Stephen A. Smith: "Heard some news about some potential deal involving Jeremy Lin"

That's what she said

 

Melo and Lin not a good fit but better than with harden. Anyways, I just wanted something to watch locally. Not gonna waste more time arguing about Lin.

 

You think melo makes his team mates better and not harden? The hate is strong on this one

 

No. Harden has the same skillset. Just better. If you have #1 and #2 option that's does the same thing, you go with #1 option 100% of the time until you can't do it anymore. Harden is a superior player, just not good for Lin. As for melo, I can care less, I don't like him and don't want him. He's a selfish player and don't make the team better.

 

It has been said many times JLin playmakes in a style different from Harden. JLin probes the defense, and is pass first. The whole team is in motion in the meantime. Harden *could* playmake for the entire team but looks more to finish first, pass second. I'm generalizing, but it's a different dynamic.

Even if Lin is turnover prone, he is bouncing the ball all over the court, creating 5-player movement. Harden often dribbles in place, or a small locale, which allows the rest of the defense to settle on their man. Which means no open shots for them.

The LOF argument is, "let JLin first probe the defense for a few seconds of the shot clock, possibly running sets, and if not, pass off to Harden to do his thing (which he still has plenty of time on the shot clock to do). This keeps Harden's SG game uber-efficient, and saves him energy on offense, to play proper defense. And against good teams, such as during playoff time, this variety is necessary to prevent defenses from loading up on Harden."

I don't know myself if that argument is right or wrong, but is intriguing.

 

Rockets handed the keys to Harden. What lin does is gravy. It is what it is.

 

If the Knicks are serious about moving Chandler and Shumpert, Morey will strongly consider the deal. Rockets are getting nothing out of Asik and he is not likely to be productive at his 2012-13 level for this team. Rockets badly need to give Howard some protection at the 4/5. Jones provides it offensively, but not defensively. Lin would have to be included in the trade to make the math work and though his production will be hard to replace that won't stop Morey. Just like he did when he let Patterson and Morris go (bad moves in retrospect), he will simply rely on the other players to pick up the slack. Shumpert will deliver far more value to the Rockets than Thomas Robinson did.

 

these wernt bad moves..

 

Really you have to dig deeper to understand the importance of trading Morris and PPat.

First Patrick was never going to be extended here in Houston. They needed the cap space to sign a star. You ask then why trade for TRob. Well TRob was a young stud who had more value in a sign and trade and Morey already knew even if that didn't work they could get something for him in a straight trade. That's exactly what happened. Morey got two seconds and Kostas for TRob. Brilliant move considering PPat was going to get us nothing.

Second Morris needed to go to clear cap as well. We got a high second round pick which is the best we could do considering a first round pick would have put us in the same boat taking needed cap space. This was a needed trade that most of us did not see but Morey already knew he had to do to begin the clearing of cap space and the hope of signing Howard.

Both of those trades had to Happen to sign Howard. Simplyfying it PPat and Morris got us Howard, Canaan, Kostas and two additional 2nd round picks. That's got to be the polar opposite of BAD MOVES and one of Morey's finest moments.

As for the value of Shumpert and Chandler. Chandler and Asik are almost a wash. Everyone swears Asik was injured. If he was pouting like most claim then why not suspend him. Regardless he has come back and is looking good again. He is not worthless. So the real trade is Lin for Shumpert and I do not see any value it that trade with the exception of dumping their 30 million bucks next year.

Certainly Morey would like to do that. But if you believe his trade formula with this current team. It's long term future (next 3 years) with a priority to winning now. Lin is working well now with Bev and as a backup 1 and 2. To sign Shumpert for Lin gives us a dropoff at the 1 and 2. Shumpert can play D slightly better but he is not Tony Allen good and he can not atack the basket or distribute like Lin. He is a drop off that hurts our chances this year.

Of course if you or anyone else disagrees I won't argue too much because my opinion has a lot of speculation in it. And I do agree Morey most certainly sees the bigger picture unlike you did with the PPat and Marcus trades and may be doing now. But IMO the proposed trade is not an immediate benefit or even a long term benefit except for salary considerations.

 

I'm going to vote for this as best post in this thread.

 

+1

 

Great breakdown, couldn't agree more.

Great job buddy, enjoyed your comment. I think people are overrating Shumpert. The dude can play some D, but Lin is not a bad defender as many think he is. People seem to stick their minds to what SAS has said couple years ago when Lin signed the offer sheet by Houston. Now SAS is admitting he is wrong on JLin and wanting him back. I think Lin really does play an integral part of the team. He gives you the insurance for both 1&2 spots and he is that spark off the bench that every championship team needs.

 

The Knicks won't be trading for Lin. The reason - two words: Carmelo Anthony. If the Knicks hope to resign Melo in the offseason then the worst thing they could do is trade for Lin. No way Melo stays if Lin is there. It was pretty much Melo and CAA that pushed out Lin the first time around (either directly by not making an offer or indirectly by getting D'Antoni fired). Even the most extreme LOFs will have a hard time arguing that the Knicks would rather have Lin over Melo. They mortgaged their future to get Melo and Melo is having one of his most productive seasons ever.

 

So what I'm wondering is, if there is truth to the rumor that the Knicks are interested in Lin again, has Melo had a change of heart? The Knicks don't want to do anything to piss Melo off, perhaps after playing with Felton a while Melo has decided that maybe Lin wasn't so bad after all?

With the rumors that Dolan was outraged at Lin's "disloyalty" and Melo gleeful that Lin was gone, I thought hell would have to freeze over before the Knicks would be interested in Lin again. It would be stranger than fiction if that happened.

What would be the best fantasy "stranger than fiction" story would be if Lin was constantly traded back and forth between Houston and New York, with the Knicks getting the raw end of the deal. Letting Lin go for nothing actually cost the Knicks some assets (e.g. Jared Jefferies) to replace Lin. They let Lin go because of the "poison pill". What would be ironic is if they lost even more assets to get Lin back (Shumpert, Hardaway), only for the poison pill year, only to have Lin sign with Houston again when he becomes a free agent!

 

I believe that Morey made the proposal to the Knicks in the way he does due diligence on all teams, seeing a win-win trade, seeing NY could easily absorb the balloon payments (same reason he earlier approached Brooklyn - both Dolan and that Russian what's-his-face are flush with cash, care little about salary that doesn't count towards the cap), and that the Knicks toyed with the idea, seeing that it had high merit, and sent it to SAS to see the public response, but ultimately was never going to do it because it would have made Dolan look ridiculous. Dolan just can't do it for that reason alone.

 

How do you know nobody said that to lin? A lot of speculation on your part.

 

probably because as a 6th man this year... coming off the bench his role is to basically still run to the 3 point line and wait to shoot a 3

if the entire starting line up were to be rested at the same point... (and given more rest)

if Lin and Asik were allowed to come off the bench and do their thing... I doubt Rox would be looking/or being asked to trade either this season

its like people forget ...especially Mchale, that Lin and Asik were starting for the team last year...

I would put Lin and Asik against anyones second unit...

if you play them right

 

That would work but you have one player name Asik who does not want to be on the team anymore. He wants out and IF he is not traded, it will show in his play(lack of focus).

 

Don't see it, Assik maybe, but not Lin. I think his contract scares teams away, and I also suspect that owners are sending a message.

 

THIS.