Lin will avg 8 assists but no way he averages 15 pts because I don't see him taking more than 6-7 shots a game.
Really good post. I'm not a Lin fan, I'm pretty neutral as far as he's concerned. If it's better to move him, Morey will move him. If it's better to keep him, Morey will keep him. Doesn't really matter to me as long as I see the Rockets in the finals.
He's a point guard. We need his assist/turnover ratio to improve. We need his defense to improve. If his offensive stats increase but he doesn't improve in those two areas, he'll lose his starting gig...... period.
Big question with Lin can he big effective against more physical guards/defense. If he can, then he will be able to handle the role of starting pg. If he can't, he needs to be a back-up. For the team, I still think we have a gapping hole at PF. Harden didn't look particularly dominant in the clutch when he's not getting calls, and Howard has never been known to be a clutch player. So we still need a PF who can make things happen in tough situations and hit a 15 foot baseline J to spread the floor for our penetrators. If we can fill that hole, then I think we have a contender. But right now, I say no.
I agree with those who think Lin's assists should go up and turnovers should go down with the addition of Howard. I don't think Lin will lose his starting position or be traded this year. I love the improvements that Asik made this past year but his biggest problem has been his hands. So many missed opportunities with dishes bouncing off his hands or him getting stripped from keeping the ball too low in the paint. Also, too many bounce passed to Asik because he is not as athletic as Howard. Lin and company should be able to use more lobs and normal passes to the post with Howard. Lin gets in trouble when there are too few scoring options on the floor and he feels he has to be "The Man". We should see an improvement in his overall effectiveness because there should be less pressure on him offensively. Lin's shooting suffered this past year because defensive pressure was so high on him because he had to be a primary scoring option. I think he will have more open looks and his shooting percentage will benefit. We'll see.
I am not sure his pt will go up but pretty sure his assist will increase. Just the fact that, unlike Asik, D12 would not fumble his passes, would not get strip away, and can go up strong and finish around the rim. Then the LOH would say his offense stall and a backup at best.
Great post! Repped. Not particularly a LOF or LOH, wish him a great season ahead as long as he's with the Rockets.
I think Lin is going to thrive and help make this team become the instant contender it can be with D12's arrival. Lin: 15 points 7 assists 46% FG 38% 3 point FG That's what I expect from him and that is good enough to be the starter on a contender.
Yes, he did. You can check out basketball-reference.com to view his clutch stats for this past year. He shot a very good percentage at clutch time. One air ball and people pile on.
He's right. When you have 2 superstar players and a good supporting cast of high character, unselfish guys, you can compete with anybody.
From a New Age a season ago to instant contenders, we are definitely one of the top teams. I'm hoping we don't trade anyone. As of right now, we got an amazing starting lineup with a deep bench. Lin/Beverly/Canaan Harden/Garcia/Andersen Parsons/Garcia TJones/Dmo/Smith Dwight/Asik We don't really need another all star PF. I'm more than comfortable with what we have now. Rather not have a dominant PF crowding Dwight's space.
This seems very reasonable, considering since the all star game this past season he was already a 15-6 player, w/ 44% FG and 38% 3 pt %. I actually assume his FG% will not get as high as 46% just because he's been pretty stable at 44% for quite awhile. 38% from 3 sounds right, and 15-7 seems correct as well since he was virtually playing like that already for half the season. I do wonder if his usage rate will go down (a lot lower than 20%) and hence his touches and FGA's go down so that he won't get 15 PPG. We will have to see. Dwight will mean more plays in the post, but it isn't like Dwight likes to dribble and drive a lot or something hahaha.
What about one that doesn't crowd his space? I'd love to get Ersan Ilyasova, but I don't see the Bucks dealing him for Asik. Makes little sense. LMA would be fantastic, but is such a longshot that I won't pretend I'm waiting for it to happen. And Ryan Anderson is great on offense, shoots 3's like mad, but can't really defend all that well. Not a black hole on defense, but not a net positive for us. I still wish we went for JSmith, who would have really given us the needed flexibility and defense on the perimeter and in the post. But if Morey decided not to pull the trigger on Smith, I will trust his judgment.
