Jeremy Lin and Beverley, who fits better with the team and James Harden

The no defense, no offense, no rebounding kind of PG?

 

I don't think we can ignore intangibles as well. Anyone who has played basketball either recreationally or in an organized capacity knows this is true...

When you play with someone who is a good playmaker and ball distributor, you are more motivated to run down to the offensive end more. And when you get to touch the ball, whether or not you actually shoot, you feel involved, and are more motivated to run back to play defense.

You'll see, teams that happen to be good offensively AND defensively tend to share the ball very well. Some teams that come to mind are:

Indiana
Oklahoma
Spurs
Heat

 

Does this also factor in that Lin and Harden were part of that massive losing streak in January? You know, before Beverley even got into a Rockets uniform? Wouldn't that also factor in the numbers skewing toward Beverley's favor?

 

Harden had an ankle injury around early February that bothered him the rest of the season. They even sat him in April once I think to help rest the injury before the playoffs.

Good to see the numbers but context is always needed when considering these things.

Also, I wonder how much, if at all, each guy has improved in the summer. So perhaps last year's numbers won't be entirely predicative of this year's outcome. Every report I read is that each of them have worked extremely hard and I am looking forward to seeing how it translates (look good so far but it's only 3 preseason games).

 

It not about who starts or how well one plays in the regular season. It's about which one is capable of stepping up and performing at the end of games and in the playoffs when it really matters. Lin's lack of balls to date is what's causing McHale to second guess him. He is clearly the most talented of the two but also has shown a tendency to get intimidated (and hurt) when the pressure is really on. Beverly, on the other hand, actually does the intimidating and thrives when the game gets ugly. This is the sole reason that he could be a better fit for this, and any other championship contending team.

On the positive side for Lin fans, he does look much stronger to me this year than he did last year and I'm hoping that it will translate into more confidence and better performance at the end of games and in the playoffs when things get dirty. If he can ever develop a little of the edge and nastiness that Beverly has, he could be an all star.

 

OK, but points, on its own, doesn't necessarily say much about how good the offense or defense is. You need to look at it in terms of points per possession. On that basis, we were more efficient on offense and defense with Beverley. Though that's not to say that the reason for this is simply because of Beverley at PG rather than Lin.

 

lin vs bev

I don't think this is even the discussion anymore they both play good with Harden and with adding Howard all stats from last season are void. The question now is which PG is best for the 2nd unit. That question cannot be answered yet with Asik having his 1st practice yesterday since his injury and the starting lineup yet to be determined. Having one of the best benches or the best bench in the league will determine how far we go. If DMO continues to improve and Casspi plays like as well as he did vs Pacers we could very well have a bench as good as most starting teams.

 

Considering all the points you guys have bought up, another variable that factor is the team we are playing against. Is the opponent gifted offensively or are they defensive steward? Offensive starters will suit PB starting while JL for the latter.

It is true, that these newly found information should not be completely disregarded, but there are many factors and variables that would make this information "70% accurate" for the argument: Who should start PB or JL

But I personally don't like seeing a tired out JH. If he is trying harder on offense, it means there will be less defense from him, and an increase % chance of him getting injured; which is the number one thing we must avoid if we want to see a 2013-2014 banners in the stadium.

 

can you provide chart as well to support your argument?

 

Either our bench players+Harden was playing opponent starters a lot or Harden was less efficient playing against opponent bench players...?

 

I thought no one would ask.

Spoiler

Lemme know if you have any more questions.

 

Pretty sure Harden had a knee injury in Feb that lingered, and which slowed him, he struggled getting/finishing at the rim alot more.

 

um ok.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IQIOJNH9-aE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Look at his left knee at 0:02.

If anyones knee bent like that it could easy get injured. Thats how he hurt his meniscus. But I'm sure its his knee not being fearless enough

 

I still think we should start PB with James despite the data shows otherwise.

Nice work OP.

 

Okay so good thing is Harden will not be overused when he plays with JL, better for his long career in the NBA. Can play at the highest level for more years.

Now the more important thing hows for the Rockets? :grin: