According to ESPN INSIDER, Greg Smith is one of the five candidates that could shock the basketball community. GREG SMITH NBA RANK: 484
He shredded the D-League with 16.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game???? So against NBA talent with the same minutes he'll average 9 points and 5 rebounds? Put him in coach!
He will do well in Houston. There are players floating around in the NBA who have legitimate talent but just haven't found the right opportunity. Lin was lucky last year he found the right opportunity and I think as a Rocket he now found an even better one. Hopefully next year some other well deserving guy gets a good opportunity as well.
i don't buy the argument that Lin was just lucky to have been given a chance to shine. it's true that there are a lot of good players who have not been given a chance to shine but if those players are truly great, they'd get discovered sooner or later if they continue to work hard and continue to dominate in their own league. Lin dominated throughout his career and there was no way that any coach could have held him back the way he dominates when he gets sent to dleague or in practice. the worst that could have happened to him was that Shump never got injured and NY for some crazy reason never plays him and he gets cut again. but Houston and GS still wanted to get him back as soon as there was room on the roster. he just needed a few games to blow up. Linsanity was inevitable.
Yup breaking the league scoring record in his first 6 starts, a list that included, magic, and Oscar Robertson, yaaaa it was inevitable C'mon man Lin was given the perfect chance with Melo out, and we know D'antoni loves him a PG with the ball! Again, he's good, but it was not inevitable to do what he accomplished in those first starts!
LOL. Although to be fair, Jeremy Lin "only" averaged 18.0 pts, 4.4 ast in D-League his first year, yet he did better than that in his NBA starts.
IMO, there was no luck for what Lin did. I believe the talents surrounding Lin was non existent except Chandler. Given the same opportunity to Wall, Irvin, or Rubio, or some of the elite guards as their sophomore year, they still couldnt have done it. To hold a record against the all time greats like Oscar or Johnson, it's not just luck. You gotta have the ability to get it done. I dont see any rookie/sophomore break Lin's record that easily.
