Super Lintendo: The Jeremy Lin Thread

[13th Man]

Lin's minutes were fine. Both games are blow out. The starters were doing great and did get a few extra minutes.

The most important is the team won and everyone is healthy.

Exactly. I have no idea why anyone is making a big deal out of the past two games.

Vs Bulls he played 19 minutes. The last 6 minutes were garbage time. If Lin had played those 6 garbage minutes he'd have 25 minutes. Nobody would be complaining.

Vs Mavs he played 17 minutes. The last 4 minutes were garbage time. If Lin had played those 4 garbage minutes he'd have 21 minutes. People would be complaining less.

Would you rather have seen Clifford play Lin with the 3rd stringers during garbage time, just so he can pad his stats? Or would you rather he rest and not put unnecessary minutes on his body?

Serious question for Lin Nation. Which make-believe scenario would make you happier?

A) The Hornets win 50 games, lose to the Cavs in the ECF, Lin averages: 10ppg, 2rpg, 4apg while averaging 18 minutes per game. Lin gets along great with his team and loves winning and loves the city of Charlotte and plans to sign a long-term deal in the summer.

B) The Hornets win 20 games, finish in 14th place in he East, Lin starts the last 70 games of the season, Lin averages: 18ppg, 4rpg, 7apg, while playing 33 minutes per game. Lin hates losing, his body is beat up from the heavy minutes, the Hornets are going to blow up the team, Lin once again is looking for a new home with uncertainty of his future.

Obviously A is better. What I'm more concerned about is the potential scenario of:

A) Hornets win 45 games with Lin being an integral part of the team avg. 25-27 mins/game, 14ppg.

B) Hornets win 45 games with Lin being a mere filler avg. 17 mins/game avg. 7ppg.

Obviously Lin fans don't want to see B happen, which is a possibility if this current trend continues. If Lamb continues to thrive at on the 2nd unit as SG (which I am rooting for), and Lin continues to be shakey with his handles, Lamb will be closing out the games. This is realistic possibility. If Lin continues to be a late subber 3:00 minute mark, he'll better get used to seeing 17 mins a game.

Lin needs to play better than he has that's all, some of us expect more out of him than him settling on being a 2M scrub. I sense that some Hornets fans are happy to see him settle in to this role but many of us long time fans are not. We want to see both the Hornets and Lin succeed.

[milankovich]

Lin's minutes were fine. Both games are blow out. The starters were doing great and did get a few extra minutes.

The most important is the team won and everyone is healthy.

Exactly. I have no idea why anyone is making a big deal out of the past two games.

Vs Bulls he played 19 minutes. The last 6 minutes were garbage time. If Lin had played those 6 garbage minutes he'd have 25 minutes. Nobody would be complaining.

Vs Mavs he played 17 minutes. The last 4 minutes were garbage time. If Lin had played those 4 garbage minutes he'd have 21 minutes. People would be complaining less.

Would you rather have seen Clifford play Lin with the 3rd stringers during garbage time, just so he can pad his stats? Or would you rather he rest and not put unnecessary minutes on his body?

Serious question for Lin Nation. Which make-believe scenario would make you happier?

A) The Hornets win 50 games, lose to the Cavs in the ECF, Lin averages: 10ppg, 2rpg, 4apg while averaging 18 minutes per game. Lin gets along great with his team and loves winning and loves the city of Charlotte and plans to sign a long-term deal in the summer.

B) The Hornets win 20 games, finish in 14th place in he East, Lin starts the last 70 games of the season, Lin averages: 18ppg, 4rpg, 7apg, while playing 33 minutes per game. Lin hates losing, his body is beat up from the heavy minutes, the Hornets are going to blow up the team, Lin once again is looking for a new home with uncertainty of his future.

Obviously A is better. What I'm more concerned about is the potential scenario of:

A) Hornets win 45 games with Lin being an integral part of the team avg. 25-27 mins/game, 14ppg.

B) Hornets win 45 games with Lin being a mere filler avg. 17 mins/game avg. 7ppg.

Obviously Lin fans don't want to see B happen, which is a possibility if this current trend continues. If Lamb continues to thrive at on the 2nd unit as SG (which I am rooting for), and Lin continues to be shakey with his handles, Lamb will be closing out the games. This is realistic possibility. If Lin continues to be a late subber 3:00 minute mark, he'll better get used to seeing 17 mins a game.

Lin needs to play better than he has that's all, some of us expect more out of him than him settling on being a 2M scrub. I sense that some Hornets fans are happy to see him settle in to this role but many of us long time fans are not. We want to see both the Hornets and Lin succeed.

He has to earn those minutes. But we have faith.


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[bws94]

Lin didn't have a bad game. He was exposed to not have NBA-level PG handles.

I think Lin played one of his best games at PG this season. He doesn't have NBA PG-level handles. When Lin had problems it was twofold. It was not handling ball pressure as well as he should and communication with Hawes or hesitating too long to get into a play. Lin had a big steal off of Barea for a reverse layup, a block at the buzzer, some good drives and dishes, a big +1 in the 4th after Harris pressured him into the TO, and found various teammates for open and good looks, took mostly good shots that didn't fall. Defensively he could have been better, but wasn't bad.

I think people are going with him looking shaky and saying he's mediocre in this game but I disagree. He didn't score well but his facilitation was sound. It all breaks down when he's pressured. And that's where Lin needs to get it together.

In the meantime, Lin needs to get things going before the defense sets. He isn't a great half-court PG. He's solid at fast-breaks, lobs, outlet passes, dribble penetration, PnR. He doesn't have some of these things on this team. So he has to figure out a way of creating space for himself and I think that's pushing the ball up the court and going into early offense when he's PG. If he's pressured, let someone else bring the ball up the court. Know your limitations.

[ChokeFasncists]

^
Maybe you should include the value of the deals.

They are the same. In both scenarios he receives a 4 year deal similar to the mid-level exception. So for argument's sake, lets say both deals land him 4/32 mil. In scenario A the deal is with the Hornets. In scenario B the deal is with an unknown team with an unknown role. This question isn't about money.

This ain't bad. Cuz in those scenarios, it sounds like if he averages 18/7, he is much more likely to get a starters deal, that'd be nice; whereas if he averages 10/4, he might only get a small raise and that's not very good.

If he gets paid regardless then IMO the lesser of the two evils would be winning with playing little. If he plays well consistently and solves the TO problem, he could easily get a Harden/Reggie Jackson later on; or someone gets traded or injured, etc. He would learn alot along the way, be happy, confident and more healthy. He still got some time to be a starter later on.

In this day and age, money is pretty important. Asset, respect, expectations. Teams make decisions accordingly; that's the reality. But ultimately, it's about him playing well. If he plays well, he should be there in crunch time and that's very important for us fans cuz he's real clutch. If he plays well and not be there in crunch time then there's a problem. That is very unlikely to happen cuz when he's on, he's real good. So again, if he plays well consistently and tones down on his TO, either way he'll be fine long term; and short term, winning is better than playing a lot IMO.

[Roy Tarpley]

Lin's minutes were fine. Both games are blow out. The starters were doing great and did get a few extra minutes.

The most important is the team won and everyone is healthy.

Exactly. I have no idea why anyone is making a big deal out of the past two games.

Vs Bulls he played 19 minutes. The last 6 minutes were garbage time. If Lin had played those 6 garbage minutes he'd have 25 minutes. Nobody would be complaining.

Vs Mavs he played 17 minutes. The last 4 minutes were garbage time. If Lin had played those 4 garbage minutes he'd have 21 minutes. People would be complaining less.

Would you rather have seen Clifford play Lin with the 3rd stringers during garbage time, just so he can pad his stats? Or would you rather he rest and not put unnecessary minutes on his body?

Serious question for Lin Nation. Which make-believe scenario would make you happier?

A) The Hornets win 50 games, lose to the Cavs in the ECF, Lin averages: 10ppg, 2rpg, 4apg while averaging 18 minutes per game. Lin gets along great with his team and loves winning and loves the city of Charlotte and plans to sign a long-term deal in the summer.

B) The Hornets win 20 games, finish in 14th place in he East, Lin starts the last 70 games of the season, Lin averages: 18ppg, 4rpg, 7apg, while playing 33 minutes per game. Lin hates losing, his body is beat up from the heavy minutes, the Hornets are going to blow up the team, Lin once again is looking for a new home with uncertainty of his future.

Lin's minutes were not fine. First, you have to consider the context.

Lin was a starter on the playoff Knicks in 2012 (27min/game), a starter on the playoffs Rockets in 2013 (32min/game), the 6th man on the playoff Rockets in 2014 (29min/game), and part-time starter on the tanking Lakers in 2015 (26min/game). Simply put, other than his pre-Linsanity years, Lin has always played 26min/game MINIMUM, he has more playoff experience than most of the Hornets roster, and his stats were good in the time played. Furthermore, in the 7-1 preseason, Lin averaged the most number of minutes and points for the Hornets. And although Clifford never promised X number of minutes, he clearly promised significant playing time for Lin (which any reasonable person would take as at least 26min/game, if not more, if you know Lin's history).

So with this background set, this is why some people think that Lin's 19 and 17 minute allotment is not fine. Even in the "non-garbage time" games (Heat and two Hawks games), Lin got 27, 27, and 21 minutes (25min/game), which is below the average in any of his previous three seasons. So people ARE complaining about his minutes, even with the added garbage minutes in the last two games -- though I've held off on complaining since it's a small sample size and wanted to wait to see how things shake out.

I see people complaining about Kaminsky's minutes and Lamb's minutes, and I think rightfully so. But I don't see anyone telling these folks, "Hey, I don't care if Lamb plays 10 minutes or 40 minutes, as long as the Hornets win" or "Kaminsky's minutes are fine, the games were blow outs." Seems like a double standard to me. If anything, Lin has a stronger argument for more playing time, given his experience, than Lamb or a rookie like Kaminsky.

The bottom line is: Winning is the most important factor but coaches have to deftly manage playing time because all players have egos and confidence issues. We could win 60 games but if Al Jefferson is getting only 18 minutes/game, you're going to have a sour big man on your hands. No one is arguing that Lin should start, no is arguing that Lin should get 36min/game to the detriment of winning. But you're telling me you can't have the following minutes distribution and not still win?

PG: Kemba (32); Lin (16)
SG: Lamb (16); Lin (16); Hairston (16)
SF: Batum (32); Lamb (16)
PF: Williams (30); Zeller (18)
C: Jefferson (30); Kaminsky (10); Hawes (8)

In response to the serious question, fatlever, you paint an arbitrary strawman scenario. I prefer Option C where the Hornets win 50 games, lose to the Cavs in the ECF, Lin averages: 14ppg, 3rpg, 4apg while averaging 32 minutes. Lin gets along great with his team because he was a contributing member with lots of playing time, and loves winning and loves the city of Charlotte and plans to sign a long-term deal in the summer.

The bottom line is that the Hornets winning more games and Lin playing more should not necessarily be mutually exclusive situation, and based on Lin's track record of leadership and winning, these two scenarios should be mutually reinforcing.

[bws94]

Roy. The 19 and 17 minutes were both blowouts. He played 27 against Miami. He closed the 3 tight games of the 5 games played this season.

[gafun]

Some critics used Lin's one forced TO to define Lin's PG skills is just ridiculous. They toke all credits out of two big run ups after Lin entered the game twice. He did not shoot well, but his defense and offense contributed much more than SIMPLE stats show. Even Mavericks said the key of Hornets win last night is Kemba and Lin's "used ball screens and crafted dribbling to knife into the paint and resulted Cha was able to score 1.28 pts per position." (Mavs.com). Here is the ADVANCED stats to show Lin's contribution in the past 5 games. The team scores are avg. +12 when he was on the floor. Who is better than him on this stats? Batum and M. Williams.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHO/2016/on-off/

[Roy Tarpley]

Roy. The 19 and 17 minutes were both blowouts. He played 27 against Miami. He closed the 3 tight games of the 5 games played this season.

Yes, true statements, which I think you are using to indicate that Lin will close normal/tight games. No disagreement here, for now. But like I already stated, "Even in the "non-garbage time" games (Heat and two Hawks games), Lin got 27, 27, and 21 minutes (25min/game), which is below the average in any of his previous three seasons.

[Vae Victus]

It's one thing if Lin had signed a 3-4 year MLE type contract, his contract is secure and if the team wants to throttle back a bit on his usage then fine, it doesnt really affect him until the final year but by that time things should have worked out on his true value. Instead he's on a 1 year 2 mil deal where he needs to put up some stats NOW otherwise he WILL get relegated as a low end bench scrub. This is why Lin fans are touchy about his role and my initial WTFing on how why he picked the Hornets if he was willing to come off the bench for such a pittance.

Hell garbage time is the perfect time to let Lin play, he doesnt have the propensity to chuck stupid shots and he does his best to get his teammates involved (often to the detriment to himself). Pair him with Kamisky and have em run PnR/Pop all garbage time long and let the rest of the players work off of that. Lin WILL get the ball to the open man, instead of seeing someone like Roberts and Daniels doing their damndest to chuck up ISO shots, cuz honestly they're in a similar situation where they need stats too, but i'd say Kamisky is the most important player that should be developed. However at least with Lin he WILL distribute to get the other players (especially Kamisky) going and thus great for everyone's development. Also it helps Lin work on his handles against lesser quality but desperate defenders in a no risk environment. IE its win win win if u throw Lin in there to let him pad his stats to keep him happy and more open to re-signing, develop the bigs faster in roles that u want them to excel in (hard screening, PnR/Pop) AND himself (handles, decision making) all at the same time. Also gives the bench players the opportunity to build chemistry by letting them play together longer, thats what good coaches do. Game over/Blowout, get the bench in there in their expected units and have em run the set plays and schemes as if it were a hard scrimmage. Dont let them run in there and ISO chuck like crazy like a bunch of idiots gunning for stats. Every second of game time is precious resource that needs to be managed. Hence why i was pissed that the Hornets kept their starters in 5 mins left against an anemic Mavs who were totally defeated, gotta get Lin, Kamisky, Hawes, Roberts, Hairston those mins together to turn em into a more effective 2nd unit.

[Roy Tarpley]

I was WTF too about Lin picking Charlotte (one friend scoffed, "That's where careers go to die") but Lin's public statements about his mind-meld with Clifford made sense. Clifford seemed to understand Lin's frustrations, Cliff's friendship with D'Antoni also seemed to be a positive sign, and the Charlotte fans have been terrific. In addition, Lin's superb pre-season reinforced the positive vibe. So the first three games had me a little puzzled ("Oh, it looks like Lin is settling into about 25min/game, which is lower than his average on the Knicks/Rockets/Lakers, but whatever, it's three games"). The last two games are bringing out the WTF again. The Hornets are winning, which is fantastic and the most important thing, but if they really want to Lin to pick up his player's option in year 2 (or not, but re-sign), I don't think his current minutes are going to cut it.

[fatlever]

In response to the serious question, fatlever, you paint an arbitrary strawman scenario. I prefer Option C where the Hornets win 50 games, lose to the Cavs in the ECF, Lin averages: 14ppg, 3rpg, 4apg while averaging 32 minutes. Lin gets along great with his team because he was a contributing member with lots of playing time, and loves winning and loves the city of Charlotte and plans to sign a long-term deal in the summer.

The bottom line is that the Hornets winning more games and Lin playing more should not necessarily be mutually exclusive situation, and based on Lin's track record of leadership and winning, these two scenarios should be mutually reinforcing.

I picked two extreme examples to get a better sense out of what Lin fans really want to see. I was not trying to suggest that either scenario was realistic or a cause/effect (ie Lin can only put up big stats on a bad team or be on a winning team if he plays a smaller role). I do not believe those statements to be true and he has proven otherwise in his career. Obviously, the ideal answer is they want to see Lin on a very successful team, playing a major role (either as a starter or as a sub getting near 30 minutes).

But I also get the sense from reading thru this thread that there are a lot of Lin fans that would be happier to see Lin put up big stats on a bad team while playing a ton of minutes than to play a smaller role on a great team (if faced with only those two choices). That says to me that many Lin fans are not as concerned about what makes Lin happy (because I can just about guarantee that Lin would prefer a winning team with a smaller role), but more concerned about winning perception war against Lin haters, via Lin proving he can put up big stats in heavy minutes. The latter seems selfish to me.

[fatlever]

The Hornets are winning, which is fantastic and the most important thing, but if they really want to Lin to pick up his player's option in year 2 (or not, but re-sign), I don't think his current minutes are going to cut it.

I could be wrong and you guys can let me know if you disagree, but from everything I've learned about Lin this summer, he does not seem like the type of person who will decide his future team based on minutes having to be at a certain number or greater to want to sign there. He seems like he is much more interested in finding a home, a team that wants him, a clearly defined role, where he is valued, where he feels part of a team, a city that makes him comfortable.

Don't you think it is possible that Lin could be happier in a situation where he played 20-25 minutes a night as opposed to a situation where he played 25-30 minutes per night, as long as the first option was a better overall situation, both from a team standpoint, chemistry and culture of the city?

For example, lets say next year, the Warriors offered Lin a chance to back up Curry and return to the Bay area. Although that would mean Lin only getting 15-20 minutes a game and less money. I bet he would gladly choose that situation over signing with a team like the Nets, where he can start on a terrible team, for more money. Again I am using two extreme examples to make my point.

[bws94]

The Hornets are winning, which is fantastic and the most important thing, but if they really want to Lin to pick up his player's option in year 2 (or not, but re-sign), I don't think his current minutes are going to cut it.

I could be wrong and you guys can let me know if you disagree, but from everything I've learned about Lin this summer, he does not seem like the type of person who will decide his future team based on minutes having to be at a certain number or greater to want to sign there. He seems like he is much more interested in finding a home, a team that wants him, a clearly defined role, where he is valued, where he feels part of a team, a city that makes him comfortable.

Don't you think it is possible that Lin could be happier in a situation where he played 20-25 minutes a night as opposed to a situation where he played 25-30 minutes per night, as long as the first option was a better overall situation, both from a team standpoint, chemistry and culture of the city?

For example, lets say next year, the Warriors offered Lin a chance to back up Curry and return to the Bay area. Although that would mean Lin only getting 15-20 minutes a game and less money. I bet he would gladly choose that situation over signing with a team like the Nets, where he can start on a terrible team, for more money. Again I am using two extreme examples to make my point.

There are different camps of Lin fans. Some are tougher on what Lin needs to do to improve to earn minutes while others note what he's done in the past and conditions that led to him thriving. He does play better with more minutes. He can explode in the 4th. He can look bad in most of a game and then have a big 4th quarter. He can look great in OT.

The tough fans look at his handles and think they need to improve and general PG skills and awareness and think they aren't there yet. I happen to be, I guess, a tough fan if that's the category I've just made up to use.

I think Lin wants a coach that gets his game and will utilize him in that respect. He wants team mates he can mostly get along with. Not having a superstar on the team is better for him. He wants a chance to go to the playoffs. I'm not sure how many minutes he wants, but I don't think he likes not knowing if he'll play 15 or 40 like it was in Houston.

Lin's a team guy, tough on himself, hard worker, great locker room guy, good for marketing. On the court, he can make winning plays and he can have bouts where he seems to play passive. He's in his prime now so I hope this year he finds the right balance. I think he's on a good team to do so.

[Roy Tarpley]

I don't have exact quotes on hand (some of the more hardcore Lin fans could probably dig it up) but everything I've read indicates that Lin considered a variety of factors in making his decision, including supportive management, coach's style, team chemistry, culture of the city, friends and family, AND the place that would give him the most playing time. Clearly, if Lin didn't choose a more metropolitan area that has lots of friends, family, and diversity, and he didn't emphasize money, it appears that he stressed coaching style and playing time. Which would make sense not just from a player's perspective but also from a professional standpoint -- you can't get bigger contracts and more playing time if you don't get the opportunity to show what you can do.

The real question is what, in Lin's mind, constitutes "sufficient" playing time? My guess is at least 28min/game but some people seem to think 20min/game is adequate. To be honest, I don't know if Lin would choose backing up Curry if it's only 15-20 minutes per game. Maybe when he's 32 at the tail end of his career like Mo Williams but Lin is 27 and in his prime. Again, I don't know why 28-32 minutes is so far-fetched. Most of those minutes would come from Hairston, which is probably a good thing.

Do I think that Lin would prefer 20-25 minutes a night in Charlotte over, say, 25-30 minutes a night on the Lakers? YES. But I also think Lin would be happier with a third choice: 28-30 minutes in Charlotte.

[Roy Tarpley]

In his Facebook post announcing his decision to go to Charlotte, Lin said, "Going into my first true free agency as an NBA player this off-season, the one thing that mattered to me the most was finding a team that would be a good fit for me. I wanted to be on a team where I would be able to play freely and truly play the game I love with joy again. That has always been the most important thing to me."

In the comment thread, someone asked, "care to share your thought process on joining the hornets? i personally felt like you would have a bigger role on the mavs and possibly become the starting PG since your competition would only be JJ barea (who i think you're better than and would beat out for the starting PG spot). whereas on the hornets, you'll be playing behind kemba and be in a seemingly lesser role."

Lin responded, "My number 1 priority was finding the best opportunity to get the most minutes playing my style of play. Wont get too much into it, but Charlotte was by far the best choice. Spoke to Coach Clifford for a couple hours and really understands my game. I feel like he will bring out the best in me."

I'm not sure what other options Lin had, but it's hard for me to believe that 20min/game is what Lin had in mind.

Let's see what happens with the Spurs! Lamb and Kaminsky have good arguments for more playing time too!

[spaceballer]

The Lady Vikings high school basketball team from Houston posing with Jeremy Lin in San Antonio. They caught him having breakfast on the riverbanks from their boat tour.

Are the Hornets no longer doing the teammates sharing meals thing to promote team chemistry and bonding, like they did during preseason/training camp? Or did the girls just want to take pics with only Jeremy Lin?

Lady Vikings Hoops ‏@VHSLadyVikings

The rest of the Lady Vikings getting the opportunity to meet @JLin7 !!! #LadyVikingsHoops #TheTeam


https://twitter.com/VHSLadyVikings/status/662696042547163137

Lady Vikings Hoops ‏@VHSLadyVikings

Four of the Lady Vikings posing for a picture with @JLin7 ! #LadyVikingsHoops #TheTeam

https://twitter.com/VHSLadyVikings/status/662693378048442368

[Vae Victus]

I picked two extreme examples to get a better sense out of what Lin fans really want to see. I was not trying to suggest that either scenario was realistic or a cause/effect (ie Lin can only put up big stats on a bad team or be on a winning team if he plays a smaller role). I do not believe those statements to be true and he has proven otherwise in his career. Obviously, the ideal answer is they want to see Lin on a very successful team, playing a major role (either as a starter or as a sub getting near 30 minutes).

But I also get the sense from reading thru this thread that there are a lot of Lin fans that would be happier to see Lin put up big stats on a bad team while playing a ton of minutes than to play a smaller role on a great team (if faced with only those two choices). That says to me that many Lin fans are not as concerned about what makes Lin happy (because I can just about guarantee that Lin would prefer a winning team with a smaller role), but more concerned about winning perception war against Lin haters, via Lin proving he can put up big stats in heavy minutes. The latter seems selfish to me.

Given a choice i'd rather Lin be a star on a bad team, BUT where the team isnt bad because of him. So none of the high usage, ISO chucking, always gambling for steals, flashy passes type of crap, if thats the path to be a "star" then i'd rather he be an avg, efficient, but RESPECTED player for his play on the court. Him being a cancerous chucker who only looks for his own would just be disastrous for future Asian-American athletes as future coaches will unfairly think that AA players only play that way to "shine" in order to get ahead of their peers, and right now AA athletes have enough hurdles to jump without more added negative perception.

Is it selfish for me to want him to dominate? Yup. Is it just to throw it in the face of the MASSIVE number haters and win the perception war? ABSOLUTELY! Him slinking off to CHA and meekly accepting a bench role at a salary "that's still too much for the scrub" is basically a surrender to the haters and theyre crowing to the rooftops at how they were right all along and Lin is finally accepting his "true scrubdom". His super strong play in Preseason has given hope that he's finally ready to bust out and shine now being backed by a coach who'll believe in him, however his current handling is starting to arouse worry in his fans. Whats in the back of our minds? "Oh **** theyre gonna treat him like a scrub, and his 2 mil contract will totally justify that treatment." This is why contracts are important to players, if you're not paid big bucks or secured long term you're just some throwaway cog in the machine, the cheaper your contract the more expendable you are. Lin already has to fight against massive negative stereotypes that already exists throughout the league ,and if he doesnt get his **** together and put some numbers up he's gonna get throw aside alot quicker than other players who've posted similar stats. I mean for crying out loud 2 million for the stats that he's put up the past 3 years?!?!? And he doesnt have the pick of teams to come off the bench for if he's willing to take so little?!?! Then i guess haters must be right, NO ONE WANTED HIM except for "just" Charlotte. Hell our minds were boggled at his treatment by the Lakers, it made ABSOLUTELY no sense, he's already being paid 15 mil (8.3 on the cap) for his final year why are you marginalizing him instead of trying to extract maximum value out of him if even for just a trade. He's also a marketing bonanza for the local asian population that they didnt even bother trying to mine, he didnt even play that poorly considering the situation, i mean **** seriously this is how you're gonna treat him?!? Hell im pretty much turned off from being a Laker fan now after all that bull.

So i hope you can see why alot of Lin fans so desperately want him to get succeed and thrive. He's pretty much the ONLY shot we're gonna have for a LONG awhile to get a player who can try to reverse the existing negative perceptions around. A poor year here will pretty much consign him to the trashbin of the league and no more opportunity to make a real difference in changing sport's culture minds about asians. Sad to say that even a few mins in garbage time to pad his stats is something he desperately needs to either work on his game, build his confidence, and make his stats look so much better the next negotiating meeting.

[yosemiteben]

I'm not sure what other options Lin had, but it's hard for me to believe that 20min/game is what Lin had in mind.

How can you post those quotes, none of which mention playing time, then say this? Is it so hard to fathom that he's not concerned his PT, he's concerned about his quality of play and the scheme he gets used in?

[bws94]

I'm not sure what other options Lin had, but it's hard for me to believe that 20min/game is what Lin had in mind.

How can you post those quotes, none of which mention playing time, then say this? Is it so hard to fathom that he's not concerned his PT, he's concerned about his quality of play and the scheme he gets used in?

Agreed. Sounds like Lin was saying quality of time on court, no real quantity. Sounded like he wanted to play with joy again, like he didn't so much in previous situations.

[spaceballer]

It's a small sample size and the season has just begun, but Lin is currently ranked #1 in true shooting percentage amongst the Hornets.

Richard Yao
‏@PeteStopTire

@hornets TS% @jlin7 57 MWilliams 56.7 Hawes 55.8 Batum 55.2 Lamb 55 Frank 54.6 Kemba 52.9