Either start Lin, or bring in a new starting PG, Bev ain't cuttin' it.

lin would need to take 16 shots per game before these numbers actually made sense.
that's almost 6.2 shots more, with how lin drives, one of the best finishers that is at least 5.5 more points. they get to the ft line just as much.

 

So true.

Lin's been shooting at about 38-40% for almost a year now, so it's getting pretty safe to assume that that's about the level he is at right now.

Last season, Beverley shot at a 37.5%, and people were proclaiming him to be the knock-down 3pt threat that we so desperately needed. Lin is shooting at a slightly better rate than that right now while Beverley has dipped down to 33% this season (which, ironically, was around Lin's percentage last season).

So which is it? Do we need a top 3pt shooter in the starting lineup or not?

Before you know it, people are going to say that Lin's lockdown defense is just what the bench needs as well!

But what do you expect from a crowd that joyously proclaimed that Beverley was the deserving starter last season following games in which he scored ZERO points?

Now that Lin's proven himself to be a legit NBA player, the only hope the haters have to salvage their pride is to have him be a bench player. All logic goes out the window to satisfy his petty, personal need.

 

Lin doesn't really need to take alot of shots. Having Lin on the floor with Harden creates space and puts pressure on the defense.

I love Lin but I don't care about his individual scoring at all. I care about his overall effect on the team - and the team benefits from him in the starting lineup.

Morey just needs to address the bench situation for what it is. No need to use Lin as a band-aid. He belongs with the starters.

 

I see a lot of statistics being thrown around willy-nilly in this thread. My first response would be that some folks might consider taking a statistics class. No offense, but small sample sizes, cherry picking and obsolete metrics can paint a very deceptive picture.

That being said, Lin has stepped up the past two games. Defensively in particular. His fourth quarter last night was impressive. If we can get even a portion of that production on a nightly basis there's no reason he shouldn't have his spot back even if Beverley was playing well.

Are there better options out there? Sure. But we're not going to get a top 5 player at every position. No team has that. I think a productive Lin is more than capable of starting on a deep playoff team. The bench is my concern. Is Asik or Smith ever going to heal? Will Asik bring the intensity if he does heal? Who will be our play maker with the second team on the floor? Will Harden/Parsons have to continue to log so many minutes?

Lots of questions to consider outside of our favorite debate.

 

good post, Morey could have waived brewer and picked up Johnson that was dunking on us last night, he was starting with Canaan/Covington this year with the VIPERS, I watched a few games, I thought early we were going to sign him then grizzlies picked him up. He's not polished but he plays decent D, shoots ok and runs the floor well and can finish strong like we saw last night.

 

I was wondering this too, if Lin continues to play defence like in the last 2 games what excuse is going to be left for keeping Lin out of the starting 5?

 

Les has never paid the tax when the Rockets were in the playoffs.

The only time he did was in an extraordinary year where the Rockets were only slightly over the tax and the escrow available wasn't enough to be an incentive.

 

I think the problem with that is when people put price tag on his performance. If he becomes a better overall player while individual scoring goes down, then an argument can be made that $8M is too much.

 

Brewer's contract is valuable as it is the highest contract that is expiring or has an unguaranteed year next year that can be traded freely (i.e. Garcia can veto any trade). JJ is not good enough to stand in the way of cap flexibility needed to acquire a star.

 

And that argument would be stupid.

 

Rockets will tell Jeremey to shop around for a contract, and Rockets will most likely match it. Thats how they do business.

Money is not going to be a problem for Lin nor the Rockets. Les will go over the cap if he has to.

 

Name a single good team with a non-rookie PG who makes less than around $8 million. The only exception is Miami, and that's because LeBron is the true point guard/forward of the team.

 

I wonder if all the Mario Chalmers fans complain and whine that Lebron needs to play his position and let the PG run the offense?

 

If he was good enough to have fans, then maybe.

 

Toronto?

 

Whoops, you said good team. Scratch that.

 

When was the last time you saw LeBron shooting 2-for-9 or bricking iso/hero ball one after another?

I know Harden is only 24 and will only get better from here, but as it stands now, he's no LeBron.

 

Harden will never be Lebron. He needs a playmaking point guard who's an offensive threat to take pressure off him, whether it's Lin or someone else.

 

Harden + Lin >>>> Lebron + Chalmers

 

True, Lebron doesn't really need the 10 assists and scoring Chalmers and Wade provide.