[ClutchFans] Rockets to begin season with Beverley, Asik as starters; Jeremy Lin off bench

It didn't really matter how Lin played this pre-season.

If he played badly, people will say he obviously deserved to be benched while Bev starts.

And when he played well in preseason, people will say Bev is better fit with the other starters and that Jeremy would be better fit with the 2nd unit.

Some people said Jeremy didn't clearly play better than Bev or vise versa. Well, even if Jeremy played clearly better than Bev in all aspects, people will still say he can't fit well with Harden and will be better to come off bench.

Its a no win situation for Jeremy.

For me, I think there is no point to discuss or make assumptions on what the coaches are thinking. No where has McHale mentioned the role Jeremy will play, as a backup or 6th man. Some people here keep assuming Lin will be played as 6th man with alot of minutes. Its not something we can control/effect. We'll just have to see how the future games play out and how the coaches adjust as needed.

 

The way our team should play this year, Harden won't need to play 38 minutes per game. Actually this team could win a lot of games without Harden. Rest him for the long haul.

 

I see what u did there. Oh beautiful double entendre

 

Who the f**k are those guys? Who cares what they say? There are 7 billion people on this planet. You know the saying, "Opinions are like a*sholes, everybody has one."

 

Lin has been demoted. Read by signature.

LOFs accept this, LOHs stop stirring the pots, ROFs be reservedly happy.

Its not guaranteed to be a better fit.

But you got to feel for the guy. It's been a complete circle for him.

Scrub PG to Starting to PG to Linsanity to Overrated to Mediocre to Trash to Benched player.


Why doesn't anyone here acknowledge that he has been demoted? or that at a personal level, it is dejecting and demoralising to lose your starting position?

Sure, its "the NBA" where tough men and big boys play, but realistically, Lin may have had the most extremes of the spotlight and can probably say he has sustained the greatest scrutiny out of all the current Houston Rocket's players.

3 years from now, Lin will either be a starting PG on another team, or a forgotten 8point 3 assists backup PG on the rockets. Because that is where he is headed to now.

And while this is most definitely not the majority, there seems to be forum posters who are rejoicing over the benched Lin because they simply have wanted to see him fail, compared to a benched Lin being better for the team.

They have wanted Lin to fail, and they have had their wish granted.

You have it now, Lin the most expensive 15 minute per game back up point guard who will average 11points and 4 assists and 2 turn overs this year.

 

LOL this thread started well like most threads, but now it is really unreadable...

Nobody is going to convince anyone here, so please just stop trying....

 

At least one of you is completely losing it.

 

There may be handful of these people out there, but I suspect there are a higher percentage of fans that see this as a silver lining. I was on the fence about the Pat/Lin starter debate. I can see the merits of both. But after reading thread after thread after thread populated by some seriously skewed "fans" I can see how people that frequent these forums get frustrated with the Lin fans.

So if you take it to an extreme, these people don't want LIN to fail as much as they want to have a reason to stick it to the extremists. I can't say I blame them. Just in the spare minute here and there I've spent here I've witnessed some serious hate from both sides. You have to admit that if Lin wasn't here (or God forbid he wasn't Asian?) we could be talking about basketball and the TEAM instead of this silly round and round. It's clear that the fanatics on both sides aren't going to shake hands and agree on anything when it comes to this dude.

Of course I'm just as guilty because I'm posting, but hopefully you get the point.

 

Well said... even if Lin earns his starting position back, you can bet this will be on his mind, and he won't stick around to finish his career here. This is TWICE the Rocket's organization has **** on him.

Karma's a b****... and someone is going to have to pay.

 

Aren't you tired of repeating this xOF vs xOF thing?

 

#1 You yourself is not giving Lin enough credit. He will rise above and contribute and flourish.
#2 Most definitely many of the posters here are condescendingly and quite smugly saying that this is perfectly okay and to be expected and justifying demoting a man that did his job quite well, as it just makes them feel they've been right all along (and they'll never know that. They just think they're making the right decision for the Rockets even though they've been biased) while a big part of our team, our super hard working, team oriented, young talented starting pg who has never said anything negative while putting up good numbers and sometimes great numbers gets benched and will be publicly humiliated and ridiculed on a global scale as he is an obvious media magnet. Good one.
#3 The first couple of months should show us how this decision will play out but one things for sure, we're so stacked that even if Harden were to come off the bench, we'd still kick bit and contend this year. This team is stacked!!

 

google associates pics to trending news ...



thats wrong. just adding fuel to fire ...:grin:

 

It was uncomfortable in the beginning but I think they were really contrasting his views after the course of befriending his Vietnamese neighbors. You know, redemption of racist grandpa. Whether it was successful in doing so is another issue.

 

I'd say once. Getting cut is part of the game. You know as well as I that Linsanity wouldn't have happened without that perfect storm of injuries and desperation in NY. Lin getting cut as a Rocket happens every day to tons of guys out there.

Now THIS move to the bench. Yea, I agree it will probably fuel his fire. And that's not always a bad thing. I saw a lot I liked from Lin in the preseason and I expect to see the same if not better, regardless of when he gets court time.

 

I don't think that is his type of personality.

Its not about Karma or payback, but more a factor of not taking into account the mentality and psychological battle field that plays in these young players.

To be the worst, to being the best, to being a starter for 82 consistent games - not missing a single start, to being a bench player....it's a pretty "interesting" move.

The main argument here is that Lin as bench player will be better for the team.

I theorise that as the season progresses, that this may be proven wrong. And so what? Then we can adjust line-ups all the time.

What has frustrated me though, is McHale's trolling and indecisiveness regarding this issue. Be straight up, don't beat around the bush. Prove to the fans that this move is best for the team. Don't experiment and play with minutes.

Accept it and don't stir the pot. Your secret wish for Lin to be benched "LOH's" has come true. Your next move will be to advocate for him to be traded for anyone, a injured player, a hurt veteran, ...anyone.

 

I would like to see Lin get solid minutes otherwise it will truly be a demotion and us admitting that Lin will be a 20 million dollar glorified bench warmer. 24 minutes at the minimum would solidify his role with the team but if it decreases as the team moves in a new direction, I would like to see us ship him out for something that we will rather use instead. I'm hopeful that he can contribute to this team but if we don't see him as that, and wish for him to rot on the bench then by all means at least give him the Lowry treatment and ship him to a lower EC team for picks, he deserve that at the least. Regardless of what happens with his career, I hope the Rockets jump out the gate shooting fire because any sign of "weakness" or "struggle" will be glorified on the media, magnified by the Lin-drama any attention seeking sports outlet will be looking to stir, something that this team doesn't need if it wants to make a statement that they are a legitimate contender.

 

I don`t know why people have to be so dramatic... the future isn`t set in stone, he could have his starting job back by the end of November.

You want to call it "demoted"? Fine, let`s call it that. It´s just a label, like starter or 6th man. The truth may be, that he gets a higher usage rate now - that he finally can show his strengths. I wouldn`t call it "demoted" simply because I think McHale puts him into a position, where he can help the team more. Beverly didn`t beat him out for the job - they were pretty even. McHale just wants an offensive spark of the bench.

To put it in perspective, we are talking about two guys that are probably the 4th/5th or even 5th/6th best players of their team and that will probably average about the same amount of minutes. This move, that has taken over practically every threat on Clutchfans is a pretty minor move and not a sign of what the remaining 2 years of his contract here will look like.

 

Thank you for your reply.

No, nothing has been set in stone. But I point to the signs last season indicating that Lin's starting position has been on the rocks ever since the signing of Beverley.

LOF's have interpreted McHales mistrust of Lin as "hate" and "wanting to see him fail". LOH's have justified his behaviour as "better for the team", "building his character". Neither is correct. McHale, simply put, prefers Beverley over Lin.

The writing on the wall, and the progression over the past few months has pointed to Lin eventually playing a very diminished role. There is no way a logical person cannot see that. If you have been a proven starter for 82 games, demonstrated an improved "dribble to the left" "better 3 point shooting" "better ball protection" (3 main critiques of his game last year) and demonstrated persistent work ethic and improvement in the preseason, on what basis should you bench that player?

1. If the player becomes injured
2. If the player has been replaced by an all-star. In this context, some one like CP3, Irving, etc.
3. The rare occasion where benching a starter has resulted in better team results.

And that is why, thought dramatically put, I see this as a demotion and that Lin will regress into oblivion as a diminutive point guard (which some people on the forum LOVE the idea of) or be traded soon.

I hope what ever happens, will be the best for the team.

 

LOF on suicide watch