Either start Lin, or bring in a new starting PG, Bev ain't cuttin' it.

X2 here. McHale is willing to give the twin towers a try, give Casspi, TJ and DM a try for the PF position, give Bev a try at starting pg. Why not give Lin Harden duo more time to develop. The complaint last year was Lin not shooting 3s well enough to complement Harden. Now he is hitting close to 40% before the injury and above 50% in FG., much higher than Bev. So what is the excuse now? Why not give the duo one more year to gel?

 

Why are people still going on about this stupidity.... the answer has been provided time and time again and it still has not changed...

1. Lin is a better playmaker and scorer than Bev
2. We don't need another scorer in our starting lineup, especially one that is largely redundant to our real scorer game in, game out
3. We DO need a scorer and playmaker off the bench because Bev is not one
4. We need a defender because Harden is either too tired or lazy to play D most of the time
5. Beverly is a better defender for most PG's than Lin is and is usually a capable spot up shooter
6. It is simply a matter that Lin helps the Rockets a LOT more on the bench than Bev does and there is VERY LITTLE FALLOUT going from starting Lin to starting Bev

It doesn't matter that LOF's doesn't like this. What they want is about as important as a fart in a space suit. The only things that matter are if Lin is willing to come off the bench (which he is so his fans should STFU) and whether or not we win more because of that.

 

I second this suggestion. McHale has been trying so many combinations. May as well try this one. Harden should just play SG and let the PG play PG. Harden playing PG has led to some success but also many failures. Seeing him holding the ball for 20 seconds and only dish out the last minute to an unprepared team-mate is an eye sore for many fans. When Harden is out and Lin the playmaker, team ball reigns supreme with great ball movements and unselfish plays leading to wins. So why not try this suggestion with Harden playing straightly SG instead of holding the ball forever for many late second iso balls?

 

There is a big difference between Battier and Bev. Battier is not a pg. The job of a pg is the floor general directing the offense. Bev can't do that. He is a terrific defender, not a playmaker and not a great spot up 3pt specialist. Whereas Battier is a terrific defender and an excellent 3pt shooter. Bev is strictly a role player for defense belonging to the bench. The coach can bring him in earlier if he sees that Lin + team defense still cannot shut down the opponent's all star pg, and let Bev stay more minutes if he can make a difference. Otherwise, Lin should be in to direct the offense. He is not that weak a defender anyway. He can shut down opponent's pg often too and he is a better team defender than Bev. Lin and Harden was a terrific duo last season even with his low 3 pt shooting. Now Lin is shooting amongst the highest % in 3 balls. He should deserve the starting pg job and Harden more the SG. We can then see a much more free flowing up tempo offense like what we saw last years when we blew out good teams summarily.

 

Harden has high ankle sprain

 

So based on your reasoning, Bev doesn't matter what and how he plays. For that matter, if we have the other 4 guys, any John Doe who can bring the ball up and pass it to Harden is good enough to start for a championship contending team we have this year. This is the biggest piece of garbage. In playoff balls, every member of the team is so tightly guarded. Every bit of offensive muscle must be utilized. Houston 4 against 5 in offense will win a championship or beat the likes of Clippers, OKC, Spurs, or even Blazers? Even the Dream will say you are dreaming, man.

 

4 v 5 is nothing new.

Last year it was Omer, this year it's Pat.

 

You mean you asking the coach to enforce team basketball? That's going to work. How's Harden going to fill up his stat sheet? Remember half of his scores is from flopping, I meant from free throw? And his assist. How is he going to get his assist if he cannot throw the ball out with less than 3 seconds to go. Howard? He cannot show his cool "post" move.

 

Yeah but Omer set a mean pick. What does Pat do?

 

I think the major problem is Beverly being unproductive in the minutes he does get, not that Lin doesn't get enough minutes. Most importantly, AB doesn't get any playing time when Lin and Beverly are healthy, despite showing bursts of all-star performance.

 

AB is a defensive catastrophe. He should be seeing little time. Bev starts over Lin because there are not enough shots available in the starting lineup, and Lin can and does power the second unit. You all make things so convoluted it is disgusting.

 

Beverley is giving the Rockets exactly what they want.

The fact that you Lin groupies refuse to recognize or diminish his defensive contributions, is no ones problem but your own.

How about you stop being mad and start getting educated?

 

There are several nights where Beverly failed to be meaningful on defense as well. At least AB can put up some points to balance it out. What's the point of keeping Beverly in there?

I think the "not enough shots in the starting lineup" theory has been disproven. The Harden+Lin combo stats from last year showed that they can share the court. Lin was only benched, because the 2nd unit didn't have any play makers.

 

There were plenty games last season where there were enough shots in the starting lineup. Unless you want to say Howard is getting Lin's shots? Is it the addition of Howard that makes Lin need to go to the bench because with Harden and Parsons there were many games where all 3 got there shots and points. The idea that Lin must play on the second unit or off the bench is not closed and shut like some of you make it. It is debatable and why cop an attitude when it is debated?

 

And are you going to disprove that there are "not enough shots in the starting lineup"??? I have posted the data several times. Trust me you are not acute enough to make that argument.

There are 1.65 shots per minute available for the starting lineup. There. I gave you the starting point for an argument. Go ahead.

 

That makes much more sense why Lin is coming off the bench. But there is no real 2nd unit.

 

You my friend are simple delusional


-Jeremy Lin is a turnover machine. In the process of you promoting him starting PG, it's odd you forget his biggest knock is he's a sloppy, indecisive ball handler. No way I trust him handling the ball down the stretch

-Jeremy Lin's defense has always been suspect, and that whole "but he's a better team defender" is untrue, stupid and makes zero sense. Jeremy's defense stinks, period.

-There is no such thing of a "dynamic duo" of Harden & Lin because 95% of that is Harden. The biggest thing Lin brings us is a "diverse" group of fans that knew nothing about basketball before watching Jeremy Lin play (Hint, hint)


Bottom line, you guys attempt to put Lin in the same category as Harden but the fact is he is not. Lin does not deserve the same privaleges as a superstar because he's not a superstar. He's NEVER going to be a superstar. Right now he's solid combo guard that could stick around if he continues improving his ball handling. But he simply turns the ball over too much

 

OMFG. Of course Lin should not be put into the same category as Harden. Everything above that statement is garbage.

 

I don't think there's enough evidence yet to prove that on the court Lin is a better player than Brooks, offensively or defensively. They seem to be about "the same" as you can get.

There is the thought that Lin should be better. His 35 games in NY was the best stretch probably either of them have had, maybe except for Brooks playoffs when the Rockets advanced to the second round.

Lin is younger, and was playing so well before injury.

I think it's a value proposition. If you could move Lin and get back $2 for his $1 (or whatever ratio you want to use), then it's a no brainer given the fact that AB is right there.