Around the NBA part 2

[Falstaffxx]

By the way, we could have had Kidd AND Lin AND Felton. Kidd was signed first. Then Felton. Then we still had the option of matching Lin's contract. For a team with a small window, that would have been a nice move.

[fdr2012]

He's already playing at the level of his contract, he would be the best point guard on the Knicks, and he's only 24 and in his second season in the league. When this team gets blown up in a couple years we'll wish there were a few players on the roster in their prime that we could use as a starting point. Right now that'll be just Shumpert and Novak.

He's not playing at the level of his contract. 12/6 does not get you $8.3M in this league - see Dragic. And no - I wouldn't want to see him on the team 3 years from now. I would like to have maximum cap space to get another star player to pair with Melo.

The Gallinaris and Lins of this league get you nowhere. You need to spend wisely and that means 2 stars on max contracts, the perfect role player in Chandler and some underpaid role players like Felton and JR.

[fdr2012]

By the way, we could have had Kidd AND Lin AND Felton. Kidd was signed first. Then Felton. Then we still had the option of matching Lin's contract. For a team with a small window, that would have been a nice move.

You can't blame Dolan for not wanting to pay $50M in luxury tax for Jeremy Lin. We really don't need Lin. We need a PG that can bring the ball past half court.

[j4remi]

Nobody says Lin is an all star. He's better than Felton though.

At what exactly? Felton before the hand injuries was playing brilliant basketball and he fits the Knicks offensive philosophy better than Lin. I'd hope people can accept that. Lin is a good young player. Not playing up to his contract yet, but building toward it. He's got flaws that hopefully he can work on in a healthy offseason and he's also got some strengths that make him a serious threat if you don't give him proper attention. But better than Felton...not this season.

Better vision, better at getting to the rim (better rebounder, but w/e). He's just a better point guard. The area he needs to improve in is 3-point shooting, and I think he will.

Better vision? How do you prove that? They average the same assists with Felton holding an edge in assist% and having less TO's (this is with both playing a PG role where the main playmaker and focal point is a wing). Better at getting to the rim on the PnR yes...in the open floor? Hell no. Felton is stronger going left and it's still not close. Rebounding...one rebound per game separates them, so yes edge to Lin but again, how does that fit into the Knicks philosophies and needs from the PG position.

Here's why Felton fits the Knicks better...more consistency and it's not close, which is expected comparing a vet to a young player. Felton gets less TO's despite a higher usage rate, which is big for this Knicks team that relies so heavily on a low rate of TO's. Felton also has the veteran skill of keeping his dribble longer. Lin will get that, but for now he picks it up early sometimes still. Three point shooting is a serious edge for Felton, again this is more important for the Knicks than many other teams. They rely so heavily on ranged shooting and ball movement that Felton's ability to knock down the three adds a dimension from the PG position that is huge for this offense. Now I could give you a list of Lin's advantages too, but when you plug them into the Knicks offense it doesn't work out as "hey this guy is a better fit" and statistically there's really not much argument for Lin as a better player...especially when you consider Felton playing with injured hands for a huge chunk of time where his numbers dipped.

I think Lin will be the better PG in his career...right now though, I don't think there's much of a case.

[Falstaffxx]

He's already playing at the level of his contract, he would be the best point guard on the Knicks, and he's only 24 and in his second season in the league. When this team gets blown up in a couple years we'll wish there were a few players on the roster in their prime that we could use as a starting point. Right now that'll be just Shumpert and Novak.

He's not playing at the level of his contract. 12/6 does not get you $8.3M in this league - see Dragic. And no - I wouldn't want to see him on the team 3 years from now. I would like to have maximum cap space to get another star player to pair with Melo.

The Gallinaris and Lins of this league get you nowhere. You need to spend wisely and that means 2 stars on max contracts, the perfect role player in Chandler and some underpaid role players like Felton and JR.

We could have had all those players AND Lin. And Lin is far less experienced than Dragic. Dragic has been in the league for 6 years and he's just now producing at the level Lin is in his second year. Lin at $8 million is a better deal than Dragic.

[j4remi]

By the way, we could have had Kidd AND Lin AND Felton. Kidd was signed first. Then Felton. Then we still had the option of matching Lin's contract. For a team with a small window, that would have been a nice move.

It was possible, but I don't think it was ever a realistic concept...just like trading a poison pill contract to avoid the luxury tax. I don't really see it.

[Falstaffxx]

Better vision, better at getting to the rim (better rebounder, but w/e). He's just a better point guard. The area he needs to improve in is 3-point shooting, and I think he will.

Better vision? How do you prove that? They average the same assists with Felton holding an edge in assist% and having less TO's (this is with both playing a PG role where the main playmaker and focal point is a wing). Better at getting to the rim on the PnR yes...in the open floor? Hell no. Felton is stronger going left and it's still not close. Rebounding...one rebound per game separates them, so yes edge to Lin but again, how does that fit into the Knicks philosophies and needs from the PG position.

Here's why Felton fits the Knicks better...more consistency and it's not close, which is expected comparing a vet to a young player. Felton gets less TO's despite a higher usage rate, which is big for this Knicks team that relies so heavily on a low rate of TO's. Felton also has the veteran skill of keeping his dribble longer. Lin will get that, but for now he picks it up early sometimes still. Three point shooting is a serious edge for Felton, again this is more important for the Knicks than many other teams. They rely so heavily on ranged shooting and ball movement that Felton's ability to knock down the three adds a dimension from the PG position that is huge for this offense. Now I could give you a list of Lin's advantages too, but when you plug them into the Knicks offense it doesn't work out as "hey this guy is a better fit" and statistically there's really not much argument for Lin as a better player...especially when you consider Felton playing with injured hands for a huge chunk of time where his numbers dipped.

I think Lin will be the better PG in his career...right now though, I don't think there's much of a case.

I guess I can't "prove" that Lin has better vision man...but he does. You can see that he does when you watch them play.

As for assists Lin has the same assists as Felton while playing in a backcourt with a guy who also has 5.4 assists. If Lin was playing for the Knicks he'd have 8 per game easily. He'd also probably be shooting 3's at a higher % because the Knicks offense is good at creating good 3-point attempts for people - you can see that in the fact that Kidd, Felton, and Anthony are all hitting 3's at higher than their career %, and in the cases of Kidd and Anthony it's MUCH high.

We shouldn't be debating the "getting to the rim" issue. Lin has a higher field goal percentage than Felton because he takes it to the rim frequently and successfully, and he converts in situations where Felton wouldn't.

[Falstaffxx]

By the way, we could have had Kidd AND Lin AND Felton. Kidd was signed first. Then Felton. Then we still had the option of matching Lin's contract. For a team with a small window, that would have been a nice move.

You can't blame Dolan for not wanting to pay $50M in luxury tax for Jeremy Lin. We really don't need Lin. We need a PG that can bring the ball past half court.

And the truth about you as a posters comes out again.

[fdr2012]

By the way, we could have had Kidd AND Lin AND Felton. Kidd was signed first. Then Felton. Then we still had the option of matching Lin's contract. For a team with a small window, that would have been a nice move.

You can't blame Dolan for not wanting to pay $50M in luxury tax for Jeremy Lin. We really don't need Lin. We need a PG that can bring the ball past half court.

And the truth about you as a posters comes out again.

What is that truth? Lin can't bring the ball past half court against pressure. We saw what Bradley did to Kidd on Monday. We saw what the Heat did to Lin last season. A team that wants to get somewhere needs a primary ball handler. That isn't Lin.

Where am I wrong here?

[fdr2012]

We could have had all those players AND Lin. And Lin is far less experienced than Dragic. Dragic has been in the league for 6 years and he's just now producing at the level Lin is in his second year. Lin at $8 million is a better deal than Dragic.

Saying that Lin is better than Dragic is laughable. Dragic is better and will always be better at every aspect of the game (other than rebounding). He's superior physically and skill-wise.

Lin @ $8M is better than Dragic at $7.5M? LOL. Please tell me how that is? How is 12/6 with 3 TOs better than 14/6 with 2.5 TOs and better defense?

[j4remi]

I guess I can't "prove" that Lin has better vision man...but he does. You can see that he does when you watch them play.

Not believing that for a second. Lin looks to kick out more, Felton looks for the roll man more. Lin looks to finish at the rack more whereas Felton looks to step back jumper. They look for different things on the court, but Lin's vision isn't better. He gets those big TO games because he forces things. When he gets away with it, it looks like he made a brilliant play with high vision but when it gets stolen he hurts the team more than Felton pulling back and resetting.

As for assists Lin has the same assists as Felton while playing in a backcourt with a guy who also has 5.4 assists. If Lin was playing for the Knicks he'd have 8 per game easily. He'd also probably be shooting 3's at a higher % because the Knicks offense is good at creating good 3-point attempts for people - you can see that in the fact that Kidd, Felton, and Anthony are all hitting 3's at higher than their career %, and in the cases of Kidd and Anthony it's MUCH high.

Oh come on...Felton is playing with Kidd and Melo. Melo has a higher usage percentage than Harden. Kidd is another PG who actually runs plays at times with Felton on the floor. The only reasonable argument for Lin having a better shot with the Knicks is that Tyson Chandler is a much better offensive big than Asik. As for getting good looks, really doesn't hold much weight when you look at how awful Lin played as a spot up shooter. He wasn't taking contested jumpers when the Rockets put him in that role, he just isn't very adept at that part of the game (why should he be though, he's a PG, not really his fault). Felton is just a better three point shooter. He's shot over 35% 4 times in his career, Lin set his benchmark last year at 32.

We shouldn't be debating the "getting to the rim" issue. Lin has a higher field goal percentage than Felton because he takes it to the rim frequently and successfully, and he converts in situations where Felton wouldn't.

Getting to the rim IN PICK AND ROLLS...yes...In open floor situations, Felton is much better. If you don't see that, than I'm calling bias. Felton is the quicker and more explosive guard in open floor situations and he's better attacking the rim with his offhand. He's a better fast break PG period. Lin in the pick and roll has incredible savvy and body control. The fact that every PG in the league gets more PnR opportunities than open floor chances to attack is why he's better at converting at the rim by the numbers. Lin is an EXCELLENT PnR PG going to the basket, but Felton is better from the wing in a one on one situation or with a fast break.

[knicksnyk]

I do think Lin is better. Lin is a much better defender. A better passer. He is better in transition & in the PNR. Lin is more athletic as well. Lin turns the ball over but the rockets play at the fastest pace in the NBA so a lot of his TO's are attempts to push that pace. Lin is also more versitile rebounds blocks & steals & getting to the free throw line. Lin is also a better finisher at the rim. Lin likes to kick out off the PNR but he also hits the roll man very well (see Asik & Greg Smith in Hou & Tyson in NY). Lin is also more efficient as well.

I disagree with felton being more consistent. Felton has had his fair share of stinkers in NY this season even before he got hurt. Felton has more shot attempts than points that is never acceptable. I am surprised that people think Felton is consistent. Even before felton got hurt he was playing well above his career averages that wasn't going to be sustatinable (see Brewers shooting). Only thing is that the injury made him play far below his career average which isn't good either. Felton is his career numbers. What Felton is better at Lin at is keeping his turnovers down & 3 point shooting.

[knicksnyk]

But this has always been a superstar's league. You need to have a certain type of player who can score at will and break some hearts in the process. Every Rocket fan I know will tell you that Harden is the man on that team. This is not meant as a slight on Lin by any means, he just has to understand that he has an important role on that team, just like Parsons and Asik. But Harden is clearly the guy they are depending on to strike it rich. He's a 26/5/4 player w/ playoff experience (WCF) as I am writing this.

The formula necessary to win is 1 or 2 transcendent superstar(s) and you surround him with good auxiliary scorers/defenders + competent bench. That's how winning is done in the NBA. Now, I'm not saying that Harden is a future HOF, because he has a lot to prove and just like Lin, he has his detractors. But why did you think Morey spent so much time restructuring the roster and stockpiling picks these past few offseasons? All these reports of setting themselves up for D12 and other superstars to come over? This was all methodically done pre-Harden/Lin.

You do make some fair points though. Harden and Lin (if he keeps up his consistency) is a nice dynamic backcourt for the future sure. But they must have a go-to player/scorer (Knicks/Melo), and so far Harden has defined that consistently.
.

Once again even before the Rockets got James Harden they were still building around a philosophy. The PNR & playing with pace. There was a reason why they wanted Howard to matchup with Lin A PNR big man. The Rockets got lucky getting Harden. Even Daryl Morey said you can't just build around one player. You need to have multiple players who can develop into all star caliber talent. Right now Asik is already an all star caliber talent & so is Harden. Lin & Parsons with more consistency have that potential. Why do you think the Rockets are still sticking with Royce White. Because Morey believes he has all star potential. Even there owner came out & said we are building around a idea running & they are only going to get a player that fits that idea. Even Tony Parker & Manu came out & said it that they are building like the Suns team under Dantoni. In fact the Rockets play at a pace faster than any of Dantoni's team.

[j4remi]

I do think Lin is better. Lin is a much better defender. A better passer. He is better in transition & in the PNR. Lin is more athletic as well. Lin turns the ball over but the rockets play at the fastest pace in the NBA so a lot of his TO's are attempts to push that pace. Lin is also more versitile rebounds blocks & steals & getting to the free throw line. Lin is also a better finisher at the rim. Lin likes to kick out off the PNR but he also hits the roll man very well (see Asik & Greg Smith in Hou & Tyson in NY). Lin is also more efficient as well.

I disagree with felton being more consistent. Felton has had his fair share of stinkers in NY this season even before he got hurt. Felton has more shot attempts than points that is never acceptable. I am surprised that people think Felton is consistent. Even before felton got hurt he was playing well above his career averages that wasn't going to be sustatinable (see Brewers shooting). Only thing is that the injury made him play far below his career average which isn't good either. Felton is his career numbers. What Felton is better at Lin at is keeping his turnovers down & 3 point shooting.

You can't use the Rockets pace to excuse Lin's TO's and then ignore that Felton has the same APG despite the much slower pace (not sure if it's still the slowest in the NBA). I don't consider Lin a better transition passer either, but he is more likely to pass on a break than Felton who is very adept at attacking on the break and scoring his own points.

Lin vs Felton defense is weird, to my eye, Lin isn't a great defender but by the numbers he is definitely better defensively. Rebounds, like I said, he only grabs 1 more board per game, it's not a crazy amount. Lin being more efficient is up for debate imo, when Felton was healthy...the debate wouldn't be close and Felton would be hands down the one. As for Lin being adept at passing to the roll man, yeah but Felton's adept at kick outs too...they just have different preferences in those instances.

Finishing at the rim...Lin wins.

As far as consistency, Felton has been more consistent period. Lin has 15 single digit scoring games and 12 games below 6 assists...Felton has 4 single digit scoring games and 10 below 6 assists (4 of which came in the last 5 games he played when the injuries were very obviously taking a toll).

Shots attempts vs scoring is a combination of playing with Melo out thus having to force more and injuries to both hands cutting away at his efficiency numbers in a major way. Whether his stellar play was sustainable or not, especially shooting, is debatable. It's not like he was making bad looks and throughout the first 20 or so games (it's really 18) he was sustaining a very efficient level of play. It was impressive as all hell and I did expect some fall off but not a huge one...he was in better shape this year than I've ever seen coming in and the system played to all of his strengths. As I've said though, when you really explore the numbers I think the case for Lin as a better PG is a tough sell and the case that Lin would fit in the Knicks offensive philosophy better just falls apart imo.

[frogfood]

I enjoy both players. I have 2 teams to watch now consistently.

[Tim Horton]

man if the Lin of late is still playing with the Knicks. Linsanity II.

[kakaman]

Dave McMenamin
@mcten

Kobe on Jeremy Lin's 19-pt, 6-reb, 5-ast, 4-stl night: "He seems to play extremely well against us. I don't know what that's about."

[Falstaffxx]

Dave McMenamin
@mcten

Kobe on Jeremy Lin's 19-pt, 6-reb, 5-ast, 4-stl night: "He seems to play extremely well against us. I don't know what that's about."

Bryant has been quite complimentary of Lin, like when they asked him whether Lin was legit, he said it didn't look as if Lin was playing beyond himself when he had the great game against LA last year.

[knicksnyk]

You can't use the Rockets pace to excuse Lin's TO's and then ignore that Felton has the same APG despite the much slower pace (not sure if it's still the slowest in the NBA). I don't consider Lin a better transition passer either, but he is more likely to pass on a break than Felton who is very adept at attacking on the break and scoring his own points.

I wasn't excusing Lin's turnovers. I did specifically say that Felton is better at keeping his TO's down than Lin is. Was just providing insight. Lins TO's were lower in the begining of the season when the Rockets played at a slower pace. Now the Rockets are pushing the pace a lot more & his TO's went up. Same thing happened in NY. Lins TO's were high under MDA when we were killing the pace. But when Woody came his TO's went down because of a slower pace. You are right Lin is more likely to pass on a break but I have also seen Lin score on a 3 on 1 fast break against Serge Perk & KD.

Lin vs Felton defense is weird, to my eye, Lin isn't a great defender but by the numbers he is definitely better defensively. Rebounds, like I said, he only grabs 1 more board per game, it's not a crazy amount. Lin being more efficient is up for debate imo, when Felton was healthy...the debate wouldn't be close and Felton would be hands down the one. As for Lin being adept at passing to the roll man, yeah but Felton's adept at kick outs too...they just have different preferences in those instances.

Lin is a better derender. He gets beat by smaller quicker guards but he is quick to recover something felton isn't good at. Lin can also defend bigger players. Chris Bosh Gallo & even LBJ. Can't do it for an entire game but if there is a mismatch he more than holds his own. There was one possession against the Cavs where Lin defended Kyrie & then went on to defend one of the cavs big men all in 24 seconds forcing the cavs into a violation. Just by virtue of being bigger & stronger & more athletic than Ray Lin has the nod on teh defensive end. And Like you said based on stats he is better.

You are right both are adept at passing for kick outs than the roll man I just think Lin is better at it . Things like threading the needle with bounce passes or threading the needle with full court passes, no look passes, skip passes touch passes etc Actually looking at Feltons numbers compared to Lin you are right both have there different tendencies. Lin prefers passing to bigs closer to the rim whereas felton passes more to shooters. But then again you have to take into consideration that the Knicks are a great 3 point shootign team whereas the rockets are not. Felton has a better assist to bad pass ratio (just slightly) but Lin has the great passing rating & the better hands rating as well.

http://www.82games.com/1213/12HOU2.HTM

http://www.82games.com/1213/12NYK1.HTM


Finishing at the rim...Lin wins.

As far as consistency, Felton has been more consistent period. Lin has 15 single digit scoring games and 12 games below 6 assists...Felton has 4 single digit scoring games and 10 below 6 assists (4 of which came in the last 5 games he played when the injuries were very obviously taking a toll).

Once again you cant just rely on things like this. Look at the games where Felton had more shot attempts than points? THose aren't good games just because he put up a lot of points he had to take a ton of shots to get there. And both Felton & Lin tend to make poor decisions at times. But with Lin it is understandable because he has yet to start in a full NBA season whereas felton is in his 8th year in the NBA he shouldn't be doing things like that. And just like felton was hurt towards the end Lin was clearly not healthy towards the beginning. I think with Felton his hand injury really messed with him mentally etc. Same with Lin in the begining of the season he was still trying to find his legs.

Shots attempts vs scoring is a combination of playing with Melo out thus having to force more and injuries to both hands cutting away at his efficiency numbers in a major way. Whether his stellar play was sustainable or not, especially shooting, is debatable. It's not like he was making bad looks and throughout the first 20 or so games (it's really 18) he was sustaining a very efficient level of play. It was impressive as all hell and I did expect some fall off but not a huge one...he was in better shape this year than I've ever seen coming in and the system played to all of his strengths. As I've said though, when you really explore the numbers I think the case for Lin as a better PG is a tough sell and the case that Lin would fit in the Knicks offensive philosophy better just falls apart imo.

Lin as the better PG is easy to sell because Lin hasn't even started for a full season where as felton has been in the NBA for 8 seasons. A lot of the mistakes that Felton makes he shouldn't be making. Yes Felton is in better shape but you can see what his lifestyle has done to his overall athleticism. Felton really struggles with lift it seems he just isn't as athletic as he once was. Even when you lose weight that doesn't mean you are athletic. Something that I think Lin provides that the Knicks need is athleticism at the guard position. We dont have that with Felton Kidd & Prigs.

In terms of fitting with the Knicks I agree think Felton fits better becuase he is the prototypical mike woodson PG. Low TO's. Felton handles defensive pressure a lot better than Lin does that is for sure. Felton is also a veteran so woody doesn't have to teach him how to the play the game whereas with Lin McHale has to teach him. Something felton is great at is that he can split traps Lin struggles with that he passes out of the trap he doesnt splits them. Also Lin likes to play with pace & get out & run Woodson doesn't do that. Felton is currently the better 3 point shooter than Lin is so he makes sense for this team. So interms of what Woodson wants yes felton is the better fit but he isn't the better player. Also felton has expereienced the playoffs Lin hasn't (although Feltons numbers in the post season are mediocre).

The thing with Felton which has always been my issue with him is that he thinks he is a great shooter which he isn't. So when defense give him the room to shoot when felton would be wise to drive. But when felton does drive he doesn't finish well but Tyson is usually there to clean it up. Felton should be averaging a lot more assists than Lin (thus far they are tied ) considering the talent level on the Knicks in comparison to the Rockets.
But he isn't Felton shoots way to much. Hopefully with amare back when felton returns he will shoot less & pass more I personally think that is when he is at his best.

[j4remi]

I wasn't excusing Lin's turnovers. I did specifically say that Felton is better at keeping his TO's down than Lin is. Was just providing insight. Lins TO's were lower in the begining of the season when the Rockets played at a slower pace. Now the Rockets are pushing the pace a lot more & his TO's went up. Same thing happened in NY. Lins TO's were high under MDA when we were killing the pace. But when Woody came his TO's went down because of a slower pace. You are right Lin is more likely to pass on a break but I have also seen Lin score on a 3 on 1 fast break against Serge Perk & KD.

Here's my point on that. Felton and Lin have the exact same APG despite the fact that Lin's team moves at a much faster pace. That is an indictment of the "better passer" concept right there. So, perhaps pace is affecting his TO's adversely but then to be fair you have to acknowledge that Felton gets assists in a much slower offense. You could point to Felton's usage percentage being higher but then that makes the TO numbers more compelling. I feel like you have to concede one side of the argument, TO's being the obvious one even despite the pace thanks to usage. You've said as much though, Felton is better at keeping his TO's down...so I think we're pretty much in agreement.

Lin is a better derender. He gets beat by smaller quicker guards but he is quick to recover something felton isn't good at. Lin can also defend bigger players. Chris Bosh Gallo & even LBJ. Can't do it for an entire game but if there is a mismatch he more than holds his own. There was one possession against the Cavs where Lin defended Kyrie & then went on to defend one of the cavs big men all in 24 seconds forcing the cavs into a violation. Just by virtue of being bigger & stronger & more athletic than Ray Lin has the nod on teh defensive end. And Like you said based on stats he is better.

That's a good point about versatility. Felton does have a strength edge imo though...but anyway, I won't argue that Felton's better defensively. Lin's numbers are better in all of the categories I tend to focus on. My eyes have always come away thinking that Lin is easier to beat off the dribble, but I know between the numbers and discussions with others who pay attention (like you) that I'm probably mistaken.

You are right both are adept at passing for kick outs than the roll man I just think Lin is better at it . Things like threading the needle with bounce passes or threading the needle with full court passes, no look passes, skip passes touch passes etc Actually looking at Feltons numbers compared to Lin you are right both have there different tendencies. Lin prefers passing to bigs closer to the rim whereas felton passes more to shooters. But then again you have to take into consideration that the Knicks are a great 3 point shootign team whereas the rockets are not. Felton has a better assist to bad pass ratio (just slightly) but Lin has the great passing rating & the better hands rating as well.

http://www.82games.com/1213/12HOU2.HTM

http://www.82games.com/1213/12NYK1.HTM


Finishing at the rim...Lin wins.

How does passer rating work? Honest question. It seems like their ratios are pretty similar everywhere besides products of offensive system and pass preference...but the passer rating difference is pretty big.

Once again you cant just rely on things like this. Look at the games where Felton had more shot attempts than points? THose aren't good games just because he put up a lot of points he had to take a ton of shots to get there. And both Felton & Lin tend to make poor decisions at times. But with Lin it is understandable because he has yet to start in a full NBA season whereas felton is in his 8th year in the NBA he shouldn't be doing things like that. And just like felton was hurt towards the end Lin was clearly not healthy towards the beginning. I think with Felton his hand injury really messed with him mentally etc. Same with Lin in the begining of the season he was still trying to find his legs.

I was gonna add FG% break downs but it's too much effort and I got lazy . It suggests the same thing, Lin has higher highs and lower lows whereas Felton rarely shoots below 33% but also almost never gives you better than 50% from the field. I actually thought Lin's biggest issues early were adjusting to the new system (valid reason regardless) but either way, he's been very feast or famine all season both as a passer and scorer. For Felton, it's not just the injury but games where Melo was out in which he had to shoot absurd amounts. If you follow the season he's had by game log, his FGA's increase as the team becomes more depleted and it skews the numbers a bit. I think consistency wise, when you track the game logs it's gonna be tough to sell Lin as the more consistent player thus far by any measure.

Lin as the better PG is easy to sell because Lin hasn't even started for a full season where as felton has been in the NBA for 8 seasons. A lot of the mistakes that Felton makes he shouldn't be making. Yes Felton is in better shape but you can see what his lifestyle has done to his overall athleticism. Felton really struggles with lift it seems he just isn't as athletic as he once was. Even when you lose weight that doesn't mean you are athletic. Something that I think Lin provides that the Knicks need is athleticism at the guard position. We dont have that with Felton Kidd & Prigs.

Depends on what kind of athletic you need. Felton is more explosive in terms of acceleration and combining that with his better handle...you get a PnR weapon despite his lower finishing rate at the rim (surprisingly Lin gets blocked a higher percentage of the time according to the links you showed). As for Felton's a vet who still makes mistakes...that doesn't make Lin the better player right now. Lin makes more mistakes period. He makes more TO's and slightly more bad passes. Felton scores more at only a slightly worse efficiency which is crazy considering the guy played a ton of games with injured hands. Felton's the better player right now, that Lin is younger only holds weight if we're talking about years ahead. If you want to compare contracts, it's still an extremely tough sell on Lin thanks to how cheap you get Felton and Lin's growth is impossible to project accurately.

In terms of fitting with the Knicks I agree think Felton fits better becuase he is the prototypical mike woodson PG. Low TO's. Felton handles defensive pressure a lot better than Lin does that is for sure. Felton is also a veteran so woody doesn't have to teach him how to the play the game whereas with Lin McHale has to teach him. Something felton is great at is that he can split traps Lin struggles with that he passes out of the trap he doesnt splits them. Also Lin likes to play with pace & get out & run Woodson doesn't do that. Felton is currently the better 3 point shooter than Lin is so he makes sense for this team. So interms of what Woodson wants yes felton is the better fit but he isn't the better player. Also felton has expereienced the playoffs Lin hasn't (although Feltons numbers in the post season are mediocre).

Yeah, I think in terms of better Woodson PG it's clear. I really hope Felton's post season numbers will improve, can't believe how Jameer did him. For now though, Felton just makes a lot more sense for the system. So the shoulda, woulda, coulda's about Lin and the Knicks seem unnecessary for me. Lin and Felton are better off now than they would be if they switched places. This obviously isn't aimed at you, just a general thought.

The thing with Felton which has always been my issue with him is that he thinks he is a great shooter which he isn't. So when defense give him the room to shoot when felton would be wise to drive. But when felton does drive he doesn't finish well but Tyson is usually there to clean it up. Felton should be averaging a lot more assists than Lin (thus far they are tied ) considering the talent level on the Knicks in comparison to the Rockets.

Eh, I think Felton's assists are just fine. Considering the slow pace, Melo as the focal point specifically in the post and J-Kidd/JR providing playmaking at times when he's in...it should be no surprise that he's not getting Nash numbers with the talent he's surrounded by. I agree that he settles for his jumper too often when guys go under screens but you learn to appreciate the nuances of his PnR game when you watch J-Kidd and Prigioni struggle to create out of it against certain defensive schemes. If he ever figures out how to make that floater drop, his numbers will jump a level.

But he isn't Felton shoots way to much. Hopefully with amare back when felton returns he will shoot less & pass more I personally think that is when he is at his best.

Yeah, I've had confidence that Felton's FGA's would go down when Amare returned all along. Without Stat the team only had three players who could create for themselves, so Felton taking that many attempts made sense (I'd prefer 14 or 15 but 16 isn't outrageous from a third option). It remains to be seen, but I expect his FGA's to drop to around 12 or 13 a game when Amare is in place if not even lower. At that point, we should see his efficiency improve and a slight boost in assists. This is all projection though.