Sigh, stop telling me about your dates, Solidz! They won't appreciate it...
"I think Etane likes tough, domineering girls." - Srly. :)
"Via, I need help, solidz said you are the master of seduction." - LOL, if my corny and awkward attempts at social interactions = "master of seduction", then I love you Lydia...[My excuse tho, I'm a female INTJ, this is the best I can do, lol.]
"it will take a master of seduction to pry via's attention away..." - smh, get out of my head.
The full quote: [On being talented] - Oftentimes people come up to me and ask, “Bruce, are you really that good?” I say, “Well, if I tell you I’m good, probably you will say I’m boasting; but if I tell you I’m no good, you’ll know I’m lying.” I have the absolute confidence not to be number two, but then I have enough sense to realize that there can be no number one.
Not really, it was fun watching the OKC Thunder get exposed and destroyed by the Memphis Grizzlies. Too bad Jlin wasn't there to see it happen ... and learn how to beat the Thunder.
Exposed? Please. If they had Westbrook they beat Memphis. What team can get over losing their All-NBA point guard in the playoffs? It isn't as if they lost a marginal, replaceable PG, but a guy who was their primary ball handler and also did a lot of their scoring.
And Lin already knows how to beat the Thunder I suppose ... by hammering Westbrook's knee the way that Beverly did.
Playing good defense does not equal using dirty tricks like trying to intentionally hurt someone. However, Westbrook's injury was an accident and Beverley didn't "hammer" his knee intentionally.
But yes I agree that one of the keys to defeat OKC is limiting Westbrook's scoring and effectiveness which JLin did do a good job in the regular season games.
It's crystal clear now that Westbrook was not holding Durant back. There were a lot of rumblings in the past that Westbrook was holding back durants game and I was in that camp as well. But this series proved that this is NOT the case. And i think Durant knew this. That is why Durant never complained about westbrook taking more shots than him. One could also argue Westbrook is more important than Durant because he can playmake as a pg. it was pathetic to see durant try to dribble his way to a basket only to turn it over. Reminded me a lot of parsons this season.
Don't you guys see the strange resemblance or Gasol + Cooney to Asik + Lin Play Time is the best coach. Memphis traded away Rudy Gay so that the team could be more balanced in distribution. They played more like a team. I wish the Griz went all the way to the final beating SA and challenge the Heats.
The championship is always won by defense, tough defense! This season, we see Harden slowed down the whole team for his assists and scoring. In contrast, watching Lin moving the ball has been refreshing. The transistion game with Lin passing to the open man has been exciting. Just hope Greg Smith may finally grow to be a Randolph and move with confidence
For Lin to be a great, he needs good teammates. I still think that when Patterson and TD were there, they played much better as a team. The team chemistry just clicked. Watching game in Feburary told me that the trade really hurt the team's chance to play together. OKC pointed out the Rox didn't have a team. The Rox didn't play together like a team. All individual efforts.
I'm glad OKC lost because Sefolosha injured Lin in game 2 - MAYBE ON PURPOSE *because* in the OKC & Memphis series I looked for the way Sefo was running in transition AND HE NEVER RAN THE SAME WAY as he did when he ran sideways into Lin and inured him: When he injured Lin, Sefo folded his elbows tight and swung them strongly to and fro. It was weird watching the youtube of it.
ztrta - I agree with you, that Sef's contact seemed too hard for his body movement, which looked like a glancing blow at best. Doesn't seem like it would have applied that much force to Lin's chest as he was headed parallel to Lin in opposite run, not into Lin. Just saw it again to be sure, and it looks like that on youtube. Can't tell without different angles, though.
Unknown: "Exposed? Please. If they had Westbrook they beat Memphis. What team can get over losing their All-NBA point guard in the playoffs?"
1. Westbrook - i'm sure this selfish idiot is quietly gloating over the fact that OKC was so infective without him. - the fact is though, because he is so selfish, they will never win the championship either.
2. Harden - he was hurt by the trade.. But glad people are saying he could've been useful. The fact is he shrinks in big moments and he will be exposed next year when he doesn't get as many foul calls and breaks the record in TO's.
3. Solidz75- glad to see the fake tough guy durant looking so helpless in the playoffs. The fact is he was exposed as a fraud who liked having Westbrook around because he could alway use him as a crutch. Westbrook wasn't undermining his play after all. in fact, he actually made durant look better. Maybe Durant should grab his own breast and pinch his nipples so he can see if he can tolerate the pain without crying (like he did after losing to lebron in the finals). Little baby.
And don't give any obvious answers like LeBron and Tim Duncan or list no-name scrubs either. Just looking for some evidence that you actually like the NBA.
Please recall that Patrick Beverly doesn't have very many fans on this site either. It doesn't sink to the level of death threats, but it gets very negative.
This is a Jeremy Lin fan site, not a team or PB fan site. What the hell is wrong with you? Out of all the Rockets players mentioned on here, PB has been mentioned the least. Any criticism PB gets is NOTHING compared to the negativity and racism (check your forums, they're disgusting) hurled at Lin from HOU fans.
If you can't handle the discussion here, then STFU and leave.
Calm down guys, there are not too many Jlin's news or something that we can discuss, do we? And it was not about the criticism at all, If you find it is boring so you kept attacking other members here, you should just GTFO.
I'm the biggest Beverley hater here, and that's because I don't like his game which I consider sub NBA caliber.
As far as hating him as a person, NO WAY. I admire Bev for sticking with his NBA dream and being a true professional. That's not saying a lot either.
Lin is the single most criticized player in the NBA. It's as if Allen Iverson's "practice" comments, Derrick Coleman's "whoop de damn do", Kobe's rape case, Isiah's "black" statement, and Tim Donaghy's refereeing were all combined into one guy in Lin. 99.999999% of the criticism hurled against Lin is inexcusable from a basketball or personal standpoint.
The resilient Mem should get some credit. Allen guy D on KD was terrific, and Mem never folded. I have to believe that Mem has a chance to beat Heat in the Finals, and that Mem is the best match-up with Heat. Mem winning shows that relying too much on long 3 pointers will not get you too far in the playoffs. They really played well as a team.
Memphis is like an 80s power team, though they would have been seeded much lower if the exact same Memphis team were playing in the much more competitive NBA of the 1980s.
I am all for seeing more power times not just like Memphis, but Indiana which is very much a "smashmouth" power team and is sort of the Memphis of the East. San Antonio is another 80s style power team, though they're now getting old. A young perimeter team like Golden State would've had no chance against a vintage Tim Duncan from years ago.
Probably the MAIN reason I like Jeremy Lin so much is that he plays that 80s style smashmouth basketball. He's constantly looking to set guys up inside where they can get shots close to the rim, and he plays team defense in a way that intends to force the ball out of the paint. Lin is a guy I could easily see starting for any of the 80s teams I loved watching.
I wish the old Knicks with Patrick Ewing and Mark Jackson had Jeremy Lin starting at 2 guard alongside Johnny Newman and Charles Oakley. I also wish that the 76ers had Jeremy Lin at 2 guard to replace the injured Andrew Toney. A lineup of Mo Cheeks, Lin, Dr J, Charles Barkley, and Moses Malone would have been devastating. Heck, I could even see Lin starting at PG for Don Nelson's Milwaukee Bucks alongside Sidney Moncrief, Larry Krystowiak, Terry Cummings, and Randy Breuer...
Fantasy over. I hope Lin gets to play his smashmouth inside out 80s style basketball more.
When I watched those 80s Knicks struggle against opposing shooting guards because Gerald Wilkins had the athleticism but not the court sense and Trent Tucker had the court sense but not the athleticism, I constantly wanted the Knicks to get a player who was like Wilkins and Tucker fused into one guy. Lin is THAT GUY.
Anyway, I'm of the mind that hoping that Lin gets to play his game is just as unrealistic a fantasy as Lin playing alongside Ewing and Mark Jackson in their prime!
I thought MEM plays well as a team, even more so than Spurs. Everyone of MEM players contributes (there really is no glaring weakness among MEM players), and I sense a great deal of resiliency among players. I think Denver would have gone far if their key players were not injured. It seems to me that OKC does not have the team chemistry for whatever reason. Ibaka needs to improve his offense. I would say MEM can beat any team in NBA, with an exception of maybe Heat; but MEM has a good chance to win it all. More I see Mark Gasol play, I get more impressed. How can two brothers be so good in BB. M Gasol's shots seem to me to be softer than P Gasol's shots. No big egos, and they are on the same page. Rockets on the other hand are too uneven and have glaring weaknesses in many areas. I thought OKC should have utilized K Martin more.
I think MEM will not have to rely on 3 pointers to win against Spurs. It's not like Spurs have good 3 point shooters. MEM's Pondexter guy seems to shoot 3s pretty well.
Well that's why for now MEM is more favored as the Wetern Champion. They will definitely be a NBA Champ if their 1 2 and 3 shoot 3s better. But even without that, they are in a good position right now.
Heat without LeBron is like Barcelona without Messi. It's amazing how much impact they have. Without them, both teams would still be a good team but never a contender. LeBron and Messi always seem to make correct passes and plays.
Also, while watching MEM play, I tried to imagine how MEM would have played with Lin in place of Conley; and my honest conclusion is Lin would not fit MEM playing style either. Conley is a very good PG for MEM. I liked Prince's dunk and Allen's alley-oop.
MEM appears to be a half court playing team (not fast-paced playing style which requires good passing skills). PGs passing basically comes down to making solid feeds to Gasol or Zach. In other words, MEM does not appear to need Lin's passing skills, which is his strength. Rather, they need tough D that Allen brings and various mid-range moves from their PGs. During 6 or 7 games I saw Conley play, he never made one pass that I was saying to myself "Wow", but MEM does not appear to need those kinds of passes because Gasol and Zach are good post players.
More accurate statement would have been that I do not see Lin making MEM better than they are, given their playing style and that Conley is playing well for them.
I think Lin would fit better with OKC than MEM. I could imagine Lin driving in and making good passes for Ibaka or Durant. Also, MEM players appear to be self-sufficient mentally, whereas OKC players need someone to get them to play on the same wavelength.
I think to a certain degree, you are right. I mean, yes MEM does not need a fast paced passing like Lin did a lot this year. However, If you watch how they feed the ball to Z-bo and Gasol, I think Lin can do a little bit better in terms of the timing and angle. Also, Lin can provide MEM a good small ball line up if needed.
As to how the balls are fed to Z-bo and Gasol, Conley does a very good job, I think. No TOs while passing, etc. Maybe small ball, I agree. Lin seems to be good at making not-so-good big men into a decent offensive force, but what I am saying is Gasol and Zach are good enough offensive players that they don't need that kind of help. I would think Curry kind of PG probably fits better with MEM offensively, although Curry's D probably would hurt MEM. I guess what I am saying is I can't think of big changes that MEM needs to make. If Conley or Allen were better 3 points shooters, yes, that would definitely help MEM.
Even if Knicks lose to Pacers (which I think they will), they did better than last year. With their players old, no way can you expect them to do any better. It's not as if the reason why Knicks lost to Pacers was because Felton stunk. Pacers tough D makes it more difficult for Melo and Smith to score on their jumpers.
Probably true eb but we never got to see Lin improve on his playmaking this year. I'd like to believe that Lin would've done much better than Felton if Lin had Felton's role. I mean Novak was rendered to his old useless self. All these what ifs..
All of my above comments above come from my gut feeling that it will be very, very difficult for Lin to get an opportunity to play his game during his NBA career. The reason I say that is I cannot think of one good NBA team which would truly want and feel like they really NEED Lin as a starting PG (at the salary Lin is getting) unless Lin starts to garner better stats starting next season. Conclusion: Rockets is not a bad place for Lin.
Probably Novak misses Lin the most, because Lin actually looked for him. For whatever reason, Lin seems to be good at making not-so-good players pretty good, which makes me think maybe Lin should play with 2nd Unit.
Knicks will never be a title contender with their players. I just think it comes down to talent level. Same thing with Rockets, although Rockets are young enough to make us think they can improve.
eb, memphis plays a beautiful game. I love their interior passing, the fluidity in the offense highlighted by the big men. You're right in that the players are self sufficient. They contribute so much to each other. Zach fighting for position just for a chance to get a rebound off a missed shot. Marc passing to Zach for easy layups. The lakers can learn alot from Memphis. They should steal their playbook. They have players who have veteran savvy moves without alot of athleticism. Their smarts elevate them to a hier level of athleticism. I can't emphasize enough the importance of pump fakes whether to shoot or pass. If you do it enough, the opponent just doesn't know how to defend you the next time and gives you an inch. That's all the difference between a good shot and a contested shot. It's mind boggling to me how so many nba players don't know how to fake their opponents out. Their first instinct is to blow by their guy or to outjump them. On Memphis you've got 2 very cunning players in Zach and Marc. I'm excited to see how far memphis can go.
Lin + second unit was deadly. The game with Portland and Phoenix, the opposite team had to call 2 quick timeouts trying to slow them down in the 2nd Qtr. They are quick and they all took off driving to the hoops and hitting the open man. They outplayed the first team.
mt, glad to see others appreciate MEM's style of play.
1) Saw Conley play very well during playoffs, whereas I have not yet seen Lin play well during playoffs, so until I see Lin play well during playoffs, I don't feel confident saying that Lin can create his own shots during playoffs against a double team.
2) I am not so crazy about Lin's help D, because sometimes I think he doesn't need to help so much and this leads to his relaxing on D on his own man. Also, since MEM has Tony Allen (I love the way he plays D on KD; I would think he would play D on LeBron), a good man to man D is what is needed. I think Lin himself referred to his not putting enough pressure on his man as one of the reasons why Mac played PB over him during certain situations, not that I think PB is a good defender. Personally, I wish Lin just focuses on his own man and lets other Rockets teammates get burned; just play the D that Mac wants to see. Frankly, I don't see any other PGs play a help D to the extent that Lin plays, which probably means that coaches don't like to see it played to such extent. Not sure about this.
I can "appreciate" MEM's play, but they FREAKING BIZZORRING. ZZzzzzz.... Seriously, I hope like heck they don't get to the Finals. Otherwise, I won't watch. I don't care how much trouble they give the Heat, I'd rather watch paint dry.
TVN, I love their coach and their toughness -- their "old man" style of basketball. In fact, I find GSW style of jacking up 3s more boring. Maybe you are young, so you don't appreciate the "down and dirty" type of basketball.
Patrick Beverley is probably the worst defender I have seen at the PG position in my decades of watching the NBA.
He does NOT stick his man because he's getting beaten repeatedly every time somebody goes at him. Beverley's breakdowns contribute mightily to Houston's horrifically bad team defense every time some 3rd string point guard dribbles past Bev or sends him flying with a head fake.
Just because Bev chases after the man that's continually beating him on every possession does not mean that Bev is actually defending a man-to- man scheme. This is the opposite of Lin who shuts down his man AND plays the best helping defense in the NBA.
Lin often shuts down more than one starter when he's in the game, Bev gets lit up by the man he's guarding. All season long, Lin's had to repair the defensive damage caused by Bev being burned. This is why Houston kept falling apart in the regular season when Bev played, and why Lin was so often called on to stop the guys that were KILLING Bev on both ends of the court.
I'm not bashing Bev to elevate Lin either. I'd rather see a REAL point guard who can legitimately defend his position and run an offense. I'd happily concede Lin losing his minutes to a quality basketball savvy backup like Eric Maynor or Jamal Crawford or even Pablo Prigione, but not to a guy like Bev who other franchises are probably laughing at as they target him in their game plans.
When Parsons says something along the line that he thinks the ball in his hands more would help Rockets do better, I seriously think he's getting big-headed. I wonder if Parsons does not realize that saying this is disrespectful to their starting PG. Or was Parsons voicing displeasure at the ball being stuck with Harden so much? Did Parsons really say this? Seems like he did say this during his exit interviews.
Here's what he said: "Next year I'm going to try and be more of a facilitator and playmaker. I think I'm really good at that. I feel like our team is at it's best when the ball is in my hands and i'm making plays for others."
Yes, it's great to have multiple ball handlers and playmakers on a team but they have to know their limitations. Not sure if some of these guys do though.
Hmmm..... Have you ever said something in your life that was misinterpreted? I think it's unfair to get inside his head and know his true intentions on what he said.
Yes, yes, yes, it could be interpreted the way you did eb5. But it could also be interpreted, while maintaining objectivity, that he wants to improve this aspect of his game. Also... Bear in mind, please.... when he says "When the ball is in his hands" he is not necessarily saying that he thinks the ball should be in his hands MORE. He may have really mean that WHEN the ball is in his hands he's at his best when he's helping his teammates. I think it's too easy and convenient to read into blurbs of what people say. This just isn't concrete enough to do that.
Of course you're once again playing the Devil's Advocate. Please, save it. It's pretty clear what Parsons meant. To come to think of it, you act a lot like KHuang, with your weird and unusual interpretations.
Bamboo, fair enough, but when you say it several times and what you say can be misinterpreted, I think he should have done a better job of explaining himself. But your point is valid, and that we may be misreading it. He may have meant it the way you explained it. Perhaps he wants to become a more versatile player.
Another thing about MEM: Every player on MEM seemed to really respect other MEM players, no big shots or need to carry the team; loved that about MEM. In Rockets, I feel Lin should have been treated with more respect; that is one reason why I do not like Lin saying "I have to improve in everything, etc." While what he says is very humble and might be true, it gives a wrong impression to the general public that he sucks so bad that he has to improve in everything. Lin gives "don't give a shit" type of Asians a bad name by being so nice. Frankly, I haven't even met another Asian-American guy as nice as Lin. :)
Bamboo, I give you one example. You remember when Lin said "I am 85% recovered to play" or something similar? Well, you know what Lin really meant, right; but others took it to mean another thing? Well, Lin was naive to have said it that way, and in the same vein, Parsons was naive. However, I do not view Parsons as a naive person. But I do believe Lin is sometimes naive and is treading more carefully. But strangely, when you are a really nice guy, people don't respect you that much. Lin has to keep that in mind in NBA.
TVN, you're just personal attacking me again because Lin PUNKED YOU.
After all, you wrote that Lin could never succeed in the NBA. Then I and others here SCHOOLED YOU by writing that Lin was not only NBA capable, but had "All Star Potential".
You just can't get over Lin making you look like an IDIOT, can you TVN?
What a punk. He can't even recognize just how awful he is being a playmaker. Seriously just how messed up can you be to claim his weakness as his strength!?
OK, I myself don't aee anything wrong with Parsons declaring that he has to become more of a "playmaker".
Parsons shot a lot this year and fancied himself a scorer. When he tried to create for others, he made a mess of the game. There's nothing wrong with Parsons wanting to improve his decisionmaking and ballhandling, and I don't necessarily see it as being a threat to Lin.
The real threats to Lin, in my mind, are:
1) McHale benches him and plays him only 20 minutes a game
2) The Rockets do what they did in the playoffs: GET LAZY when Lin is in the game covering for their loafing ball hogging antics.
eb5, I disagree with you. It's hard enough with people hanging onto your every word when you're in the spotlight. He shouldn't be expected to clarify every last thing (and only a perfect human would be capable of ensuring nobody ever misinterpreted you). Also, bear in mind, this is from an article isn't it? They don't include everything he says when interviewed and they probably just take bits and pieces: This is a recipe for disaster when it comes to knowing the true intent of someone.
Is it ideal to be clear? Of course. But if you were or I or anyone else was in his shoes I doubt that our track record would be perfect in how we explain things: including TVN.
Critical thinking demands that you can't really know Parson's intent from those words. You can try to argue otherwise, but I think it's a losing battle.
I don't know why this is a big issue that Parsons said he wants to improve as a playmaker since the coaches have designed Houston offensive system to have multiple playmakers? Late in the season, we even saw Parsons became the sole playmaker with Harden and Lin on the bench.
I remembered listening to Parsons saying coaches give him the green light to start fastbreak and push the tempo.
This is also why Lin said he needs to improve his overall shooting because Houston offensive system is to push the ball with multiple playmakers (not necessarily a PG) to find the open man.
Why are we even surprised? Parsons and Lin only want to improve in the current Houston system. We should know and accept that Lin can't play the true PG in Houston because all season long, coaches have designed frew-flowing plays initiated by multiple playmakers.
That's simply not Houston offensive system to have a traditional true PG role like Conley plays in Memphis. It has pros and cons for the team. For us, it's mostly cons for Lin since he can't fully utilize his strength.
The issue is, his overestimation of himself did some damages (some goods as well). Often time he ran a FB or PnR and forced the pass (if he havn't lost the ball b4 that) which looked 10x sillier than what Jlin and Harden did.
I think Parson and Lin played together well much more than with Harden. If you can still remember the game tying shot at the last minute in the regular season ending game with the Lakers.
Parson gave up the ball to Lin who was further away from the basket rather than giving it to Harden, closer to the basket and open. Lin faked the shot drew two Lakers away from Parson then passed back the ball to Parson who hit a linedriver and brought the game to overtime.
That's trust.and teamwork at the crunch. At critcial time, Harden should be the last to go to. He's proved not a player you can count on at the crunch.
Psalm, Conley is THE PG of his team, not A PG of his team. He's not a fancy/super creative passer but he gets the job done and feeds his front court. His teammates call him THE playmaker of their team and it's been magnified since the Rudy Gay trade.
Conley isn't playing next to a ball dominant guard either. That's a big deal. Finally, Conley doesn't have a crazy usage rate but it's still higher than Lin's. I really wouldn't say that Lin's role is similar to Conley's, at all.
I thought Parsons' comments were clear as day. His entire exit video is on various HOU fan sites/blogs and nba.com. Different camera men from those sites recorded the same exact interview. It wasn't like his interview was chopped up, nor did the people recording it, edit stuff out. If they did, the footage from those sites would have been different. Nothing he said was taken out of context or misinterpreted. He's confident in his abilities, that's why he said what he said.
Lin lighting up high school kids in pickup games now. Definitely sounds like a guy looking to redeem himself. Good news is his sore chest seems to be healed or possibly nearly 85 percent.
[Well, my compliments have never had anything to do with kindness. :) ]
You, however, must simply be naughty by nature. Of course YOU would be pleased and feel complimented when a girl is shaking her head at you. Outrageous...[smh.] =P
Houston won't do this, but I think that their most glaring need is backup point guard.
They traded away their picks in the Harden trade, so free agency is the only way they'll get players.
I can think of two international guys that would've been VASTLY SUPERIOR to Patrick Beverley's NBA unready game:
1) Marcelo Huertas of Brazil is 35 and old, but he's a BALLER with phenomenal court sense. He's a 6'4" point guard who isn't spectacular athletically but makes all the right plays. He'd have been much better than Bev in defending NBA point guards and in running the Houston offense, especially since Bev's youth and athleticism didn't stop him from being repeatedly burned all season long.
2) Bo McCalebb is one of the best Americans never to play in the NBA. He's on par with Lin as a raw athlete and has awesome court sense and true NBA skills. Had this guy come on and taken minutes from Lin, I wouldn't have complained at all because McCalebb could easily start in the NBA for most teams.
Before we all jump in in our futile efforts to understand your reasoning.. Let me get this straight.
U think that the Rox's MOST glaring need is a back up pg? Above a back up center or a capable power forward ? A big man to rebound and to give a consistent inside presence? This is what you are saying, right?
All I gotta say is if you get one person to agree with you ( not out of spite towards me) .. But really understands your point that a back up pg is the most important thing the Rox need at this point, I will never "flame" you as u would like to say.
It's very obvious that the missing piece to this team is a scoring presence inside the paint, a good power forward or center. The defense is only concerned with Harden, Lin, and Parsons. Nobody else is a threat, that's 3 vs. 5 basketball.
I am not offended in the least, Solidz75z. I'm happy to discuss straight basketball with you.
The Rockets this season were HORRIBLE whenever Lin left the court. Their defense, scoring, and momentum all suffered. The prime reason was that Lin wasn't there to cover up for weak perimeter play by Harden and Parsons and Delfino because of those three's ballhogging selfish play, penchant for turnovers, nonexistent defense, and constant choking under pressure.
Beverley was really bad for that mix because he couldn't create shots for himself or others. This forced the ball into Harden and Parsons and Delfino with predictably selfish results. On defense, Beverley was so vulnerable that he constantly needed to be helped by other players every time he got beat. This resulted in the Rockets being unable to play straight up defense.
Now when Lin was on the court, things straightened out somewhat defensively and even offensively. That's because Lin knows how to lead the team to play unselfish winning basketball at the NBA level. Lin even covered for Beverley when they played together.
A better backup point guard than Beverley would prevent the Rockets from constantly being beaten into the ground whenever Lin leaves the game. We saw that with Aaron Brooks late in the season when he got minutes mainly due to Lin's injury. Even though he is not the athlete Bev is, Brooks is a legitimate NBA PG who knows how to keep a team together by running the position. Brooks was so much more deserving of backup PG minutes than the utterly clueless Bev.
My thing is that I want to see the best basketball, regardless who's on the court. Lin played his 30 minutes a game, but somebody GOOD had better play the 18 minutes Lin isn't playing. Beverley played those minutes horribly, and only with Lin beside him did Bev look halfway decent. I'd prefer the Rockets to get a better pg than Bev to play those minutes, as I'm not sure what's gonna happen to Brooks.
As for the other positions, I generally did not see them being a problem in the regular season. Plus getting max contract guys like Josh Smith or Dwight Howard would not necessarily generate more wins, in my opinion.
I believe that if a guy is getting attacked on defense like Bev is while also provided nothing or negative output on offense, that needs to be repaired because opponents are TARGETING Bev to defeat the Rockets when Lin's out of the game.
I'll also add that the Rockets could add Josh Smith AND Dwight Howard and STILL they'd get roasted with Bev in the game.
Bev doesn't run offenses, so they wouldn't get the ball from him. And on defense, Bev will never be the solid defender that can defens the pick and roll by fighting over screens or anticipating moves.
The Lakers had two of the NBA's best battleship big men in Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard. They also had one of the NBA's oldest and slowest defenders in Steve Nash, an average defender in Steve Blake, and a bunch of low paid nobody guards. The Lakers were KILLED all season long by opposing guards, even with Gasol and Howard on the court at the same time.
With a guy like Bev, his poor reflexes and zero court sense would mean constant roasting by opposing guards even if Smith and Howard were in the game. This is why many NBA observers believe that PG is one of the most important positions in the game - a bad PG means bad NBA basketball of the sort Bev does when Lin's not in the game.
A lack of NBA reflexes cannot be solved by experience and training, JLin fan.
JJ Redick has NBA reflexes and subpar NBA athleticism. Still, he holds his own because he can see plays developing. The pace of the NBA game doesn't bother Redick like it does Bev.
Time will reveal whether Bev ever stops getting destroyed by opponents when Lin sits down.
Beverly is a backup and that is it. You can only tell how well he is perceived when he becomes a free agent. What I can be sure is he won't be on the Rox's waiver list. He will be just a utility player on the bench. Lin is special and nobody will ask him to serve on the bench. He is and will be a starter in his career. His third year in the Rox will be a critical point of his career telling us whether he can stay in NBA. Next year and this year, he would at least be given the benefit of doubts. Yes, he'll start if he's healthy. Beverly could be the third guard in a small lineup or just Lin's backup.
Anderson in fact should get more playtime and Harden should play less time to avoid injury.
Khuang, Bev's not as great of a defender as HOU fans make him out to be but he's not the worst either. Something I noticed is that he gets bullied by bigger and/or smarter guards. Guys like WB and Curry. Other than that, i'll defer to the rest of ya'll. I don't have much to say about Bev.
I think what matters most is that Mchale & Morey love him, and told him to get ready for a lot more playing time, next year. So, it doesn't really matter if some fans think he stinks because they'll be playing him.
Tim Duncan at 37 is still playing at the very high level. He just makes the right fundamentally sound moves without exerting too much energy or fluff. He can definitely play at the high level for another 2-3 years.
Contrast that with Jordan who had a different athletic kind of game but wore out his knees by 37-38.
I hope Lin would quickly learn to transition his game to play more than 1 speed for self-preservation.
I actually think Lin's quickness had something to do with ref's non-call for Lin. They can't see what's happening because they thought Lin initiated contact. That and no special treatment for young players.
I'm glad Lin picked up a thing or two from Harden this season to 'signal' the refs (head looking up and arms extended) that he got fouled driving to the basket.
Kind of like psalm I always thought Lin was getting smacked in the face so much because he's too fast getting to the hoop. Defenders think they're swinging at the ball but Jeremy being one step too fast ends up getting whacked in the face. :(
I do hope he adjusts his game a bit to take less damage, regardless of the refs. He still seems to play a "nothing to lose don't know when I'll get cut again" game, instead of a "long career as a NBA starter" game.
Man, if I'm first to comment it must be really slow tonight.
ReplyDeletemy ear got itchy. you rang?
DeleteI am afraid to ask...
Deletenot in a gazillion years.
DeleteLydia, your obvious attempt at wanting to French kiss Etane backfired.
DeleteMaybe if you ask more seductively, Etane will chane his mind.
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DeleteI think Etane likes tough, domineering girls. So u can just say.. Etane my lips are dry. Effing kiss it now!
DeleteArt of seduction is something you are born with. I mean just ask via
oh yah kissing sandpaper turns ME on.
Deleteand it will take a master of seduction to pry via's attention away from her twitter feed.
Really?! Challenge accepted.
DeleteHey ~~~~ Via
Come here and smell my breath! Get reeeeel close so u can figure out what I ate for dinner last night.
Sigh, stop telling me about your dates, Solidz! They won't appreciate it...
Delete"I think Etane likes tough, domineering girls."
- Srly. :)
"Via, I need help, solidz said you are the master of seduction."
- LOL, if my corny and awkward attempts at social interactions = "master of seduction", then I love you Lydia...[My excuse tho, I'm a female INTJ, this is the best I can do, lol.]
"it will take a master of seduction to pry via's attention away..."
- smh, get out of my head.
What da hell is intj?
DeleteHmmm ... InTerNational Jesuit??? Is that like a Mormon?
DeleteI got lost in this thread.
DeleteThe only thing I got from this thread is Solidz and Lydia are hyperactive kissers with fondness of Etane's dry lips.
But Solidz would like via who is the INTJ mistress of seduction to smell his breath.
Off-season is weird :D And TMI in a fun way.
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Delete"The only thing I got from this thread is Solidz and Lydia are hyperactive kissers with fondness of Etane's dry lips.'
Delete- Solidz is pervy like that.
"But Solidz would like via who is the INTJ mistress of seduction to smell his breath."
- Solidz is pervy like that.
Argh, count on me to veer off the part of the topic in question: This is supposed to be an INTJ IN SOCIAL INTERACTIONS.
DeleteOmg.. I'm an INTJ!!!
DeleteSolidz, via said you're a pervy INTJ :D
DeleteSome MALE INTJs :)
DeletePsalm, it takes one to know one.
Deletesmh...
Deletevia, Solidz doesn't look pervy at all in this MALE INTJ pic.
DeleteI'm sure he's got his signature moves.
Delete=P
What's wrong here.
DeleteI think this is about basketball.
via, I love the Bruce Lee quote. Hope it's real. Meyers Briggs is pretty ok to start conversations about how people can interact better. Teamwork!
DeleteGreat off season energy, everyone!
:) @JT~
DeleteThe full quote: [On being talented] - Oftentimes people come up to me and ask, “Bruce, are you really that good?” I say, “Well, if I tell you I’m good, probably you will say I’m boasting; but if I tell you I’m no good, you’ll know I’m lying.” I have the absolute confidence not to be number two, but then I have enough sense to realize that there can be no number one.
Fr~ Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living [2000]
[Also contains the quote: "The meaning of life is that it is to be lived, and it is not to be traded and conceptualized and squeezed into a patter of systems."]
JT, you're either an xNTP or an xNTJ?
Delete[just curious. Answer, or not.] =)
I take it Bruce Lee wouldn't approve of Myers Briggs?
DeleteMaybe as a mere guide? [The way it should be used.]
DeleteType =/= destiny.
Not really, it was fun watching the OKC Thunder get exposed and destroyed by the Memphis Grizzlies. Too bad Jlin wasn't there to see it happen ... and learn how to beat the Thunder.
ReplyDeleteExposed? Please. If they had Westbrook they beat Memphis. What team can get over losing their All-NBA point guard in the playoffs? It isn't as if they lost a marginal, replaceable PG, but a guy who was their primary ball handler and also did a lot of their scoring.
DeleteAnd Lin already knows how to beat the Thunder I suppose ... by hammering Westbrook's knee the way that Beverly did.
The second para is very unfair to Lin, a real sportsman who doesn't resort to hurting his opponent to win games.
DeleteWhen Lin played the PG in the last match up against OKC in the reg season, he led the Rox to victory in a very squeaky clean manner.
Playing good defense does not equal using dirty tricks like trying to intentionally hurt someone. However, Westbrook's injury was an accident and Beverley didn't "hammer" his knee intentionally.
DeleteBut yes I agree that one of the keys to defeat OKC is limiting Westbrook's scoring and effectiveness which JLin did do a good job in the regular season games.
OKC had problems of Def. Reb. and defending 2 bigs. Both are not really related to WB's absence.
DeleteThe only way WB can help here is helping KD to shoot MEM out of the build.
Delete*building.
DeleteButt contused OKC fan I'm guessing.
DeleteHey man, let me make this very clear. OKC's window for winning the championship is closing real fast!!!
100% agree on that OKC comment, unless they make big changes in this summer.
DeleteWell OKC clearly got exposed.
DeleteIt's crystal clear now that Westbrook was not holding Durant back. There were a lot of rumblings in the past that Westbrook was holding back durants game and I was in that camp as well. But this series proved that this is NOT the case. And i think Durant knew this. That is why Durant never complained about westbrook taking more shots than him. One could also argue Westbrook is more important than Durant because he can playmake as a pg. it was pathetic to see durant try to dribble his way to a basket only to turn it over. Reminded me a lot of parsons this season.
Don't you guys see the strange resemblance or Gasol + Cooney to Asik + Lin
DeletePlay Time is the best coach.
Memphis traded away Rudy Gay so that the team could be more balanced in distribution. They played more like a team. I wish the Griz went all the way to the final beating SA and challenge the Heats.
The championship is always won by defense, tough defense! This season, we see Harden slowed down the whole team for his assists and scoring. In contrast, watching Lin moving the ball has been refreshing. The transistion game with Lin passing to the open man has been exciting. Just hope Greg Smith may finally grow to be a Randolph and move with confidence
For Lin to be a great, he needs good teammates. I still think that when Patterson and TD were there, they played much better as a team. The team chemistry just clicked. Watching game in Feburary told me that the trade really hurt the team's chance to play together. OKC pointed out the Rox didn't have a team. The Rox didn't play together like a team. All individual efforts.
I'm glad OKC lost because Sefolosha injured Lin in game 2 - MAYBE ON PURPOSE *because* in the OKC & Memphis series I looked for the way Sefo was running in transition AND HE NEVER RAN THE SAME WAY as he did when he ran sideways into Lin and inured him: When he injured Lin, Sefo folded his elbows tight and swung them strongly to and fro. It was weird watching the youtube of it.
DeleteI think so too.
DeleteLin must learn to protect himself.
ztrta - I agree with you, that Sef's contact seemed too hard for his body movement, which looked like a glancing blow at best. Doesn't seem like it would have applied that much force to Lin's chest as he was headed parallel to Lin in opposite run, not into Lin. Just saw it again to be sure, and it looks like that on youtube. Can't tell without different angles, though.
DeleteUnknown: "Exposed? Please. If they had Westbrook they beat Memphis. What team can get over losing their All-NBA point guard in the playoffs?"
Do you mean if HOU used JLin like a PG? Ha ha.
Three people really happy tonight that OKC lost
ReplyDelete1. Westbrook - i'm sure this selfish idiot is quietly gloating over the fact that OKC was so infective without him. - the fact is though, because he is so selfish, they will never win the championship either.
2. Harden - he was hurt by the trade.. But glad people are saying he could've been useful. The fact is he shrinks in big moments and he will be exposed next year when he doesn't get as many foul calls and breaks the record in TO's.
3. Solidz75- glad to see the fake tough guy durant looking so helpless in the playoffs. The fact is he was exposed as a fraud who liked having Westbrook around because he could alway use him as a crutch. Westbrook wasn't undermining his play after all. in fact, he actually made durant look better. Maybe Durant should grab his own breast and pinch his nipples so he can see if he can tolerate the pain without crying (like he did after losing to lebron in the finals). Little baby.
For goodness sakes man, are there any NBA teams or NBA players that you actually like? If not, then why do you even follow the sport at all?
DeleteAnd don't give any obvious answers like LeBron and Tim Duncan or list no-name scrubs either. Just looking for some evidence that you actually like the NBA.
DeleteI'm just looking for some evidence that shows unknown is not a troll.
Delete@Unknown
DeleteDoes OKC = entire NBA? How did you conclude that not liking OKC means you're not an NBA fan?
not being sarcastic, I'm just looking for some evidence to support the notion that Solidz doesn't like the NBA.
DeleteJust a wild guess but I think I alienated yet another poster. Sigh.
Delete=P
DeletePB just got so many death threat again, those internet thugs, smh.
ReplyDeletePlease recall that Patrick Beverly doesn't have very many fans on this site either. It doesn't sink to the level of death threats, but it gets very negative.
DeleteThis is a Jeremy Lin fan site, not a team or PB fan site. What the hell is wrong with you? Out of all the Rockets players mentioned on here, PB has been mentioned the least. Any criticism PB gets is NOTHING compared to the negativity and racism (check your forums, they're disgusting) hurled at Lin from HOU fans.
DeleteIf you can't handle the discussion here, then STFU and leave.
Why is there no death threat for McHale? Guess mine didn't reach him
DeleteCalm down guys, there are not too many Jlin's news or something that we can discuss, do we? And it was not about the criticism at all, If you find it is boring so you kept attacking other members here, you should just GTFO.
DeleteI'm the biggest Beverley hater here, and that's because I don't like his game which I consider sub NBA caliber.
DeleteAs far as hating him as a person, NO WAY. I admire Bev for sticking with his NBA dream and being a true professional. That's not saying a lot either.
Lin is the single most criticized player in the NBA. It's as if Allen Iverson's "practice" comments, Derrick Coleman's "whoop de damn do", Kobe's rape case, Isiah's "black" statement, and Tim Donaghy's refereeing were all combined into one guy in Lin. 99.999999% of the criticism hurled against Lin is inexcusable from a basketball or personal standpoint.
Lydia.. U messed that up. It sounds like u are telling people to get a F on a test or something. The correct way would be..
DeletePB can tell them all to go eff off...got it?'
Making a difference in this otherwise boring forum. One poster at a time.
DeleteJoin me in the dark side Lydia. It's much more fun here.
DeleteI thought Lydia is already there?
Delete^ You would know...
Delete=P
I can read your dirty mind, Lydia.
DeleteTakes one to know one? Just a guess...
Delete=P
Exactly via (wink wink). Exactly..
DeleteThe resilient Mem should get some credit. Allen guy D on KD was terrific, and Mem never folded. I have to believe that Mem has a chance to beat Heat in the Finals, and that Mem is the best match-up with Heat. Mem winning shows that relying too much on long 3 pointers will not get you too far in the playoffs. They really played well as a team.
ReplyDeleteI think only the team that has both ISO or post game and 3pt shooting can win..OKC didn't really have any post threats. MEM got both (well, kind of).
DeleteMemphis is like an 80s power team, though they would have been seeded much lower if the exact same Memphis team were playing in the much more competitive NBA of the 1980s.
DeleteI am all for seeing more power times not just like Memphis, but Indiana which is very much a "smashmouth" power team and is sort of the Memphis of the East. San Antonio is another 80s style power team, though they're now getting old. A young perimeter team like Golden State would've had no chance against a vintage Tim Duncan from years ago.
Probably the MAIN reason I like Jeremy Lin so much is that he plays that 80s style smashmouth basketball. He's constantly looking to set guys up inside where they can get shots close to the rim, and he plays team defense in a way that intends to force the ball out of the paint. Lin is a guy I could easily see starting for any of the 80s teams I loved watching.
I wish the old Knicks with Patrick Ewing and Mark Jackson had Jeremy Lin starting at 2 guard alongside Johnny Newman and Charles Oakley. I also wish that the 76ers had Jeremy Lin at 2 guard to replace the injured Andrew Toney. A lineup of Mo Cheeks, Lin, Dr J, Charles Barkley, and Moses Malone would have been devastating. Heck, I could even see Lin starting at PG for Don Nelson's Milwaukee Bucks alongside Sidney Moncrief, Larry Krystowiak, Terry Cummings, and Randy Breuer...
Fantasy over. I hope Lin gets to play his smashmouth inside out 80s style basketball more.
So far the biggest day dream I saw, haha KHunag.
DeleteAin't that DA TRUTH, Brent Yen.
DeleteWhen I watched those 80s Knicks struggle against opposing shooting guards because Gerald Wilkins had the athleticism but not the court sense and Trent Tucker had the court sense but not the athleticism, I constantly wanted the Knicks to get a player who was like Wilkins and Tucker fused into one guy. Lin is THAT GUY.
Anyway, I'm of the mind that hoping that Lin gets to play his game is just as unrealistic a fantasy as Lin playing alongside Ewing and Mark Jackson in their prime!
It is true. :P Too bad it wasn't happening.
DeleteI thought MEM plays well as a team, even more so than Spurs. Everyone of MEM players contributes (there really is no glaring weakness among MEM players), and I sense a great deal of resiliency among players. I think Denver would have gone far if their key players were not injured. It seems to me that OKC does not have the team chemistry for whatever reason. Ibaka needs to improve his offense. I would say MEM can beat any team in NBA, with an exception of maybe Heat; but MEM has a good chance to win it all. More I see Mark Gasol play, I get more impressed. How can two brothers be so good in BB. M Gasol's shots seem to me to be softer than P Gasol's shots. No big egos, and they are on the same page. Rockets on the other hand are too uneven and have glaring weaknesses in many areas. I thought OKC should have utilized K Martin more.
DeleteThe only BIG weakness I see in MEM is their 3pt shooting. Spurs will force Prince and Allen shoot a lot of that I think.
DeleteI think MEM will not have to rely on 3 pointers to win against Spurs. It's not like Spurs have good 3 point shooters. MEM's Pondexter guy seems to shoot 3s pretty well.
DeleteWell that's why for now MEM is more favored as the Wetern Champion. They will definitely be a NBA Champ if their 1 2 and 3 shoot 3s better. But even without that, they are in a good position right now.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHeat without LeBron is like Barcelona without Messi. It's amazing how much impact they have. Without them, both teams would still be a good team but never a contender. LeBron and Messi always seem to make correct passes and plays.
DeleteI really want to see MEM vs MIA in the final.....
DeleteIMO no one is beating the heat this year. Memphis obviously has the best chance- but too many weapons on heat's end.
DeleteMEM will win if LeBron gets injured. :) LeBron basically accounts for 50% of their points.
DeleteThe thing is lebron NEVER gets injured. I mean the dude is bionic...
DeleteAlso, while watching MEM play, I tried to imagine how MEM would have played with Lin in place of Conley; and my honest conclusion is Lin would not fit MEM playing style either. Conley is a very good PG for MEM. I liked Prince's dunk and Allen's alley-oop.
ReplyDeleteParticularly in what aspect do you think Lin will not fit?
DeleteMEM appears to be a half court playing team (not fast-paced playing style which requires good passing skills). PGs passing basically comes down to making solid feeds to Gasol or Zach. In other words, MEM does not appear to need Lin's passing skills, which is his strength. Rather, they need tough D that Allen brings and various mid-range moves from their PGs. During 6 or 7 games I saw Conley play, he never made one pass that I was saying to myself "Wow", but MEM does not appear to need those kinds of passes because Gasol and Zach are good post players.
DeleteMore accurate statement would have been that I do not see Lin making MEM better than they are, given their playing style and that Conley is playing well for them.
I think Lin would fit better with OKC than MEM. I could imagine Lin driving in and making good passes for Ibaka or Durant. Also, MEM players appear to be self-sufficient mentally, whereas OKC players need someone to get them to play on the same wavelength.
DeleteI think to a certain degree, you are right. I mean, yes MEM does not need a fast paced passing like Lin did a lot this year. However, If you watch how they feed the ball to Z-bo and Gasol, I think Lin can do a little bit better in terms of the timing and angle. Also, Lin can provide MEM a good small ball line up if needed.
DeleteForget Memphis or OKC. Lin would be the perfect fit for the Knicks.
DeleteToo bad that ship already sailed.
As to how the balls are fed to Z-bo and Gasol, Conley does a very good job, I think. No TOs while passing, etc. Maybe small ball, I agree. Lin seems to be good at making not-so-good big men into a decent offensive force, but what I am saying is Gasol and Zach are good enough offensive players that they don't need that kind of help. I would think Curry kind of PG probably fits better with MEM offensively, although Curry's D probably would hurt MEM. I guess what I am saying is I can't think of big changes that MEM needs to make. If Conley or Allen were better 3 points shooters, yes, that would definitely help MEM.
DeleteAnd about to be sunk...
DeleteBut I don't think Knicks with Lin is a Championship contender either, given their players. I do agree that Knicks is a good fit for Lin.
DeleteKnicks will never be a contender until they fix their D.
DeleteEven if Knicks lose to Pacers (which I think they will), they did better than last year. With their players old, no way can you expect them to do any better. It's not as if the reason why Knicks lost to Pacers was because Felton stunk. Pacers tough D makes it more difficult for Melo and Smith to score on their jumpers.
DeleteProbably true eb but we never got to see Lin improve on his playmaking this year. I'd like to believe that Lin would've done much better than Felton if Lin had Felton's role. I mean Novak was rendered to his old useless self. All these what ifs..
DeleteAll of my above comments above come from my gut feeling that it will be very, very difficult for Lin to get an opportunity to play his game during his NBA career. The reason I say that is I cannot think of one good NBA team which would truly want and feel like they really NEED Lin as a starting PG (at the salary Lin is getting) unless Lin starts to garner better stats starting next season. Conclusion: Rockets is not a bad place for Lin.
DeleteProbably Novak misses Lin the most, because Lin actually looked for him. For whatever reason, Lin seems to be good at making not-so-good players pretty good, which makes me think maybe Lin should play with 2nd Unit.
DeleteKnicks will never be a title contender with their players. I just think it comes down to talent level. Same thing with Rockets, although Rockets are young enough to make us think they can improve.
Deleteeb, memphis plays a beautiful game. I love their interior passing, the fluidity in the offense highlighted by the big men. You're right in that the players are self sufficient. They contribute so much to each other. Zach fighting for position just for a chance to get a rebound off a missed shot. Marc passing to Zach for easy layups. The lakers can learn alot from Memphis. They should steal their playbook. They have players who have veteran savvy moves without alot of athleticism. Their smarts elevate them to a hier level of athleticism. I can't emphasize enough the importance of pump fakes whether to shoot or pass. If you do it enough, the opponent just doesn't know how to defend you the next time and gives you an inch. That's all the difference between a good shot and a contested shot. It's mind boggling to me how so many nba players don't know how to fake their opponents out. Their first instinct is to blow by their guy or to outjump them. On Memphis you've got 2 very cunning players in Zach and Marc. I'm excited to see how far memphis can go.
DeleteI do think Lin would be a better fit for Memphis than Conley.
DeleteLin can do two things that Conley cannot:
1) offensively create his own shot, wven against a double team
2) play free safety ranging help defense, which Conley cannot do.
Now if I were coaching the Grizzlies, Lin would be either my starting SG or my 6th man to replace either Conley or Allen.
By the way, a reserve backcourt of Lin with one of my favorite players in Jerryd Bayless would be TERRIFYING.
Lin + second unit was deadly.
DeleteThe game with Portland and Phoenix, the opposite team had to call 2 quick timeouts trying to slow them down in the 2nd Qtr. They are quick and they all took off driving to the hoops and hitting the open man. They outplayed the first team.
mt, glad to see others appreciate MEM's style of play.
Delete1) Saw Conley play very well during playoffs, whereas I have not yet seen Lin play well during playoffs, so until I see Lin play well during playoffs, I don't feel confident saying that Lin can create his own shots during playoffs against a double team.
2) I am not so crazy about Lin's help D, because sometimes I think he doesn't need to help so much and this leads to his relaxing on D on his own man. Also, since MEM has Tony Allen (I love the way he plays D on KD; I would think he would play D on LeBron), a good man to man D is what is needed. I think Lin himself referred to his not putting enough pressure on his man as one of the reasons why Mac played PB over him during certain situations, not that I think PB is a good defender. Personally, I wish Lin just focuses on his own man and lets other Rockets teammates get burned; just play the D that Mac wants to see. Frankly, I don't see any other PGs play a help D to the extent that Lin plays, which probably means that coaches don't like to see it played to such extent. Not sure about this.
@eb5attorney,
DeleteI can "appreciate" MEM's play, but they FREAKING BIZZORRING. ZZzzzzz.... Seriously, I hope like heck they don't get to the Finals. Otherwise, I won't watch. I don't care how much trouble they give the Heat, I'd rather watch paint dry.
TVN, I love their coach and their toughness -- their "old man" style of basketball. In fact, I find GSW style of jacking up 3s more boring. Maybe you are young, so you don't appreciate the "down and dirty" type of basketball.
DeletePatrick Beverley is probably the worst defender I have seen at the PG position in my decades of watching the NBA.
DeleteHe does NOT stick his man because he's getting beaten repeatedly every time somebody goes at him. Beverley's breakdowns contribute mightily to Houston's horrifically bad team defense every time some 3rd string point guard dribbles past Bev or sends him flying with a head fake.
Just because Bev chases after the man that's continually beating him on every possession does not mean that Bev is actually defending a man-to- man scheme. This is the opposite of Lin who shuts down his man AND plays the best helping defense in the NBA.
Lin often shuts down more than one starter when he's in the game, Bev gets lit up by the man he's guarding. All season long, Lin's had to repair the defensive damage caused by Bev being burned. This is why Houston kept falling apart in the regular season when Bev played, and why Lin was so often called on to stop the guys that were KILLING Bev on both ends of the court.
I'm not bashing Bev to elevate Lin either. I'd rather see a REAL point guard who can legitimately defend his position and run an offense. I'd happily concede Lin losing his minutes to a quality basketball savvy backup like Eric Maynor or Jamal Crawford or even Pablo Prigione, but not to a guy like Bev who other franchises are probably laughing at as they target him in their game plans.
The first 2 years of Conley are none better but worse than Lin. Yet it's always Lin on the front page receiving all those bashing.
DeleteMost PGs contracts are much less than Lin's even though most of them are first round picks with guaranteed contracts
When Parsons says something along the line that he thinks the ball in his hands more would help Rockets do better, I seriously think he's getting big-headed. I wonder if Parsons does not realize that saying this is disrespectful to their starting PG. Or was Parsons voicing displeasure at the ball being stuck with Harden so much? Did Parsons really say this? Seems like he did say this during his exit interviews.
ReplyDeleteI was not just in his exit interview, he implied it multiple time tru out the season.
DeleteHere's what he said: "Next year I'm going to try and be more of a facilitator and playmaker. I think I'm really good at that. I feel like our team is at it's best when the ball is in my hands and i'm making plays for others."
DeleteYes, it's great to have multiple ball handlers and playmakers on a team but they have to know their limitations. Not sure if some of these guys do though.
I tended to agree with Parson, he is the only guy who can take the ball away from Harden and Hero Ball in the Rockets w/o getting benched.
DeleteHmmm..... Have you ever said something in your life that was misinterpreted? I think it's unfair to get inside his head and know his true intentions on what he said.
DeleteYes, yes, yes, it could be interpreted the way you did eb5. But it could also be interpreted, while maintaining objectivity, that he wants to improve this aspect of his game. Also... Bear in mind, please.... when he says "When the ball is in his hands" he is not necessarily saying that he thinks the ball should be in his hands MORE. He may have really mean that WHEN the ball is in his hands he's at his best when he's helping his teammates. I think it's too easy and convenient to read into blurbs of what people say. This just isn't concrete enough to do that.
@Bamboo Forest,
DeleteOf course you're once again playing the Devil's Advocate. Please, save it. It's pretty clear what Parsons meant. To come to think of it, you act a lot like KHuang, with your weird and unusual interpretations.
Bamboo, fair enough, but when you say it several times and what you say can be misinterpreted, I think he should have done a better job of explaining himself. But your point is valid, and that we may be misreading it. He may have meant it the way you explained it. Perhaps he wants to become a more versatile player.
DeleteAnother thing about MEM: Every player on MEM seemed to really respect other MEM players, no big shots or need to carry the team; loved that about MEM. In Rockets, I feel Lin should have been treated with more respect; that is one reason why I do not like Lin saying "I have to improve in everything, etc." While what he says is very humble and might be true, it gives a wrong impression to the general public that he sucks so bad that he has to improve in everything. Lin gives "don't give a shit" type of Asians a bad name by being so nice. Frankly, I haven't even met another Asian-American guy as nice as Lin. :)
DeleteBamboo, I give you one example. You remember when Lin said "I am 85% recovered to play" or something similar? Well, you know what Lin really meant, right; but others took it to mean another thing? Well, Lin was naive to have said it that way, and in the same vein, Parsons was naive. However, I do not view Parsons as a naive person. But I do believe Lin is sometimes naive and is treading more carefully. But strangely, when you are a really nice guy, people don't respect you that much. Lin has to keep that in mind in NBA.
Deletewhenever I see CP25 handles the ball, the very next thing I can think of is "please don't lose the ball, please don't turn over, give it to Lin".
DeleteUnfortunately, I seem to remember it was very often that he lost the ball, and he seldom gave the ball to Lin.
TVN, you're just personal attacking me again because Lin PUNKED YOU.
DeleteAfter all, you wrote that Lin could never succeed in the NBA. Then I and others here SCHOOLED YOU by writing that Lin was not only NBA capable, but had "All Star Potential".
You just can't get over Lin making you look like an IDIOT, can you TVN?
What a punk. He can't even recognize just how awful he is being a playmaker. Seriously just how messed up can you be to claim his weakness as his strength!?
DeleteOK, I myself don't aee anything wrong with Parsons declaring that he has to become more of a "playmaker".
DeleteParsons shot a lot this year and fancied himself a scorer. When he tried to create for others, he made a mess of the game. There's nothing wrong with Parsons wanting to improve his decisionmaking and ballhandling, and I don't necessarily see it as being a threat to Lin.
The real threats to Lin, in my mind, are:
1) McHale benches him and plays him only 20 minutes a game
2) The Rockets do what they did in the playoffs: GET LAZY when Lin is in the game covering for their loafing ball hogging antics.
eb5, I disagree with you. It's hard enough with people hanging onto your every word when you're in the spotlight. He shouldn't be expected to clarify every last thing (and only a perfect human would be capable of ensuring nobody ever misinterpreted you). Also, bear in mind, this is from an article isn't it? They don't include everything he says when interviewed and they probably just take bits and pieces: This is a recipe for disaster when it comes to knowing the true intent of someone.
DeleteIs it ideal to be clear? Of course. But if you were or I or anyone else was in his shoes I doubt that our track record would be perfect in how we explain things: including TVN.
TVN: I'm sorry that you interpret me playing devil's advocate. I interpret it as making an EFFORT to think critically instead of reacting emotionally.
DeleteBamboo Forest, TVN is a TROLL that you can't "think critically" with.
DeleteHe's been trolling this site for at least a year now, bashing Lin and Lin's fans like YOU.
Just understand that about him and you'll be OK. I for one certainly appreciate your basketball thinking, even if we don't agree.
Late to the convo but is parsons delusional? He really said that?
DeleteCritical thinking demands that you can't really know Parson's intent from those words. You can try to argue otherwise, but I think it's a losing battle.
DeleteFor those who haven't seen, some info:
DeletePARSONS' EXIT INTERVIEW
[Before training camp]
Q&A WITH CHANDLER PARSONS
I guess the only conclusion here is we all think that L7 butt contusion guy is a troll.... lol
DeleteI don't know why this is a big issue that Parsons said he wants to improve as a playmaker since the coaches have designed Houston offensive system to have multiple playmakers? Late in the season, we even saw Parsons became the sole playmaker with Harden and Lin on the bench.
DeleteI remembered listening to Parsons saying coaches give him the green light to start fastbreak and push the tempo.
This is also why Lin said he needs to improve his overall shooting because Houston offensive system is to push the ball with multiple playmakers (not necessarily a PG) to find the open man.
Why are we even surprised? Parsons and Lin only want to improve in the current Houston system. We should know and accept that Lin can't play the true PG in Houston because all season long, coaches have designed frew-flowing plays initiated by multiple playmakers.
That's simply not Houston offensive system to have a traditional true PG role like Conley plays in Memphis. It has pros and cons for the team. For us, it's mostly cons for Lin since he can't fully utilize his strength.
The issue is, his overestimation of himself did some damages (some goods as well). Often time he ran a FB or PnR and forced the pass (if he havn't lost the ball b4 that) which looked 10x sillier than what Jlin and Harden did.
DeleteHeck .. Why don't we have Asik say the same thing. Let him have the ball more in his hands and be a playmaker..
DeleteHe is definitely overestimating himself. He needs to focus on his role. He is not and will never be Lebron.
Maybe "self-esteem" is different in Turkish culture...
Delete=P
But being a delusional douchbag is the same in all culture.
Deletelol
DeleteI think Parson and Lin played together well much more than with Harden.
DeleteIf you can still remember the game tying shot at the last minute in the regular season ending game with the Lakers.
Parson gave up the ball to Lin who was further away from the basket rather than giving it to Harden, closer to the basket and open. Lin faked the shot drew two Lakers away from Parson then passed back the ball to Parson who hit a linedriver and brought the game to overtime.
That's trust.and teamwork at the crunch. At critcial time, Harden should be the last to go to. He's proved not a player you can count on at the crunch.
Psalm, Conley is THE PG of his team, not A PG of his team. He's not a fancy/super creative passer but he gets the job done and feeds his front court. His teammates call him THE playmaker of their team and it's been magnified since the Rudy Gay trade.
DeleteConley isn't playing next to a ball dominant guard either. That's a big deal. Finally, Conley doesn't have a crazy usage rate but it's still higher than Lin's. I really wouldn't say that Lin's role is similar to Conley's, at all.
I thought Parsons' comments were clear as day. His entire exit video is on various HOU fan sites/blogs and nba.com. Different camera men from those sites recorded the same exact interview. It wasn't like his interview was chopped up, nor did the people recording it, edit stuff out. If they did, the footage from those sites would have been different. Nothing he said was taken out of context or misinterpreted. He's confident in his abilities, that's why he said what he said.
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ReplyDeleteLook back~
ReplyDeleteIT'S ABOUT BEING WHO YOU'RE BORN TO BE.
Might interest some~
ReplyDelete[SBNation] Tough lessons from the Oklahoma City Thunder's playoff elimination
[Grantland] I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Delete[An OKC fan watches the Thunder fall]
[So...we don't care for coach Nick.]
DeleteHis BREAKDOWN OF OKC/ MEM might interest some.
*might interest some though.
DeleteFOR OKC, TOO MUCH PERKY FISH
DeletePhil Jackson throws the book at Kobe Bryant
ReplyDeleteBack in the Day: Travel in the NBA
ReplyDeleteLin lighting up high school kids in pickup games now. Definitely sounds like a guy looking to redeem himself. Good news is his sore chest seems to be healed or possibly nearly 85 percent.
ReplyDeleteWhy oh why @butt contusion?
Delete[you just can't resist...smh]
@butt contusion, stop bitching, join us instead.
Deletec'mon. :)
Via is right. Lin is right. So if you know what's good for you, you better do the right thing. Do the right thing!
DeleteVia. Are u hitting on butt.
DeleteStop projecting...smh.
Deletewow, it was the the L7 butt contusion speaking again. How was it's brain doing? I wonder.
DeleteHe secretly likes us.
Delete[He can't stay away.] =P
via, I just did not know a L7 brain contusion can be this bad.
DeleteThis is what happens when brains and butts contused each other :D
DeleteThe thinking and sitting functions just switched!
psalm, your mind is scary.
Deletevia, one INTJ talking to another :D
DeleteStop SCARING ME, psalm...
Deletelol MUAH-HAHA
Deletesmh, I knew there was something about you...
Deletevia, you are really kind, kept complimenting ppl.
Deletethat, she is, Brent. She's KINTJ!
Delete[Well, my compliments have never had anything to do with kindness. :) ]
DeleteYou, however, must simply be naughty by nature. Of course YOU would be pleased and feel complimented when a girl is shaking her head at you. Outrageous...[smh.]
=P
Oops,^above post @Brent
DeleteOkay what's K..intj? [I have suspicions about you, psalm...]
Deleteof course, Kind intj.
DeleteAnd u doubted me :D smh
=P
DeleteLEBRON'S 11 WORST NBA FLOPS
ReplyDeleteHouston won't do this, but I think that their most glaring need is backup point guard.
ReplyDeleteThey traded away their picks in the Harden trade, so free agency is the only way they'll get players.
I can think of two international guys that would've been VASTLY SUPERIOR to Patrick Beverley's NBA unready game:
1) Marcelo Huertas of Brazil is 35 and old, but he's a BALLER with phenomenal court sense. He's a 6'4" point guard who isn't spectacular athletically but makes all the right plays. He'd have been much better than Bev in defending NBA point guards and in running the Houston offense, especially since Bev's youth and athleticism didn't stop him from being repeatedly burned all season long.
2) Bo McCalebb is one of the best Americans never to play in the NBA. He's on par with Lin as a raw athlete and has awesome court sense and true NBA skills. Had this guy come on and taken minutes from Lin, I wouldn't have complained at all because McCalebb could easily start in the NBA for most teams.
Good god, Khuang. Yet ANOTHER pg to compete with Lin. U sure u like Lin?
DeleteBefore we all jump in in our futile efforts to understand your reasoning.. Let me get this straight.
DeleteU think that the Rox's MOST glaring need is a back up pg? Above a back up center or a capable power forward ? A big man to rebound and to give a consistent inside presence? This is what you are saying, right?
All I gotta say is if you get one person to agree with you ( not out of spite towards me) .. But really understands your point that a back up pg is the most important thing the Rox need at this point, I will never "flame" you as u would like to say.
It's very obvious that the missing piece to this team is a scoring presence inside the paint, a good power forward or center. The defense is only concerned with Harden, Lin, and Parsons. Nobody else is a threat, that's 3 vs. 5 basketball.
DeleteI am not offended in the least, Solidz75z. I'm happy to discuss straight basketball with you.
DeleteThe Rockets this season were HORRIBLE whenever Lin left the court. Their defense, scoring, and momentum all suffered. The prime reason was that Lin wasn't there to cover up for weak perimeter play by Harden and Parsons and Delfino because of those three's ballhogging selfish play, penchant for turnovers, nonexistent defense, and constant choking under pressure.
Beverley was really bad for that mix because he couldn't create shots for himself or others. This forced the ball into Harden and Parsons and Delfino with predictably selfish results. On defense, Beverley was so vulnerable that he constantly needed to be helped by other players every time he got beat. This resulted in the Rockets being unable to play straight up defense.
Now when Lin was on the court, things straightened out somewhat defensively and even offensively. That's because Lin knows how to lead the team to play unselfish winning basketball at the NBA level. Lin even covered for Beverley when they played together.
A better backup point guard than Beverley would prevent the Rockets from constantly being beaten into the ground whenever Lin leaves the game. We saw that with Aaron Brooks late in the season when he got minutes mainly due to Lin's injury. Even though he is not the athlete Bev is, Brooks is a legitimate NBA PG who knows how to keep a team together by running the position. Brooks was so much more deserving of backup PG minutes than the utterly clueless Bev.
My thing is that I want to see the best basketball, regardless who's on the court. Lin played his 30 minutes a game, but somebody GOOD had better play the 18 minutes Lin isn't playing. Beverley played those minutes horribly, and only with Lin beside him did Bev look halfway decent. I'd prefer the Rockets to get a better pg than Bev to play those minutes, as I'm not sure what's gonna happen to Brooks.
As for the other positions, I generally did not see them being a problem in the regular season. Plus getting max contract guys like Josh Smith or Dwight Howard would not necessarily generate more wins, in my opinion.
I believe that if a guy is getting attacked on defense like Bev is while also provided nothing or negative output on offense, that needs to be repaired because opponents are TARGETING Bev to defeat the Rockets when Lin's out of the game.
I'll also add that the Rockets could add Josh Smith AND Dwight Howard and STILL they'd get roasted with Bev in the game.
DeleteBev doesn't run offenses, so they wouldn't get the ball from him. And on defense, Bev will never be the solid defender that can defens the pick and roll by fighting over screens or anticipating moves.
The Lakers had two of the NBA's best battleship big men in Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard. They also had one of the NBA's oldest and slowest defenders in Steve Nash, an average defender in Steve Blake, and a bunch of low paid nobody guards. The Lakers were KILLED all season long by opposing guards, even with Gasol and Howard on the court at the same time.
With a guy like Bev, his poor reflexes and zero court sense would mean constant roasting by opposing guards even if Smith and Howard were in the game. This is why many NBA observers believe that PG is one of the most important positions in the game - a bad PG means bad NBA basketball of the sort Bev does when Lin's not in the game.
Khuang,
Deleteyou shouldn't speak in absolutes. Bev will never be a solid defender? There is no way to know that.
For an example, JJ redick was a bad defender his first 2 seasons. Now he is much better. He isn't good per-say, but he is adequate.
A lack of NBA reflexes cannot be solved by experience and training, JLin fan.
DeleteJJ Redick has NBA reflexes and subpar NBA athleticism. Still, he holds his own because he can see plays developing. The pace of the NBA game doesn't bother Redick like it does Bev.
Time will reveal whether Bev ever stops getting destroyed by opponents when Lin sits down.
I'm still waiting for someone to agree with your unpopular view cause I just don't see it.
DeleteBeverly is a backup and that is it.
DeleteYou can only tell how well he is perceived when he becomes a free agent.
What I can be sure is he won't be on the Rox's waiver list. He will be just a utility player on the bench.
Lin is special and nobody will ask him to serve on the bench. He is and will be a starter in his career. His third year in the Rox will be a critical point of his career telling us whether he can stay in NBA. Next year and this year, he would at least be given the benefit of doubts. Yes, he'll start if he's healthy. Beverly could be the third guard in a small lineup or just Lin's backup.
Anderson in fact should get more playtime and Harden should play less time to avoid injury.
Khuang, Bev's not as great of a defender as HOU fans make him out to be but he's not the worst either. Something I noticed is that he gets bullied by bigger and/or smarter guards. Guys like WB and Curry. Other than that, i'll defer to the rest of ya'll. I don't have much to say about Bev.
DeleteI think what matters most is that Mchale & Morey love him, and told him to get ready for a lot more playing time, next year. So, it doesn't really matter if some fans think he stinks because they'll be playing him.
I totally agree with Khuang.
DeleteHouston absolutely needs another back up point guard.
Then, Houston can trade Lin.
Marc J. Spears @SpearsNBAYahoo
ReplyDeleteMark Jackson says he won't over push David Lee due to the circumstances.
9:07 PM - 16 May 13
Mark Jackson to team, 3rd quarter - we don't need heroes, play as a team. Let's see if they can finish this one well ...
DeleteSERIES IN REVIEW: SPURS EXTINGUISH THE MAGICAL RUN OF THE WARRIORS :/
DeleteReally annoyed that the Pacers couldn't finish off the Knicks tonight. Both team playing horribly.
ReplyDeletepartly due to the refs tho.
DeletePacer really need Lin to run those FBs....were just awful....lol
ReplyDeleteDOTS IN HAWAII
ReplyDeleteTHERE WITH KEVJUMBA.
Deletelove Dots' shades!!! I so want to be with him in a beach! I want to see the different beaches around the world with him!!!!
Deletesorry for all this fangirling talk
Much better than those trolls anyway. :P
Delete@isabel~ October is your chance. =P
DeletePIC
Tim Duncan at 37 is still playing at the very high level. He just makes the right fundamentally sound moves without exerting too much energy or fluff. He can definitely play at the high level for another 2-3 years.
ReplyDeleteContrast that with Jordan who had a different athletic kind of game but wore out his knees by 37-38.
I hope Lin would quickly learn to transition his game to play more than 1 speed for self-preservation.
The refs need to start officiating Lin properly too.
DeleteHe's taking too many illegal hits every game.
Imagine the FUROR if Chandler Parsons were constantly dripping blood the way Lin does????
I actually think Lin's quickness had something to do with ref's non-call for Lin. They can't see what's happening because they thought Lin initiated contact. That and no special treatment for young players.
DeleteI'm glad Lin picked up a thing or two from Harden this season to 'signal' the refs (head looking up and arms extended) that he got fouled driving to the basket.
Harden's sky(ceiling?)-looking move was just hilarious. lol
DeleteABOUT TO "CRY" FOR THE REFS.
DeleteKind of like psalm I always thought Lin was getting smacked in the face so much because he's too fast getting to the hoop. Defenders think they're swinging at the ball but Jeremy being one step too fast ends up getting whacked in the face. :(
DeleteI do hope he adjusts his game a bit to take less damage, regardless of the refs. He still seems to play a "nothing to lose don't know when I'll get cut again" game, instead of a "long career as a NBA starter" game.
Yeah, I think Lin would pick up some tips during summer, to avoid those unwanted contacts.
DeleteI think JLin is rooting for GSW tonight? Spurs got so many TOs...
ReplyDeleteit would be nice if for Western semis - Grizzlies vs Spurs
ReplyDeleteEastern semis - Heat vs Pacers
Finals - Grizzlies vs Heat
I'd like to see Grizzlies win a ring this season.
Well, 8 more wins for all teams....
DeleteFrom the western conference, i'm rooting for Memphis too.
DeleteTHE BEST PLAYERS FOR ROUND 2 OF THE NBA PLAYOFFS: THE REIGN IN SPAIN
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ReplyDelete