Kelvin Sampson discusses the Rockets' growth on offense, the Jeremy Lin-James Harden

Thanks man!

 

This is false everything outside of his FG% has been solid. If he was used properly that would increase too. Just because some Lin fans are annoying (which they are) doesn't mean people should start discrediting the player to make the fans feel dumb (which you & others are doing).

 

I am not debating whether it was a good shot or a bad shot (even though I think that it was a shot that he can make).

It is about giving the guy a chance to learn and grow before you say that he has no hope. Harden has a lot of upside and a lot of ability that is hard to come by. Even if every game this year he has played poorly, you still shouldn't write him off this early. You encourage players of his talent, not knock him down for missing a shot (good shot or not).

I just hope that he doesn't lose his confidence because of this (I seriously doubt he will). I don't know about you, but his first two games were some of the most amazing games I've seen a Rocket have in a while. It feels good having a player on our team that is capable of that again.

I also think that he looks forward to these moments and can close out on these moments. That's incredibly important.

 

Don't miss this Karolik! It might help your trolling to know what your going against. FACTS!! OH MY!

 

It just goes to show how interesting... some people are about things - when what they are saying is completely disconnected from reality. Then you question the person's reasoning & logic and their perception. After meditating upon their perception - if they aren't relying on facts/reality and context; it leads to the if -> then stereotypes, baiting, being plain stubborn, and a refusal to accept whats happening before their eyes.

Or just plain choosing 1 thing out of 100,000 and making that their entire story, while throwing away the rest of the book.

 

Did you not read what I wrote? I said I was not debating whether it was a good shot or not. Read why that wasn't the most important part of the situation. But since you are having a hard time understanding, I will play anyways.

Why would you compare Harden to Jordan? Don't do that. You're comparing one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) of all time to a 23 year old Harden on shot selection at the end of the game.

Jordan has taken a lot of shots at the end of games. All of them were the right one? Even the ones that he made? I remember Jordan a game where Jordan takes a three pointer where he is fading away and nails it. That was not a "good shot", but it went in. Why did he take it if it wasn't the best "shot" available? Because he knew he could make it. Harden believes he can make it and it is going to take a lot more than one or two attempts at game winners to be proven wrong.

It was a shot he could make. It wasn't a fade-away three pointer. It wasn't 3 on 1. I don't think anyone was very open for an easy three. It was a shot that he could make and it was a 3 pointer which is what we needed to tie the game.

I don't think whether or not it was a good shot is something we should be debating though. It is about letting Harden be the man when we need him to be NOW and letting him make mistakes NOW so he can continue to grow and reach his full potential.

 

For some reason I thought my first response did not send when I hit "submit reply" and then refresh, so I wrote another one. Sorry for the redundancy.

 

Didn't it take Jason Kidd his entire career to develop a 3pt shot? Just asking.

 

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let's look at what you said at face value: let's say a solid-everything pg is a good pg. lin is solid in everything EXCEPT shooting. doesn't that make him a notch below good, which, dare i say, equals to average?

and i can easily name 20 PGs that are playing better than lin right now. so again, doesn't that make him an average pg?

so tell me, which part of my statement is false, and how the fock am i discrediting lin?

just gets to prove that lin fans are a sensitive bunch

 

Yes it took him YEARS to develop a consistent outside shot. Even Tony Parker isn't a great 3 point threat. If Lin is a 32-35% 3 point threat I am cool with that he just needs to get his FG% up but he needs more shots. More screens & picks run for him etc. I haven't seen him split the double team at all which is what he was so great at last year because his teammates still set wack screens/picks.

 

Lets see some of those names and don't forget to have stats to back yourself up

 

Before asking me to double check the stats you should double check yours. How about trying last year? I'm not even going to post the USG here, look it up yourself.

Also I admitterd Lin's usage is a little low and Harden's is a little high. I expect Lin's USG to rise as they learn the offense more.

 

And my point still stands despite everything you said a big part of the reason as to why his FG% isn't better is because he isn't being used properly has very little to with him lacking skills. And yes please go ahead & name 20 PG's that are playing better than him because I can easily name 45 PG's that have a higher USG than him as well & one of those PG's is Douglas.

 

Are you really that shallow? Why 07-08? Because that was rondo's second year playing significant minutes, similar to Lin's situation. Actually I could have used 06-07's stats considering Lin's small sample last year.

Why not last year? Because if you ever watched any Boston game you would have realised rondo was clear cut the best player on that team and he had the offence going through him every single possession. His usage rate shrinked because he did not take nearly as many shot as Paul pierce, he also took less shots than ray Allen and garnet, being the 4th option on that team. But his ast rate was a ridiculous 52.

And let me make it clear, again. Your example comparing Rondo/Boston to Lin/Rockets was terrible.

 

yup, he straight up says he thinks harden is a better ball handler and wants him to have it.

get ready for more of the same rocket fans.

 

Add some other comments from Sampson about Lin:

1). Watch the OP clip, at 2:37, Jason asking about Harden and Lin both need ball in their hands:
Sampson: ...As a coach, you decide which hands do you want the ball in? That's the strength of Jeremy. BUT James is one of the best players in the league creating shots. James was finding Chandler, Carlos and even Lin.... But Lin missed the shot.

2). The interview Jason did with Samson at the beginning of the season:

JCF: You had Jeremy Lin in for the abbreviated training camp last year, but do you almost have to rediscover his game as well?

Sampson: Absolutely. I was watching tape on him yesterday – I watched New York and Dallas – and Jeremy had such incredible freedom; he was their offense when he was on the floor. They put him in pick-and-rolls, they’d screen him and then re-screen him. He would attack the rim and if he could get to the rim he did, and if not he’d kick out and they’d play. With us, we’re going to give him some freedom because obviously he’s good at that, but we’re also going to have rules in our transition offense that he’s going to have to learn so it’s going to be interesting to see how he picks those things up.

I think the biggest challenge for Jeremy is going to be taking care of the ball and being able to defend bigger, stronger, quicker, more athletic point guards. He’s got to get tougher in those areas. So Jeremy’s got some work to do

http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/qa-kelvin-sampson

Sampson's Comments are all fair. But he just does not sound high on Lin, does he?

Hearing Sampson's all these comments, no wonder people start to suspect if Sampson's attitude towards Lin leads to Lin's obvious lack of confidence on the court.

 

I think they're trying to lay down some foundations first. I don't think they want the team to become completely dependent on Lin and Harden. That's what we all feared after the first 2 games: a whole season of Lin and Harden having to play 40 minutes a game and having to play like heroes every night.

We've seen what Lin and Harden can do when given freedom, albeit it was only for 2 games. I think we'll begin to see that again once the playbook gets filled out and the rotation becomes more established.

 

good stuff here.

wouldn't be surprised if jeremy's days as a rocket are numbered.

if i remember correctly, the earliest the rockets can trade him is in Feb, no?

 

Not sure. I guess they can trade him anytime if Morey wants. I wrote this in another thread discussing Rox may even chase after CP3 next summer if he is truly available. Let's be honest, Harden is the only player Rox won't move. All others can be traded, including Lin and Asik. If coaching stuff are really not high on Lin, then Lin could be gone, I guess.

 

Sampson questioned Lin's athleticism, quickness, toughness, and size? Lin tested at the top of the charts of his draft class and blew everyone away in the camp agility tests. Unfortunately, this smells of bigotry/racial stereotyping. Nothing new. Many old people think the same.