I forgot where I read the article, but someone compared the Offensive and Defensive ratings of the Knicks teams pre- and during- Linsanity. And basically there was little to no improvement in actual OFFENSE when Linsanity happened, what happened was that the defense shot up to maybe top-5 in the league. Also, someone was running numbers for best defensive 3-man lineups for all the combos of players on the Knicks team, which included both Shumpert and Douglas; at the top of the list was two lineups involving Lin+Chandler+Forward (I think? Unless it was Lin+Chandler+Shumpert). The upshot being that the Lin+Chandler defensive team produced Linsanity, if one ignores all the flash and heroics. This is why I was so excited to learn of the Asik trade, it IMMEDIATELY made me feel better about Lin going to Houston.
Pull out stat from mysynergysports: Jlin's defensive play vs other PGs (2 elite defensive PGs and 2 PGs we had last year). Lowry got hurt early but he put up the best stat in games he played. But 9 games in, Jeremy is solid great defender (better than Rondo and CP3). His weakness is mainly from defending spot-up, that's probably b/c he tended to help his teammates. Don't know where his stat will go as he plays more elite PGs, but so far what we saw is very compelling. P.S: randomly looked up a few other PGs. Darren Collison & Mike Conley are also ranked around 19.
Please remove your emotions from the analysis. I don't know how many of you have worked for big organizations, but there is a defined food chain. I really do not believe that Sampson would go off the reservation. But if he did there are always consequences for decisions made. If McHale did not approve there would certainly be an angry midnight call made. But that would be a piece of cake compared to the 8 a.m. sit down meeting with Morey. I don't know about you all, but Morey strikes me as not someone that you want saying that you ****** up. I get the impression that Morey can be one nasty individual if he wants to be. And don't forget who is Sampson's boss. Not McHale. But all in all, the Rockets organization probably cares less about an early season win in a rebuilding year than they do about whether Morey needs to find another back up for Lin.
Something that was even funnier was that the Blazers were pressuring Lin for most of the game & Lin handled it really well. And I agree with Jetfuel Sampson most definitely did wilt under pressure. I thought it was funny in the post game interview where he said Lin & Douglas played well. My ass only one of those guys played well. Way to much coach speak.
Generally love your posts and I see your point, but remember and take note that even minorities can bias against themselves. There are plenty of Asians (especially Asian Americans) who think that they themselves can't play. Many of all backgrounds and persuasions subscribe to commonly held stereotypes. I've seen it, witnessed it, and heard it directly said to me repeatedly. Also, being a white guard is different from being an Asian guard. Players like Stockton, Price, and Nash (going back to Cousy) have paved the way. No one has paved the way for Lin. Even then, Stockton and Nash got plenty of pine early in their careers, possibly in part (not totally of course) because they didn't look/act the part. It is just a fact of life. That's why advertising works. That's why marketing works. People identify and support what is familiar, and they go with their own experiences and what they have seen to work.
I'm quiet suprised how easily the term "racist" is thrown around. Seriously thats a very seriouse label.
Throwing games would be the other rational explanation, but it would be a horrible strategy for so many reasons.
Why feed the demon?? I think that I am like most fans. I don't care who they are. What they bring to the BB court is all I care about.
Sampsons comments about Lin strike me as a tad bit insincere. Just a feeling I have about some of his comments. McHale is always sincere & he tells it like it is but Sampson I don't know some of his comments sound a bit forced. Maybe I am reading to much into what he says who knows. I don't think he is a racist but I do know that he is incompetent & I have thought this for a while now ever since he took over & continued to make one boneheaded mistake after another sometimes the same mistake twice. Fully expect him to do something even more foolish tomorrow agains the Lakers.
I don't know why, but it seems like every time Sampson praised Lin he had to praise Toney too. As if he was worried about hurting Toney's confidence. The funny thing is, I think Toney's problem is he's overly-confident. Toney seems like a super nice and likable guy, but someone has to tell Sampson that "Putting Toney in" is not a solution to any problem in the basketball world.
There's a difference between someone being a racist and another who has let race influence his coaching decisions. It's a difference between primary and secondary reasoning. Do I think Sampson is a racist? No. He isn't targeting Lin specifically because he is Asian. Do I think Sampson let Lin's race play a factor in his judgement of the guy as a player? Yes. I think subconsciously he thinks Lin is a worse defender than he is because of his race.
Sampson should be given his own team and he can take Toney with him and build a squad around him. Get Sampson and this BS off of the Rockets.
"Incompetent" is spot on. I think they should let Finch coach a game or two, or try coaching by committee with Sampson and Finch together.
I disagree with this. I think Sampson just got overwhelmed by the moment as we saw with his continued subbing Lin out & then subbing Douglas in, in the lat few minutes of the 4th quarter. Like I said he is incompetent.
