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

He had a pretty awful game tonight -- there is no denying that. But there's also no denying that shooting 1/10 is nowhere near the norm for him, even though MANY LOFs are pretending that it is. I also find it interesting that injury was a viable excuse for a slow start and end to last season for Jeremy (I do blame injury, btw), and even a minor sinus infection was a viable excuse for a rough patch in preseason. Yet some of those same people have said tonight that Beverley's injury cannot be factored into his performance.

Unlike a lot of people here, I don't have a problem with criticisms of any one player's game. But when it's done (1) via extreme extrapolation (i.e., "he shot 1/10 tonight, which means he is now a terrible and useless shooter overall!") and (2) by those who are transparent in their disdain for him, I will make note of it.

 

To be fair to Bev, he's coming off an injury and he has 1.5 games of starting experience. Not to mention he's probably trying hard to prove he's worthy of the starting spot.

Give him time.

 

You guys say this all of the time, and I simply don't see it. I just don't. There can be a thread where Harden is roundly criticized for 50 posts in a row -- like after the Clippers loss -- and someone will STILL come in and say, "Why is no one criticizing Harden???"

People are sensitive about players they really like, and I get that. Beverley is my fave on the team, which is why I'm sensitive about what I feel sometimes is unwarranted criticism. And I'm not hypocritical about it, because you won't find me trashing Jeremy or Harden or anybody else when they have an off night that is a clear outlier/anomaly. It happens to everybody. Now if you're wandering around looking hungover and nonchalant like Harden was the other night, I reserve the right to blast you. If you're missing 20 FTs in a row and laughing about it, I reserve the right to blast you. But if you're having an off night and your shots just aren't falling... you won't find me here trashing you mercilessly.

The same way there are some people who take pleasure in taking shots at Jeremy on a level that isn't always warranted, there are PLENTY of you who take great pleasure in taking shots at Beverley on a level that isn't always warranted. That's all I'm saying.

 

To be fair Lin never played worse than Beverly to lose the starting job in the first place.

 

i know but when he know he was shooting badly then dont shoot.

 

I don't disagree with you. It was frustrating to watch him do it tonight, and frustrating to watch Harden do it the other night vs. the Clips. I'm not defending his performance tonight by any stretch of the imagination. To me, there is a difference between being a fan of a player and being so blinded by that fandom that you can't acknowledge his weaknesses. I fall squarely into the former group.

I'm just noting the ridiculousness of the Usual Suspects who are behaving as though this game is representative of his play on this team (as if he would ever have cracked the rotation if it was).

 

We shouldn't be hating on Beverley in the GARM. Twitter world is already sending hate-tweets to Bev for taking that last shot. Like it's his fault. Some fans are so dumb.

 

+1

how dare lin take the ball away from superstars. let superstars do what superstars do!

 

Remember Lin was coming off knee surgery at the start of last season and McHale gave him a long leash... in fact he started all 82 games. Now Bev is coming off injury and he has one bad game and people are saying bench him. Double standards! Lin will be gone before the TD!

 

First, Lin: I'm always gonna have haters. Just how it is.

Second, the Knicks bunch were under this agency that wants to control everything and promote their own players. Lin wasn't part of it. That was a big reason I heard. But they still most likely would have retained him if not for Morey's poison.

 

I hope so too.

 

Let's take a look at the numbers.. Who should be the PG leading this team?

 

Its not only the shooting. Its the all-around bad play from Beverley tonight. Though to be fair to him, he is strictly a role player; the majority of the blame for this loss should fall on Harden and Dwight.

This was a night where he (Beverley) couldn't perform the only two things he was supposed to do as a starter - hit spot-up threes, and defend well. Everyone thinks this guy can stop Chris Paul, but he can't even stop Steve Nash, for gods sake.

It may appear to be a one game "anomaly" from Beverley, but he has already been beaten by Kemba Walker, by Damian Lillard, and now by Steve Nash. I'm still shaking my head at the "outplayed" the previous starting point guard nonsense.

The team cannot have an additional weakness at the PG spot with the PF spot still unaccounted for.

 

Of course the PGs that will not have the number dominating over
the superstar in the team

 

No. You gotta blame veterans Garcia and Casspi as well. They can't go hot on nights and disappear completely like in this one.

7 points each would have sealed the deal

 

Beverly hands down. It's not even debatable. Ask mchale.

 

add in the OKC backup PG last season. Buy bev did crush holiday so it 1-4

 

No one -- no one -- ever said Beverley could "stop" Chris Paul. No one. You guys keep making that up because it makes for a more salacious argument. LOFs got up in arms merely because some posters said they wished he had been able to play in that game and feel he could have helped. You couldn't even say his presence was missed without LOFs totally losing it and trying to tell you why you shouldn't miss him because he's so useless and garbage. When people said they were glad he was back, some LOFs got angry and questioned why people would be so glad. I'm sorry, but that is ridiculous.

I'm also not one who ever said Bev outplayed Jeremy. I've said from the beginning I don't give even a slight damn who starts, as long as it works for the team. We've played well with both of them starting, so I'm fine with whatever the organization thinks is best.

At the end of the day, I simply find it really pathetic that some people get off on trashing him the way that they do -- especially when those very same people totally melt down when they perceive someone as taking even the slightest shot at Jeremy.

 

Our 2 PGs are very hard-working. I think their defense failures (Bev abused by Nash tonight and Lin abused by Paul Tuesday night) are part of their learning curves, and not due to lack of efforts. They ought to watch more tapes to learn how Calderone shut down Nash, and how Wade shut down Paul.

 

This post made me giggle a bit. haha thanks for the laugh bro!