[ClutchFans] Rockets to begin season with Beverley, Asik as starters; Jeremy Lin off bench

Lin has proven NBA experts wrong over and over and over again. Why are you 'caging' him on the bench??

 

I predict Lin will be in the starting lineup by the all-star break, or he will be traded for another starting point guard. Beverley is not starting point guard material, and neither is Harden. It will be exposed soon against good teams. McHale will either have to put a starting point guard in the lineup or lose his job to a coach who will.

 

You know, saying you are a Lin fan does not make you one.

 

He's under contract for one more season only. It's not Houston's call -- unless they're ok with him leaving for nothing. Lin is not signing again with Houston. He has mentioned several times how when he signed, he didn't ever expect to have Harden and Howard here as well.

Lin will be traded (sooner than later), or he will walk (and many teams will welcome him with a bigger contract than he presently has).

 

Said succinctly and well.

 

I also believe that is the Rockets' plan all along.

 

Lin just doesn't seem like a guy who would leave for the sole reason of a bigger contract. Unless he is really unhappy here, which I haven't really seen any indications lately, I think he'd stay -- as long as we are championship contenders, he still gets starter minutes whether he actually starts or not and the contract offer isn't insulting.

With Morey, everyone minus Harden and Howard could be traded, but that doesn't necessarily mean they will be. Let's not forget that Les is one of Lin's biggest backer on the team and that his marketing contributions are not to be forgotten.

 

Ah, but I think he has improved enough. He can drive with his left, he defends better, and his shot is better. His efficiency has been ridiculous. If his shooting percentage stays anywhere close to what it is right now, he is going to be fed the ball a lot. He could easily blow up again, only this time as a much better player than last time.

If he does, he will be happy, and I can't imagine the Rockets trading him or letting him walk.

 

Harden is somewhat like Ginobili but hangs onto the ball more and plays less defense and Lin is a lot like Parker in his approach with perhaps a better 3 point stroke. But where's the big Fundamental? and Pop?

 

I beg to differ. I think Lin will resign with the Rockets provided that he get the offer.

 

Oops. *re-sign*

 

It's bittersweet. I'm disliking the Rockets more and more.

 

IMHO I think Lin would resign with the Rockets if they made him a starter. Money is less of an issue.

 

You make good points but the fact remains that some of us are not satisfied with the offense with Harden as pg and we may continue to see relatively poor starts because we are less apt to run a fluid offense without a starting caliber floor general (no, Harden is not a pg) on the court. Resorting to using Lin as a backup sg/ scorer is more of the same although better as alumnus can actual pg. This argument is also valid and you have to see that there are other arguments other than yours that are also valid.

 

Do you watch the playoffs? Do you think any team that has NBA Championship dreams is thinking "Who needs defense?", if so your lack of knowledge on what it takes to win is laughable.

 

The loss of the starting role is "a blow" to Lin. I don't think he'll resign with the Rox if he's not guaranteed the starting job and the point guard role (which is now assigned to Harden).

 

I think Parsons and Lin were speaking more about the Spurs' style of play (playing with pace, ball movement and teamwork) more than personnel in saying that the Spurs were the Rockets' model. But to follow your analogy: Are you forgetting that the Rockets have a certain player named Dwight Howard on their roster?

As for Popovich, yeah, there is no other Pop.

 

No, Lin will remain a Rocket only if
A) he believes in our offensive/defensive scheme
B) if he is allowed to play his game and contribute.

It remains to be seen if a non-pg offense with only Harden as a true perimeter threat/ playmaker can work. And it also remains to be seen if Lin can continue to be given a chance to really contribute what he may feel he can once Bev starts playing well which I expect him to do.

 

I hear you. But the title of "starter" means a lot more than what you just posted. When someone gets benched, for all intensive purposes people generalize that as a demotion. True or not, fair or not, that's what happens. Now, if you're a Lin only fan, you're going to are first and foremost about how your player is viewed by the world. You want him to be a star. As a Taiwanese asian american, I care about how Lin is perceived because he breaks stereo types. In today's society, perception is practically everything.

Ultimately, I agree with you 100% that it's better for Lin to come off the bench - both for the Rockets and for Lin long term when leaves for greener pastures. Timing is everything. Starting with Harden will do him no favors. Playing a great 6th man as a 25 year old will open doors for him going forward.

 

Nowhere did I ever say we do not need defense. I stated that even with Jeremy our defense is average at worst. I also said that the tiny difference in defense that Beverley does bring does not outway the significance of a #1 backcourt duo of Harden and Lin.