they CAN be very effective as a pair, and have shown it in many, many games last year. it's not a stretch to imagine this pair as the best back court in the league, but lin did acknowledge that they had a lot of chemistry issues last year. However, i do see lin coming off the bench as the best way to maximize both of their production, if you want to keep lin on the team. i mean, 24 and 8 at 47% fg is essentially harden numbers... but with both on the court, harden is given the opportunity to get 24 and 8, and lin is not. which is fine - harden is the franchise player. and lin coming off the bench and getting some time without harden gives him the opportunity to produce, however small the opportunity is. on a team without any other big offensive producer, you start both of them and give both of them 15 shots a game. but on a team with howard that will demand 15 shots a game as well? there simply not enough shots to go around in the starting lineup. the bigger question is - what do the rockets need more now? do you give up lin and his potential and trade for a PF or tony allen type of player, since there's realistically no way to really maximize his production on this team? or do you keep him and get 60% of his production off the bench? by the way, beverley is supposed to be the tony allen/sefolosha type of player next to harden. i would give this unit (minus TT) some run before deciding whether or not it's getting what we need.
if lin keeps up his efficiency, i see this playing out just like harden in okc. you have two great players that play very similarly and somewhat overlap. Harden is the franchise player who's production is maximized on this team. lin, on this team (whether as starter or backup) is only able to produce 60-70% of his true offensive production. having him come off the bench and play some minutes without harden helps, but not by a whole lot. so in a few years, you have harden, dwight, parsons at 100% of their production, but lin only at 70%. what do you do? let him walk and get someone that you know you can maximize? or pay him 100% of his value knowing that you'll only get 70% of it back in production? not a easy call. and yeah okc got criticized for letting harden walk, but all things considered, was that such a bad choice? yeah they should've/could've gotten more back for harden then lamb and martin, but the decision to let harden go wasn't so black and white. and there's also the question of whether jeremy would want to go to a place where he can see where his true limit is, rather than a place where he knows he's not being fully utilized...
Lin is showing that the LOFs were right all along? The same LOFs who daily engage in a Maoist struggle session regarding his benching by rending garments and gnashing teeth? He proved he should be starting PG - By having his best moments playing *backup * SG? by flirting with a a lousy 1:1 A/TO ratio? By being awful on defense - far too awful to pair with Harden? All of these things validate the decision to leave him with the second unit. Do you understand? Rhodes Scholar here? But of course, up in LOF world - these things mean somehow that Mchale is terrible and LOF's were right all along. HOnestly, LOF"s are approaching Justin Bieber fan level of alternate reality - that's why it would really be better for this board at least for them to just move on.
Why can't we just enjoy having both on the team? It's a damn luxury to have two guys who can score in bunches. It's not that both of them can't coexist. It's just better for them to play separately at times to maximize their abilities and their efficiency. Lin has obviously been working on his spot up shooting in order to coexist with Harden. He's benched for his defense and his ability to be the main scorer for the second unit. People just need to stop acting like one has to be traded. It's just ridiculous.
Because LOF's are absolutist idiots. I'm going ot be accused of being a Lin hater - I barely post about him at all. He's an above average player. It's jsut the LOF's that need to STFU.
Looked fine out there tonight! LOF's just need to stop. Lin is an above average player. He's not a star. He's not the best player on this team. He's a good scorer who will be highly valuable for us this season. He is what he is, and LOF's need to stop treating him as something he's not.
While it's very possible that D'antoni will be more than happy to take in the JLin with a vastly improved jumper.... And take back whom? 60-year old Nash? Gasol that's gonna be gone from the league in a couple of years? Kobe that might not play another game? Lin has the highest true shooting percentage on the team. One night of 31 points, another night of 34 and 12 assists on 49 minutes of court time, then the very next night for 21, and the Rockets fans want him out??????? The stupidest and most hateful fan base ever.
Who can complain about how either of them played tonight? Lin is going to be so great as our sixth man. Somehow that is an insult to people but i think it helps both guys get theirs. I want both of these guys on the team. Harden showed why he is more important tonight though.
Maybe it's time to start bashing LOH's. They're becoming the whole team's detractors. Gotta give credit where credit is due. Lin worked hard in the offseason to improve his jumper and left hand, and it has been showing. Now a string of 3 good performances and some Rockets "FANS" want him OUT??????? I'm ashamed of being a loyal Rockets fan throughout all these years, up or down.
I'm a Lin fan and even I think Harden is an excellent player. Do i wish he would pass more? sure...I also wish Lin would stop being a turnover machine...other than that, if he keeps shooting and scoring the way he is, he's gonna become an elite point guard and may unfortunately outgrow his role on the Rockets. Enjoy it while it while you guys can, Rockets have a really talented team - no more bickering and whining please
stop this childish behavior. haha..yah right. Seriously tho, both are feeding off each other more now that lin finally has a decent jumpshot. I notice harden is more willing to let lin hold the reins these past few games... Heck its a start at least right? My biggest concern OTOH is how D12 fits into the mix.
By forcing D12 to play PnR. It's unbelievable that he's sooooo much more efficient at that yet he insists on post-ups which he really sucks at. I'm fairly confident that even in Yao's condition today he might be a better post-up center than Dwight.
So basically, his best game coming when Harden was injured somehow validate him starting when Harden's playing? Do you even have an ounce of logic in your head? I'm of the opinion now that Lin's fine either way, but if you want to make an argument for Lin starting alongside Harden, the Sixers game is the LAST game you want to mention.
