You can't compare Lin & Douglas. Teams defend Lin very different than they do Tony. I agree he does need to be more aggressive in looking for his shot but your comparison is flawed. And just because Tony shoots a lot doesn't mean he is taking smart shots. There is a difference. I am getting a vibe on this board that people want Lin to shoot shoot shoot but I would rather have a player take zero shots or 3 smart shots as opposed to ten stupid shots. But I do agree passing up wide open shots to pass is dumb.
The substitutions for this game were much better, given all players much needed rest (including Hardin). Lin and Asiks were both there to close out the game. I think it's good for Douglas to also have good minutes....this will be critical in the long run.
Opponents play Lin to drive often giving him plenty of space to shoot. They probably read the scouting reports. If you are happy with Lin being a role player I guess but fans are expecting more from him. Taking just smart shots is just going to make him an average player. I don't really even know what a smart shot is honestly. Is a contested shot a dumb shot? How about one that the player feels comfortable in taking?
The rockets won what does it matter if he only scored 10points? I think some of you guys would rather have lin score 30 and rockets lose than lin score 10 and rockets win.
No I don't think that is the case at all. We see what Lin did on Monday night. And tonite he comes out a different player. We are just frustrated.
WHere did I say I am happy with Lin being a role player? I agreed with you that he needs to be more aggressive. I just took issue with the way you went about proving your point, comparing him to Tony. A dumb shot is a contested shot yes lol if you don't know what a dumb shot is watch Kobe Bryant he takes a ton of dumb shots. Other dumb shots are long 2's for example. Smart shots are shots that are within the flow of the offense, corner 3's, shots at the rim, FT's all smart shots.
All the stars take contested shots and even role players do. Most NBA defenses are just too good to allow many open shots.
Sure but you want to avoid them as possible? Look at the Spurs for example they rarely every take contested shots. The Lakers when there offense is really ticking don't take contested shots either. The best teams move the ball sufficiently & execute plays perfectly enough so that they can fire off a shot just before somebody contests it or get a wide open look.
I don't think you mean contested shots since most post up moves are contested. Kobe's problem is not that that he takes forced shots, it's because he's a ball hog. Manu does a lot of one on one drives that are contested and so does Parker. I understand that you want to see more team oriented ball though.
I agree that limiting contested shots as much as possible is the right way to go, but the way I see it, there's a difference between a dumb contested shot and a contested shot where the player feels comfortable. You'd like for a set-shooter to avoid contested jumpers as often as possible, but for a player more comfortable shooting off the dribble contested looks are the norm. And yet, these players manage to hit them consistently, because they shoot them over and over to the point where their reference experiences free the mind from fear of getting blocked or having to alter the shot. Kind of a pointless and long-winded view, but my point is simple: A contested look is still a good look given it's within a player's comfort zone. Now tying all this back to Lin: Lin is this type of player. He's comfortable pulling up off the dribble and only off the dribble. While the set shot just isn't a high percentage look for him now (actually fairly common amongst stars, scorers, and really just volume shooters in general) I'm sure in time it will be. These things take time to develop for stop and pop types. For now, he should focus on what he's good at, that is driving to the hole and looking to shoot first, kick second. But even more than that, he needs to actively look to take the midrange jumper. As a stop and pop scorer the midrange should be his bread and butter. Not only is he already good at it, but it would open up the rest of his game exponentially. From there if he were to utilize some sort of hesitation move taking full advantage of that lightning quick first step, he'd have himself a go-to move.
You are right some players are comfortable taking contested shots even bad ones but for them those are shots that they like to take & more often than not make. Carmelo & Kobe come to mind. I don't think the Rockets are interested in taking a ton of midrange shots though. They seem to be interested in 3's & shots at the rim & FT's. But yes I do agree with you. He isn't comfortable as a spot up shooter. He prefers jumpers off the dribble. And he is really effective at shooting coming off screens. Just a few thoughts.
This is a good assessment. Lin is a very good midrange player. It seems either he is too unselfish trying to get his teammates involved or he just doesn't have the green light from the coaching staff to do so regularly (perhaps because those are not "good" (Morey's analysis) shots. I think shooting midrange is a great way for any player to get his rhythm, especially early in quarters when you are not warm (and it is clear to most of us that Lin is a rhythm player). After a few midrangers go down, you can start stepping back to the 3-point line; midrangers also open up your drive. The problem is that we NEVER see Lin shoot enough shots to get into a shooting rhythm offensively, other than the Spurs game (that's why after the Spurs game he said he was thankful that he got comfortable, implying that perhaps often he felt uncomfortable). Still, Lin contributes through his calling card from day 1 in the NBA (despite what certain mass media members try to spew), his excellent defense, grabbing 5 boards and getting a block in limited minutes today.
What more do you expect from a LOF. Lin had a solid game, sure he didn't take some shots, but who cares. We won
IF ROCKETS WIN = playoff potential? fan support? player moral? IF ROCKETS WIN AND LIN... LIN LIN LINs! = All the above + INTERNATIONAL $$$ boosts economy, rockets $$, MEDIA GOES CRAZY, superstars want to play with lin/harden show! Stern hands us NBA championship credits referees NBA is a business and will give the natty bball title to whoever produces the most dough. Check lakers/mami/boston/chicago with the exception with NY.. They just suck.
