SB Nation Houston - Jeremy Lin: Houston Rockets' 'Linsanity' off to shaky starthttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46691/houston-fave.png2012-10-29T09:18:02-05:00http://houston.sbnation.com/rss/stream/30432482012-10-29T09:18:02-05:002012-10-29T09:18:02-05:00Can James Harden fix Jeremy Lin's turnover issues?
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<figcaption>Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The James Harden trade should help take pressure off Jeremy Lin in the Houston Rockets' backcourt. So can Harden help limit the turnover Linsanity?</p> <p><span>Jeremy Lin</span> needed this trade. Between the way he struggled in the preseason and the overall uncertainty that comes with Linsanity, it was going to be tough for a fairly turnover-prone point guard to navigate through an offense with limited options to dish the rock to.</p>
<p>Actually, with the initial thought that <span>Kevin Martin</span> would be aloof and ultimately traded, for some, Lin was considered to possibly become the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Rockets</a>' primary option on offense at some point in the season. These aren't fair expectations, necessarily, but the contract and the hype call for such madness.</p>
<p>Lin was supposed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders this season, despite all logic telling us that there was no reason to expect much from him or this team, and whatever success would be valuable. It would be up to Lin to both score and create opportunities for... well, whoever's opportunistic.</p>
<p>Like the <a href="http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2012/10/solomon-morey-has-a-new-cast-but-a-familiar-plot-line/">Houston Chronicle's Jerome Solomon wrote on Saturday night</a>, "there isn't much difference between the starters and the reserves, the actors and the stand-ins."</p>
<p>With Harden in the picture, the pressure has really been shifted to Rockets' general manager Daryl Morey. He's a winner in this in my opinion, because he's understood from the beginning of this rebuilding process that no one on this team was worth keeping for a chance at a cornerstone, franchise-like player.</p>
<p>Still, this is Morey's project. There are already legitimate questions about both Harden and Lin - whether Harden's disappearance in the NBA Finals was indicative of who he was as a big time player, and whether we know enough about Lin to really believe he's everything we've said he is.</p>
<p>So there's no reason for either of those guys to really feel pressure, or at least not as much as it would be if their projected success was closer to unanimous. Do they want to perform? Sure. But they still get the money they were looking for either way, and there's always a way to stay in the league after you make a boat-load of cash and never pan out.</p>
<p>You think <span>Rashard Lewis</span> (Houston's very own) is trippin' about making $15 million this year? Hell no, son.</p>
<p>Jeremy Lin needed this trade for more than filtering noise and lofty expectations. There's this simple turnover problem Lin has that Harden could help remedy.</p>
<p>Even when Lin was torching the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Mavericks</a> at the height of the phenomenon, there was a flagrant turnover issue that it took a while to become part of the conversation because of how incredible the larger story was.</p>
<p>But after the breakout <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Nets</a> game, Lin put up 28 points and eight turnovers against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Jazz</a>. That started a span in which Lin would have seven out of eight games with six or more turnovers. He finished the month of February averaging five turnovers a game, keeping in mind he didn't play the first game of the month and just seven minutes in the second.</p>
<p>Lin averaged 3.8 turnovers in March, though he missed the last four games after the injury. Check out the preseason stats with the Rockets and you'll see Lin averaged 2.5 turnovers a game. So it's already getting better, right?</p>
<p>Last year's stats could be chalked up to Mike D'Antoni's offense, but it's clear that Lin could use some relief in handling the ball . Harden's the right guy to do it. Remember that once <span>Eric Maynor</span> got hurt for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunder</a>, Harden was pretty much the backup point guard of the team.</p>
<p>More noteworthy; Harden had six turnovers or more in just one game all season (a regular season matchup against eventual champion <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Miami Heat</a>). This trade came just when I was about to give Kevin Martin props for seeming so engaged this early in the season, like he actually wanted to be a part of this team that really isn't going anywhere.</p>
<p>This is a trade Rockets fans can be happy with, but right now it's about appreciating the simple things. It doesn't make Houston a contender right away, or even the foreseeable future without another move close to its magnitude.</p>
<p>And if there's nothing else to get excited about when it comes to Harden to Houston, at least dude can dribble.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/houston-rockets/2012/10/29/3567618/houston-rockets-trade-james-harden-jeremy-linBrandon Scott2012-10-25T13:44:17-05:002012-10-25T13:44:17-05:00Jeremy Lin continues to struggle in preseason
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<p>Jeremy Lin had just two points and five assists in the Rockets' fourth preseason victory Wednesday night against the New Orleans Hornets. How big of a concern is Lin leading up to the start of the season?</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rockets</a> picked up <a href="http://houston.sbnation.com/houston-rockets/2012/10/24/3551802/rockets-vs-hornets-nba-preseason-final-score-recap">a win Wednesday</a> against the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/new-orleans-hornets" class="sbn-auto-link">Hornets</a>, but their star player <span>Jeremy Lin</span> was mostly ineffective. Lin's stat line for the night: 2 points, 5 assists, 6 turnovers in 31 minutes.</p>
<p><span>Carlos Delfino</span> came off the bench to lead the Rockets with 20 points and <span>Chandler Parsons</span> threw in 18. Lin made just one of eight shot attempts against the Hornets and his preseason averages are even worse than reasonable expectations.</p>
<p>In five preseason games, Lin is averaging five points on 22 percent shooting, six assists, and three turnovers in just under 26 minutes a game. Lin is still recovering from a knee injury, but also said the knee feels about as good as he's expected, with no significant setbacks.</p>
<p>So what's the deal? To expect Lin to put up All-Star numbers, whether it's now or in the regular season, might be asking a bit much. He still has some adjusting to do, being in his first full season as an active member of an NBA lineup.</p>
<p>It's just that if he's supposed to play as much as we all anticipate, how long before our minds are made up on this? A test of patience here.</p>
<p>And speaking of patience...</p>
<p><a href="http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400400559">Not much Royce White in the Hornets game</a>. He played just eight minutes and missed the two shots he put up. The concern with White is obviously a lot different than the Lin situation, but here's another waiting game. As wonderful as it sounds that the Rockets are being supportive of White and his anxiety disorder, it all boils down to whether or not the rookie is worth the risk.</p>
<p>That's the awkward truth in all of this. And I think he is, from a basketball perspective and as a guy who really seems to handle himself responsibly (just from listening to him talk without really knowing him).</p>
<p>The Rockets have a lot of obscure players on this team, but the two with the slightest bit of star potential aside from <span>Kevin Martin</span> are Lin and White. They both just have us all watching and waiting.</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PENZxjt505Q?list=PL4460A111BD749236&hl=en_US" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/houston-rockets/2012/10/25/3554650/houston-rockets-preseason-2012-jeremy-lin-royce-whiteBrandon Scott2012-10-22T15:50:19-05:002012-10-22T15:50:19-05:00Jeremy Lin says Rockets are better defensively
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<p>Jeremy Lin spoke with the media after Monday's practice and said he believes the Rockets are better defensively after five preseason games. </p> <p>Even at the height of Linsanity, <span>Jeremy Lin</span> was never considered a defensive stopper at the point guard position. For what he was able to do offensively, torching defenders in the pick and roll and knocking down big shots, opposing guards were able to pretty much have their way with Lin. </p>
<p>Good thing for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Rockets</a> that their new franchise player is all about improving. That's what the preseason is for, and the team is taking advantage of the opportunity. The Rockets are going to need all the practice and preparation they can get before the games start to actually count. </p>
<p>So far, <a href="http://www.nba.com/rockets/video/jeremy-lin-10222012">Lin says he's noticed the team's improvement on the defensive side of the ball</a>. Lin and <span>Kevin Martin</span> are the only proven scorers on the team, which means defense is going to be a lot more important in Houston than it was in New York for Lin.</p>
<p>The Rockets allowed 105 points to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunder</a> in their preseason opener, but the difference for Houston was made at the free throw line. Still, Houston's been pretty good defensively even in defeat.</p>
<p>The Rockets gave up more than 50 percent from the field to both the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">Spurs</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Mavericks</a>, but were active in getting steals and that's the only preseason games so far that an opponent shot over 50 percent. </p>
<p>Having <span>Omer Asik</span> at center is going to make up for Lin and Martin (the scorers) defending the perimeter, but I get the feeling this is going to be a team effort. All the Rockets have is each other because not a lot of smart people believe in this team.</p>
<p><b>Lin's knee</b></p>
<p>You'll notice <a href="http://www.nba.com/rockets/video/jeremy-lin-10222012">in the interview</a> that Lin has to address how his knee is doing twice. He says it's fine and that there haven't been any major setbacks - that it's right where the teams want it to be, wherever that is. </p>
<p>It's important for the media to keep asking because of how much the Rockets are relying on their new point guard to stay healthy, not only so they can be competitive, but so they can be relevant whether Lin is successful or not. </p>
<p>No one wants to see Lin in a suit, because that doesn't confirm or disprove the theories and predictions about how good or bad he'll be, and whether or not he's up for his role as the leader of this Rockets' team. Normally, reporters ask about injuries just because it's proper to be thorough. But Lin's knee has more implications and it's a bigger story if it indeed has legs. </p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/houston-rockets/2012/10/22/3539864/nba-preseason-2012-houston-rockets-jeremy-linBrandon Scott2012-10-17T12:19:10-05:002012-10-17T12:19:10-05:00Linsanity Invades GQ
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<p>Signing Lin wasn't only about winning; their investment is starting to pay off.</p> <p>Should this be surprising? By purely on the court measures, putting <span>Jeremy Lin</span> on the cover of GQ is a bit odd considering the short amount of time he played at a high level during his brief career, but this decision wasn't made for on-the-court reasons. In some ways, that's appropriate considering that I don't believe he was signed by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Houston Rockets</a> for mainly on-the-court reasons. No doubt he has upside and an impressive highlight reel, but there are plenty of reasons to doubt that he can produce at the same level he did during the height of Linsanity in February of this year. I've been over those reasons more than a dozen times so there's no need to regurgitate them again. Better yet, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/201211/jeremy-lin-gq-november-2012-cover-story">Jeremy Lin agrees with some of that doubt</a>.</p>
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<p>People are always saying, ‘He’s only started twenty-five games, there’s so many uncertainties.’ And I agree. I totally agree. I don’t know how my next season’s going to turn out. The things that I struggled with before last year, I’m going to struggle with next year—there’s that learning process. Just because you have <i><span style="font-style: italic;">x</span></i> amount of good games doesn’t mean that you have drastically improved as a player. It just means that what you could do is finally being shown. But I have to getbetter.</p>
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<p>That quote from the upcoming magazine certainly is mostly his own humility, but I think it's also accurate. Fans expecting him to put up 25 points and 8 assists per game over a full season this year are delusional. He's not as good as his numbers indicated during the height of Linsanity, he's not as bad as he looked against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Heat</a>; the answer is always somewhere in between.</p>
<p>To some extent, whether or not he lives up to the hype doesn't matter. A large part of why the Rockets signed Lin was because of the media attention and advertisement dollars that came along with him. The Rockets have had pretty good players in recent history, but only one other player has attracted this type of attention off the court; that of course being <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="#">Yao Ming</a>. Even during their championship seasons, the Rockets haven't been a sexy story that leads Sports Center every night. Signing Lin won't put them ahead of the Heat, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a>, or <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">Knicks</a> in attention from the media, but it certainly raises their profile in pop culture and brings money into the organization.</p>
<p>Long term marketing opportunities will only be there if Lin leads the Rockets to success in the playoffs, but in the short term, and his current contract is only for three years, he'll put money into the pocketbooks of the Rockets front office which is a bonus for a team in the midst of a rebuilding process. Normally when teams go through a rebuilding process they take a hit in ticket sales and marketing because, predictably, the interest in the team drops off. Even if Lin fails to make a big impact on the court, he'll at least help stabilize the books while the team reshapes it's roster and that was an important factor in deciding to sign him. In the short term, I think the Rockets are willing to trade magazine covers for wins.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/2012/10/17/3516916/jeremy-lin-linsanity-invades-gqBrian McDonald2012-10-16T09:16:28-05:002012-10-16T09:16:28-05:00Lin takes scheduled night off
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<p>Jeremy Lin took a scheduled night off Monday against the Mavericks.</p> <p>Breathe, <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Houston Rockets</a> fans. <span>Jeremy Lin's</span> benching Monday night in the Rockets' 123-104 preseason loss to the <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dallas Mavericks</a> had nothing to do with the point guard's struggles this preseason, but rather was a scheduled night off while Lin recovers from a knee injury. Rockets coach Kevin McHale told the Houston Chronicle that <a target="_blank" href="http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2012/10/lin-sitting-out-as-planned-while-mchale-works-to-get-his-mojo-going/">sitting Lin Monday night was always part of the plan:</a></p>
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<p>"We had planned on this already," McHale said. "This was his day off in his knee rehab, 28 days of October plan that we had to get him where we need to have him by the 31<sup>st</sup>."</p>
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<p>McHale also said it's important to take a breather as Lin regains his playing form:</p>
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<p>"He's finding his way, as always happens when you haven't played in a long time," McHale said of Lin, who had not played since March prior to training camp. "He had surgery and took a long time off. He's just getting his confidence back, trying to get his mojo going which is very common."</p>
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https://houston.sbnation.com/houston-rockets/2012/10/16/3511240/jeremy-lin-houston-rockets-preseason-2012Kevin Jeffers2012-10-15T12:25:55-05:002012-10-15T12:25:55-05:00Better offseason signing: Jeremy Lin or Omer Asik?
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<p>Jeremy Lin is obviously the force behind the Houston Rockets' advertising campaign this offseason, as they market a "New Age" for the franchise. But is Omer Asik going to turn out to be the better 2012 signing?</p> <p>Of course it's too early for this argument but there's just so much to sort through with this <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Rockets</a> team. There's not a lot of players with more than three years experience on the squad so realistic expectations have to start out low. The rookies are talented, but there's the delicate <span>Royce White</span> situation, which no one really knows what to make of.</p>
<p>And the major offseason acquisitions - <span>Jeremy Lin</span> and <span>Omer Asik</span> - that's certainly a duo to be reasonably skeptical of. I'm saying, though: did you ever consider Asik would be the better grab? No way.</p>
<p>Lin didn't play particularly well in Sunday's loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">Spurs</a>, and he's been pedestrian at best in three preseason games so far. Just check <a href="http://houston.sbnation.com/2012/10/15/3506362/jeremy-lin-progress-report">B-Mac's early progress report for the young point guard</a>. </p>
<p>But Asik? A pleasant surprise, I have to say. Perhaps it's because the Rockets went from trying to put together packages to get <span>Dwight Howard</span> or <span>Andrew Bynum</span>, to signing Asik. Easy to see how that could take a fan from high to low. </p>
<p>When you really evaluate Asik, though, the dude can guard at his position, and may even be a potentially elite defender. Even if Lin figures out his offensive struggles, which I'm confident he will, he's not locking down too many point guards that are at least as good as he is.</p>
<p>If Asik can consistently put up 13 and 10 on offense, pass the ball the way he has, and defend like his league reputation says he can, we might be looking at the real gem right there. </p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/2012/10/15/3505394/jeremy-lin-omer-asik-nba-2012-houston-rocketsBrandon Scott2012-10-15T10:22:59-05:002012-10-15T10:22:59-05:00Jeremy Lin: A preseason progress report
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<p>Three preseason games in, the results haven't been kind for Houston's new Rocket.</p> <p>Of course I realize, it's only the preseason. <span>Jeremy Lin</span> and his <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Rockets</a> teammates are still working through the process of learning each others games and finding a rhythm on offense; that process will take time. While keeping that in mind, we still can't ignore the early results and those results have not been very good. Through three preseason games Lin has averaged just over five points per game and has shot 4-19 from the field (21.1 %) including 0-5 from behind the arc. By the numbers he's been awful shooting the ball, but a bit better passing the ball. Through three games Lin has a 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio with 14 assists (4.7 per game) and seven turnovers.</p>
<p>Stats don't tell the whole story, but in this case I believe they're important because they expose flaws that have been a concern from the very beginning with Lin. His two biggest issues with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">Knicks</a> last season were shooting and ball security; issues that got exposed after a good first month and were among the reasons why I didn't want the Rockets to sign him during the off-season. I'll remind you that from February to March, Lin's shooting percentage dropped off by 7%, his points per game dropped off by six points, and his assists per game dropped off by two. All that with superstars like <span>Carmelo Anthony</span> and <span>Amare Stoudemire</span> around him to pass the ball to for easy assists and draw the attention of defenders to give Lin open looks. Now with a lesser supporting cast with four rookies expected to get major minutes, his job will be much tougher this season. Obviously I don't think his numbers will continue to be this bad during the regular season, but I'm not encouraged by the early results.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/2012/10/15/3506362/jeremy-lin-progress-reportBrian McDonald2012-10-02T17:41:55-05:002012-10-02T17:41:55-05:00Lin Notes Quickness, Speed as Rockets' Strengths
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<p>New Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin says a quiet, confident spirit in the locker room will drive a productive season.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Houston Rockets</a> may be a young team, but they're acknowledging it, and focusing on their strengths.</p>
<p>Newly signed guard <span>Jeremy Lin</span> knows exactly what those strengths are.</p>
<p>"I think the thing we need to do is respect everybody who's in the league and everyone who's talented and really, really good," <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/youth-served">he told Jason Friedman of Rockets.com.</a> "But at the same time, have confidence in ourselves and understand we may be young and may have less experience but with that comes our positives and strengths which are quickness, speed and athleticism and we're going to try to rely on our strengths and ride that through."</p>
<p>The Rockets signed Lin to lead this team from the point guard position, inexperienced or otherwise. He's one part of a new-look Rockets lineup that was put together, as general manager Daryl Morey said, because each of them has a near-elite ability in some phase of the game.</p>
<p>Ability isn't the question.</p>
<p>"Can they put it all together and help us win a game and can they round out their games," Morey asked. "That's what we're going to find out, which of the young guys emerge into an impact player. Hopefully, more than one, but right now, we'll take one and go from there.</p>
<p>Houston begins the preseason against Oklahoma City on Oct. 10 in Hidalgo, Texas.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/2012/10/2/3446106/jeremy-lin-houston-rockets-training-campNeal Coolong