Jeremy Lin's Future: Backup or PG of the Future
by DangerZone on Feb 7, 2012 2:41 PM EST
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PrintWell, those two games have just been dynamite haven't they? I've watched mouth agape. It's not just what Jeremy Lin is doing, but how he's doing it. The way he moves, it's so easy to flashback to so many great point guards. I swear I've seen Nash out there once or twice these past two games.
Which brings me to the important question we all don't want to ask ourselves: What is Lin's future?
I think he's at the very least proven he belongs in an NBA rotation. But I don't think anyone thinks he'll continue to replicate the performances he's had thus far.
How far will he fall back to earth? Certainly, most of the things he's doing seem like things he can do every single night, but I think we don't really know who he is as a player yet. We haven't seen enough of him. It's only two games.
I think everyone views him as a quality backup, but can he develop into someone who plays like he has all the time? Will he be our backup or is he our PG of the future?
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First it almost goes without saying
That even if he becomes a solid career backup, that’s a big accomplishment for a kid that was an undrafted free agent that was cut twice.
Now, as far as his actual basketball potential let’s look at what we do know:
1. He has a very quick first step that baffled even Deron Williams.
2. He is strong (6’3" 200 lbs) and can finish through contact.
3. He knows how to run the pick and roll, keeping his dribble and his head up to force the defense to account for many different options. Much like the option in football, the beauty of the PnR is that the defense is pressured into accounting for many different threats on a single play and a qb (or point guard in this case) who can make all of those happen is very dangerous.
4. He is a tough defender with very good instincts and quick hands. Two nights in a row he has stifled the opposing point guard, one of whom is easily a top-5 point guard.
Now for some of the negatives.
1. He has trouble going to his left. He does have a nice crossover, but hasn’t turned that into the ankle-breaker-to-layup finishes that guys like Rose and Wade have made famous. He’s more of a one-cut and go right to the hoop kind of player.
2. His jumpshot needs work, though his mid-range jumper has been reliable. If he can continue to hit that, defenses will not want to go under the pick.
3. His conditioning needs work. Yeah D’Antoni overused him, but he still gets tired quickly. But it doesn’t look like he’s out of shape, so this is something that should come with experience.
Will the negatives keep him from replicating the positives? Not completely. He can still be an effective scorer, because he can exploit the tiniest gaps, both as a scorer going to his right and as a passer. He sees the court very well. And when he finally has all his scorers back and healthy, defenses won’t exactly be able to gameplan to take him AND Melo AND Amar’e out of the game.
I don’t think it’s a stretch to think he can put up slightly less-than-Felton numbers. 14-16 points and 7-8 assists if he continues to work hard and takes advantage of the defense focusing on the other guys.
GO CUSE, BLUE, AND EAGLES!
On the conditioning
you expect someone from the bench to be in great shape or at least rested, but all the prep can’t prepare you for the extra exertion you use when your team is relying on you, in front of the garden, playing without any rest for the first time in weeks at gametime
2012 New York Mets, World Series Champions!
About his conditioning
Here’s a tweet from Lin’s college teammate:
What Mike Breen doesn’t know is that #JeremyLin looks tired in pregame warm ups. Has since college.
good point right there
We all know his shot will be well defended more in the games to come but thats the beauty of it..
if youre good at pick n roll player with average jumpshot and can attack then finish at the rim, no one can entirely defend you because you have a lot of options in pnr and the opposition cant double team you because they know you can pass off double team, this is good because lin can create for his own shot, see opening for spot shooters and pass for rolling man in amare and tyson. J-lin he is a very good pnr point guard i will put him in a class of ridnour at best and dragic at worst.
And also i agree with MDa not pulling him out right there against the jazz in 3Q so that he can learn from his mistakes this guy has a great IQ. I remember when JVG says that if a player struggles in the court has good basketball IQ dont pulled him out so that he can learn immediately from his mistakes and make adjustment. if he doenst have it then you pulled him out so that it will prevent him from being frustrated and playing inefficiently.
The good news is those "negatives" are all EASILY fixed.
I mean… conditioning? jumpshot? Using your left hand?
Practice. Time.
Hell most of that is simply gonna come as dude develops.
"Madison Square Garden is the ultimate basketball stage. That's where I belong. That's where I live. That's the home of the New York Knicks." - Amar'e Stoudemire
by Chris Child's Fist on Feb 8, 2012 9:21 AM EST up reply actions
Agreed
Time, unfortunately, is not a luxury we have this season, but I agree those are correctable flaws. If he does that, the sky is the limit for this kid
GO CUSE, BLUE, AND EAGLES!
need to add a few more as in
Lin >>>>>>>>> Felton
2012 New York Mets, World Series Champions!
Lin may not have the best outside shot
but looks way better at being a PG and making his teammates better
2012 New York Mets, World Series Champions!
Usually
once guys settle into a role, their three point shooting improves once they get used to taking them in a game.
I think that for a good distributing point guard, 40 percent shooting / 30 percent from 3 is good enough to keep the other team honest. For a shooting guard or small forward, you want to see more like 45/35. For a center, you actually have to be over 50 (3 point irrelevant) or you’re suckin’. For a D’antoni stretch 4, you want to be at 50/30.
I think Lin will be fine. He seems to have a good shooting percentage from inside – with his ability to pass and distribute, even hitting 25 percent of his threes will be OK if he’s only taking them when they’re the best shot available, which shouldn’t be too often.
Get The Frickin' Rebound
We'll get a better understanding of what Lin is when its March
give him some time. I don’t think even the wildest nutjob thinks he’ll keep up this caliber of play (if he does, great!). The scoring is the one thing I expect to diminish, tho its really not like he’s just shooting 3s at a high % (he can’t even do that really…). And of course the more he’ll play with Amare, the more the floor will be open and the more he’ll rack up assists cuz you know damn well Amar’e will finish those PnR passes more then Jeffries.
Last night, a comedian died in New York. Somebody knows why. Somebody knows
Not to mention Chandler
Who barely played the first three quarters last night.
GO CUSE, BLUE, AND EAGLES!
he is mostly taking high percentage shots, layups
and he is getting to the line. Both come from his ability to blow by his defender though, let’s see what happens and hope for the best!
2012 New York Mets, World Series Champions!
im not voting
cause this shit be blowin my mind.
I mean, the stuff he is doing… this doesnt feel like when nate went off for 40 and it was like, yeah.. but that was crazyness. The stuff lin is doing really isnt that spectacular. A couple of those and-1’s are prob part luck, adrenalin and other teams not being ready… but most of those assists are not off passes that are that complicated.
He is smart, athletic, with a good handle and a good attitude… the things that makes PGs thrive under Mike D. I dont wanna get excited… i am not gonna get excited…. i am preventing myself from getting excited… but damn… he looks good.
I think it was Bobby V who said: "You are never as good as you are when you are at your best, and you are not as bad as when you are at your worst."
some of those and-1's are damn acrobatic
I thought he would need to finish better at the hoop, but he gets in the air and moves the ball and his body around pretty crazily
2012 New York Mets, World Series Champions!
I think he gets And 1’s because he looks like he’s flailing alot when he drives. (except he actually has good body control) Kinda like Gallo.
he draws contact trying to go around guys who show up too late to do anything but foul
2012 New York Mets, World Series Champions!
Also
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Lin is that he has saved his best for the fourth quarter. 13 points against the Nets in the fourth and something like that against the Jazz (including that dagger three pointer). Is it too early to be making conclusions about his clutch gene? Yes, but so far, he has played his best when the stakes are highest
GO CUSE, BLUE, AND EAGLES!
i would love for him to finish the season as the starter
then next year bring in a vet to have him play behind and learn from. Hes a good looking prospect
or just get Baron healthy
so he plays behind him this year and learns, works on a few things over the summer, and is our starter then so we don’t have to bring in a vet. Unless said vet is Steve Nash for dirt cheap
2012 New York Mets, World Series Champions!
Baron hasnt done what Lin is now doing for a long time.
Barons ego is going to have a hard time as Lin’s backup.
by Only In Fairfax on Feb 9, 2012 4:19 PM EST up reply actions
I'm a firm believer that when a guy can play at a high level in the NBA
You see it and you know it pretty quickly. Anyone can have a hot shooting night and hit 15- of 20 shots or seven of 8 from three. A guy might even do it two nights in a row.
But to come into an NBA game at the point guard position, and to display the quick decision making, the poise, and the guts to really guide a team throughout the 4th quarter of a close game to victory? And then to do it again? In his first NBA start at the age of 23? Leading a bunch of second tier players? Displaying that kind of killer instinct? Say what you want about the Nets and Jazz . That’s some remarkable shit. Yeah. I mean, I’m trying to be reasonable but I think that there is a very good NBA point guard.
If he was a lottery pick that showed up here, we wouldn’t be doubting it. The only reason we think it can’t be true is because the guy was unrecruited by major schools and undrafted, and we think there must be some reasonable reason why.
Will other teams defend him better? Sure. Will he turn the ball over a lot sometimes? Yes. Will he have cold shooting nights, undoubtedly. Will he lose his poise? Maybe, but if he kept his poise the last two games, I don’t think it will be a big problem going forward. Will he lose his court vision? I don’t think you lose that, and I don’t think you lose the competitive instinct, the mental fortitude, and the creativity required to do what this guy just did the last couple of nights.
I’m trying not to set myself up for a big disappointment, but I think this guy’s going to be at least as good as Raymond Felton as a point guard and floor leader. And that is absolutely fucking awesome because we have some really good people to pass to, and we are playing good team defense.
Get The Frickin' Rebound
by fuhry on Feb 7, 2012 4:04 PM EST reply actions 6 recs
Agreed when dealing with a PG who has played this much and done this much ball handling
Also don’t think he will have too much trouble with Washington, so his first real test will be the Lakers. It would be nice if he could go up against them with Amare and Melo, or at least Amare, but can’t rush a man in STAT’s position. He will certainly struggle at times, even the best PGs do, and he certainly has parts of his game to work on, but he is clearly more than just a D-Leaguer, and he clearly has NBA level talent. What luck by the Knicks that GS and Houston let him slip. Seriously, we just got very lucky!
2012 New York Mets, World Series Champions!
Rec'd fuhry....Lin is showing that he makes the team better.
Question is how will Carmelo buy into this new reality….
by Only In Fairfax on Feb 9, 2012 4:22 PM EST up reply actions
If you didn't vote for basketball jesus
You’re going to basketball hell, which involves the Nets, Metta World Peace, and Kevin Garnett
only thing more overated and soft than osi umenyora is the 2011 eagles
Iman Shumpert is a first ballot hall of famer
by metseaglesknicks on Feb 7, 2012 4:37 PM EST reply actions
and having to re-watch the past 10 years of Knicks basketball on loop
skipping any fleeting feel-good moments
2012 New York Mets, World Series Champions!
I mean, I'm obviously voting "jesus"
but ain’t nothing sad about a journeyman D-League call-up turning into a career back-up.
well its sad that he wont be as great as he's shown us
Dear fox.... Fire Aikman and buck. they suck
Desean Jackson IS a punk....................UNLEASH Eli
"We’re going to turn this team around 360 degrees." –Jason Kidd
"If you come to a fork in the road, take it" -Yogi Berra
SBXVI Champs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I told YOU ALL... 5 months ago i was the only one who bELIeved, HELL YEA!!!!
by Lawrence Taylor The Real LT on Feb 7, 2012 8:07 PM EST up reply actions
how do you know?
2012 New York Mets, World Series Champions!
well he has been te best in NBA history.
and if he turns out to be the greatest PG of all time, i wont complain. but if not, a soli starter which is probable would be fine
Dear fox.... Fire Aikman and buck. they suck
Desean Jackson IS a punk....................UNLEASH Eli
"We’re going to turn this team around 360 degrees." –Jason Kidd
"If you come to a fork in the road, take it" -Yogi Berra
SBXVI Champs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I told YOU ALL... 5 months ago i was the only one who bELIeved, HELL YEA!!!!
by Lawrence Taylor The Real LT on Feb 12, 2012 1:30 PM EST up reply actions
best part was you were right
Dear fox.... Fire Aikman and buck. they suck
Desean Jackson IS a punk....................UNLEASH Eli
"We’re going to turn this team around 360 degrees." –Jason Kidd
"If you come to a fork in the road, take it" -Yogi Berra
SBXVI Champs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I told YOU ALL... 5 months ago i was the only one who bELIeved, HELL YEA!!!!
by Lawrence Taylor The Real LT on Feb 12, 2012 1:30 PM EST up reply actions
probably
Dear fox.... Fire Aikman and buck. they suck
Desean Jackson IS a punk....................UNLEASH Eli
"We’re going to turn this team around 360 degrees." –Jason Kidd
"If you come to a fork in the road, take it" -Yogi Berra
SBXVI Champs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I told YOU ALL... 5 months ago i was the only one who bELIeved, HELL YEA!!!!
by Lawrence Taylor The Real LT on Feb 12, 2012 1:29 PM EST up reply actions
That's a good point, but I just want him to be so much more!
I can’t help it! I want to keep my expectations down.
I want him to be the PG of our future because that’s my biggest concern about this team going forward and to have the answer already would just be amazeballs.
Do the Shumpty Shump, come on and do the Shumpty Shump
So you are saying he is TEBOW!
Because everyone Knows that Tebow is Jesus! At least everyone in Denver not named Elway and Fox!
When it comes to being the savior
Everyone is going to pick Tebow because he looks the part. But actually, it’s Lin. Why can’t an Asian-American be an NBA point guard? Why can’t Jesus return as an Asian-American?
It’s the same question!
Get The Frickin' Rebound
what is with the Tebow obsession?
Linsanity is way cooler, and a better story, and probably not a virgin!!
2012 New York Mets, World Series Champions!
Tebow got recruited an got major PT with a major school.
Lin didn’t. The only similarities is that they’re both religious and both had fanbases clamoring for their coaches to put him in the game.
Probably in the case of Denver, the fact that he’s a religious missionary actually enhanced his popularity with the fanbase. But in NY? We were clamoring to play the guy despite it, becase we as fans don’t tend to trust it.
Get The Frickin' Rebound
Well... they are both Asian.
"Madison Square Garden is the ultimate basketball stage. That's where I belong. That's where I live. That's the home of the New York Knicks." - Amar'e Stoudemire
by Chris Child's Fist on Feb 10, 2012 2:01 PM EST up reply actions
Magic Johnson
Brian Mahoney: More Magic on Lin: “This is not some guy you just threw in there, this guy really knows how to play the game.” about 7 minutes ago
Get The Frickin' Rebound
The fact that he's impressed Magic
and, obviously, Clyde as well in a mere two games is maybe even more impressive than the performances themselves. Some of the greatest players at the position in the history of the game giving him props … it’s so hard not to get my hopes up … just gotta calm myself.
Do the Shumpty Shump, come on and do the Shumpty Shump
i picked option 3 cuz
2 games isnt enough yet.
we can decide in about 3 weeks
Dear fox.... Fire Aikman and buck. they suck
Desean Jackson IS a punk....................UNLEASH Eli
"We’re going to turn this team around 360 degrees." –Jason Kidd
"If you come to a fork in the road, take it" -Yogi Berra
SBXVI Champs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I told YOU ALL... 5 months ago i was the only one who bELIeved, HELL YEA!!!!
by Lawrence Taylor The Real LT on Feb 7, 2012 8:05 PM EST reply actions
I look at Lin
I see Jose Calderon without the 3 point shot, with a higher number of turnovers and more offensive prowess. Put him in with the starters and he’ll make everything hum smoothly with a 12 and 8 or 13 and 9, and he reads the defense well enough to know when he’s the best option and will have those games where he gets 20.
by Not a Gunslinger on Feb 7, 2012 8:56 PM EST reply actions
I was wrong
I think he’s a better Tony Parker instead of a better Calderon now, and his assists will only be that low because of teammates missing good/great looks.
by Not a Gunslinger on Feb 8, 2012 9:40 PM EST up reply actions
Even after the 2 awesome games
I’m still trying not to be too enthusiastic about Lin (which is the last 10 years of Knicks basketball triggering my pessimism), but if he can run the offense efficiently & get 12 pts/7 assts a game I’ll be ecstatic. That’s all I think we need once Amar’e (who should be a beast once he & Lin get the PnR down) & Melo get back. Still worried how anyone can balance an offensive system that relies on ball movement & how much Melo needs the ball in isolation to be effective.
Not sure if teams will start playing D to Lin’s weaknesses (doesn’t go left & outside shot is inconsistent so far) but maybe this won’t affect his game much when Stat & Melo should be the focus of other teams’ defenses. The upcoming games will be the real test when Lin has to work miracles with Landry, Chandler, & the second unit (I hope Steve Novak has another game like last night but I’m not holding my breath).
My realstic vote would be solid backup because B-Diddy is eventually going to play. I want this kid to be good & this team to be good because I bought the hype at the beginning of the season without thinking about how mismatched the pieces were. If Lin is the guy to bring it all together then I vote Basketball Jesus instead.
by DontShootToneyNOOO on Feb 7, 2012 10:48 PM EST reply actions
I have to say, I'm impressed by our fanbase
Our response to this has been utter excitement, but without getting carried away and without overrating him. We could be forgiven for doing so given the state of our season thus far. This is everything suddenly bright and shiny again. We’ve been bonkers excited, but level headed about the whole affair. Go us.
Do the Shumpty Shump, come on and do the Shumpty Shump
In fairness
That pretty much applies to this blog only. Twitter and the New York media have err..gotten slightly carried away.
GO CUSE, BLUE, AND EAGLES!
Come on its to early to tell
Its only 2 games but some things that i like besides the numbers he put up as well as going 2-0 with him are the that he is not afraid to shoot with stars on the court. Some guys get timid and play hot potato. Its to early to tell but as us New Yorkers know it can happen VICTOR CRUUUUZ and Landry. Time will tell
I think 'fuhry' got it right
Here’s my take on it (as a Cs fan, that is):
http://www.celticsblog.com/2012/2/8/2784206/heres-why-jeremy-lins-the-real-thing
Wow
coming from a non-knick fan, that’s extremely encouraging.
As for the racial part, I agree with you that it totally doesn’t matter. But I think it’s possible, even probably, that for several scouts and recruiters out there, it did matter when this kid was coming out of high school. I think a few people made the mistake of letting his appearance color their perception of his skills, and it snowballed because everyone thought, since he wasn’t recruited to major schools there must be something wrong with him, so no one drafted him, and no one played him until D’antoni, absolutely desperate for someone to run his offense, threw him in there.
You’re right, it’s a great story. He’s made the Knicks eminently more watchable and should make those Knicks Celtics matchups that much more fun!
Get The Frickin' Rebound
you mean ex-non-Knick fan!
2012 New York Mets, World Series Champions!
I kinda wish we wouldn't just go apeshit for this kid after 2 games.
I mean… polls about his future? Questions about him being our future starting PG?
Creating expectations???
I’m not trying to rain on anything… but… I mean really. 2 games. The kid is exciting to watch. He seems to be pretty good and pretty smart as well.
How about we back off and enjoy the ride for now? No expectations. Jeremy Lin is hot right now. Let’s worry his play in the offseason.
Look at how we are about Toney Douglas. Nicknames, shirts, quotes, proclamations, and then dude goes through a cold slump and its no longer DWTDD but WITD.
"Madison Square Garden is the ultimate basketball stage. That's where I belong. That's where I live. That's the home of the New York Knicks." - Amar'e Stoudemire
by Chris Child's Fist on Feb 8, 2012 9:27 AM EST reply actions
Let me also add that Lin is the starting PG for a team under .500
Let’s not kid ourselves in thinking that this job was hard to “win”
"Madison Square Garden is the ultimate basketball stage. That's where I belong. That's where I live. That's the home of the New York Knicks." - Amar'e Stoudemire
by Chris Child's Fist on Feb 8, 2012 9:28 AM EST up reply actions
Of course it is
But the Knicks weren’t so far away from having Mike D’Antoni suit up and bring back the Player/Coach mantra.
And that would be have been fine with me as long as Pringles wasn’t rocking those old-white-guy shorts that players wore 20 years ago!!
"Madison Square Garden is the ultimate basketball stage. That's where I belong. That's where I live. That's the home of the New York Knicks." - Amar'e Stoudemire
by Chris Child's Fist on Feb 8, 2012 3:01 PM EST up reply actions
I'm all for tempering expectations as well
but it is what it is. You have to look at what’s going on instead of just looking at stats. Sure, the PG position on this team should be easy to win cuz we don’t have one. But there’s guys that are listed as PGs on the roster that couldn’t get it done.
And we’re basically a below .500 team since we don’t have a PG. Not even a Ray Felton, not even a brick chucking Chauncey Billups we have.
Lin’s doing nothing that doesn’t seem sustainable. Sure he’s making a few shots, but you also have to remember he’s basically played without Amar’e (missed one game and the first due to foul trouble) and Chandler’s been in and out due to fouls as well.
Toney Douglas did what he did and still wasn’t very good as the actual PG. He was actually scoring and playing defense, which isn’t what he’s doing now.
Last night, a comedian died in New York. Somebody knows why. Somebody knows
Observation from a Warriors fan.....
Watched him in HS(took Palo Alto to the Cali state championship) and followed him in college and he has always had great court vision and team leadership juice…Lin has simply grown from his rookie start. Plus the Knicks letting him play through his mistakes/turnovers and not yanking him for other options (as there were none available) was a big thing and something of a fluke…..this bodes well for the idea that with his drive and work ethic plus intellegence that he will continue to improve….if you have kids..point to Lin and say ….see what you can do when you dont give up on yourself…
by Only In Fairfax on Feb 9, 2012 4:38 PM EST up reply actions
What type of basketball Jesus is he?
Basketball baby Jesus?
Basketball teenage Jesus?
BAsketball bearded Jesus?
__________________________________________________
"He who gets the best players usually wins" - Bobby Bowden
There is only one Basketball jesus
Earl Monroe!
Little baby basketball jesus
Lyin’ there in your ghost manger, just lookin’ at your Baby Einstein developmental videos, learnin’ ‘bout shapes and colors. I would like to thank you for bringin’ me and my mama together, and also that my kids no longer sound like retarded gang-bangers.
GO CUSE, BLUE, AND EAGLES!
Loved the Shumpalysis
Man, to hear him breaking down Lin’s dribble like that made me appreciate Shump even more.
Get The Frickin' Rebound
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