheer presence on the court even he doesn't always produce the best stats. Like Lin, Gallo does a lot of things that don't show up in box score. I think Denver definitely get worse without him.
Well, I'll trust your judgment then. I just think he's the Parsons of Denver in that he's more beloved than valuable. Wilson Chandler and Corey Brewer seem very underrated, to me because they're not as flashy and they haven't been given as much of a chance.
They go full speed 100% of the time. They play at only one intensity: hard. It also has some weaknesses that get exploited in the playoffs:
1) Karl teams are often not great halfcourt execution teams because THINKING cannot always happen when one is going at full speed
2) INJURIES. Karl's players are always battling injuries. Karl isn't like Pat Riley who pushes his players to the absolute limit but knows when to back off.
I'd rather have Kevin McHale coaching Lin than George Karl, even though Karl appreciates Lin's game more.
It was annoying that at the start of the game, the Kings announcers said that Thomas quicker and probably stronger than Lin. I can ignore the quickness part since they know Thomas' game better than Lin's, but saying Lin is weaker is just stereotyping. I don't even see how you derive that from appearances either.
What's more, there are players like Zach who do not have gym bodies but are incredibly strong. It's just a silly thing to say.
I've heard it too, definitely stereotype and stupid. announcers were so into parson and almost fall in love with him. Did u also hear how much they talk about Jimmer?
Poor commentators - they have to say something and often they showcase their biases and uninformed opinions. Lucky they didn't say Lin is 'deceptively' quick, accelerates well or distributes the ball deceptively well.
They never say he's deceptively smart cos everyone knows Lin is a Harvard graduate.
Don't blame them. As you said, they are Kings announcers, they are on Kings payroll. Thomas is probably their best player. They have to say something to promote him, you know.
Lin is probably the only player who doesn't get love from his "home" announcers.
Also those guys probably only watch the Rockets when they play the Kings. So they might just say what they read from papers and buy into what the other media said.
It's a shame the Rockets didn't sign Andrew Goudelock. He showed great leadership as a playmaker with the RGV Vipers. I'd take him over Beverly or Aaron Brooks anyday.
Brooks is just a shooter who needs a lot of shots to get hot. Beverly's offense is just taking a few dribbles and passing it off.
I am in a complete agreement that Bev's offense is seriously lacking. No disagreement there. Bev is good for 10 minutes a game, hustling on D, etc. At least, the guy is motivated, gotta give him that.
There IS room in the NBA for guys that hustle, even if they have no game like Beverley.
I really do want Beverley to improve. It's just that I don't know how it's going to happen with that slow reaction time of his. He's got good athleticism and flawless fundamentals, but that doesn't mean anything if the court sense and NBA reflexes aren't there.
I admire Kobe's heart. But I believe the Lakers will be better without him.
Dwight Howard might be overrated as an offensive player. But if they can get Nash back as the PG distributing the ball to different players instead of Kobe dominating the ball, their offense will improve while the defense will also improve without Kobe's ball watching.
Jeremy heating up, but his teammates are hilariously missing every single shot he creates for them...while making every one Harden creates.
ReplyDeleteHis bigs are god awful -- we all know that -- but today is especialyl excruciating. Like they're trying to ruin his assists, ha.
I feel like you have some sort of vendetta against Harden. Who cares who's getting assists? The Rockets are smashing the Kings, Lin is playing really well defensively and although he's not getting a lot of stats he's not playing that bad offensively.
DeleteSorry you feel that way!
DeleteI love Harden when he plays unselfish and intensely on defense. I don't like how he pads stats against weak teams and chokes against top defenses -- while freezing out the most clutch player on the team (statistically and anecdotally). No man can do it alone and a true leader must realize that.
Doing great in 2nd half
ReplyDeleteLike I said, Jeremy is fine. This game isn't that important and he needs to stay healthy.
DeleteHe's the opposite of Harden -- when the stakes and intensity are low, he "struggles." And when the pressure is on, he's at his best while Harden struggles.
As of halftime: Lin played well in the 2nd quarter after a slow start in the first quarter but it doesn't show on his stats. Alexandra, the owner, will be more convinced than ever by McHell and Sorey that Lin isn't really a starter material. LOL LMAO. Especially since in this particular game Harden is playing great the entire game from from the beginning to end: They will showcase this game to Alexandra to show how good Harden is and how "bad" Lin is. LOL LMAO tummy hurts.
ReplyDeleteParson the 3-point shooter is back! To me Parson is getting better and better at being a great shooter. He shoots with such confidence. Lin will shoot with that kind of confidence too, if he plays for other coaches (*most* - not all - other coaches, including 50% black coaches).
No way -- Les isn't fooled. He's the one who brought Lin here and was the only one who complimented Lin even earlier in the season when his jumper was off.
DeleteIs ther any interview of Alexandra recently
DeleteNot that I can find. And no need to "diss" him by calling him Alexandra! Les is great!
DeleteLes Alexander isn't James Dolan -- he doesn't meddle and interfere. He spoke up during All-Star weekend because it was in Houston and thus a good time to review the first half. But nothing since. Probably after the playoffs are over for the Rockets, we'll hear from him again.
The team owner Alexandra's total silence while his staff stumped Lin to the ground in the media has been such a mind opening revelation - not to mention letting them bench Lin in the 4th quarters for no good reason; only some were called for, not most. I hope Lin and Asik will be traded together - I think they might! For DHoward. Rubbing my hands together with a (;~) on my face.
DeleteIf Kobe's injury is career ending (Kobe even went on a long distraught Facebook rant), maybe they'll trade Lin and Asik for Howard...how sweet would that be?
DeleteThey can sign-and-trade so Dwight still gets the max money while going to Houston.
DeleteThat's what I'm thinking Sorey is thinking.
DeleteThe Lakers is not the best but it'll do. They could get involved as a third party too. The Lakers can attract ready-made superstars who want a bright stage, but Lin will be happy to be help out an underdog medium market to smallish team.
But Nash is there, so Lin will no longer be a starter, isn't it?
DeleteSriously, you want Lin on the Lakers??? No frigging way that is going to be good for his career. You guys are delusional if you think Lakers will win before Houston, even if they keep DH12. Lin is a young player and will greatly benefit by building something in Houston and not having to jump from team to team. The players that get the most respect when their careers are done are the ones that played mostly for one organisation.
DeleteI feel certain that the Lakers don't want Lin and vice versa. Lin can do away with the excessive drama and the Lakers are one of several teams who can attract 22 to 28 year olds who are *already* top 20 players and have at least 2 full years experience as a starter and have a significant amount of playoff experience. The Lakers could be a third party, but I don't see Lin becoming a Laker.
DeletePoor Lin, he clearly hates wearing the mouth protector.
ReplyDeleteC'mon everybody, Lin's Rockets are up by like 27!
ReplyDeleteLin has been a BEAST defensively.
In the pregame scouting thread here, I wrote that Jeremy Lin was way too much for Isaiah Thomas to handle. Lin's just KILLING not just Thomas, but the entire Kings team.
We should be celebrating!
The only bucket he has was on Beverly. He's recording assists, but that's what happens when a PG handles the ball and has teammates who can dunk and make layups.
Deletewhoops.
DeleteBeverley goes back in and the lead gets eaten into.
See? Beverley IS an ideal guard - for looking HORRIBLE in comparison to Lin!
I agree, Bev's defense is overrated, he is pretty good for hustle play, that's it
DeleteHarden is left in to fatten up his stats. At the end of the season that's all pundits and Sorey's peers and his boss Alexandra will remember. Hahaha, my tummy.
DeleteMan Lin is doing well and McHale takes him out
ReplyDeleteGotta keep those stats down! Typical McHale. He wants to protect the egos of Harden and Parsons and let them get theirs.
DeleteOh well. The Memphis game showed us for the 100th time who the real star on the team is.
Lin made ONE mistake by fouling Isaiah Thomas on a drive. Doesn't matter, Lin is responsible for this 24 pt Rockets lead, when he came in it was only a 4 pt lead. Now with Lin out ... the Kings go on a run again.
DeleteBev has to get his minutes in u know.
DeleteLin goes out, Kings go on a run.
ReplyDeleteOpponents can RELAX when Lin's not in the game screwing up their game plans.
DeleteBy the way, Lin in the first half was example pf how a great player DOMINATES even without scoring or assisting.
Lin is so damn dominant, it's scary.
Beverly keeps losing his man in transition. How many times has Isaiah Thomas burned him by dribbling up the court straight to the rim.
DeleteIt's that slow reaction time from Bev that I keep complaining about, Blackie Chan.
DeleteI know that a lot of people here like Bamboo Forest and eb5attorney feel that Bev is a better defender than Lin, but games like this are why I politely disagree with them.
Bev gets scorched EVERY TIME he faces Isaiah. Actually, Bev gets scorched against EVERY NBA opponent.
KHuang, I said Bev is a better defender than Lin against certain opposing PGs and in certain types of situation (for example I think Bev has a knack for getting rebounds). I never said Bev is flat out better defender than Lin. For example, today, I feel Lin did very well in defending. Against Isaiah and Kings, Lin has no problem defending at all.
DeleteAnd what opposing PGs are those, eb5attorney?
DeleteBy the way, eb5attorney, I'm not trying to flame you. My apologies if it sounds that way.
DeleteI just disagree with your notion that Bev is better than Lin as a defender against certain types of point guards.
As you know, I indeed might be missing something. If you can show me those examples, I'd happily learn from you.
Sorry about the wording. It did sound like a flame of you, and that was not my intent.
So, after having established that you misquoted me, I would respond to your question that where a PG is generally a decent 3 points shooter and not so quick, i.e., Chalmers or Lillard who get good screens, I think Bev does just as well. This is because Lin does over-help and sometimes loses his man as he looks towards another opposing player who has the ball. With these guys, Bev's style of staying close to his man works pretty well.
DeleteThanks for the answer, eb5attorney.
DeleteI deserve the heat on this one. I didn't mean to flame you, but it came out sounding as if I misquoted you. SORRY.
Bev has NBA raw physical speed. But when I saw him against a truly slow PG like Kendall Marshall of the Suns, Bev kept getting lost in screens and could not keep the incredibly slow Marshall in front of him. All season long, I have not seen a single NBA player that couldn't go right at Bev and do whatever he wanted especially off a screen where Beverley cannot do anything other than funnel his man into a Rockets big man.
As far as Lin's help goes, I'd say that it's a risk he happily takes because it completely disrupts the opponent's game plan. Unlike anybody else in the NBA, Lin has the physical size and speed to guard passing lanes and help on defense but also be able to recover if his man catches a pass and tries to score. Lin has figured out that he can cover several guys all at once because his timing on recovering is so phenomenal.
I thank you for your response, eb5attorney. I still disagree with your assessment that Bev is better than Lin in the situations you outlined. But once again, thanks for your thoughtful analysis.
Yeah let's wait till the playoffs to see how McHale and the gang REALLY thinks about Jeremy's importance. The most important games of the year ... the truth will finally be revealed (confirmed)
ReplyDeleteAdvice to Lin: for the sake of your career and fans, do not ever try to take a charge from Cousins again. OMG.
ReplyDeleteLol, did he get hit on the head?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteLin seemed to be trying out sensation in his jaw afterwards, so he got hit in the face.
DeleteIt's just not worth taking a charge from a reckless behemoth of a man like Cousins, esp in non-playoff game like this. Props for courage I guess but I thought that was straight stupid heh.
Jared Jeffries taught him too well. Those two are the masters of taking charges.
DeleteI think Jeremy felt bad about playing soft/safe in the first half and tried to make up for it on defense by taking hard charges -- not worth it! This game isn't that important.
Lin is NO COWARD.
DeleteHe ain't afraid of no one.
Jeffries' skill and penchant for drawing charges -- he's paid a price for that with his nagging injuries.
DeleteThat was right after Lin's turnover, which he wanted to make up for, if I am not mistaken.
DeleteBut looks like Jeremy's night is finished.
ReplyDeleteGood, I want Lin's night to be finished!
DeleteHe played GREAT this game in getting that 20+ lead for his team.
Let the other players "work on stuff". Lin deserves the night off for a job well done!
Like I said, these games don't really mean much. I'm gonna reserve my judgement until the playoffs are over. Then no freaking excuses McHale. Lets see what is going thru the thick head of yours.
DeleteYeah, that's fine. It's playoff time soon -- SO much more important to stay healthy.
DeleteSpurs have gone from amazing to questionable with Ginobli out and Parker banged up. Lawson is playing well but who knows if he'll be 100% against a big defender like Lin in the playoffs. And of course the whole Kobe-situation...
Yea! Because it's time to give away the lead which they make!
ReplyDeleteLike what the last game is...
Lin knows it will be his last Q so he turns it up a bit to pad some stats.
ReplyDeleteBev sucks.
ReplyDeleteI have been criticizing Beverley's game from BEFORE the Rockets signed him.
ReplyDeleteThis game, however, makes him look even worse than i had predicted.
With Lin in the game, the Rockets outscored the Kings like 24-12. But with Bev in, the Kings scored 32 to match the Rockets in the entire quarter!
I've been constantly criticizing Bev's not-good-for-NBA game. This game is a typical example of why I feel that Patrick Beverley is overmatched in the NBA.
I miss Toney Douglas. He's basically the same with better reflexes. And he's good friends with Lin which is nice for team chemistry.
Delete@KHuang
DeleteWhat's your take on Terrence Jones? I think he's the most talented all-around PF on the Rockets and could be starting caliber with another year of seasoning.
Misery is if I have to choose between TD and Bev.
DeleteLike I wrote in the other post. Toney Douglas is imcomparably better than Bev.
DeleteI wish the Rockets had shipped out Bev instead of Douglas. Then Lin could greyhound Bev at will too!
zxcvb, Terrence Jones is an unskilled raw athlete who can do his jumping jack thing against a defensively absent minded team like the Kings.
DeleteBut against good teams that block out and play solid team defense, Terrence Jones is of little use.
Terrence Jones needs to get stronger and work on his game. He's going to have to be a stretch 4 with dribble skills and a perimeter shot if he's to survive in the NBA. Fortunately, he's playing for the greatest big man coach in Kevin McHale and getting fed by the game's best passer in Jeremy Lin.
But he made some nice plays against Memphis the other night, no? A big block and a putback dunk off a Harden miss.
DeleteI'm not saying he's going to be a star, but playing alongside Lin and Harden, he just needs to do the simple things to be a solid starter. Even Smith would be okay if he could defend without fouling so much.
Well, Terrence Jones still doesn't have the strength to battle the true battleship power forwards.
DeleteGreg Smith has the body of a true NBA center, and he's starting to throw it around too. I like guys like him that play like big men close to the basket and are able to hold position in the paint.
I view Jones more as an oversized 3 than an undersized 4.
Yeah, during Summer League he looked more like big 3 than a smallish 4. Maybe he can work on strengthening his core during the off-season.
DeleteI'd almost rather Terrence Jones get a post up small forward coach like Kiki Vandeweghe or Mark Aguirre or Adrian Dantley and learn how to be an actual small forward.
DeleteFor some reason, I can see Terrence Jones becoming like a Bernard King type player who has only one move: take a few dribbles in one direction, then elevate for a midrange turnaround jump shot over either shoulder.
Bernard King had only one move, and that's all he ever needed. He even told people how he did it in an interview. King said that the key was never going straight up with his jumper, that he always shot the ball with a side stance because he felt taking a straight on jumper would be blocked!
whoaa! T. Jones slam!!!
ReplyDeleteThe bench players, sans Asik, are playing great defense. Note I said Asik is a great rebounder, not a great defender.
ReplyDeleteAsik is still a quality defender -- though Lin makes him look a lot better with his constant "over"-help defense and expert funneling of guards into Asik's path (so he barely has to move to contest shots).
DeleteBut lately, he's been downright awful. I think it's just fatigue (he's a big, big guy!) and I would suggest McHale sitting him now that the 7th seed is clinched.
True, don't want to be too hard on Asik, but Rockets need a franchise type center like D Howard to be a championship contender and should not be satisfied to just make the playoffs.
DeleteAn upgrade at PF and proper usage of Jeremy would make them a contender. Smith, Millsap...even they would be enough, IMO. I especially like Millsap and think he would fit in easily with no ego/chemistry problems.
DeleteNo Dwight Howard for me.
DeletePeople laughed at me last summer when I wrote that Jeremy Lin would be more impactful than Dwight Howard, but Lin's minimum wage Rockets have been incomparably better than Dwight's maximum wage Lakers.
I guarantee that if Howard took Asik's spot, the Rockets would lose more games especially if Howard got better stats than Asik did. That guy has so many holes in his game, not even the biased NBA refs can save him.
I would prefer the Rockets to get a true battleship power forward with quick feet, an above the rim game, a mean nasty hard edge, the ability to shoot inside or outside, a bruising physical game, and true power forward size. Josh Smith and Paul Millsap don't fit that bill, but Indiana's Tyler Hansbrough does and then some.
Don't forget the guy that's out of the rotation, Thomas Robinson. He's been ruined by starting his rookie year with Keith Smart, but McHale will work with him and develop his game. Trob is no Psycho T in terms of skills, but he can be a bruising presence sort of like a cross between Smith and Milsap.
If I were the Rockets, I would sign Josh Smith who I believe can be a game changer on defensive end and a stretch 4 on offensive end. Needs to teach him to turn his long 2 into 3 though.
DeleteAnd also trade Parsons, Jones plus others for a true defensive stopper at 3 like Shawn Marion. Marion can shoot the 3 ball consistently and at least cover for Harden's D a little bit rather than further expose it like with Parsons and Jones.
That's what I would do but I don't think the Rockets management will be intelligent enough to do it though, especially the trading Parsons part lol.
DeleteSee, I don't like Josh Smith's game.
DeleteWhen I see him, he's constantly getting overpowered and bullied.
Smith should be a small forward in the NBA, but he lacks the skills for it.
I don't like power forwards with no power.
I know better than to doubt KHuang, but we have to realistic -- even if Hansbrough would be the best option, Morey would never even consider it. Word is (both through media leaks and that confirmed "insider") that they're looking at Smith and Millsap if they can't get K-Love, which seems unlikely with his injuries (he'll stay at least one more year to see how far a healthy Minny team can go).
DeleteKHuang, I don't know why you see Josh's game as no power. He plays on the perimeter a lot I agree. But I don't see that as proof of no power.
DeleteOh yeah, need to get a better backup PG than Beverley as well but I don't know any candidate now. At least get someone who though lacks playmaking skills but can play real nba D like Douglas.
DeleteSmith can at least rebound, dunk and block shots from the weak-side. That's three things current Houston bigs struggle to do at all.
DeleteI worry about Smith because he strikes me as someone who wants to be "the man" even though he's just not good enough to be that guy.
DeletePaul Millsap isn't too exciting, but he does a little bit of everything. And most importantly, I have no doubt whatsoever that he'd be fine as the "3rd banana" in Houston. Also, he makes up for his height with his long wingspan.
...and he's affordable (and tradeable if he doesn't pan out for some reason).
DeleteCara, I like power forwards who play a power inside game.
DeleteOne of the reasons Atlanta can never advance in the playoffs is because Josh Smith gets overwhelmed by battleship power forwards every year.
I watched too many years of a powerless power forward in Amare Stoudemire getting overpowered in the playoffs by battleship power forwards - and Amare Stoudemire is far more of a power guy than Josh Smith ever will be.
I just don't see who they would realistically get who IS a power-inside guy. Morey won't get someone "off-the-radar" like Hansbrough and Tim Duncan ain't coming to Houston any time soon...
DeleteSometimes you gotta make do with what's available. And Smith and Millsap will undoubtedly be available.
I understand, zxcvb.
DeleteHowever, I do not feel either of those two players would be better than what the Rockets already have at power forward.
I've just turned in and I might not even see my boy JLin play...hmmm...
ReplyDeleteWhy did McHale take Lin out and leave Harden in with more than a 20 pt lead? What the h? 28 pts and 9 assists not enough for freakin Harden? McHale will break this guy right before the play offs. What an ass! It's Beverly time. Snooooooooooze
ReplyDeleteRose, you ask fabulous questions.
DeleteMcHale mistakenly attributes the team's succees to strictly Harden, so he leaves Harden in supposedly to keep the lead going while Lin sits in favor of his pet project Bev.
Unfortunately from McHale, he'd be better off benching HARDEN and letting Bev be protected defensively by playing alongside Lin.
Harden takes the shots, but he's no game changer like Lin.
I figured Harden was left in to get his swag/stats back up after his ugly game against Memphis (7/24, 8 TOs, four choke-jobs in the final 90 seconds).
Deletewhat mchale did there was not at all particular to this game. all season.
DeleteBack to back against Phoenix tomorrow.
DeleteLin is going to have to guard Dragic and he wasn't having a particularly good night tonight (didn't seem motivated to elevate his game, given level of competition tonight).
Just be glad he got enough time to hopefully keep him sharp, and didn't get injured.
Delfino's shot looking better. He had some sort of lose flap in arm that caused pain everytime he shot, so maybe that has healed up a bit and isn't as much pain when he shoots. Would be nice if we could get some of the Delfino we had early on in season in playoffs (ability to get red hot and make numerous threes in a row).
Thanks Khuang and Guys, When McHale plays Harden like that in garbage time, he makes such a fool of himself. Why pour 40 dollar extra virgin olive oil into a deep frier to cook fried chicken, when a five dollar bottle of oil will do the trick! McFoolish!
DeleteIt's a lot like putting a sous chef in a chef outfit while the real chef does all the cooking, Rose!
DeleteRose, I do not recommend olive oil for deep frying as it burns at a much lower temperature than other oils. =P
DeleteHa ha! KHuang, Harden better put a hair net around that beard while he is chopping the onions! Keep the temp on the court very low because like OccupatiO says, he burns at a lower temp than others!
DeleteTRob still on the bench. Looks like G Smith and T Jones will be sharing the starting PF's during the playoffs with T Rob backing up. DMo's minutes here are because they're showcasing him for the summer trade. Garcia also being showcased - can't see Rockets keeping his relatively expensive contract.
ReplyDeleteWhy not play Brooks too?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteYou got your wish. A 13 man roster today! Idea for another stat - have a stat for showing or dismissing any stat where the 'scrubs' are playing.
Deletejlin shut down thomas. thomas got his pts after jlin sat. glad jlin shot some in 3rd qtr since he knew mchale was going to sit his ass down.
ReplyDeleteboring game without my man jlin.
Yahoo Sports - Nuggets win but lose Faried
ReplyDeleteWHOA. This could change A LOT. It's only an ankle sprain but he was "carted off" and didn't leave under his own power. Hmm. I love watching The Manimal, but he kills the Rockets soft, slow PFs every time.
DeleteI think it's Denver's coach that is the key to their formidable showing. Lawson and Gallo went out of injury and they still proved to be the team to beat...
DeleteThat's probably one of the flaws from a George Karl led team. As great a coach as he is, the playing style he instilled made it difficult for his players to sustain health. His teams always seem to be banged up come playoffs time.
DeleteGallo is really overrated. Wilson Chandler is a very good shooter (his %s were actually BETTER than Gallo's) and Brewer is a very good defender. Together, the "new" SF rotation is better than Gallinari playing heavy minutes.
DeleteLawson is a big loss but Miller was able to hold down the fort because of athletic forwards like Faried. Without Faried, they lose their biggest advantage against the Rockets. And who knows how sore Lawson will be in a physical 7-game series against Jeremy Lin!
Karl is a superb coach, though, no doubt. I wish he were coaching the Rockets. They'd be the 4th or 5th seed if only because Karl would use Lin correctly...
DeleteGallo is not overrated. He's really good and Denver are better with his sheer presence on the court even he doesn't always produce the best stats. Like Lin, Gallo does a lot of things that don't show up in box score. I think Denver definitely get worse without him.
DeleteWell, I'll trust your judgment then. I just think he's the Parsons of Denver in that he's more beloved than valuable. Wilson Chandler and Corey Brewer seem very underrated, to me because they're not as flashy and they haven't been given as much of a chance.
DeleteGeorge Karl plays breakneck basketball.
DeleteThey go full speed 100% of the time. They play at only one intensity: hard. It also has some weaknesses that get exploited in the playoffs:
1) Karl teams are often not great halfcourt execution teams because THINKING cannot always happen when one is going at full speed
2) INJURIES. Karl's players are always battling injuries. Karl isn't like Pat Riley who pushes his players to the absolute limit but knows when to back off.
I'd rather have Kevin McHale coaching Lin than George Karl, even though Karl appreciates Lin's game more.
ok Aaron Brooks is in...
ReplyDeletedelfino has a nice stroke.
ReplyDeleteshowtime for the Rox bench...
ReplyDeletecole aldrich is showing off too...
ReplyDeletegsw and rox are going to be tied at 45-35 with 2 games remaining before post-season play.
ReplyDeleterox have an easier path playing phx and lakers. while the gsw will be playing sas and portland.
rox may end up with the 6th seed facing denver.
6th seed!
ReplyDeleteNooooooo....
DeleteIt will be painful to watch Rox get torch in Denver. There isn't any Oxygen in that city. Even Miami will have problem to win over there.
DeleteLOL... No matter who the Rox play in the post season , it will be tough anyway...
DeleteIt was annoying that at the start of the game, the Kings announcers said that Thomas quicker and probably stronger than Lin. I can ignore the quickness part since they know Thomas' game better than Lin's, but saying Lin is weaker is just stereotyping. I don't even see how you derive that from appearances either.
ReplyDeleteWhat's more, there are players like Zach who do not have gym bodies but are incredibly strong. It's just a silly thing to say.
I've heard it too, definitely stereotype and stupid. announcers were so into parson and almost fall in love with him. Did u also hear how much they talk about Jimmer?
DeleteThat was hilariously offensive. "He's maybe stronger too!" "Yup!"
DeleteIn what universe could that possibly be true??? Maybe if Thomas was secretly a superhero with mutant super-strength.
Poor commentators - they have to say something and often they showcase their biases and uninformed opinions. Lucky they didn't say Lin is 'deceptively' quick, accelerates well or distributes the ball deceptively well.
DeleteThey never say he's deceptively smart cos everyone knows Lin is a Harvard graduate.
and raving on Harden too , at one point.
DeleteThings White People Like:
Delete-Fawning over Jimmer Fredette...even now.
-Saying Chandler Parsons is the "2nd best player on the team."
Don't blame them. As you said, they are Kings announcers, they are on Kings payroll. Thomas is probably their best player. They have to say something to promote him, you know.
DeleteLin is probably the only player who doesn't get love from his "home" announcers.
Also those guys probably only watch the Rockets when they play the Kings. So they might just say what they read from papers and buy into what the other media said.
Isaiah Thomas is stronger and faster than Lin?
DeleteHee hee. That's a good one. Wait, those announcers were SERIOUS!
There isn't a point guard in the ENTIRE NBA who's stronger and faster than Lin, at least not in an on court basketball sense.
JLin just signed a T-shirt, gave it to a kid on crutches. Made. His. Day. Kid lets out a celebratory whoop.
ReplyDelete-HChen
JLin is a gift to kids , right , @via?
DeleteIt's a shame the Rockets didn't sign Andrew Goudelock. He showed great leadership as a playmaker with the RGV Vipers. I'd take him over Beverly or Aaron Brooks anyday.
ReplyDeleteBrooks is just a shooter who needs a lot of shots to get hot. Beverly's offense is just taking a few dribbles and passing it off.
I am in a complete agreement that Bev's offense is seriously lacking. No disagreement there. Bev is good for 10 minutes a game, hustling on D, etc. At least, the guy is motivated, gotta give him that.
DeleteYes, Beverley has excellent hustle.
DeleteThere IS room in the NBA for guys that hustle, even if they have no game like Beverley.
I really do want Beverley to improve. It's just that I don't know how it's going to happen with that slow reaction time of his. He's got good athleticism and flawless fundamentals, but that doesn't mean anything if the court sense and NBA reflexes aren't there.
I admire Kobe's heart. But I believe the Lakers will be better without him.
ReplyDeleteDwight Howard might be overrated as an offensive player. But if they can get Nash back as the PG distributing the ball to different players instead of Kobe dominating the ball, their offense will improve while the defense will also improve without Kobe's ball watching.
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