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(NBA.COM) Rockets getting some new ‘LINCERTAINTY’

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by gfab-babyboi, Feb 9, 2014.

  1. gfab-babyboi

    gfab-babyboi Contributing Member
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    http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2014/02/09/rockets-getting-some-new-lincertainty/?ls=iref:nbahpt6d

    MILWAUKEE – Before Linsanity – those heady few months in the winter of 2012 that turned Jeremy Lin into a near-household name and helped the NBA heal from the rancorous lockout that delayed its season – there was uncertainty.
    And after it, too.

    About a week before his basketball world blew up (mostly) in a good way, Lin was praying just to keep his job. At a pregame chapel session in Miami on Jan. 27 that season attended by some players from both teams, Lin asked: “If you could say a prayer for me that I don’t get cut.” Fellows such as Landry Fields and Jerome Jordan, Lin’s Knicks teammates, and Heat forward Udonis Haslem heard a fringe guy sweating out the deadline date that year for contracts to be guaranteed.

    Then Lin scored 25, 28, 23 and 38 points from Feb. 4 right through the Feb. 10 deadline, then kept going. In 11 games, the undrafted Harvard guy averaged 23.9 points and 9.2 assists while shooting 50 percent and helping New York win seven in a row and nine of 11.
    Life hasn’t been the same since: a frenzied “15 minutes” of fame as a pop culture icon, massive All-Star vote totals inspired at least in part by Lin’s Asian-American heritage and a three-year, $25 million contract from Houston in free agency.
    But that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been uncertainty.

    In a season and a half with the Rockets, Lin has established himself as a solid NBA rotation player but not that meteor streaking across the middle of 2011-12. He started 82 games last season but dipped in production (13.4 ppg, 6.1 apg, 44.1 FG), then got pancaked in Houston’s playoff series against Oklahoma City (4.0 ppg, 6-of-24 shooting, as many turnovers as assists).

    This season, Lin has been in and out of the starting lineup, due partly to injuries (10 games missed with a knee sprain or back spasms) and partly to other injuries and combinations in the Rockets’ deep backcourt (James Harden, Patrick Beverley, Aaron Brooks). Mixed results and dissatisfaction among fans even fueled some Lin trade rumors, though his $15 million “balloon” salary in 2013-14 likely doesn’t have clubs beating down GM Daryl Morey‘s door.

    But a light of sorts went on for Lin on Jan. 28 against San Antonio when he subbed as a starter for Harden, and it stayed on since he moved back to the bench. Beginning that night, Houston has won five straight and Lin has been in attack mode, averaging 16.0 points, 6.2 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 33.3 minutes, while shooting 50 percent (38.9 from the arc). His numbers prior to that were down across the board, in reserve or starting.

    “Just trying to be aggressive, just trying to play free and trying to be myself out there,” Lin said after the Rockets’ 101-95 victory over Milwaukee Saturday at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. “That’s the biggest thing, just embrace whatever role they give me, big or small.”
    Lin scored his 18 points in the first 19 minutes he logged against the Bucks, shooting 8-of-15 with four assists and a pair of steals. He played the entire fourth quarter and posted one particular roundabout highlight feed to Dwight Howard. He ran the offense up to a point, but kept his offense as a priority too.

    “I still am responsible for getting other people going,” Lin said, “but I just think for me, whether I’m at the one or the two, I want to try to be very aggressive and attack a lot. Some nights it’s getting other people involved and some nights it’s getting myself involved.”
    Houston coach Kevin McHale wants nothing less. “He needs to be aggressive,” McHale said recently. “Jeremy plays his best when he’s attacking, and when we have some pace in the game it really helps him.”

    Lin has 19 appearances in reserve so far and 24 as a starter, so he needs to stick with the bench if he wants to get into the discussion for Sixth Man balloting. Harden is somebody who knows a little about that role, filling it to hardware- and conference-winning effect for the Thunder before his trade to Houston.

    “He’s doing a great job,” Harden said of Lin. “He’s getting a feel for the game before he checks in, and once he checks in, he’s being aggressive and making the right plays. The more games he can get used to coming off the bench, the better off he’ll be.”

    Playing the game mentally before actually playing in the game is the key, Harden said. “It’s the first six or seven minutes of the game,” said the Rockets’ leading scorer. “Knowing how the game is played, knowing who’s hot on the other team, knowing who has it going and who doesn’t have it going, and then just going out there and having an impact.”
     
    #1 gfab-babyboi, Feb 9, 2014
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2014
  2. LosPollosHermanos

    LosPollosHermanos Houston only fan
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    Block...of ....text....please ...someone tldr.
     
  3. SooneRockStro

    SooneRockStro Member

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    Spaces between paragraphs please. My head hurts.
     
  4. try

    try Member

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    TL;DR summary: Last season was solid for Lin, the start of this season was inconsistent, lately, he has been more aggressive which leads to better performances.
    So nothing new in this article.
     
  5. JustAGuy

    JustAGuy Member

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    Jeremy did great in Linsanity, less well last year, uneven this year, has done well since he subbed in for Harden on Jan 28th. Needs to be aggressive.
     
  6. JustAGuy

    JustAGuy Member

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    Note to self: tabbed browsing is great, but results in delayed responses. Check before hitting reply.
     
  7. Rox>Mavs

    Rox>Mavs Contributing Member

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    MILWAUKEE – Before Linsanity – those heady few months in the winter of 2012 that turned Jeremy Lin into a near-household name and helped the NBA heal from the rancorous lockout that delayed its season – there was uncertainty.
    And after it, too.

    About a week before his basketball world blew up (mostly) in a good way, Lin was praying just to keep his job. At a pregame chapel session in Miami on Jan. 27 that season attended by some players from both teams, Lin asked: “If you could say a prayer for me that I don’t get cut.” Fellows such as Landry Fields and Jerome Jordan, Lin’s Knicks teammates, and Heat forward Udonis Haslem heard a fringe guy sweating out the deadline date that year for contracts to be guaranteed.

    Then Lin scored 25, 28, 23 and 38 points from Feb. 4 right through the Feb. 10 deadline, then kept going. In 11 games, the undrafted Harvard guy averaged 23.9 points and 9.2 assists while shooting 50 percent and helping New York win seven in a row and nine of 11.
    Life hasn’t been the same since: a frenzied “15 minutes” of fame as a pop culture icon, massive All-Star vote totals inspired at least in part by Lin’s Asian-American heritage and a three-year, $25 million contract from Houston in free agency.

    But that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been uncertainty.

    In a season and a half with the Rockets, Lin has established himself as a solid NBA rotation player but not that meteor streaking across the middle of 2011-12. He started 82 games last season but dipped in production (13.4 ppg, 6.1 apg, 44.1 FG), then got pancaked in Houston’s playoff series against Oklahoma City (4.0 ppg, 6-of-24 shooting, as many turnovers as assists).

    This season, Lin has been in and out of the starting lineup, due partly to injuries (10 games missed with a knee sprain or back spasms) and partly to other injuries and combinations in the Rockets’ deep backcourt (James Harden, Patrick Beverley, Aaron Brooks). Mixed results and dissatisfaction among fans even fueled some Lin trade rumors, though his $15 million “balloon” salary in 2013-14 likely doesn’t have clubs beating down GM Daryl Morey‘s door.

    But a light of sorts went on for Lin on Jan. 28 against San Antonio when he subbed as a starter for Harden, and it stayed on since he moved back to the bench. Beginning that night, Houston has won five straight and Lin has been in attack mode, averaging 16.0 points, 6.2 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 33.3 minutes, while shooting 50 percent (38.9 from the arc). His numbers prior to that were down across the board, in reserve or starting.

    Just trying to be aggressive, just trying to play free and trying to be myself out there,” Lin said after the Rockets’ 101-95 victory over Milwaukee Saturday at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. “That’s the biggest thing, just embrace whatever role they give me, big or small.”

    Lin scored his 18 points in the first 19 minutes he logged against the Bucks, shooting 8-of-15 with four assists and a pair of steals. He played the entire fourth quarter and posted one particular roundabout highlight feed to Dwight Howard. He ran the offense up to a point, but kept his offense as a priority too.

    “I still am responsible for getting other people going,” Lin said, “but I just think for me, whether I’m at the one or the two, I want to try to be very aggressive and attack a lot. Some nights it’s getting other people involved and some nights it’s getting myself involved.”

    Houston coach Kevin McHale wants nothing less. “He needs to be aggressive,” McHale said recently. “Jeremy plays his best when he’s attacking, and when we have some pace in the game it really helps him.

    Lin has 19 appearances in reserve so far and 24 as a starter, so he needs to stick with the bench if he wants to get into the discussion for Sixth Man balloting. Harden is somebody who knows a little about that role, filling it to hardware- and conference-winning effect for the Thunder before his trade to Houston.

    He’s doing a great job,” Harden said of Lin. “He’s getting a feel for the game before he checks in, and once he checks in, he’s being aggressive and making the right plays. The more games he can get used to coming off the bench, the better off he’ll be.”

    Playing the game mentally before actually playing in the game is the key, Harden said. “It’s the first six or seven minutes of the game,” said the Rockets’ leading scorer. “Knowing how the game is played, knowing who’s hot on the other team, knowing who has it going and who doesn’t have it going, and then just going out there and having an impact.”
     
  8. Stats

    Stats Member

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    I think McHale's spot on here. The whole attacking/aggressive thing is a bit overemphasized. New nugget here is that Lin performs significantly better with higher pace games when he can nail the other team in transition.
     
  9. YaoMing#1

    YaoMing#1 Member

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    I think since harden has come back jermey has played great off the bench. IMO this is his best basketball of his career. He's attcking making plays for himself and others, he's also shooting the ball alot better. His defense could get better but at the moment that's nitpicking. This team is forming a very respectable defensive identity and I like what I'm starting to see. The time is now this team can win a ring this season if asik buys in.
     
  10. SHOKI3

    SHOKI3 Member

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    6 more games off the bench and we will talk about this sixth man of the year award
     
  11. bongman

    bongman Member

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    This really underlines the importance of the 6th man role. You have to read the flow of the game and provide the team with whatever it needs to get better- whether it's on D, O or both. With Jeremy's intelligence, he can really thrive in this environment because he is to a certain degree, a jack of all trades. I am confident that if keeps this up, there is no reason why he would not be included in the SMOY discussions.
     
  12. Bandwagoner

    Bandwagoner Contributing Member

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    If you don't like the format of copypasta feel free to click on the link provided in every post that contains an online article on this website.

    Not difficult.
     
  13. novaman

    novaman Member

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    Ya think!?!
     
  14. DreamEarlNolan

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    I find it frustrating that in several articles I've read they criticize Lin's performance in the playoffs last year and almost none of them mention that he had a significant injury for basically that whole series.
     
  15. novaman

    novaman Member

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    Writers spin things all the time to align with their agenda. No surprise here.
     
  16. conquistador#11

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    i find it frustrating that nba.com finds Demo amusingly funnay. on his player profile page, where everyone has something cool about him or highlights, demo has videos of him getting blocked and making travels. not cool!

    I think the writer just wanted to use lincertainty in something.
     
  17. Ender120

    Ender120 Contributing Member

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    There's sanity and insanity.

    There's certainty and uncertainty.

    What the **** is Lincertainty?

    This writer should be slapped around, tarred and feathered, and thrown off a cliff.
     
  18. steady

    steady Member

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    As to the title of the article, let's just call him Linconsistent and be done with it. At least until he manages to show us differently. ;)

    --

    Rockets scored 20 points in the 4th Q against Bucks -- Lin scored 4, and assisted on 6. He had a similar impact in the couple of games Harden was out recently.

    I never expected him to continue that. Will be interesting to see if McHale continues to play him heavily in the 4th.
     
  19. Clarinetmonster

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    wow - are you an English teacher? Taking this quite seriously.:)
     
  20. dantian

    dantian Member

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    The issue is not starting or coming off the bench per se. It's about the concept the coach imposes on the team. In recent games, maybe due to Parsons' comments, Harden iso reduces a lot and he also made decision with the ball a lot quicker. Lin is rarely seen parked in the corner stationary as earlier, starting or off bench. In nutshell, only now Lin has a good chance to be aggressive as McHale referred to. For some reason, they have been playing more semi set plays also.
     

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