You raise an interesting point. I've also thought that he was able to get more playing time to develop in Harvard (less competition for playing time than at a basketball factory, 4yrs instead of one-and-done, albeit with lower adversary difficulty). But I never thought about the fact that his all around game was a direct result his being forced to do everything on the team. I always assumed that playtime can refine one's skills and fundamentals but not change the type and style of player from what he was initially. Perhaps someone who has followed him in HS could tell us if he was an all around player back then, too, or if the Harvard situation forced him to become one since he had to do everything on the team (and topping all those statistical categories across the board). But that's certainly an interesting way to look at it, and fascinating if true.
Jeremy Lin led the Ivy Leagues didn't he, in almost every major statistical category his Junior year? Not sure..
I can't really argue against what you're saying because there's no way to prove that, in an alternate reality, Jeremy Lin would have gone to Stanford and became a top draft pick and that this alternate reality would of been a better course for Lin overall. The only thing I want people to take away from my previous post is that there are a lot of arbitrary decisions by seemingly random people that have major ramifications on the lives of others. Jeremy Lin, mostly by virtue of him being Asian, was subject to those forces.
If Lin can get his 3PT to 33% next year and take some Usage away from Harden 27.4 to 25% where Lin's usage becomes 22%,and get to 13.4 FGA Stats Next year 16.7/44%FG/33%3PT/7.6AST/3.8RB/2.0STL/3.9TO With a better Power Forward and when Asik starts to catch the ball better, where he only cost Lin 0.5 TO per game, Lin will be closer to 3.0TO then 4.0TO A Superstar Power Forward can Bring Lin's AST up even more or down if the PF is a Great Passer
I'm not sure if I agree with this. Lin seems to me to be the fastest PG on the team bringing the ball up on a fast break. Harden in comparison plays an "old man's game" where he brings the ball up very slowly. I agree with your other points except: Morey has mentioned in radio interviews that they want Lin to stop doing so much "freelancing" on D and that it sometimes drives the coaches crazy. But in the last game against Utah Lin was all over Al Jefferson on the double team, often leaving his man unguarded at the 3 pt line. Heck, one time I saw him come over from the other side to double Al Jefferson and his man was wide open at the 3pt line the whole time. I was wondering if this was Lin freelancing, or if this was what he was told to do. They never made Lin pay for this help D. Mostly it seem to totally mess up Al Jefferson's game. Once in a while he kicked it out to an open man, but the open man never seemed to hit his shot. After the game the Utah announcers mentioned how effective Lin doubling Al Jefferson was, but I was still wondering if this was what Lin was told to do, or if this was the "freelancing" Morey was talking about. I also saw Lin do this to good effect against Zach Randolph in the Memphis game. He got one steal from Zach, then jump ball, and then Zach stopped posting up. Which sounds like it was effective. In this game Zach was on the same side as the man Lin was covering, so Lin would just hedge over and sometimes make a quick grab. In the Utah game Lin sometimes ignored his man on the other side of the court in an aggressive attempt to double Al Jefferson, so the Utah announcers assumed that was the Rocket's game plan. Was it the Rocket's game plan or Lin's freelancing?
I wouldnt call it free lancing, i would call it relying on Help defense. Harden and delfino/parsons will pick up where ever the pass goes, but when Lin would do that, watch close at what the wing defender and SG do and how they help lin with what hes doing. Lin is quick enough, double team he will still get a hand up on the shooter. But he was leaving Tinsley he wasnt leaving Ray Allen open for that matter
I'm sure the Rockets game plan was to help double the post players but Lin takes helping to another level lol. Sometimes he gets caught wayyyy out of position to recover back to his man.
He's ninja though. He's always trying to sneak up from behind to double without the guy seeing him. Successful or not, it's quite entertaining to watch!
I think he would have started by his sophomore year if not right away at Stanford and probably even UCLA. Scouts just missed on him. He led a team without a D1 prospect to the California state title against a team where the top 8 players all played D1. He had great size and speed for a PG. On the college level you'd never keep him out of the key.
Actually, from what I recall what Morey said was that Lin had very good instincts in terms of disrupting the opponent offense *DESPITE* sometimes driving the coaches crazy by freelancing. I read that as them not being opposed to Lin freelancing, but to be more selective/controlled about it. As for Lin's help defense against Utah, I really do think that was part of the game plan. Lin helping from a nearby player is one thing, but helping from the opposite side of the court is such a large deviation from normal help defense that it either has to be a specific coaching plan, or one that the coaches were okay with once it started happening. That the help defense didn't change in the 2nd half implies that either the Coaches specifically wanted Tinsley left alone, or that the Coaches were giving it their blessing. That NOBODY was rotating onto Tinsley when Lin went to help on Defense seems to be an indicator that the coaches had integrated the Help defense into the game plan. In McHale's post game interview, McHale specifically noted Lin's defensive play. Per McHale... Sounds like McHale was fine with Lin's help defense that game. http://www.csnhouston.com/basketball-houston-rockets/talk/lin-rockets-get-some-defensive-props
Serious REPS to you. Truth. If Lin turns out to be another Dragic, that's still damn good for the team. Hell if we could just tweak Asik for more offense (and catch passes) and get an elite PF we could be title contenders in a few years!
His defense has improved since last season. His ball handling has improved since last season. His shooting has gotten better as the season goes on. He's finishing better at the rim as the season goes on. He's 24 and has started 72 games so far. He's been improving ever since, and that's all we can ask for.
I don't understand this. A lot PG's have an average of 3 turnovers per game in their early years? Some still do. Doubt his ceiling is Dragic as well. If his ceiling is Dragic, then what you're saying is, he won't improve at all for the next 3 years? Because this Jeremy Lin is on par with Prime Dragic. Their stats are near identical. Jeremy's style reminds me of Parker a little bit. But other than that, I can't think of anyone else. His shooting form is so weird. Lin's ceiling is still a mystery for me. He's shown his potential to take over games, be the go to guy, but then he's only shown that he can regress greatly. He doesn't have that mentality to be a legit superstar right now. Just doesn't. Like in NYC you saw the desire to win, to be a superstar, but now you don't. He's just coasting.
I think he's not being as aggressive because his style of play can lead to an injury riddled career if he keeps playing like he did under D'Antoni. Last year playing out of his mind he got injured after 25 games. I think he's trying to prolong his career by trying to assist more instead of constantly attacking like he was last year. Jason Kidd mentioned Lin only played in one gear last year but needs to be able to switch to a lower gear in order to stay injury free.
