Should we look to Jeremy Lin to be our closer as opposed to James Harden?

I think Harden should still be the first option, unless he is double teamed, or trapped, he should look for Lin to be the 2nd option.

 

If teams are scheming their defenses to stop a player because they know that he's going to take the shot then certainly their pct will go down.

Harden's TS% last season was 60%. In the crunch time criteria defined in this thread it went down to 58.3. That's not a significant difference.

Last season Lebron had a TS% of 64% but in the crunch time criteria his TS% dropped to 55%.

Likewise Durant had a TS% of 64.6 last year but his crunch time TS% dropped to 59%.

That's not unusual and it's to be expected. Those guys are expected to either score or create for teammates and everyone knows it and will do their best to stop them.

Elite scorers like those 3 are always going to get more attention from the opposing team and that opens up opportunities for teammates. Thats one of the reasons that guys like that are so valuable, they command double teams and free up guys for shots. The perfect example was the last game when Toronto doubled Harden and left Lin open. You can't compare pure per minute numbers of guys like that vs players who have so many fewer touches. It just doesn't work that way. The stars are doing so much more just by the attention that they draw from the opposing defenses and creating opportunities for those guys.

 

The main reason why Lin got to play all of those minutes was because Harden and Bev weren't playing so well. Lin was playing well so he stayed in during the crucial moments. Going forward, he will be limited again unless Bev keeps fouling (or missing shots) or if Harden continues to play injured. It's not like the coach will really look for Lin again to help them win. I've seen this over and over again last season.

 

Really? 61% people believe Lin should be the closer on this team? Based on merit?

 

I wouldn't hesitate giving the ball to Lin if he is 100% driving to the ring to score.

I would happily tell him to take a stroll to the corner and not touch the ball if he has any inkling to drive in the key, do a little fairy jump and spin mid air, and pass it directly to the opposing team.

 

Man you guys are all buthurt over each others opinions. Both sides have their fair arugument and flaws. But the fact is Harden hasn't shown he's efficient at all at the end of qtrs. I don't want to say clutch becuase it's a myth. It's not that Harden's bad shooter, it's the way he handles the last few possessions. And really we don't know how Lin will do if given as many opportunities as Harden did. He might be better or funk it.

 

The more interesting question here is whether there is merit in having a "closer" in basketball. Does anyone know if someone has done some sort of study or look at player efficiency at different intervals of minutes played (e.g. ortg at 30-35 minutes, drtg 30-35 minutes)?

 

I think MJ started the started the whole iso-"closer" mentality and Kobe perpetuated it.

Now it's some sort of badge of honor (or ego) and star players can sulk (Pippen).

Depends on the situation imo. If you have close to a full possession there is plenty of time to run your offense. Only give it to a "closer" when the clock is running out. "Closer" should be moreso a "bail us out of this" role. Not an "iso-and-then shoot a a low-percentage/high-difficulty shot".

 

I actually think we should start incorporating sets at the end of games and periods, instead of going ISO all the time.

I think most people who vote for Lin aren't saying Lin should get the final shot. I think they are sick of Harden ISO at the end of games because it almost never works.

 

This poll is ridiculous, why bother to argue? Don't take the bait!

 

I don't think either of us is "butthurt" over the other's opinion. In fact, I think both of us have been very civil and have been correcting facts not opinions. There are people that can debate things based on facts and not get angry over it.

Last season Harden's TS% was 58% in the last 5 minutes of games separated by 5 points or less. That's not efficient? Those numbers are better than Lebron and just under Durant.

 

According to Morey, Lin is the #2 offensive option on this team. If for some reason Harden struggles, the game will be played through Lin. When Bev underperforms, Lin will have to make up his deficit too. If nothing else, the Raptors game woke the coaching staff up to how important he really is (whether they care to admit it or not).

 

lol...because the Spurs game last year didn't. The staff knows what he is capable of, I think they are just trying to maximize it with Harden handling the ball for the most part.

 

"Based on merit"? Get that crazy talk out of here. 61% feel Lin should be the closer because he played well in the most recent game. Stay tuned for more fascinating statistics from the pollsters at Neejerk & Howe.

 

I'm more curious what his TS% is during the last minute, or last possession of the game. Can anyone find this?

 

I heard they recently acquired a firm out of New York, so now they're called Neejerk & Blayme Partners.

No matter, as long as this roster continues to learn and gel with each other, I'm a happy camper.

 

Yeah, this makes sense. Clock management is more important towards the end of games and you see more possessions come close to the full 24. The closer as a contingency makes sense in the last 8 seconds or so if you haven't been able to execute your set.

 

The only problem I see with Harden's clock management from time to time is that he waits a little bit too long to go. Instead of starting at 8 seconds left, he goes around 6 seconds. Then if he gets into a situation where he needs to pass it off, it leaves the receiver with very little time left on the clock to do anything but throw up a prayer.

 

gotta feel it on a per game basis... in the Toronto game the defense swarmed on Harden, passing to Lin is a no brainer. That said, Lin stepping his game up will help Harden A LOT, and in some instances, make it easier for him to close.

 

Lin wasn't wide open as you can see from the images on the previous pages. Parson was the only one clearly wide open before harden shot.