James Harden is as good a playmaker as Jeremy Lin.

There players who go beyond the 5 position categories. You take advantage of those players because they are the ones who create the biggest mismatches. Harden is such an amazingly complete player at 23 that it would be foolish to simply make him a textbook SG. He is a versatile scorer and unselfish playmaker. You just coach around that.

Lin's incredible ability and limitations dictates certain usage. As he is not as versatile as Harden (due in large part to being ineffective without pounding the ball serval times before a move), Lin cannot be relied on to play off another playmaker right now. The appropriate move is to stagger minutes so Lin can find a groove while dominating the ball and have Harden pick his spots here and there.

In the end, just as with the Jordan Bulls, Harden is the closer.

It's nice to have Rocket discussions about great players on the roster instead of great players we wish were on the roster.

 

Lin and Harden are both good at making those around better. I think Lin is better at getting those around him involved because he is more pass first than Harden. Harden is more dangerous because his offense is better so it is easier for him to make a play because teams are more focused on stopping him. I can't wait to see these guys peak together, they could easily become the best backcourt in NBA.

 

Yesterday, Knicks got lost for a weak team because the PG position is disaster. I watched the game that was so ugly.The ball didn't move and offense was bad.

Two superstars Melo and Amere were in the game. Melo played ok and he got 45 points and having some assist number too, but without a good PG, only two player got shots.....

 

agree. if you were a player on the team and faced the media, yes, you should've said in this way. but as a fan, no harm at all if we can touch the root of a problem.

 

The only times I've watched the Knicks this season was when they played the Rockets. So I can't speak on what's going on with them and could careless...

 

Best post all day...

 

I tried to saying Melo, TC and Amare are the current superstars and they proved having the highest individual stats in NBA for a while but if the team not plays a team ball, many teams that don't have the superstars or have the player like scrubs can beat Knicks.

 

Yeah before last year on 2K when I played with the Rockets someone asked me who are the rockets, what is there identity?. Now I get on there and its "Beardsanity, okay".

 

Won't argue coz it's not worth it.....we are entitled to our own opinion and individual perception on what an All-star and a Superstar is..

 

That's been the story for that organization for decades... But I will say Portland does not have a team full of scrubs... They have arguably one of the best young point guards in the league and a excellent PF...

But I understand your point..

 

I was thinking yesterday, if Rocket not steal Lin from Knicks and Lin with Knicks now, the team could have a chance win, not saying Lin is better than those superstars...

We as fan don't have a chance to debate if "Jeremy Lin is Joke“ or who is better playmake because the most of New Yorker trust Lin and they know Lin is the best in many years Knicks can get PG.....

 

I think you need to understand, that Lin has a bigger fan base among Chinese/Taiwanese, and I know that they tried to vote Lin each and every freaking single day multiple times during the voting period. These are LOFs in their extreme.

If you understand how allstar voting works, then this is legit. Although it might looks like unfair to Harden.

An allstar is not a Superstar, if you ask me. Maybe we should call it "fan favorite player". Lin is far from a superstar, not even in the team. Maybe someday he will become one and I truly hope he will. But now he is just a young, good PG with lots of potential.

 

Co'z drawing an intentional foul against an opponent is not quite good to look at...it's the same as if you are cheating....when someone is playing at their best against you and you do the unnecessary contact to draw a foul from them then it'll badly reflect on u...that's why lots of people are loving Lin because he plays fairly...as you've mentioned, that ability sometimes is a liability...

As for his points..my apologies if it's not that clear...English is not my first language..what I mean is, the points he scored in certain games are due to free throws and not due to his FGs...that's why it's deceptive....if someone would only check the box score without watching the game they will think that he is the best on that particular game not knowing that sometimes half of his points are due to free throws given to him..

Sorry but I am not a fan of FTs... In my opinion, it's not a measure of your efficiency mainly because this particular perks of the game solely depends on the disposition of the referees....but then it's giving us a win so all is well in the end....

 

Fouls is part of the game. Rather drawing them intentionally or not. That's how it's always been in the NBA. Regardless of if your a fan of free throws are not it's still part of the game and that's how its played all over the world. And if opposing defenses can't stop a player without fouling them _ that's their problem.

The way you put it, pick and rolls and screen plays wouldn't be fair either. Especially when a offensive player sets a pick and the defensive player doesn't see it coming.

Those are the rules and welcome to America...

 

I have no problem with fouls per se, but on how u execute a foul that resulted in FTs...it's different when an opposing player fouls you for defense purposes than cheating your way to get that Foul...

PnR and screens are offensive set plays so the argument is invalid...the fouls I'm mentioning are fouls that harden sometimes cheats away from his opponent in an Iso and post-up plays...

 

You mean like pump fakes? I know, how dare he try to get 2 free points for his team.

 

Out of context...there are times when harden just bodily checks his defender to create a contact and cheat a foul from them...like inserting his hands under the hands of his defender to create contact...

As I've said, harden mostly do this in iso and post up plays,not in transition and cutting plays...pump fake is legit because you are ensuring the efficiency of your shot as well as getting fouls from opponents if he succumb to your bait...can u pump fake when ur posting up?

 

drawing fouls from opponents is called skilled/smart basketball not cheating

 

Why are we so obsessed with offense without looking at Defense?