Tuyen's Blog

Don't read too much into Jeremy Lin's performance against the Heat

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Just as people shouldn't consider him the second coming of Nash, they also shouldn't call him a flop because of tonight's game versus the Heat.  It is the Heat we're talking about, at their home.  Plus, no other Knicks player fared that much better.  Baron Davis, Lin's backup, went 0-7 for goodness sake.  I almost think this is a good thing he got thumped.  It exposed some big holes in his game that were glossed over when the team was winning (he can't go left, still needs to cut down the turnovers, etc).  I have no doubt Jeremy Lin will learn from this experience and make himself a better player.  He's just too smart and dedicated to do otherwise.

Should the Warriors regret cutting Lin? Never.

(The Lakers) never had (Lin) under contract and aren't in the regretful state of mind of Golden State or Houston, but they discussed signing him two months ago when he was a free agent.
via latimes.com

This story is ridiculous. Houston's GM may have officially regretted letting Lin go but the Warriors had no reason to keep him or feel regret about letting him go.  And they don't.  The fact of the matter is that Lin was playing behind two better guards - Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. Don't for a second think that Lin's current hot streak means he is a better player than either of these two. He's done it for 4 games. Let him try doing it for a season or two before we crown him the next great guard.

And I'm not hating on Lin. I think his underdog story is great and I root for him because of his Bay Area ties. But never for a second think he would have displaced Monta or Stephen in the starting line up this season. And think about it this way. Lin should be thanking the Warriors and Rockets for cutting him. He fell into an ideal situation by playing for the guard depleted Knicks in a D'Antoni scheme that allows guards to flourish. And mark the words of Kobe - "Enjoy it. They'll receive judgement next season." When teams start focusing on Lin, will he still continue to put up these numbers? That's the true test of any great NBA player. Can they still perform when defenses are designed to stop them? Now that Lin's profile is so high, you can bet his future opponents will game plan for him. Here's hoping he can learn and improve.

Jeremy Lin - NBA starter?

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That's the line score for Jeremy Lin from tonight's Jazz-Knicks game.  The ex-Warriors point guard is having a great two game stretch for the Knicks and it's great to see him flourishing.  But before we crown him an elite point guard (or even a good one), let's give him a few more games.  Here's hoping the last couple of games is the start of something and not just a fluke.

Good news for Warriors on Steph Curry. Rest up!

Tests revealed Curry didn't sustain any ligament damage and the repairs made in his offseason surgery are still intact.
via sports.yahoo.com

Some good news for the Warriors. There's no reason to play Steph in the first two games. Let him rest up a full week and play against the Knicks in the 3rd game of the season. And if the Warriors somehow beat the Clippers AND the Bulls, I would rest him until they go on the road against Phoenix the following week. No season was won or lost on the first few games and if he hurts that ankle again, he could be out for months instead of days.

Warriors get David Lee from Knicks

So this was announced yesterday. Overall, it's a net positive for the Warriors. They give up some good role players in Turiaf and Azubuike and one potential star in Randolph. However, Turiaf has most likely reached his ceiling (being a good back-up center), Azubuike is coming off a pretty horrific knee injury, and Randolph has a lot of maturing to do before he can reach his full potential (which is not a guarantee). No one would ever mistake David Lee for an impact star player. He puts big numbers up on a bad team but last time I checked, the Warriors were not a great team. Lee will get his numbers but let's just hope that a few extra wins come along with them.

Post draft notes

A few tidbits of news coming out of last nights NBA Draft:
 
* Ricky Rubio doesn't seem to like Minnesota. There are reports that his father says Rubio might return to Spain and play out his contract with Joventut. Plus his mom doesn't like the cold. I don't think he'll go back but might use it as leverage to force a trade a la Steve Francis. My guess, The Knicks pull it off by packaging David Lee and change. I guess that Jonny Flynn pick up at #6 wasn't that crazy after all.
 
* The rumored Amare Stoudemire for Biedrins, Wright, and Belinelli might actually be Biedrins, Wright, and Curry. Makes sense from Phoenix's standpoint to get a starting center and a potential PG of the future after Nash leaves in a year or two. It never really made sense to have two guards who are more comfortable playing the 2 try to be your PG. It's hard enough trying to get Monta to play the point effectively. Curry's stock is really high now and can only go down if he's competing for minutes with a much better Monta. Though I'm not against seeing if a Monta/Curry back court could be harmonious. I just don't think there are enough shots in a game to satisfy both of them plus Jackson and Maggette.
 
* Ty Lawson could be the sleeper PG to emerge from this PG heavy 1st round. Tyreke Evans and Curry aren't real PG's and I think they'll slide over to the 2 for most of their careers. Rubio has a ton of potential/hype which may be his undoing. He looks good dishing out assists but a lack of speed, athleticism, defense and shooting ability makes him vulnerable to faster guards who are much better than what he's played against to date. One of the reasons Nash dishes out so many assists is that his good shooting ability keeps defenders honest. If defenders knew Rubio couldn't hit a jumper consistently, they are in a much better position defensively. Lawson is one of the fastest guards in the draft and though he won't dazzle people with amazing passes, he's an efficient scorer who can manage a half court offense. He'll learn a lot from Billups and won't be asked to be the savior of a franchise. You also can't discount his proven ability to lead a team to a championship.
 
* I feel horrible for Jordan Hill. When he was announced as The Knicks pick, a little boy gave the thumbs down sign and his father had to turn it to a thumbs up. Hill is a solid player who doesn't deserve the jeers from the Curry-crazy Knicks fans. I hope he gets traded out of New York because he deserves better. Since Phoenix is rebuilding, how about trading for the U of A alum and some expiring contracts in exchange for Nash who obviously wants out and would love to be reunited with D'Antoni. Plus since Stoudemire is leaving, they'll need a big body with decent post moves to play alongside Biedrens who has no post moves. One can wish.

Warriors choose Curry. I hope there's a trade coming.

Warriors just chose Curry. I really hope there's a trade coming. Nothing against Curry but how does he fit into the W's system? He's a 2 guard that will try to be molded into a PG. Isn't that what they're trying to do with Ellis? Again, I'm not going to put too much stock into this pick but I would have liked to have seen Jordan Hill here. Who knows. The Knicks really wanted Curry. Maybe the W's trade him to NY for the 8th pick (possibly Hill) and David Lee...