I think it's as simple as Paul George developing and getting a bigger role. Rather than Granger being a "bad fit". Paul George worked very hard this summer and added a lot, on both ends of the floor. Then he got a chance to be a top 2 option. And he sucked at first, many Indiana fans wanted him traded until mid-December or so. Then he got the hang of it and never looked back. It's all very similar to how Harden broke out at the end of his 2nd year and during his 3rd year. OKC traded Jeff Green, Harden had to carry a bigger load on offense and defer less, and that combined with an offseason helped him become the 6th man next year. Granger's and Green's absense gave the young guys an opportunity to become stars. But I see no reason why George and Granger couldn't play together skills wise, or why Harden and Green couldn't play together now.
Lin has a chance to be an above-average starting PG. I just don't know if he wants it bad enough. His mental and physical toughness are very questionable IMO. The Linsanity run with the Knicks and several games last year with the Rockets proved Lin has the ability to be a plus-player on offense. He has handles, vision, intelligence along with the first step and physicality to seal guys off and finish at the rim. Like Chandler Parsons, if Lin adds a reliable outside jumper, he will go to another level. On defense, Lin will never be much of anything. We can only hope he improves his fundamentals. His best form of defense may be forcing the opposing PG to guard and keep up with him on the other end. On the negative side, Lin gets discouraged too easily and doesn't respond well to adversity. For an NBA player, this is like being allergic to water in a rainforest. The guy has to grow up. It's also disturbing he's been worthless two straight years in the playoffs because of injuries. Very bad trend that makes me think he isn't built for the tough NBA grind. Bottom line: Lin has enough upside to earn one more year as the Rockets starter. Now that he's experienced the burden of an entire season with expectations, hopefully he will be ready next time. In contrast, George Hill is a pseudo-PG with shaky handles, little floor vision or athleticsm and little upside. As a starter next year, give me Lin over him any day. As a backup playing 20-25 mins/game, Hill could excel. At 35 mins/game, he will get exposed against good teams that pressure the ball.
