Yes Lin has been slashing a lot, averaging 8.3 drives per game. The surprising part is, of all the players who averaged more than 5 dpg, he ranks 2nd in field goal percentage at 57.7% http://stats.nba.com/playerTrackingDrives.html#pageNo=1&rowsPerPage=25&sortField=FG_PCT&sortOrder=DES&filters=DVS*G*5 Player FG% on Total Drives PPG Drives Drives Per Game on Drives LeBron James (MIA) 62.30% 242 6.5 4.9 Jeremy Lin (HOU) 57.70% 250 8.3 5.2 Eric Bledsoe (PHX) 57.10% 180 7.5 5.9 Kevin Durant (OKC) 56.40% 214 5.6 5.8 Leandro Barbosa (PHX) 56.30% 21 5.3 5.8 Dwyane Wade (MIA) 55.10% 195 6.7 4.3 Steve Blake (LAL) 53.60% 115 5.5 1.6 Tony Parker (SAS) 53.50% 387 10.8 6.9 Chandler Parsons (HOU) 53.20% 233 6.7 4.5 Chris Paul (LAC) 52.40% 189 5.6 3.1 Ty Lawson (DEN) 52.30% 387 10.8 5.8 Mario Chalmers (MIA) 52.20% 183 5.7 3.3 DeMar DeRozan (TOR) 52.10% 238 6.6 4.4 Evan Turner (PHI) 52.10% 232 6.3 5.7 Mike Conley (MEM) 51.70% 292 8.1 5.5 Monta Ellis (DAL) 51.70% 414 10.4 8 James Harden (HOU) 50.40% 221 6.5 5.6 Eric Gordon (NOP) 47.80% 201 5.7 4.8 Isaiah Thomas (SAC) 47.80% 296 8.2 5.1 Jose Juan Barea (MIN) 47.40% 213 5.6 3.1 Ramon Sessions (CHA) 47.40% 276 6.9 5.6 Victor Oladipo (ORL) 46.60% 227 5.8 4.8 Reggie Jackson (OKC) 46.30% 234 6.2 4.7 Goran Dragic (PHX) 46.10% 326 9.3 4.3 Brandon Knight (MIL) 45.40% 182 6.1 4.1
Even though his numbers are closer to last year's, he's a much better player than last year, DH never had a James Harden in Orlando to take share the ball with, so his numbers this year are pretty much what I expected.
Is it really surprising though? Orlando was a team completely built around Dwight. He's not going to get the same number of touches with Harden, Parsons and Lin on the floor with him and with our style of play? If he was averaging 1.9pts and 1.3 rebounds more per game then everyone is happy?
Haha, that's really interesting. Consider how crowded it is down low for this team, it's remarkable that he still finds so many opportunities to drive. I say this though, his jumpers are still shaky and needs to improve handles dramatically to be a truely solid PG.
He's a very good penetrator, he plays with two guys that draw double teams most every trip down the floor and he usually only shoots the ball if he can get all the way to the rim. That's a recipe for a good FG%.
Lin is a great penetrator - if only he had a better jumpshot he'd be a lot more dangerous of a player. He definitely doesn't have a very good pull up jumper. But he is a very good role player. When Bev comes back, I think the team will benefit a great deal having Lin leading the 2nd Unit more. The 2nd unit really is struggling without a playmaker.
You beat me to this. Simply looking at and comparing career and season statistics don't tell the story with players like DH. He's been impacting games heavily even when he's not getting buckets, blocks and rebounds. The poster that was questioning if it was even a moderate upgrade over Asik must either: A) Not watch the games, or B) Not see the subtleties of what DH is bringing to the table. Even Bull points out a few almost every game where Dwight does something of impact that just won't show up in most stat sheets. I'm thrilled with the way Howard has been playing and gelling with the team this year. This is not the same Dwight that we saw in LA. He might be a step lower than his Orlando dominance, but it's closer to that than the injured, unhappy LA Dwight.
You mean his 3pt jumper? Lin's pretty efficient making any 2 pt shot. Rockets overall are just discouraged from taking those unless wide open or Harden.
Lin had a lot of opportunities to shoot the ball at close range to the basket but decided to defer to a teammate who at times would be guarded by one or two players. It's mind boggling, for this reason I really don't think he will ever be an all- star. I don't know whether that's a lack in confidence or he's afraid if he misses, Mchale will yank him out of the game. Harden on their other hand is total opposite and has that clutch gene.
I already posted a stat that the Rockets were 23-15 to end the year after a 22-22 start. Also, we're actually giving up more points and scoring less than post all-star of last year. (105.2 & 101.7 vs 105.6 & 100.8) Did spending uber bucks on Howard improve the team that much? Again, if we win a championship...the answer is yes.
Whether Lin gets the starting job or not depends on how the Rockets fare during the remainder of the January schedule. They have games against OKC, Dallas, Portland, Memphis (twice), San Antonio and Dallas. Beverley is due back next week, so Lin might only get 2 or 3 more starts. However, McHale is still likely to play Lin a lot of minutes if he feels like Lin is helping to get Harden and Howard going. We've seen Lin be sort of the key in the ignition since he returned from injury. Beverley doesn't have that type of talent.
yes because that's how basketball works, you don't add in one player, you automatically see significant increase in all stats. Those are team stats affected by every player, injuries, coaching, opponents, roster changes etc etc. You can't just arbitrarily say, oh we are giving up more points in 38 games stretch of last year this year therefore Dwight Howard is not worth his contract. Plus you are pulling random numbers out of ur ass saying oh, if he averages 20 and 14 he's worth 22 million, but if he averages 18 and 12 he isn't worth 22 million. why, because you randomly decided that?
That only applied to Harden since he is well known for the lack of D. The reason for Dwight and Parsons to lose their D is because TheGM claimed that "Bev holds together our perimeter D with Harden and the starters. ". DPatrickD DBeverleyD since he is holding the D with Harden and starters. Get it?
So, even if you ignore the first 44 games of last season and only consider the finish that's a .605 winning percentage. This year we're winning at a .650 rate. Last year's team improved from .500 after 44 games to play .605 the rest of the season. Even with all of our changes we are already playing .650 ball this season. Is it unrealistic to think that this year's team won't also improve just like last year's team? More experience playing together? Getting our injured players back? That won't make a difference? Even at our current level of play we're much better than last season. We actually can win some games where we don't play well. We can stay in games even when our 3 point shooting is off. We've taken a big step forward but we'll liklely still need one more roster additinion to make us a true contender. Nothing wrong with that. The major pieces are in place, we just need a small tweek to optimize the roster. If you're expecting a championship this season then you're likely going to be disapointed. Even Morey has said that we likely weren't ready for a championship run yet. Last year's team had no chance at winning a title. Zero...none. This group does have a chance. A roster move or two could certainly increase our odds but now we at least have a chance. That's something we didn't have last season.
Never said that he's worth 22 million regardless. But you're right he's a stud and worth every penny.
Is this 3rd grade recess? That's as lame as people who use the term "McFail". What's next..."I'm rubber and you're glue"? How about presenting something factual to make your point rather than cute names?
Honestly not looking for a championship this year, I was looking at a 2-3 year window. I think the Rockets are a STRONG contender next year though. They really do need another season of growth...even with just this starting 5 and an improved bench. Keep this in mind though. If they continue to improve with ball movement, they can be as dangerous as any team in the league..THIS YEAR!
DING DING DING DING DING! We have a winner! It's all about realistic expectations. Technology has turned us all into instant gratification nut jobs (myself included). Smart phones, twitter, texting and *insert trendy app here* have drastically lowered our patience threshold as a society. I have to keep reminding myself to slow down and enjoy the ride.
