I'm continually amazed at how "writers" who have not WATCHED Jeremy Lin play or studied tape, pass judgment on him as if they were experts. This excerpt comes from some wanker at Fansided Hoops Habit. It was just about the worst I've ever seen:
"If he (Scott) truly meant his words on focusing on the defensive end, he’ll have to play Jeremy Lin more than 40-year-old Steve Nash, and even start the newcomer. That sounds a bit hysterical, considering Lin lost his starting job in Houston because he couldn’t defend a soul. Patrick Beverley took over those duties, and Daryl Morey felt that Lin was worth trading away and limiting his point guard depth.
Hysterical? Couldn't guard a soul? What planet is this faux writer from???
And more idiocy from him: "Viewing the Rockets last season, you could tell Lin wasn’t able to stay with the quicker, stronger guards on the perimeter. Players would blow past him, and it would place a heavy burden on Dwight Howard and Terrence Jones to defend the rim."
If I wrote that back in the day when I covered the Knicks, my editor would have at least asked me how I had come to my conclusions about Lin. But today, fan sites have no editors. All these wannabe writers just want is to see their name in print. And to go all Stephen Smith and Barkley with a rant that draws attention to THEM, not the players they pontificate about.
Ignored by all these wannabes is that Byron Scott plans to install a modified Princeton Offense. An offense that needs a Lin type of guard.
When I was writing for my New Jersey newspaper, I often covered Princeton's basketball games, home and on the road. The coach, Pete Carril invented the Princeton Offense. He was a genius as a coach. I saw first hand what the Princeton Offense does. It requires ball movement (no Hardens allowed!), and a really smart point guard. It was pure beauty to watch.
Here from a newspaper (with real editors and writers) is the major point to be made about Lin's future with Lakers:
"...Scott will have the ultimate say in how the offense is ran, which will likely be a mixture of the Princeton offense along with what he deems “traditional NBA sets.” The Princeton offense is one that is predicated on quick ball movement and motion, which means it will require a point guard to run the offense.
...This offensive scheme includes multiple cuts to the rim, the use of a strong post player that is able to draw double-teams, and a reliance on outside shooting that will allow the team to effectively use kick-outs after drives to the rim. If Lin can execute Scott’s offensive game plan well, then all will fall in place accordingly as he will have the head coach’s backing to his role on the team."
Lin's high basketball IQ, and his Harvard smarts will be more than enough to pick up and execute Scott's offense.
Listen up you wannabe writers! Your day of reckoning is coming. By November, you will all be singing Lin's praises. Writers are famous for reversing their opinions, AND never acknowledging that they were wrong.
And even then, they will not credit Lin for his talent. They will say that like in NY under D'Antoni, Lin found a coach who he was a perfect fit for. The implication being that Lin can only excel in certain systems. That's BS. In Houston, Lin did really well in what I wanted to say was McHale's System. But that would be an oxymoron. McHale had no system other than "Give the ball to Harden and let him run amok."
Here for you is a short clip showing the Princeton offense as executed by Carril's "rocket scientists" as he liked to call his players:
Now I am done ranting for the day. More rants to come.
Here is a promise: when Lin starts to shine for Lakers, and even carry them, I will write to all the faux writers and remind them of what they said about Jeremy. Count on it!
Have a nice day.
