Thanks for posting. They were having an absolute lovefest during warmups before the last Hawks game lol... that explains it.
Incidentally, he played the most minutes of all players last night - 39 frigging minutes. Harden is #2 at 39 minutes. Uh what?
Although unfortunate, Lin did make the shot which kept us in the game. I do wish that he had taken the contested shot on the last possession rather than pass it off with virtually no time left. That's the kind of game winning shot that every kid dreams of making.
From his interview, it seems Lin wasn't expected to get the ball. It wasn't a set play for Lin as many people here thought. He thought Harden was going to shoot it, so he was actually moving in to try to get a rebound. “I didn’t know I was on the line,” Lin said afterward when asked about the play. “When (Harden) drove, in my mind I thought he was going to shoot it so I was going to try to go anywhere near for an offensive rebound.” Link is http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/game-day-rockets-hawks
Yes James does pass the ball out. However, it is usually during the last seconds of his attempt to score. This was obviously not the play drawn up. Why would McHale want Harden pass to Lin after he went 0-3 beyond the three point line. He was open but Harden could have passed him the ball before he drove. Lin was open all the time Harden was dribbling at the top of the key. Harden drove instead and unless he got fouled it became a two poin play just like Jeremy's shot. Harden is the best SG in the League you want him to take the shot or set up his teamates properly. A superstar should also take responsibility for his errors a well as the other plays should for there errors.
The time to check his position is when he arrived on the spot, not when the ball was thrown to him. Once the ball was thrown, the last thing he should be doing is mucking around checking his feet. He should be going through the exact same shooting routine he was practicing all summer. Given his tendency to have his foot on the line, you'd think he would start setting up a couple inches back by now.
The Rockets aren't that good so I don't know why so many people are getting upset over these types of losses. They look at James Harden/Dwight Howard/Parson Chandler and they think a title contender. This team will be very happy to have the 5th seed. Not a Harden's play, even if he ends up with 38 points. His game is terrible to watch, even as a Rockets fan. Drive, throw head back, and pray for free throws? Does he really think this is a championship strategy? I think it's dishonest basketball that has non-Rocket fans are shaking their heads. I hope he doesn't get away with this, especially in the playoff, so he's forced to play more physical I think even Harden has overrated himself
So 1 Westbrook and 1 CP3 injury is as bad as having Harden playing hobbeled, Lin, Parsons, Asik, Bev, Smith sidelined because of several injuries? Gs is a wash up imo
One thing I do want to take note of, is that Lin was not expecting the ball. But regardless, he has to make sure his toe is not on the line. That was definitely not a set play. I think everyone thought Harden was going to shoot that. But regardless Lin should not have stepped on the line. Like some poster said, that was like taking the candy out of a kid's mouth. "I didn’t know I was on the line,” Lin said. “When (Harden) drove, I thought he was going to shoot it. I was going to try to get anywhere near for an offensive rebound.” - Lin source: http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2014/01/live-rockets-at-atlanta-hawks/
Nuts! Where is that back up center? Why are you guys arguing about a shot that went in? This team is cursed. Get superstar, checked Get another one, checked Then have player revolt so what was supposed to be a strength is now a weakness. Then make sure the other player you poison bill in, who got better and was playing great loses his job. And to his credit still doing well and staring again due to injury. But then he loses a game.... Wait did he? Doesn't matter He will be traded away because he doesn't "fix" with the coach. No sugar coating that one. HOF my a......
All this talk about how Lin should have checked his feet position is absolutely ridiculous. The shot went IN. If the shot had missed, there wouldn't even be anything to talk about. What I'm saying is, on that possession we were able to get a high percentage shot. That's all you can ask for. There's no use fixating on the results of that shot - some shots go in, some don't, once the ball leaves ones hands, it's out of anyone's control. What lost us that game wasnt Lin's shot. It was everything that led up to it. Brook's turnover with 18 seconds left. The lack of ball movement and utter offensive incompetence. The breakdowns on transition defense. On this board people often talk about knee jerking and how that's bad, but beneath knee jerking is the fixation on results without proper attention for what led to their production.
Agreed. In my circle of NBA compadres the Rockets are the butt of all jokes. Its getting tougher and tougher for me to defend our play and get friends to watch Rocket's games.
Harden passed out to an open 3-point shooter in the corner with little time remaining and down 3. If there was a mistake, it was not managing to get a score a little earlier but the defense also has something to do with that. Lin should have understood the situation. His explanation that he was going in for an offensive rebound is bizarre. Even if he manages to get the ball and put it, we're still down 1 with almost no time left.
If the roles were reversed and it was Harden saying "I thought Lin was gonna shoot, that's why I didn't make sure it was a three", a lot of the Lin fans that are OK with Lin saying that would be ripping Harden and saying it's another example of what a bad teammate Harden is, why won't he take responsibility for himself, etc. The only correct response is: "I messed up. I should have made sure I was behind the line." What's Lin's excuse for not getting a shot off at the buzzer?
Not bizarre at all. It says he was assuming Harden was going for a basket with a foul, and he wanted to be able to do something productive if the basket missed. It might be a little sad that he had that assumption. In any case he should have set up a couple further inches behind the line.
we' re not the joke of the league, the knicks are. But we're certainly over-rated and not playing very well
