Leonard Proves What Lin Could Have Been - Rockets article

[Cry Havoc]

In his first season as a part-time starter, Kawhi Leonard averaged 7.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Three years later, Leonard's the reigning Sports Illustrated cover star, the NBA Finals MVP and an ascendant franchise player.

In his first season as a part-time starter, Jeremy Lin averaged 14.6 points and 6.2 assists per game. Three years later, Lin's no longer a starter, he's routinely ripped by basketball bigots and he's easy trade bait.

Kawhi Leonard is what happens when a coach displays real belief in a player, when an organization puts team over stars, when player development is a real mission rather than just a convenient soundbite mantra. Jeremy Lin is what happens when a coach shows his doubt nightly, when it's all about promoting a few select superstars, when young players are nothing more than trade pieces.

Read more:

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/sports/06-23-14-kawhi-leonard-proves-what-jeremy-lin-could-be-with-real-support-gregg-popovich-level-coach/

---

Obviously a little bit absent of the potential and natural gifts Kawhi has that Lin doesn't, however, Lin has always been a solid guy and could have seriously developed with the right coaching. Still could. I think overall the article is on point. Coaches are still chasing superstars -- they haven't realized that the game is passing them by as coaches like Popovich and Thibs reinvent the next phase of development in the NBA.

[ceperez]

In his first season as a part-time starter, Kawhi Leonard averaged 7.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Three years later, Leonard's the reigning Sports Illustrated cover star, the NBA Finals MVP and an ascendant franchise player.

In his first season as a part-time starter, Jeremy Lin averaged 14.6 points and 6.2 assists per game. Three years later, Lin's no longer a starter, he's routinely ripped by basketball bigots and he's easy trade bait.

Kawhi Leonard is what happens when a coach displays real belief in a player, when an organization puts team over stars, when player development is a real mission rather than just a convenient soundbite mantra. Jeremy Lin is what happens when a coach shows his doubt nightly, when it's all about promoting a few select superstars, when young players are nothing more than trade pieces.

Read more:

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/sports/06-23-14-kawhi-leonard-proves-what-jeremy-lin-could-be-with-real-support-gregg-popovich-level-coach/

---

Obviously a little bit absent of the potential and natural gifts Kawhi has that Lin doesn't, however, Lin has always been a solid guy and could have seriously developed with the right coaching. Still could. I think overall the article is on point. Coaches are still chasing superstars -- they haven't realized that the game is passing them by as coaches like Popovich and Thibs reinvent the next phase of development in the NBA.

The player needs to fit how the team plays. When Lin was with the Knicks he happened to be the only guard and there was nobody who could score (Melo was out). When Melo came back in, the offense stagnated and Lin was no longer effective.

Kind of like Diaw with the Bobcats.

[Chinook]

:lol WTF was that writer thinking?

[ironman2886]

This Chris Baldwin can write. Lin has a lot of potential, but it's up to Lin to earn the coach's respect. He needs to be more consistent. It one thing for Kawhi to play within a system that doesn't even have his number called, but Lin is in a different situation and needs to step up.

[Godbama]

"Basketball bigots"! :rolleyes

[Cry Havoc]

:lol WTF was that writer thinking?

That chasing superstars instead of developing your talent from within is stupid. Which is accurate.

[Cry Havoc]

This Chris Baldwin can write. Lin has a lot of potential, but it's up to Lin to earn the coach's respect. He needs to be more consistent. It one thing for Kawhi to play within a system that doesn't even have his number called, but Lin is in a different situation and needs to step up.

Because as we all know, NBA coaches are elite evaluators of talent. :lol I mean, I see him do a ton of good things on the court and then get yanked.

[baseline bum]

That was one of the dumbest things I have ever read in my life. Leonard was a ridiculous athlete with enormous hands and a crazy work ethic when drafted. Lin was a borderline NBA player who rode D'Antoni's offense into a ridiculous payday. I nearly died laughing when I read the line about it not being hard to imagine Lin as a Finals MVP. :rollin

[DMX7]

Lin could be much better, I agree with that, but he was never in Leonard's class. Leonard always had more potential.

[ElNono]

Lin? What?

[Cry Havoc]

That was one of the dumbest things I have ever read in my life. Leonard was a ridiculous athlete with enormous hands and a crazy work ethic when drafted. Lin was a borderline NBA player who rode D'Antoni's offense into a ridiculous payday. I nearly died laughing when I read the line about it not being hard to imagine Lin as a Finals MVP. :rollin

Well of course it's a homer piece, it's from Houston. He's a poor man's Bill Simmons but makes some salient points. I absolutely think Lin is or could be a starting quality PG.

[Holden_Caulfield]

lin could be a nice backup pg in the spurs system, if only he can shoot :lol

[Seventyniner]

:cry Lin would be Finals MVP if only his coaches believed in him

[th3answ3r]

wtf wrote that shit lin ain't got shit on leonard. Leonard is a fucking super saiyan, lin ain't even over 9000

[RD2191]

wtf wrote that shit lin ain't got shit on leonard. Leonard is a fucking super saiyan, lin ain't even over 9000
:lmao

[ironman2886]

Because as we all know, NBA coaches are elite evaluators of talent. :lol I mean, I see him do a ton of good things on the court and then get yanked.
Coach Pop benches players all the time when they're hot. Manu was an All-Star in his prime. He could've had Kobe like numbers if he got Kobe minutes. He came off the bench his whole career and didn't complain. Pop still calls Manu's number in crunch time because he earned it. Lin can't complain. If he's good enough, he'll get minutes, shot attempts, and play late in the 4th. If the coach is to blame for Lin's underachievement now, Lin will blame coaching his whole career, even outside of Houston.

[DAF86]

They are missing the most important thing: Leonard actually having star talent.

[r0drig0lac]

lin clearly did not receive fair treatment in Houston, if someone wants to believe that he gets less opportunity for lack of talent is kidding himself

[SupremeGuy]

Yeah, Lin never really got any type of support in Houston, but he could have stayed in NY if he wanted right? No one forced him to take more money and go to Houston. He should be working on his handles and 3 point shooting instead of being depressed about not getting support from McHale.

[TheGoldStandard]

This is such a funny story.. Lin could be a serviceable PG even a starter on some squads but the talent isn't there to be compared to Kawhi especially a Finals MVP

[Twisted_Dawg]

lin could be a nice backup pg in the spurs system making $3 million per, if only he can shoot :lol

FIFY

[Twisted_Dawg]

Lin was a borderline NBA player who rode D'Antoni's offense into a ridiculous payday. :rollin

Right here...this says it all.

[Captivus]

The article just points out a team that develop players vs another that doesn't.
I agree that Lin is better than what he showed in Houston. Theres no way someone can keep performing like he did in the Knicks during Linsanity time. I still hope that this guy get minutes and confidence. In a contender he would be a killer backup PG.

Regarding the Kawhi comparison I say: Lin is not Kawhi, we all know that. In fact, they even have different names.

[Venti Quattro]

Blacks > Chinks in the armor

[100%duncan]

Lol title didnt read

[hsxvvd]

So by this logic... Kendall Marhsall = Kawhi :rollin

[Mel_13]

Sorry CH, but this immediately came to mind as I read that article:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfYJsQAhl0

[Cry Havoc]

That chasing superstars instead of developing your talent from within is stupid. Which is accurate.


Well of course it's a homer piece, it's from Houston. He's a poor man's Bill Simmons but makes some salient points. I absolutely think Lin is or could be a starting quality PG.

[Biernutz]

Lin can play defense? He got a lot of touches in NY so the more you shoot your average goes up......He got
every every chance in Houston.....

[TheGreatYacht]

So by this logic... Kendall Marhsall = Kawhi :rollin
Kendall Marshall > Rondo (this season)

[r0drig0lac]

lin is one of the best defenders in position, the problem is that the other pg on the team is one of the few in the nba it really is a better defender, and sg the team does not know what defense is what makes the rest of team to be punished

[Mikeanaro]

Nonsense!

[apalisoc_9]

Cry Havoc :lmao

By far one of the worst articles I've ever read

[Malik Hairston]

:lol I don't understand the fascination with Lin..he's one of the shakiest players I've ever seen, he was so fucking awful in clutch time every game in the Porland series..

An Asian guard that isn't fast, can't jump, doesn't shoot at a high level, doesn't have elite ball-handling, and isn't even a great passer:lol..realistically, if Lin was Black, he wouldn't even be in the D-League, tbh..

[Malik Hairston]

I just read it..wow, what an awful article, tbh..

[Biernutz]

lin is one of the best defenders in position, the problem is that the other pg on the team is one of the few in the nba it really is a better defender, and sg the team does not know what defense is what makes the rest of team to be punished

In the game I saw us and Houston, Lin didn't impress. He seemed late all the time and couldn't keep up with Tony.
Guess he played better against other teams....

[Juggity]

embarrassing article...point guards with Lin's skillset are a dime a dozen in this league. Leonard fills a much rarer and more valuable niche as a natural defender and small forward (the NBA's premiere position right now and for the foreseeable future). That alone is enough to invalidate the comparison.

[Spursfanfromafar]

Lol.. did the author confuse Chandler Parsons with Jeremy Lin?

[sexinthatsx]

It doesn't take an idiot to see that James Harden clearly stunted Lin's development. It goes to show that Lin always had a team-first mentality. Also, for all the people who say Lin isn't Kawhi, it's true. However, I see Lin as a player that can be taught how to play defense exactly like Danny Green. I believe Lin would fit pretty well within the Spurs system IMO.

[MI21]

Judging by the ability to judge a player, it seems Reggie Jackson wrote this article?

[#2!]

lin clearly did not receive fair treatment in Houston, if someone wants to believe that he gets less opportunity for lack of talent is kidding himself

Please. Leonard's per game minutes in this year's playoffs: 32.00

Lin's: 29.5

So if Lin isn't being given a chance, then neither is Kawhi. Lin played during crunch time of every game against Portland. They ran 3 guard lineups with him, Beverly, and Harden. And the real reason he isn't the starting guard, while Leonard is the Spurs' starting SF is that Jeremy Lin does not improve the defense while Leonard makes a defensive unit elite. I'm not even bagging on Lin btw. I don't like his game personally, but he did average 11-4-4 during the Rockets' one series this postseason.

But every playoff team needs at least one of their guards to be an above average defender to succeed. Lin isn't going to be a better offensive player than James Harden (he's just not), so if he's not a good defender either then he's not going to be a starter. But what's so bad about being instant offense off the bench, while also pulling winning-time minutes?

[r0drig0lac]

Please. Leonard's per game minutes in this year's playoffs: 32.00

Lin's: 29.5

So if Lin isn't being given a chance, then neither is Kawhi. Lin played during crunch time of every game against Portland. They ran 3 guard lineups with him, Beverly, and Harden. And the real reason he isn't the starting guard, while Leonard is the Spurs' starting SF is that Jeremy Lin does not improve the defense while Leonard makes a defensive unit elite. I'm not even bagging on Lin btw. I don't like his game personally, but he did average 11-4-4 during the Rockets' one series this postseason.

But every playoff team needs at least one of their guards to be an above average defender to succeed. Lin isn't going to be a better offensive player than James Harden (he's just not), so if he's not a good defender either then he's not going to be a starter. But what's so bad about being instant offense off the bench, while also pulling winning-time minutes?
lin came out of a bad situation (Melo), for a clearly worse (Harden / Howard), he has to thank Morey about it, he clearly does not have the talent or tools Kawhi (which can be a superstar continues developing ), but he sure the right team could continue developing and improving their weaknesses, sports motivation is very important, he probably could have gone back behind the other team for less money because his opportunities are dwindling in houston, he sure can play good basketball (anyone who saw him playing the knicks would know), now compared to a FMVP becomes ridiculous (maybe not so much if it were made ​​a year ago)

[myhc]

I'd love to have a guy like Lin on my team. Dude is in an awful situation in Houston. He's a solid back up PG. Yes he can improve his shooting and handles but he's still a young guy and can get better. I think he's improved as a defender since getting to Houston. He actually guarded Lillard fairly well at the end of games in the playoffs. I think comparing him to Kawhi is way off but I see the authors point.

[Spurs9]

http://31.media.tumblr.com/cdb332c6c3c42719e085a8f4066f8fc3/tumblr_n7no03JYO41qdnteso1_400.gif

[Robz4000]

:lmao

[Beaverfuzz]

This Chris Baldwin can write. Lin has a lot of potential, but it's up to Lin to earn the coach's respect. He needs to be more consistent. It one thing for Kawhi to play within a system that doesn't even have his number called, but Lin is in a different situation and needs to step up.

No he can't. Two completely different players, even before Kawhi stepped up in the Finals.

[RD2191]

:lolHavoc coming after me after posting one of the worst articles of all time. ROFL.

[Raven]

lin is a great defender, only other players don't know that and blow past him.

[Raven]

:lolHavoc coming after me after posting one of the worst articles of all time. ROFL.

well he's a known belinelli lover, so...

[RD2191]

well he's a know belinelli lover, so...
:lolGood work on calling Marco's shit defense all season, tbh.

[Raven]

:lolGood work on calling Marco's shit defense all season, tbh.

just doing the lord's work tbh :lol

[Cry Havoc]

:lolHavoc coming after me after posting one of the worst articles of all time. ROFL.

Please show me where I said it was an amazing article. I even criticized it in the INITIAL POST. Now, I know reading is difficult for you, but try to keep up. It was an article written about the Spurs from a Rockets point of view, therefore it's relevant and I posted it.

[Cry Havoc]

Btw, do you guys actually think if Kawhi went to another team that he would have developed like this? Absolutely not. Our staff works wonders. It takes talent to recognize talent, and it takes talent to develop talent.

[Cry Havoc]

well he's a known belinelli lover, so...

Beli did fine in the regular season. He hit that huge 3 in game 1 against Miami as well. I'm glad he's a Spur. And I maintain that he tries not to be terrible on defense, which is more than I can say for some of the guys we've had here in SA.

[rexb]

Well I kind of can see what the writer is leading out to. It's about coach's mentality and system to develop and get the best out of its players. Sure Lin exploded and thrived on D'Antonni's system where no one else was available to play on the Knicks. Same can be said on the D'Antonni's Lakers squad last year, Kobe was out, Nash was out..D'Antonni was forced to play players like Goudlock, Marshall.. we all know what happened. Lin was able to breakout in a 'right system' which tells something. Now under a different coach and system where the ball sticks with Harden and Howard, Lin's strengths are not maximized. Spread the floor, have Lin initiate the offense..the Rocket's may have been a different team.

On another note, imagine Leonard was with the Kings? He'll be the next Kenny Thomas. Imagine Tony Parker on another team? He'd be another Tyrone Lue type player etc. Or go even way back and imagine had the Blazers drafted Jordan when they already have Drexler, Jordan not having the playing time and playing behind Drexler, we may not a GOAT MJ. Players' success in his NBA career also depends on the situation he's at. Spurs system is proving to be one of the best in the league at finding diamond in the rough and developing talent.

[Cry Havoc]

Well I kind of can see what the writer is leading out to. It's about coach's mentality and system to develop and get the best out of its players. Sure Lin exploded and thrived on D'Antonni's system where no one else was available to play on the Knicks. Same can be said on the D'Antonni's Lakers squad last year, Kobe was out, Nash was out..D'Antonni was forced to play players like Goudlock, Marshall.. we all know what happened. Lin was able to breakout in a 'right system' which tells something. Now under a different coach and system where the ball sticks with Harden and Howard, Lin's strengths are not maximized. Spread the floor, have Lin initiate the offense..the Rocket's may have been a different team.

On another note, imagine Leonard was with the Kings? He'll be the next Kenny Thomas. Imagine Tony Parker on another team? He'd be another Tyrone Lue type player etc. Or go even way back and imagine had the Blazers drafted Jordan when they already have Drexler, Jordan not having the playing time and playing behind Drexler, we may not a GOAT MJ. Players' success in his NBA career also depends on the situation he's at. Spurs system is proving to be one of the best in the league at finding diamond in the rough and developing talent.

No, dude, you don't understand. We have standards for what should be posted to this forum. Only the highest quality basketball discussion is allowed here. Now, go off and comment in the thread about Diaw kissing some random woman. :lol :lol

[FkLA]

Ive always liked Linsanity but bc hes an underdog--undrafted, asian, harvard, small dick, etc...Kawhi couldnt be any more different since hes an absolute beast that was lottery talent as a sophomore in college. What a retarded article tbh. :lol

[Cry Havoc]

Ive always liked Linsanity but bc hes an underdog--undrafted, asian, harvard, small dick, etc...Kawhi couldnt be any more different since hes an absolute beast that was lottery talent as a sophomore in college. What a retarded article tbh. :lol

And without the right coaching, Kawhi might never have improved his game to what it is now.

Remember: 14 coaches thought he wasn't worthy. The Kings passed on him for Bismack Biyombo.

[FkLA]

Thats a valid point but thats not what people are laughing at.

Kawhi has the physical tools which made it possible for him to be coached into a FMVP. Lin could be coached by a staff made up of Pop, Red and Larry and he still wouldnt reach those heights bc he simply wasnt blessed with the tools Kawhi was blessed with. There's a huge talent gap which makes the comparison absolutely retarded tbh.

[Johnny RIngo]

Ridiculous article. Leonard always had more upside than Lin. Hell, Leonard in his rookie season was already better than Lin during his stint with NY.

A better choice would have been using Patty Mills in a comparison to Lin.

[Cry Havoc]

Thats a valid point but thats not what people are laughing at.

Kawhi has the physical tools which made it possible for him to be coached into a FMVP. Lin could be coached by a staff made up of Pop, Red and Larry and he still wouldnt reach those heights bc he simply wasnt blessed with the tools Kawhi was blessed with. There's a huge talent gap which makes the comparison absolutely retarded tbh.

Please read what I said in the very first post of this thread. :lol

[Malik Hairston]

If the writer was going to make an article discussing the Spurs' talent development and system, that's fine..I understand trying to relate it to the Rockets, since it's a Houston-based source, but making Lin the central point of the piece makes little sense, especially comparing him to Kawhi Leonard:lol..

The writer's primary examples of Lin's ability is the short time Lin spent with the Knicks in Mike D'Antoni's system, a system that is known for inflating the abilities and numbers of players, whether they're already stars or even fringe players:lol..

Again, Jeremy Lin has minimal potential..he can't shoot, he doesn't have elite ball-handling or passing skills, he doesn't have an athletic build, he can't jump, there's really no potential there:lol..if Lin wasn't Asian, we wouldn't even know his name..

[lefty]

:cry Lin would be Finals MVP if only his coaches believed in him
:lmao

[TheyCallMePro]

First off this "In his first season Lin averaged 14.6 points and 6.2 assists per game..." is garbage. He played in like 20 games total. With a bad team, and when Melo was injured and the Knicks had no other options. It was Linsanity because it was INSANE at the time how overhyped this guy was. So don't tell me how he started off showing such promise and then faltered. That was a fluke situation from the beginning. Not anything like Kawhi's first year.

Second, Lin should never fall into the "what could have been" category. He wasn't even drafted... Just because Houston decided to be moronic and throw him a boatload of money doesn't mean ANYONE expected ANYTHING from him...ever. Kawhi, meanwhile, was highly regarded after 2 years at SDSU. His sophomore year, he led them to a 35-3 record and to the sweet 16, where they would barely lose to eventual champion UConn. The expectations between these 2 players could not have been any more different in their rookie seasons.

Third, comparing Kawhi to Jeremy freaking Lin in any shape, way or form, is just flat-out insulting. Next they'll be comparing Lin's career with Jordan. Seriously. It's just embarrassing.

[hitmantb]

Writer is just saying some players can only shine in proper systems. See Boris Diaw, Danny Green for examples. I don't think the writer was comparing Lin's potential to Leonard's, but rather Leonard most likely won't be get as far as he did on any other team.

Lin's full potential is not that much lower than Parker in my honest opinion. Parker/Manu were extremely lucky coming into the Spurs team when our perimeter was at its weakest. Too many players buried on the bench because coach was too afraid to play them or too lazy to develop low picks. Lin always played well against Parker/Spurs (and players/teams that rely on brain/finesse than sheer athleticism), and after Lin dropped 38 points on the Spurs, Parker even compared Lin to his younger self.

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/10/tony-parker-says-jeremy-lin-reminds-him-of-a-young-tony-parker/

Harden ball hugging and lack of touches really hurt Lin's game. Beverley is ridiculously overrated as a defender. Lin is taller and a much better system defender. He had Liliard under control for the entire second half and his coach pulled him at the final second and ate a three.

Put Lin on the Spurs I guarantee he brings more to the table than Patty Mills. His attitude is as Spurs as it gets (did not take any major endorsements the year of Linsanity when he could have really cashed in). Add in his marketing value he is worth 4-5 million a year easily. He just needs a good coach to yell at him and actual touches/playing time. Spurs's international atmosphere and system fits him better than anyone. A steal to pick him up at 3-4 million a year from now when his current contract expires.

[Cry Havoc]

Writer is just saying some players can only shine in proper systems. See Boris Diaw, Danny Green for examples. I don't think the writer was comparing Lin's potential to Leonard's, but rather Leonard most likely won't be get as far as he did on any other team.

Lin's full potential is not that much lower than Parker in my honest opinion. Parker/Manu were extremely lucky coming into the Spurs team when our perimeter was at its weakest. Too many players buried on the bench because coach was too afraid to play them or too lazy to develop low picks. Lin always played well against Parker/Spurs (and players/teams that rely on brain/finesse than sheer athleticism), and after Lin dropped 38 points on the Spurs, Parker even compared Lin to his younger self.

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/10/tony-parker-says-jeremy-lin-reminds-him-of-a-young-tony-parker/

Harden ball hugging and lack of touches really hurt Lin's game. Beverley is ridiculously overrated as a defender. Lin is taller and a much better system defender. He had Liliard under control for the entire second half and his coach pulled him at the final second and ate a three.

Put Lin on the Spurs I guarantee he brings more to the table than Patty Mills. His attitude is as Spurs as it gets (did not take any major endorsements the year of Linsanity when he could have really cashed in). Add in his marketing value he is worth 4-5 million a year easily. He just needs a good coach to yell at him and actual touches/playing time. Spurs's international atmosphere and system fits him better than anyone. A steal to pick him up at 3-4 million a year from now when his current contract expires.

He definitely went way overboard with the Lin/Kawhi comparison, but that's not the point of his article. It's about how teams should be looking to talent within their systems and teams to develop rather than chasing after superstars. It's apparently a very difficult connection for a lot of members here to make, but the point is absolutely salient. If the Spurs dumped Parker to try to retool every time the Spurstalk haters wanted them to, we'd probably have no more than 3 rings. It's kind of incredible the way we've managed to utilize FAR less dominant players from other teams, plug them into our system, and watch them excel, yet people are so stuck on the faulty Leonard/Lin comparison that they just immediately take the entire article to be trash. As if anyone from PTR or 48MoH haven't made homerific comparisons before. :lol

[Raven]

Btw, do you guys actually think if Kawhi went to another team that he would have developed like this? Absolutely not. Our staff works wonders. It takes talent to recognize talent, and it takes talent to develop talent.
obviously not, but that doesn't mean that we would make lin a legit player.

[Raven]

He definitely went way overboard with the Lin/Kawhi comparison, but that's not the point of his article. It's about how teams should be looking to talent within their systems and teams to develop rather than chasing after superstars. It's apparently a very difficult connection for a lot of members here to make, but the point is absolutely salient. If the Spurs dumped Parker to try to retool every time the Spurstalk haters wanted them to, we'd probably have no more than 3 rings. It's kind of incredible the way we've managed to utilize FAR less dominant players from other teams, plug them into our system, and watch them excel, yet people are so stuck on the faulty Leonard/Lin comparison that they just immediately take the entire article to be trash. As if anyone from PTR or 48MoH haven't made homerific comparisons before. :lol

it still just asian victimism, he was benched by a defensive pg that can't shoot at all and is paid the rookie scale, i mean what team would happily pay 15m for a guy to ride the bench against a rookie scale contract? It's obvious they tried and Lin was just a bad fit.

[anakha]

It's obvious they tried and Lin was just a bad fit.

Lin's a bad fit with Harden, for sure. Both need the ball to be effective and neither is really comfortable spotting up.

That being said, most of the blame should go to Morey on this. He threw that shitload of money at Lin and Asik in his zeal to acquire 'assets' yet never factored in how those assets would fit once he got his stars.

[Cry Havoc]

it still just asian victimism, he was benched by a defensive pg that can't shoot at all and is paid the rookie scale, i mean what team would happily pay 15m for a guy to ride the bench against a rookie scale contract? It's obvious they tried and Lin was just a bad fit.

Diaw got benched on the worst team in the league. I guess that means he's a shitty player who will contribute nothing to a meaningful NBA franchise, either.

[hitmantb]

Lin's a bad fit with Harden, for sure. Both need the ball to be effective and neither is really comfortable spotting up.

That being said, most of the blame should go to Morey on this. He threw that shitload of money at Lin and Asik in his zeal to acquire 'assets' yet never factored in how those assets would fit once he got his stars.

It is because he didn't think he would have got Harden, he took Lin first to ensure someone could help sell tickets next season.

Lin used correctly can provide the Manu impact on that team, if he is allowed to run the offense when he comes off the bench.

As it is, it is like the LeBron/Wade situation, LeBron handles the ball and Wade deteriorated in a hurry because LeBron's game is very similar to Wade's and simply superior in every way.

[Raven]

Diaw got benched on the worst team in the league. I guess that means he's a shitty player who will contribute nothing to a meaningful NBA franchise, either.

Or that he didnt want to play for them...

[Cry Havoc]

Or that he didnt want to play for them...

Shocking how ineffective a player can be when he's put in an adverse environment for his development, isn't it?

[kwhitegocubs]

I have to say, I don't see the comparison as that unreasonable. Lin's per 36 numbers for his first 200 games are 16 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. I get that he's nowhere near Kawhi on defense, but he's actually a pretty excellent offensive player. His 3 point shooting has improved every year (now a reasonable 36%), and he's almost automatic at the line now. Playing 12 minutes some nights and 40 minutes other nights is no way to develop a good, young player when it's not part of some larger plan. It does not appear to be in Houston.

He gets beat off the dribble by faster guards, but overall he's a solid defender. I'd consider his "whole package" better than Beverley, considering that Beverley generates very few assists and is a worse overall shooter. Beverley is clearly a better on-ball defender, similar in turnovers generated, but also can be shot over more easily. Lin has good size for a PG, Beverley's two or three lost inches and 20 lost pounds make a real difference no matter how you slice it. Considering Harden is the other guard, taking risks for occasional turnovers is probably rational. Help defense isn't coming either way, might as well try to get a turnover.

Lin is far from a "borderline talent". He put up good numbers per minute the last two years on a good Houston team despite wild variations in usage for most of the season.

[Malik Hairston]

- Undrafted player, despite attending an American college
- Only impressive stretch of basketball was in Mike D'Antoni's system
- No notable athletic traits
- Average 3-point shooter
- Not a special ball-handler and struggles against pressure
- Has been in the playoffs twice and was absolutely terrible in both
- Has a negative RAPM rating the past 2 years
- Negative overall on/off metrics

Garbage player that wouldn't be known if he wasn't Asian, yet we have people in this thread comparing him to Parker, Ginobili and Leonard:lmao..the hype machine is powerful, tbh..

[RD2191]

Is Cry Havoc Asian?

[Malik Hairston]

Is Cry Havoc Asian?

I don't think so, but I can guarantee half the people in this thread are:lol..

It also seems like many people like Lin and inflate his game because they can relate to him..he gives them hope that anybody can make it to the NBA, you don't have to be fast, or jump high, or shoot well or have any notable athletic traits:lol..

[100%duncan]

:lol buying into what Durant said

Kawhi would flourish in any system, he would score more points a game too. Only difference is in SA, he gets to win the finals mvp because Spurs actually execute unlike others. But saying Kawhi's growth is on Pop and coaching staff is downright idiotic. Please.

[skulls138]

Dumb article. He doesnt know what Lin would do in another system so as a so called "professional" he shouldnt speculate like that.