After reading the recent Nets
round table with National and Nets specific writers, I thought it left a lot to
be desired. So, I figured lets do a JeremyLin.Net roundtable.
So here we go. Here is our
lineup:
Jason Ha (JHa):
He is a huge sports fan
from London, England. He has a big interest in He writes for brook-lin.com
and he also has his own sports blog jhaposts.wordpress.com. Jason follows the
majority of Brooklyn Nets and Jeremy Lin games across the pond in England,
where he endures plenty of late nights. Furthermore, you can also follow him on
twitter @jhaposts where he tweets regularly about Jeremy Lin and the Nets.
Nathan Gottlieb (NG):
Published
novelist, boxing writer for HBO website, former NY reporter for Newark
Star-Ledger, covered Knicks, Mets, Yanks. Author of The Hurting Game. Nathan
has been a huge supporter of Jeremy on Twitter with the twitter handle:
@zukovka. He really gets Jeremy the player and the person. He also brings instant
credibility having covering the NBA for over 19 years. He’s been addicted to
Jeremy Lin since Linsanity.
Doc Scheppler (Doc):
Jeremy's shooting coach
since the summer before Linsanity. Doc is a 6 time California State Championship
Coach at tiny Pinewood of Los Altos Hills. He is one of coaching's all
time greats. He is incredibly innovative and is always learning, evolving, and
teaching. His style of play is in the mold of the GS Warriors except he was
doing it before the Warriors. If you get a chance to watch his team, you
will be truly amazed! Just there warmups are a coaching clinic in
itself. Doc spends countless hours working with Jeremy during the summers.
Peter Diepenbrock (PD):
Jeremy's High School coach
at Palo Alto High. With Jeremy, they beat heavily favored Mater Dei to win the
Mythical State Championship as there wasn't an Open Division at the time but
Mater Dei was looked upon as a National powerhouse. Peter also turned Canada
College from a cellar dweller to a playoff team in short notice. This year, in
just his 2nd year back at Palo Alto he had them one win away from
the DI State Championship game. Peter is still very close to Jeremy and talks
to him on a regular basis during the season. Every summer, you’ll find Jeremy
helping out at his summer camps.
JLinfan#1 (JLF):
Yours truly. We started
this site in 2009 believing Jeremy was an NBA player before almost anyone
except Mrs. Shirley Lin, Jeremy's Mom. Can't believe it's been almost 8 years
and we’re still excited as ever to follow and support Jeremy.
1. What was the biggest
observation from the season about this Nets team?
(JHa):
My biggest observation
from this season is that the Brooklyn Nets are well on their way of developing
an identity. “Brooklyn Grit” has been said a lot throughout the season and that
was due to the Nets battling and fighting hard in the majority of the games.
Kenny has got them playing a fast paced, unselfish team ball where everyone
passes and move in the motion offence. Having an identity is one of the most
important aspects of building a team, without that you do not have a direction
of where the team is going and things could become very confusing for both the
coaches and the players.
Sean Marks has a plan in
place and he knows the profiles of players to go after, his in season signings
have been very successful. The likes of Acy, Dinwiddie and KJ McDaniels have
all come in and made an impact.
(NG):
They’re a work in
progress. Hard to tell their ceiling now because we need to see the team’s
draft selections and free agent acquisitions. But the Nets GM, Sean Marks, has
scoured Europe, and based on his brilliant pick of LeVert at #20 I think
they’ll draft some another under-valued LeVert type. They’re also a team with length,
and almost all Nets players can man two positions. That was shrewd move by
Marks. When you lack depth, as Nets were obviously going to, he “created” depth
by acquiring two-way players.
(Doc):
I liked their style of
play for the most part. I thought they competed to the best of their
ability. I thought there was a progression with their players in terms of
their development. It looks like they all improved their shooting.
The big thing was how much of a value Jeremy had to the success of the team.
He is a good shot creator for finishes at the rim or wide open catch and shoot
3's. His court vision and knowledge of WHAT is a good team shot is such a
valuable trait.
(PD):
I only watch the Nets when
Jeremy plays. So I missed most of their games. They need scorers.
Shooters and scorers.
(JLF):
With Lin healthy they were
competitive in almost every game. If he didn't get injured they would have
fought for a playoff spot with around 35 wins, without him they couldn’t compete
and would have been lucky to win 15 games.
2. What is the Nets
biggest strength entering the offseason?
(JHa):
The biggest strength is
the confidence and belief the team especially the young players are taking
going into the offseason. This will help them a lot them going into the new
season. The performances and results from Nets improved hugely after Lin had
come back from his hamstring injury in the later stages of the season. Needless
to say he truly elevated the team to another level and the Nets would have had
a far better record. From March onwards when Lin had returned, they won 11-13
games and that is a pretty drastic turnaround from going 9-49 before then. You
could begin to judge the Nets fairly from March onwards since they had their
starting point guard and the guy that gets things ticking for them back on the
floor in Jeremy Lin. I believe the last couple months was a true reflection of
what this season could have been like for the Nets if Lin had stayed healthy.
(NG):
A healthy Jeremy Lin, team
athleticism, and developing players who have upside.
(Doc):
Jeremy and Brook
Lopez. I think the younger players like Levert really made progress and
can have a bigger impact next year.
(PD):
I think they play good
team defense and they have high character guys.
(JLF):
Set at point guard and
center. The two toughest spots to fill.
3. What is the Nets
biggest weakness entering the offseason?
(JHa):
The biggest weakness for
the Nets entering the offseason is that they don’t own a top draft pick which
is pretty depressing after finishing with the worst record in the league. I’m
not saying finishing last is something to be proud of but it can helps speed up
the rebuilding process if you’re rebuilding. Through the draft is where you can
find a franchise player, the Nets will have to be lucky if a franchise player
falls into their hands in the 2017 draft. There is hope that they may still
find a superstar player in the draft, you just have to look at Jimmy Butler who
was drafted 30th by the Bulls and he has turned out to be a
fantastic player.
(NG):
Nets need a two-way small
forward so Kenny can shift Caris LeVert to shooting guard to form a dynamic
backcourt with Lin. While Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has shown progress at power
forward, I think they need a true spread 4 who can play D. Undersized RHJ right
now best suited as backup PF who brings energy, strong D.
(Doc):
Just getting a couple of
shooters and great guys that want to defend and be part of a team defensive
scheme that can minimize easy baskets.
(PD):
They don't have enough
scorers.
(JLF):
Tie between need at SG/SF
and PF. Foye obviously won't be starting next season. If you can get a SF you
could move Levert to the 2. Otto Porter or KCP would be a dream but they're
restricted FA’s. At PF I'd be ecstatic with either Milsap or Ibaka.
4. Do the Nets trade
Brook Lopez before the start of the 2017-2018 season?
(JHa):
Now, this is a tough
decision because of a couple reasons. Lopez is a talented centre who has
expanded his game with his 3-point shooting, so he now offers something
different. There are only a select number of centres who has made over 100 3s
this season, Marc Gasol, Kristaps Porzingis along with Brook himself are the
only ones to do this. Furthermore, Lopez has played well with Lin and do the
Nets want to break up this partnership?
It’ll take a big offer for
the Nets to trade Brook Lopez before the start of the 2017-2018 season. It’ll
be interesting what offers the Nets get for Lopez and in conclusion my gut
feeling is that Lopez will be at Brooklyn to start the next campaign.
(NG):
My gut feeling is they
won’t unless they get blown away by an offer for him. With so-so footwork, he’s
not the best PnR partner for Lin, but he’s developing. And he shoots the 3
almost as good as Dirk Novitsky after only one season trying to make
them. Plus he’s high character, team-oriented guy. Right now this team doesn’t
have any bigs except Lopez who can spread the floor consistently and open up
the lane for Lin to drive. Nets GM Sean Marks, in his final address to
media, indicated strongly he wants Lopez back.
“Brook, I
think in both of our minds is one of the elite centers in the league,” Marks
said. “There’s no question there. If you look at the way his game has
translated, not only in Kenny’s system but what he’s done in the off-season. He’s
worked hard on the performance aspect of his body and so forth and also
changing his game and adapting a little bit. Does he fit with Kenny’s system? I
think you’ve seen that it does, it does work.”
(Doc):
No
(PD):
If they could get some
good return I would be open to trading Lopez. I don't love his game because he
is too focused on his own scoring.
(JLF):
No, unless you’re getting
KAT, Embiid, Yokic. Brook's new found 3pt shooting really makes him hard to
replace. Even with his deficiencies on d and running pnr, not many stretch 5's
out there, giving you 20 and shooting over 38% from 3.
5. Name one player that
surprised you the most (either good or bad) this season.
(JHa):
Brook Lopez was the player
that surprised me the most. I knew he had a very good offensive skillset but I
didn’t know he was going to be hitting 134 3’s in a single season, shooting
them at 34.7%. For a centre that’s super impressive. He only made 3 3 pointers
before this campaign, that just shows how far he has come. To make 134 3’s
after only making 3 his whole career in the league is astonishing.
I’ve mentioned a few times
before that Lopez has had a low key good season, it was just a shame he didn’t
get to play more with Lin because Lin took the pressure of his shoulders and allowed
him to flourish. The way Brook and Lin were able to play together took me by
surprise because I didn’t feel Brook would suit Lin’s game but they have
managed to make it work. His chemistry with Lin is getting better with each
game and they have shown they can be a dangerous and versatile duo. I did have
my doubts regarding if Brook would play well with Lin and vice versa before the
season go underway.
(NG):
Not LeVert, who I was
impressed with the minute I saw his Michigan highlights. I’d say Dinwiddie. I
think he has high ceiling as a backup PG, and his shooting potential hasn’t
been tapped. He’s also a smart player who knows how to play within his game.
Doesn’t make many turnovers.
(Doc):
Really impressed with
RHJ's athleticism and his shooting improvement throughout the year. I'd
like to see him develop a better vision decision execution mindset. When
he 's driving there are no alternatives but to finish.... tough finishes that
are low percentage shots many times. I think he can find guys for open
3's... love his attack mentality but he is too singleminded.
(PD):
(JLF):
Trevor Booker. I really
thought he'd be a decent starting pf.
6. What grade would you
give Coach Kenny Atkinson for the job he's done this year?
(JHa):
I would have to give Kenny
Atkinson a C+ for the job he has done in his first year as head coach. The Nets
record isn’t good but you can clearly see the progress he has made throughout
the season. He persevered with his motion offence and developed the young
players. LeVert, Dinwiddie, Whitehead and Hollis-Jefferson all improved one way
or another and they showed glimpses of what they’re capable of. He slowly grew
into his role as head coach and got his players playing extremely hard for him,
you can’t fault the players for lack of effort.
There are facets he has to
work on and improve such as in game adjustments and reacting quicker to certain
situations when things aren’t going his way. Overall I feel Kenny Atkinson has
handled the job reasonably well. It was a tough job he went into and he didn’t
do too badly, given the roster that was assembled and the unfortunate injuries
that occurred during the season. He has yet to convince me he can be a good
coach but it is still way too soon for me to judge, I’ll have to give him a
season or two before I can judge him properly.
(NG):
B. He has done great job
at motivating players to play hard. He’s also helped develop and encourage
players who were underused elsewhere and had lost confidence in their game. The
guys buy in to his system. I wouldn’t rate him higher because I think his
motion offense has two flaws. First and foremost, until 4th quarter
he encourages everybody to bring the ball up court. When Lin’s in, he should be
the major option to do so. Seen way too many turnovers when players like RHJ
& Whitehead bring the ball up court. Classic motion O says use PG to
bring ball up court and initiate the motion. I’m not blaming RHJ and Whitehead,
blaming Kenny who empowers them. I almost gave Kenny a B- because he runs very
few screens, 3d least in NBA last time I looked. Plus he should, as in classic
motion O, have players cutting across the lane to both open themselves for
quick pass inside, and by moving, forcing opposing D to have to move
constantly, which can wear a D down.
(Doc):
I'd give him an A.
His team always played hard, displayed measurable improvement, and always
seemed to want to be coached. Let's not forget that the Nets were without
Jeremy for 54 games? I'm not sure of the accuracy, but 12-16 with Jeremy
and 8-46 without. Kenny takes the players he gets and WANTS them to
develop and get better! If you're not getting better.. you're getting
worse. He has a great group of guys that aren't satisfied with their level and
I know in the off-season they will go to any length to improve their
skills. Kenny is a person who takes pride in his craft and is always
looking for personal improvement in his profession. He is a great
teacher. Everything I read from GM Marks and
Kenny is that Lin figures strongly in their plans for moving forward. Lin is an
excellent fit for the Nets with his team-first mindset, unselfishness, and
is a great leader for the younger, developing guys. Lin this year fully
embraced his new role as team leader. This more mature version of Lin is in my
opinion a much better player than he was during Linsanity.
(PD):
I think Kenny should get
an A+. Holding an NBA team together while losing so many games is very hard to
do.
And I think they played
great team defense.
(JLF):
"B"
The good: Getting rotations
and line up figured at end of season. Which included: figuring out IW is not a
pg. Inserting RHJ at pf after struggling mightily at the 3. Starting Foye to
balance out youth with a vet. Defense improving immensely at end of season (btw,
Sean Marks had something to with that, with his late season acquisitions)
The not so good: Being a
little stubborn with the motion O. I think he needed to run more pnr for LIN and
Levert. Giving guys too much freedom who may not deserve it. Minute
distribution seems out of whack. Even with injuries Lin 24.5 mpg, Isiah 22.5,
Levert 21.7. Also, if JLin didn't come back, none of this excitement exists and
people would be really questioning Kenny’s coaching.
7. If the Nets stay at their current draft positions,
who do you think they pick with picks 22, 27, 57? or what position/type of player they should be
looking for.
(JHa):
I believe a starting power
forward is a position the Nets need to strengthen most. They can shift LeVert
to the 2 guard spot and Hollis-Jefferson back as a small forward and give him
another year of experience and see if he can develop that jumper. If he can’t
then they may have to pull the trigger and look elsewhere. The type of player
the Nets should go for at the power forward position is someone who will fit
their system and is versatile and athletic that will bring it each night.
Someone like a Serge Ibaka type player would be a very nice addition.
(NG):
First, the player has to
pass all the character tests. No matter what position player or players play,
they also must have the shooting ability to spread the floor. Nets do not need
slashing types and players who finish strong. Have plenty of them, especially
young guys. Need shooters above all.
(DOC):
No idea on who they draft.....
but I know that whoever they pick they will be high character guys that want to
excel at the highest level.. Shooting the ball will be a skill set that will be
valued in their picks as well. I think there will be some decent players
with an upper ceiling to improve at their draft numbers.
(PD):
They need shooters.
(JLF):
I'd look for Draymond and
Iggy types. 3 and D with high bball iq. Not saying they are but may have
potential: DJ Wilson and Sindarius Thornwell.
8. How would you access
Jeremy's performance with the Nets this season?
(JHA):
When Lin was fit and
healthy he performed at a very high level. You can instantly tell how much
better he makes his team. The record with him playing and without him is day
and night, the difference is massive. He was super effective and influential
for the Nets but it’s disappointing he only got to play 36 games. He is the x
factor for the Nets, he makes the difference. Lin also showed he is a starting
calibre point guard who can hold his own against the top guards in this league.
Lin looked the part when he played, he had some memorable games against the
Celtics and Magic at the end of the season which we will not forget anytime
soon. Lin took on the leadership role and his teammates were happy to follow
his guidance. I have high hopes and expectations for Lin next year.
It was only
a small sample because of his injuries, but I saw Lin play at the highest level
of his career. He was super efficient, made the 3 with consistency, was
aggressive, took his D to another level, and most importantly, helped make
everyone around him better by passing to them in good position to score, and by
penetrating and dishing.
(Doc):
Despite his injuries I
thought Jeremy proved that he is a great basketball player! I don't know
how many games he played a full compliment of minutes of his 28 games...but I
think if he had been healthy you would have seen a consistent 18 ppg plus 7
assists a game. I like how he shot the ball for the most part...only one
stretch where I thought his mechanics drifted back into a powerful inefficient
jump with a rough release. He cleaned it up in the last 5-6 games and
ended up on a positive note.
I thought the high level
of trust with teammates was a key part of his success. I'd still like his
teammates to be able to be connected on what are good shots for the TEAM.. The
open catch and shoot 3, a floater, or a easy finish at the rim are shots
that should be valued and demanded on each possession. tough fadeaway 2's
or hallelujah tough finishes need to be eliminated from their repertoire to
create an efficient offensive points per possession number.
(PD):
I think Jeremy did great.
They won a decent percentage of their games that Jeremy played in.
(JLF):
I'd give
JLin an Inc for the season because of injury. But an "A" when he was
able to play (36 games). Only 4 players in the last 12 years have averaged over
21pts, 7.4 asts, 5.4 rebs per 36min. Russ (3X), Lebron (2X), Harden, and JLin this
season! He had career per 36min. highs in Pts. (21.3), Rebs (5.5) shot attempts
(16.3) and 3P% (37.2). His leadership and impact were on full display. Without
JLin they were a mess. With JLin they were competing on a nightly basis.
9. Name a few areas in
which you'd like to see Jeremy focus on this offseason?
(JHa):
I would like to see Lin
continue to develop his shot, it looked so much better this year compared to
when he was in Charlotte. There was a stretch in March where he struggled with
his shooting and his form didn’t look terribly smooth. If he can consistently
get the same motion with his shot, then he can improve his shooting even more,
it may be more to do with muscle memory still. I know he’ll definitely work
hard on it so I have no worries.
Another aspect of Lin’s
game I want him to focus on is his one on one moves. If he can add a couple
more moves to his game he’ll be so difficult for opposing guards. We know he
will work his back side off in the offseason and I suspect he’ll come back even
better and stronger next campaign.
(NG):
If it ain’t
broke, don’t fix it. Every aspect of his game looks really solid to me. Maybe
more work on his left hand? Lin historically works on all of his game in the
off-season, always striving to be better. One thing I’d like to see is him do
is work with Lopez on their PnR game. Lin’s decision to come to Brooklyn this
summer and work with teammates is going to help solve some things that needed
fixing. Younger players need to be more in sync with him. Lin needs to know
what their strengths and weaknesses are and work on that, but I’m sure after
playing assistant coach while injured, he likely knows.
(Doc):
I think to continue to
work on grooving his form with particular attention to mastering a quick
efficient jump, releasing the ball at the right time in relation to his jump,
making sure his fingers are spread and firm, keeping his arc consistently tight
and controlled.
I'd like to see him
embrace his mid range floater game and be under control at the rim. I
thought he finished pretty well. I'd like to see him continue to improve
his change of speed and deception with his moves and especially attack close
outs better.
He and his trainer do a
great job preparing his body for the grinding NBA season with a wide variety of
training modalities to improve his strength and flexibility. I would
imagine there will be focus on his lower body strength and balance to see if he
can lower his hamstring risk.
(PD):
Jeremy should work on lots
of different finishes around the basket.
(JLF):
I'd say
durability. Would really like to see him at 32-34 per min range so continue to
work on strength but focus on core/posture and muscle balance. This could
really help with his back and hamstrings. Also, finishing with long floaters
like Jeff Teague and really develop a euro step move to help prevent contact
and/or injury and no calls when going to the basket in traffic.
10. With JLin able to
opt out after next season, what are your thoughts on his long term fit with
Kenny and the Nets?
(JHa):
It is refreshing to see
Lin with a team that values him a lot. The Nets have embraced him and he seems
like he is settled in Brooklyn. I believe his long term future lies with the
Nets under the coaching of Kenny Atkinson. Here, he has a coach who believes in
him and rates his game. He doesn’t have to tread on egg shells like he has been
doing for the majority of his career, he is playing with much more freedom and
do not have to constantly look over his shoulders. Lin wants to find a home, he
is tired of moving around and I feel Brooklyn may be his home. He knows the
Nets are a long way off from where they want to be but if things go their way
in the offseason they may even be challenging for a playoff spot next year.
(NG):
I’ve seen it
written that Lin is “good stop” PG for Nets rebuild. I don’t see it that way.
Soon to be 29, without a lot of wear and tear on his tires, and given how
well he takes care of his body, I expect his prime can extend to age 33
or even 34.
(Doc):
I think he should stay
with the Nets. I think it is the right organization and the perfect coach
that VALUES what he brings to a team.. Kenny is a coach that trusts and
believes in him unconditionally and Jeremy hasn't had that bond with all of his
NBA coaches. Both of their visions of how to play winning basketball at
ANY LEVEL are in sync!
(PD):
Jeremy should stay for 2
more years to see if he can get the Nets to the playoffs.
(JLF):
First of all,
let's be honest. No other team is willing to bring him in as the clear cut starter. SA,
Utah, Milwaukee, all would kill with JLin as their starting pg. A small ball
lineup of Lin, Brogdan, Snell, Middleton, Giannis would be scary! That being
said, Kenny is a guy who believes in Jeremy, and gives him full control at the
end of games. I'm not loving the motion O with the current crop of youngsters.
But having a few additional high iq starter level players will make a huge
difference as well as a year of experience so the kids can grow into their
roles and play to their strengths instead of trying to do too much. Also, I
liked the addition of length and athleticism with the late season pickups. I
would take a few of the call ups over their off-season acquisitions. I.E.
Dinwiddie over Whitehead, KJ McDaniels over Joe Harris. So, no question, JLin
should stays with the Nets. He'll opt out after next season and get a huge
raise to stay. Then he can donate a large portion to us (-; But no, honestly, I
think he should hire Doc full time after Doc is done with his season and fly
him out to finish off the NBA season.
No comments:
Post a Comment