Lin didn't PLAY in the ENTIRE 4th QUARTER!! It's not easy to get assists on the bench. And BTW, TD had 0 assists for the ENTIRE game and has a lower FG% than Lin for the game AND for the SEASON, and in their CAREER!! In addition, Lin was playing "very well in the 3rd Quarter" is what McHale said in his post-game interview!! He is the starting pg and should be finishing games unless he is having a bad game or if his backup is CLEARLY more effective in specific matchups. If you don't give confidence to your starting PG, I guarantee that 9 times out of 10, you're gonna ruin some players. I DO NOT feel more comfortable with Douglas out there in the 4th whether or not Harden is our primary ball handler. Lin has the better ability to shape the game offensively and defensively and we have to allow the backcourt to figure it out. McHale's show of no confidence in Lin is nearly player-ruining. My point is that IMO sitting your starting PG for no obvious reason at the end of a close game is the same as McHale saying: 1) I didn't feel that Lin would have helped us win today, compared to his backup. 2) I couldn't trust Lin to be out there when the game was on the line. 3) TD is better than Lin in our offense. 4) TD's defense is better than Lin's. IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS HOW HE FEELS. AND I STRONGLY DISAGREE!!
Dragic may have been better overall, but he never played at a level close to Linsanity. (The 8 games)
lol. Looked okay on my iPhone. Anyways, my point is benching your starting pg when he's doing well and in need of confidence is not a good idea. And the thing that gets me is how this decision is so strongly defended here on Clutchfans. Really?? Douglas? Do most of you really think it's okay to sit your starting pg in the 4th for Douglas?? Does Lin's play really deserve the benching and hatred. Were his last 10 games that onerous for you guys? Last night, I swear John Barry was bending over backwards to put Lin down every chance he got. I was almost embarrassed for him. And unfortunately, he sounds like how I expect a lot of the members from Clutchfans to sound like. So sad..
So your really gonna tell me Lin is a better 3 point shooter than Douglas? Lofs get out from under a rock Lin canNot shoot. You need spacing,Lin cant just dribble the ball around and create layups for ppl like cp3. You guys are seriously overrating his playmaking abilities. He's good on the break but nothing special so far in the half court. And the reason he gets clowned on a lot is cause ppl call him a star but you can't be a star avg 10 and 6 shooting 39%. Lol. Dude has a target and he has to except that same thing happened to Yao only dif is Yao had the weight of his country on him and still managed to become the best center very quickly. Lin will never be the best pg or even top 5.
Found this post from Feigan's article from a random nba fan which was pretty much spot on.. "Lin as a package is a rare talent in the NBA . He has the 'It" factor as evidenced by his immense worldwide popularity and loyal fans support . The incompetent Rockets are trying to suppress Lin cos of their own twisted agendas. A coaching team lacking in principles is nothing more than a SHAM. Despite this Lin has displayed restraint on the court and maturity beyond his years. A gifted player like Lin will not be denied ... and though the terrain is rocky for now I am sure he will find himself in a situation where he can shine again."
No doubt that Lin is a victim of racial profiling and is now getting some backlash (aka jealousy) for his big contract. Think he needs to play with a coach willing to live with his weaknesses (D, 3 pt shooting, ball handling) and will play to his strengths. I see his career doomed if he stays in Houston. Only reason he's here is that the owner has a lot of investments in China and needs Lin to keep his profile up there.
he got taken out at the end of 3Q and didnt play the entire 4Q so what do you expect? he's never had the opportunity to be a franchise player. last year during linsanity and this year vs the spurs, when he was the #1 option, he played fantastic. but instead of seeing that as maybe he can be special, everybody says fluke. except he did it twice against good teams and doesnt even have a lot of experience. but that was a fluke right? both times? and only 1 game this season where the offense ran through him. he scored 38 and gave the team a chance to beat one of the best teams. yes they lost but if you cannot see the potential in what happened that night, then i dunno what to say. and by potential i mean the team, not just lin. asik was great that game. no he doesnt. he needs the ball to be effective. even if he is on the wing and is wide open, that is not a good shot for him. he NEEDS to be in rhythm to score. is that a limitation? sure. but at the same time asking him to spot up game after game and expecting a different outcome is just ridiculous. do you use your spoon to cut your steak? also when he does have the ball, he does NOT get screens. he is left all alone up top most of the time and he is just not that kind of player. he needs the pnr to be effective, yet they hardly run it with him. in the spurs game he got many, many screens and look what happened. again, it is a limitation, but instead of trying to let him do what he's best at, they totally ignore that and let him drown. yes i understand that if lin is doing the pnr then harden isnt. but if harden is so good then why cant he play off the ball more? is he limited as well? if so then why no rampant criticism on that? lastly when he plays with TD he gets turned into a SG. lin is better at PG and TD at SG so wth? and therein lies the problem. lin gets massive criticism because he cant go left. yet harden cant go right yet the pundits are dead silent. lin needs the ball to score and so people see that as a limitation and more criticism. yet harden also needs the ball and again the pundits say nothing. its this double standard that makes me scratch my head. the bottomline on lin is this. give him a chance to do what he's best at and if he fails miserably THEN bench him, trade him, etc. he is a fish out of water when not used properly, so why not try to use him properly? its no surprise that lin isnt a good shooter. they knew what they were getting themselves into. instead they are expecting rapid improvement in a short time by throwing him to the wolves. obviously this is a vicious cycle of failure both on lins part and on the coaches (who i guess feel obliged to start him in a system that doesnt suit him at all)....
LOL ... I don't think there are too many teams out there that would put up with a starting PG who's weaknesses are defense, 3-point shooting, and ball-handling. Lin is still starting and playing 30+ minutes a game most nights. There are a lot of starters in this league who get less minutes on the floor than he does. Also, being a starter does not automatically mean you're supposed to finish games. I realize there are a lot of youngsters here, but anyone following the Rockets 20 years back will remember that our firmly established starting PG -- Kenny Smith -- often sat at the end of games. And I don't recall anyone ever blasting Rudy for having a grudge against him.
That's because you have a franchise player in Hakeem. Lin has shown he can put up points in bunches, so they are just upset he's being underutilized. He has the closer's mentality if you let him operate.
