[ClutchFans] Lin and Yang: Why Choose One Point Guard When You Can Have Two?

He didn't need to say it he came to houston the youngest team in the NBA to be the starter as opposed to staying in OKC with an established team that just came back from the finals. Also durign the miami series Harden was upset about his lack of palying time and lack of touches.

 

give a man his own franchise or ask him to play 3rd fiddle who subs in behind thabo, not durant, THABO!

 

Because people throw that argument around ("Even Harden didn't want to be 6th man! It's why he left!") -- but no one is ever able to support it. I have never, ever, ever heard anything to suggest that he would not have been glad to retain his role in OKC if they'd been willing to cave and give him max money. Given how genuinely shocked he seemed -- and outright said he was -- when he got traded here, I just don't understand the basis for the "he escaped to Houston to be the man" narrative.

I'm not saying he didn't want to start, or that he was 100% satisfied with the 6th man role. I can't say that, because I'm not in his head. But neither are those who say he was dissatisfied and keep repeating it as though it is fact, is my point.

 

If he were a free agent and chose Houston, I'd buy this. OKC made the choice for him, and he has said again and again and again that it was a complete shock to him and he had no idea it was happening until the deal was already done.

 

There's no dispute that he's superior to Sefolosha. Everybody in OKC knew that. But with your first two scoring options always starting together, would you rather have Harden as the offensive motor of your 2nd unit, or Thabo Sefolosha? Harden was in the 6th man role for a reason, much like many people believe is the case for Jeremy. I highly doubt he ever thought for a second that OKC believed him to be inferior to Sefolosha.

 

Or maybe Patrick Beverely just sucks at shooting??

 

I'm for Lin coming of the bench for many other reasons but it mostly boiled down to a better fit for both Lin and the team. There were some that said Bev beat him out during preseason or is already a better player, both of which I rejected (we simply don't know yet if Bev even will be a better player this season).

Appreciate the article, but I would have loved to read a bit more on the Rocket's reasoning behind (if at all available) starting Bev. When you make such a change (pulling a starter that did decent last year and showed progress in the preseason for essentially a rookie) I think it would have been helpful if the Rockets organization stated, even unofficially, some reasoning behind it (I know well they have no obligation to but still I think it would have been smart for them to in this particular case). With that void, we have to guess. I don't think I heard anything from the Rockets on why but there have been some hints that it's because Bev outplayed Lin. If that's reason, well, so far they got it wrong - but it's still very early so we'll see.

 

Every player wants to be the man. These guys have ego's it is healthy. harden isn't stupid. He would have never been an all star in OKC but in Houston as a starter he is. Very few players wholeheartedly love coming off the bench like Manu. And even Manu is a special situation because the entire franchise praised, coaches, players and execs praised manu openly and consistently for sacrificing and being a team player and Manu is consistently advertised as a member of SAS big 3. If Harden had loved coming off the bench he would have taken less money and stayed in OKC which is what Manu has been doing for the spurs forever.

 

Yep. People keep saying "6th man like Manu"; they should drop the "6th man" part of that. If folks really think the 6th man role is a huge honor then they should come up with at least 5 more examples than Manu, who is more of an exception to the rule than a proof.

 

Both of these guys are keeping the spot warm for Aaron Brooks, the one, true, rightful point guard for this Rockets team. Later this year, after Lin has been traded along with Asik for Lamarcus Aldridge and Beverly is coming of the bench, you will know truth.

Mark my words, you will see the red blazer again.

 

I don't care who starts. But your article falls apart when you use Kenny Smith and Cassell. Right now Lin is clearly the better pg who has the qualities that Smith brought in solid consistent play and shooting and is also the more clutch prime time player like Cassell. Bev is not even a true playmaking pg. Maybe that's what makes it okay to have him on the floor with Harden. But Lin is better than Bev with any combination of players with the only exception being when they are both on the floor together.

So if the debate is who is the better pg the answer at this point is clearly Lin. If the question is who would be a better fit with the starting lineup it is also clearly Lin. If it's who makes us a better team it is is without a doubt Lin and that is not the close ties that smith and cassell had.

Now if the question who is a better defensive player than I give it to Bev but it's closer than most seem to think and not enough difference to give the edge for Bev to start over Lin.

If it's who is the spark off the bench than it clearly should be Bev. If it's who fits better with Harden than for Harden that is Bev because Harden prefers to have the ball in his hands. But just because Harden prefers to handle the ball more than not doesn't mean that is the best thing for the team. And from what I can see it is the opposite, the team is better with Lin running the team more often than Harden. Not saying Harden should not playmake at times. That is clearly part of his game but he is a scorer first and needs to defer to Lin at times.

The reality is we do have 2 point guards and they are Harden and Lin. Bev is a great player off the bench but it is almost blasphemous to compare him to Kenny Smith and Cassell were. Do not make that comparison. He can bring a spark on D and hustle but his game has not improved very much from last year and until it does his best role is spark off the bench.

 

That is factually in correct. They called Harden and asked if he would accept this amount and they gave him a few hours to think about it. Harden refused the they traded him. OKC was pleading with Harden saying take the money please so we can keep you. They didn't trade Harden without his consent. Harden new it was coming. Harden wanted a day or so to think over the offer but OKC couldn't give him that time.

I bet you that OKC is totally kicking themselves right now for not keeping Harden and promising him the starting spot if he took less $. OKC is never going to win a title without Harden they forfeited their title aspirations once they traded him.

 

Thank you OMR.

 

I would not be surprised if the Rockets starting point guard at the end of the year is not Lin or Beverley. The Rockets perimeter defense is horrible. Harden is not going anywhere and Lin and Parsons are bad defenders.

 

So you're just speculating. Which is fine, but that's what I was getting at.

Your speculation is he wanted to be the man at all costs and refused to take less money because of it. My speculation is that he would have stayed and made a legit run at a championship if they'd given him the max extension he felt he deserved (and ultimately did, given his ability to be a franchise player). All his interviews about how he used to talk to KD and Russ after every single game and checked their box scores nonstop because he still felt like he was a part of that team for awhile... that makes me think he thought OKC would fold and cough up the $$, and that he would've stayed if they had. At least long enough to make another run or two.

Anyway, my point is that nobody really knows unless you're in his head or privy to private conversations. It just seems silly to use, "Well, even Harden was pissed off about being 6th man!" as a way to diminish the role, when you don't even know that that is the case, beyond your own speculation and conjecture.

 

Harden complained about lack of touches and minutes to the point that Fisher had to talk to him that was documnet.
Harden didn't want to sacrifice money and a starting position that was documented post the trade by Woj.
There is speculation/conjecture and then there is just looking at the facts.

 

Of course he cared about touches and minutes. Running with KD and Westbrook, I suspect that would have been a concern even if he started. Unless I hear him say he wanted out because he was dissatisfied with not starting, the extrapolation and inferences just don't = fact to me.

Sorry... agree to disagree.

 

Sorry if this has already been posted, but Yang needs the ball in his hands -- he's a shoot first PG and that is the last thing the Rockets need.

 

If Lin begins to put up Manu-like numbers for extended periods of time, then I'm sure the Rockets will happy to refer to Lin as one of their big three.

 

Exactly if we are talking about what's best for the ROCKETS then you start Lin & have bev come off bench for defense if Lin or harden are on the floor. If not you put in brooks to have a playmaker on floor with the second unit. This is clear that it makes the most sense if we are comparing what's best for this rockets team.