As a nascent sports writer, the last thing one should do is publicly challenge the assertions of those who have already established themselves in the business. After all, members of the media trade in the commodity of information, and sans relationships with players, agents, team executives, and yes, fellow reporters alike, it can be virtually impossible to find success, measurable or otherwise.
And so it is with no small degree of trepidation, but perhaps more than a smidge of glee, that I find myself compelled to advocate against one Mr. Stephen A. Smith – Prince of Hollis, Queens, self-professed Knicks fan, ESPN’s Jack of all trades, master of none – with respect to his stated views on the continuing saga which is Linsanity, Part Deux.
Rather than start from scratch – the great Will Leitch has already outfoxed us all on that front – I thought it better to address Mr. Smith’s conclusions line-by-mind-numbing-line:
Jeremy Lin has been all about the money since the day he burst onto Broadway.
He has? Actually, nothing could be further from the truth.
You see, Mr. Smith, before “Linsanity” gripped this city, this nation, indeed, the world, Jeremy Lin was no ordinary dude. He was a deeply religious young man. He was a high school state champion. He was a star Ivy League athlete and graduate. He was an NBA player. He was an Asian American. And guess what? He remains all of those things.
Had you taken the time to speak with Jeremy, as I did – and yes, we all know how busy you are, mostly because you remind us on a daily basis how busy you are – before that fateful February 4th game against the then New Jersey Nets, you would know that he is amazingly unchanged and unfazed by the phenomenon which has enveloped him. Aside from his desire to, you know, like be paid and stuff for being a professional basketball player, what, exactly, suggests that money is his end-all, be-all?
Are we to blindly assume that you are all about the cashish because your $2M contract with ESPN requires you to work approximately 87 jobs at the network? Where were your calls for Carmelo Anthony to be less obsessed with those greenbacks? You know, like when the team ‘Melo supposedly just had to immediately play for stripped itself of assets to appease his monetary demands?
Lin was about the Benjamins when Linsanity made the cover of Time magazine. He definitely was overcome by dollar signs when he wouldn’t play at “85 percent” for the New York Knicks in the playoffs, and it was all about the bottom line once free agency arrived.
Really? Is Jeremy Lin a member of Time’s editorial staff? Or Sports Illustrated’s, for that matter?
Even if we assume that Lin’s statement about his health was more nefarious than poorly worded, I find your “definitive” ability to get inside his head (and his knee) to be somewhat remarkable. As you know, Jeremy Lin went undrafted out of Harvard. He was cut by the Golden State Warriors. He was cut by the Houston Rockets – ironically, by a General Manager widely thought of as a statistical genius, who is now willing to pay through the nose to reacquire him. And, lest we forget, he was perhaps hours away from being cut by the Knicks. Yet, somehow, you have inexplicably posited that Lin should have disregarded the Knicks’ medical staff (who, coincidentally, had not cleared him to play), and risked additional injury because because his team needed him. Of course, this is the same team that had capitalized on its asset’s newfound fame and popularity (but certainly not yet his fortune) to a degree which has never before been seen in American professional sports. See, e.g., this interview with MSG President Scott O’Neil.
It’s funny, I do not recall the Knicks offering to lock up Jeremy Lin to a long-term a contract while he was injured. Perhaps loyalty and commitment works both ways? Or maybe, just maybe, the Garden-brass did not perceive it to be good business to pay a player coming off injury without a clean bill of health from the medical staff. Do you see where I am headed with this, Mr. Smith?
That means acknowledging Lin’s worth, recognizing it’s far less than $14.8 million in any season, and cutting ties with him quicker than we can spell s-a-n-i-t-y. This is the way it should be. Why everybody’s making such a fuss about it boggles the mind.
Why is everybody making such a fuss, eh? Hmm. Let me see. Well, this is a good start. Put more plainly – remember, I know how busy you are – who is the last young player that the New York Knicks have acquired, developed and beneficially retained? I know it seems like a trick question, but it is not. It’s just that you have to travel all the way back to the summer of 1996, when New York signed Allan Houston, to find the answer. I bring up Houston not to suggest that Lin will or will not be as a good, but to confirm that players, by and large, do not get better in Gotham, they get worse. (Houston, by the way, eventually got worse, too, and his contract became an albatross, but he was not 23-years-old when the Knicks overpaid him.) In fact, other than Danilo Gallinari – who you were more than happy to jettison in the ‘Melo deal – Knicks fans have had to pin their hopes on the likes of Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Eddy Curry, Antonio McDyess, Keith Van Horn… need I go on?
In Lin, the fans see a young, incredibly productive player who has a chance to be better than average, at worst. They see a transcendent figure, someone who is proof positive that anything is possible and that preconceived notions are for the ignorant. They see themselves in Lin, someone seemingly ordinary who goes on to do something extraordinary. They see, quite simply, hope.
Nobody’s arguing about whether or not Lin can play, because we know anyone who drops 38 on the Los Angeles Lakers, who drops 28-and-14 on the Dallas Mavericks and who averaged more than 14 points and 7 assists in 25 NBA games must bring a little game with him. But that is not the issue here.
Shouldn’t that be the issue here, though, Mr. Smith? You have clamored incessantly (and with great bluster) for a championship in New York, so if we are to believe that is all that matters, than what other “issues” are there? Though it has been virtually 40 years since the Knicks last won a title, it feels like even longer to most of us, especially to those like me who have not seen a championship in our lifetimes. For a team devoid of roster-flexibility, isn’t it incumbent on management to collect and nurture as many on-court assets as possible, especially those that “bring a little game?”
The issue is simple in that it can be reduced to one question: Is Jeremy Lin worth more than $30 million for any one season on any team’s salary cap? That’s the hit the Knicks would take, when you factor in the luxury tax, in the third year of this deal.
Speaking of trick questions, Mr. Smith, yours is a real doozy. Might I ask what professional athlete is worth $30 million for any one season? And let’s be honest, Sir; though professional athletes are theoretically paid based on their on-court contributions to their respective franchises, we do not live in a theoretical world. NBA Basketball is a business, and the league’s
That Lin has shown himself to be a potential All-Star makes your analysis that much more confounding.
The Knicks are reportedly on the verge of saying “hell no,” as one team source told me Saturday night. And if that’s indeed the case, kudos to the franchise for making an intelligent decision.
Remember that Seinfeld episode when George decides to do the exact opposite of what his instincts are telling him? (No, you probably don’t have time to watch sitcoms, but the gist was that an incredibly unlucky chap actually finds success in life by not following his gut.) Almost every single time the Knicks have actively tried to improve themselves (since basically, ever) has backfired. Trades gone awry, draft picks squandered or donated to rival clubs, head-scratching contracts for unworthy players. You name it, the Knicks have done it. So now, maybe it makes some sense for the Knicks to not make what you deem an “intelligent decision.”
Surely, you would agree that following James Dolan’s gut hasn’t exactly proven fruitful thus far, amirite?
It’s meaningless to discuss whether Lin is a potential point guard of the future.
It is? Wait a second, I thought that is what we were getting paid to do here? (Though in my case, I get paid approximately $2M less than you do to discuss anything.) Is it meaningless for Knicks GM Glen Grunwald to analyze Lin’s ability, his potential, his strengths and weaknesses? Is that not the basic premise outlined by his job description? I mean, I know that Isiah Thomas was never such a big fan of those burdensome executive responsibilities, but something tells me “discussing” a player’s upside is kind of essential with respect to the decision-making process.
Or whether he’ll be able to mesh with Carmelo Anthony—which, by the way, is ridiculous on its face since Melo was the man primarily responsible for convincing former coach Mike D’Antoni to play Lin in the first place.
Again, I know you have a lot of responsibilities, but I believe this to be flat-out untrue. First of all, D’Antoni denied that ‘Melo played a role in the increase in Lin’s playing time in late February. Secondly, despite the wilting criticism levied upon the coach during his tenure in New York, no one, and I mean NO ONE, has ever questioned D’Antoni’s character, his honesty or his self-accountability. Yes, MDA is a stubborn person. Yes, he is someone who, to a fault, believes that his way is the best way, but are other successful coaches any different? To suggest that Anthony allegedly lobbying for Lin to play last season has any bearing on whether the two can co-exist on the floor going forward is suspect logic, at best.
It’s about Jeremy Lin, and what Linsanity has done to the Jeremy Lin the Knicks once knew. As the regular season waned and Lin was recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, there were numerous occasions when members of the Knicks, on all levels, questioned what was going on. With their backcourt decimated, desperate for some infusion of relief, time and again players, coaches, even Madison Square Garden executives looked over and asked privately, “Do you think he could give us 15 minutes?” It was before Lin blurted out that he was “85 percent,” but long after members of the Knicks realized he didn’t want to jeopardize the potential paycheck waiting for him down the line. Fear of injury is one thing. Fear of getting outplayed and exposed in postseason competition is another. And although folks universally recognized Lin’s heart, they also lamented Lin’s inner circle of confidants quick to tell him there was no better position to be in than the one he was in at the end of the season.
We’ve gone over some of this ground already, but these players, coaches and MSG execs you speak of, are these the same people that now call Lin’s offer sheet from the Houston Rockets “ridiculous?” Are these the same people who perhaps harbor resentment or jealousy that their own lack of effort, focus and improvement have stymied their earnings potential?
You surmise, Mr. Smith, that Lin did not want to risk his future income despite the fact that his team so desperately needed him, but something tells me that you would have been the first person to scream and shout and carry on about his ineffectiveness if he was unable to perform at pre-injury performance. What’s that, you say? How can I make assumptions about what you think or how you view a situation?
Pot, meet kettle.
As for conspiracy theories in relation to Lin’s inner circle advising him to take advantage of his circumstance in life – a situation that could only be called once-in-a-lifetime – NEWSFLASH! Lin’s “inner circle” was right! Any other player would have done the same thing. Again, as you are wont to so often remind us, professional basketball is a business, a “big boy’s game,” you say, if my memory serves. As such, Jeremy Lin was playing his chess pieces to the best of his ability, much like Anthony did in manipulating his exit from Denver.
Fast-forward to now and it’s all clear. Jeremy Lin was all about business. He was all about getting paid. And he didn’t mind acting like Jerry Maguire (“Show Me The Money,” remember?) one bit as one Knicks backcourt body after another came tumbling out of the playoffs.To be clear, Lin wasn’t wrong about this at all. For a point guard with a streaky jump shot, a limited left hand, who’s turnover-prone and eons away from being a capable defender, he should be called an astute businessman right now with the deal he swindled out of the Rockets.
I often wonder, Mr. Smith, do you actually research your positions before presenting them for publication? Jeremy Lin is a swindler, now? You are talking about someone who, by ALL ACCOUNTS, is one of the most humble, grounded, not to mention intelligent, professional athletes to come through New York in ages, yet you seem to demonstrate zero hesitancy to besmirch his character.
I am curious, too, if Lin has “a streaky jump shot” (his effective FG% was actually 46.9% and his TS% was 55.2% last season), how do you feel about Lin’s potential replacement, Raymond Felton (45.4 eFG%, 49.8 TS% for his career)?
But it doesn’t change the position he has now put the Knicks in. Pay him now, and he may ultimately cost them more than $30 million later. And this would be around the same time Melo, Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler are accounting for a combined $62 million on the Knicks’ books. Lose him? What do you lose?
Other than a marketing cash cow off the court and a potential All-Star on it? Nothing, nothing at all.
Lin did not sign an offer sheet with the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets or someone else within the Atlantic Division or the Eastern Conference. In Houston, Lin would be seen twice a season—unless the Rockets are heading to the NBA Finals, which isn’t fathomable in the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, the Knicks just signed Jason Kidd for three years and re-acquired Raymond Felton for three years. They have experience, depth and happen to be two guards capable of running the show for a team with two stars, in Amare and Melo, who will want the ball when they are called upon to step up and play like stars.
Wait a minute, didn’t you just finish telling us, Mr. Smith, that Lin essentially has more holes in his game than Toney Douglas? Why does it have any bearing whatsoever where Lin ends up if he is but an average player, at best, according to you? Why should the Knicks care about facing Lin if he is nothing more than a middling player?
As for Jason Kidd and Felton, between the age and drinking prowess of the former, and the calorie consumption of the latter, it would seem to be somewhat risky entrusting the pair with the team’s fortunes, does it not? After all, we saw last year what happens when you throw a ‘Melo-led offense to the wolves; it gets cannibalized. In fairness, without Lin, the 2011-’12 Knicks miss last season’s playoffs.
Lin is no scrub. He can play. The Knicks, undoubtedly, will acknowledge this.
Whew, that’s a relief.
But while doing so, they should just make sure to ask two questions of anyone who thinks Lin deserves such an exorbitant amount of money:What exactly did 25 games prove?
And when did Jeremy Lin—in Year 3 of this deal—become the second coming of Chris Paul?
These are great questions, Mr. Smith, so let me save the Knicks the trouble and answer them for you. 25 games “prove” absolutely nothing, much in the way that opinions prove absolutely nothing. Evaluating players is not an exact science, not for guys like Daryl Morey, who rely on numbers, or guys like you, who say that they rely on what their eyes tell them. In the end, the Knicks can only manage their risk, weigh the pros and cons of all potential outcomes, and make the best decision possible for their organization, their fans and their bottom line. When it comes to all three of those metrics, Lin’s 25-game rise to stardom “proved” that he generates revenue, fan interest, and most importantly, wins. Do past results indicate future performance? No, not in the stock market, but in the case of 23-year-old point guards, those 25 games sure stand as compelling motivation for a historically inept franchise to double down on a bet without much downside.
As to your second query, I am also glad that you invoked the name of Chris Paul. Many suspect that the close ties between Madison Square Garden and Creative Artists Agency have something to do with Lin’s possible departure. Of course, I have no idea if that is the case or not, but surely you realize that without Lin, if at all, the Knicks have not the assets to trade for the Clippers PG, right? Sure, Lin would have to waive the one-year no-trade protection afforded him under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, but the fact remains that assets facilitate deals, and in the case of the Knicks, their tradeable assets are scarce.
No one thinks that Lin is Paul, okay. No one thought that Finkel was Einhorn, either, for what it’s worth. This isn’t about comparing players, it is about realizing that Lin has value, value which no one can quantify right now, and though it will be pricey to keep him, not to keep him may end up costing the Knicks much more.
In dollars and sense.
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47 Comments
Nicely written piece… Thanks, no screaming, ranting or raving, just well thought out perspective.
Very well done.
Count yourself among the minority of logical and balanced writers/bloggers/journalists, my friend. Great piece. I hope Mr. Smith gets bombarded by people sending him this article. Of course, like Mr. Dolan, they won’t see the light, but at least he’ll know that not everyone who criticizes him is ignorant and naive.
This is brilliant. Smith’s article was outrageous. I thought of doing something like this for our site, but you did a much better job.
Sigh…..This is a moronic piece.
First of all, the Knicks COULDN’T lock Lin up during the season. Why is this MISINFORMATION being tossed around like fact? Lin could ONLY receive 5M from the Knicks, because he’s a restricted free agent. The MLE or Larry Bird rights, which were not available a few months ago, were the only way the Knicks could offer Lin a raise. Lin would have been an idiot to consider that move. Lin is far from disappointed the Knicks didn’t offer him a contract, because it would result in a loss of potential income.
Let’s talk about knee injuries. Lin suffered a torn cartilage. It was NOT reconstructive surgery. At 85%, Lin COULD have played. Everyone who has suffered a torn cartilage knows rehab is about 4-6 weeks and you’re back on the floor. Lin didn’t risk getting injured, which was a sneaky way of protecting his future income. It definitely was a selfish act. Not saying it’s right or wrong, but he was DEFINITELY looking out for himself.
Putting Melo and Lin in the same sentence by justifying Lin’s future contract is truly ridiculous. The whole point here is Lin worth the money. Of course he’s not. He’s not worthy of 15M per year under any circumstances. This kid isn’t even a true point guard. The boy is a converted pg who fit into D’Antoni’s no defense, all offense, run and gun system that’s made for guards to succeed within. In other words, you remove the system and Lin isn’t Linsanity. Small ball created Linsanity. Linsanity arrived with the departure of Melo and Amare to the injured list. That’s not reality, nor are back to back to back games next year, nor a stretch where all you play are trash teams, which is where Linsanity “earned” his claim to fame.
Let’s talk facts and not homerish, fanboy nonsense. Is Lin a good player. He’s shown promise. You don’t compensate promise at 15M per year. When guys like Lin earn as much as Melo and Amare do, you’re going to have issues.
Stephen A is a pain in the you know where, but he brings up plenty of solid points. If Carmelo Anthony had sat out with a knee injury and claimed he was only 85% healthy, he would have been destroyed. Amare played with 1 hand in the playoffs. Lin received the only white pass for being nothing more than a media darling. The media protected Lin, but that doesn’t mean Stephen A has to kiss Lin’s rear end. Here’s something eye-opening for you. Why don’t you check out the Knick record after Lin went down. Knicks were 12-5 in 17 games. Why are we measuring Lin’s value in 25 game starts, but ignoring how successful the team was without the man in 17 subsequent games he missed? Guess what? The Knicks don’t need him to succeed.
His incredible story is more from the heart than what happened on the court. For a few games against scrub teams, he looked fantastic. People forget the losing streak the Lin led Knicks went on before D’Antoni was fired. Everyone conveniently forgets that little tidbit. Fact of the matter is Jr Smith, Novak and Lin were the reasons for the team’s improvement. The bandwagon was pushed by Lin’s fanboys. Nothing could be further from the truth. When Melo and Tyson were healthy towards the end of the season, Lin was less of a factor.
The hype for Lin needs to end. Love the kid, but these are the NEW YORK KNICKS and not the New York Lins.
Lawd have mercy I been shitted on.
Hilarious the ends you’ve gone to justify an NBA players essentially overpaid contract. Where was this clamor when a guy like Patrick Ewing was traded unceremoniously and tarred/fathered in NY media? Where was the concern? The amount of manufactured outrage over a hardly clear cut personnel move is frankly amusing.
All the advanced stats in the world we’ve got on Lin cannot seriously be held in comparison to anyone’s career when the sample is 25 games. The list of players who’ve had breakout years only to revert to the mean are endless. Never mind having a nice run for a couple of months. You don’t have to look far to find such an example. Just look at the newest Raptor Landry Fields who had a very solid rookie year followed by a huge sophomore slump. Stephen A Smith undoubtedly has an argument when he notes Lin’s turnovers and weaknesses. Its quite obvious NBA scouts and management agree. If his upside is so clear why were a PG desperate Rockets the only team to consider an offer?
stephen a. smith’s a racist. just boycott everything he does. turn it off, don’t listen, unfollow on twitter. he’s 100% racist.
Dude, it’s really $8 million a year. That’s justified. Forget that $14 million payment in year 3. Average it out. Worth it to keep him.
SAS is joker. Just ignore whatever he say
SAS is an extremely biased person and am glad you pointed it out. He freely admits that if Tim Tebow were black, he would treat him differently. I have no doubt that if Jeremy Lin were black, he’d treat him differently. He is an extremely narrow minded hypocrite. This was a good article exposing him.
Ummmmmmm It’s NOT 8M per year. Add tax implications and it’s really “averages” out to 17M per if you want to look @ it conveniently. It’s a MORONIC amount of money to pay a kid who is more storybook fairy tale movie-like drama than basketball skill.
No, he’s not worth that kind of money.
It’s very interesting how Stephen A Smith is considered a “racist” but what Smith does is EXACTLY what white reporters do to African Americans in football and basketball and to Latinos in baseball. It’s no different.
It’s aggravating to have the shoe on the other foot.
lol Jimmy, so its the last guy who steps into an elevator full of fatties and triggers the weight limit who’s at fault???? Moronic logic at best.
And since white reporters are racist, its acceptable for SAS to be racist? Lololololol you’re a funny guy.
JimmyBX,
You seem logical, sorta, I just don’t get why you are toeing the company line against Lin.
First, the typical recovery period for lateral meniscus tear injury in 6 weeks for everyday activities like walking, not for playing competitive sports. A kick boxer doesn’t break his leg, have it heal 85%, and fight the eventual world champion. Yeah, he can walk on it and practice.. This is not your normal pick-up game and his entire future and career were on the line, COMING BACK FROM KNEE SURGERY. Just the day before, his legs swelled not allowing him to jump more than 6 inches off the ground!! And you want him to guard the HEAT!
Second, the Knicks were 12-5 without Lin under Woodson, therefore we didn’t need him?? They were 7-1 with him, under Woodson, with major blowouts btw, with him being the highest scorer, assist and steals man during that run. Why do you not want to cheer on a young player who’s shown promise? Why do you want someone who’s helped our team fail and/or not give him credit.
Please THINK!! A bench player comes out of nowhere, helps the team succeed, puts up ridiculous numbers, and your thinking is…”What’s he proven? I don’t like him and this “team play” thing that he’s doing here. Why do people like him??”
Please, think on your own and don’t tell everyone that “GAWD, he can’t go left, he can’t play defense, he was exposed, he didn’t play at 85%, he’s all about the money, and he’s not competitive BS that every hater spouts. You seem better than that.
He led his high school to a state championship as the leader of that team, won the California HS player of the year award and got awarded no scholarships. He broke multiple records at his university, the IVY League, did splendidly at junior high, HS, Univerisity, summer camp, D-league, as a starter in the NBA, pretty much everywhere, and you’re really gonna say, “what’s he proven?”
ummmm Melo admitted he did not play 100% for Dantoni
and no one has batted a eye about that…
Brilliant brilliant piece. Well done sir!
I concur.
Watching Lin Knicks>>>>>>Melo Knicks
@Chris….reports about Lin’s knee swelling are to be taken with a grain of salt, my man. The last thing anyone wanted then was controversy. Believe what you want there, but no one is obligated to tell the truth to the fans/media.
There are tons of players who have done what Lin did before arriving in the NBA. Bottom line is Lin did very well in D’Antoni’s system. That’s not to be ignored. D’Antoni has made a ton of players who didn’t deserve contracts big money playing in a system that’s engineered for guards. Fewer than 5 head coaches in the NBA play that system and none of them are contenders. Let’s get a grip here, please.
Linsanity grew into a machine over less than 30 games started. The Knicks were fine without Lin. That’s not to be ignored, either. Comparing Lin’s talents to those of Amare, Tyson and Melo is insanity.
And Lin’s success in the “team play” thing you’re describing is minimal success which is not guaranteed to succeed next season and certainly not worth the kind of money he’s about to earn and cost the Knicks.
“Jeremy Lin will never be a starting point guard in this league.” – Stephen A. Smith in April
Al....here goes the fat guy in the elevator comparison. Please stop it! The comparison is stupid. Lin is not this team's best player, so he does not deserve to be paid like the top guys do. The reason the elevator would collapse is the weight of Lins contract which he has not earned, btw! That's the difference. There wouldn't be a collapse if Lin was not offered such a ridiculous contract by the Rockets! Lmfaocomparing Lin to Melo, Amare and Tyson Chandler lol. How ignorant to view Lin’s salary with the elevator comparison. How about Lin doesn’t belong in that elevator? That’s a better comparison! As for SAS appearing to be racist, appearances can be deceiving, yes or no? Funny how fast people are to tag SAS as a racist, but ignore guys like Mike Breen who call African American players dumb all the time. Or Met announcer Gary Cohen who can call Latino players “stupid” without being hit with the racist tag. I have no issues with SAS. He does his “job” as the as the saying goes.Excellent breakdown of points.
I agree that Smith and every critic against the move is asking the wrong question which is only:
Will Lin make the Knicks better next year with him or without him? As a fan, I don’t care about James Dolan’s money or if he is worth it.
http://www.popsspot.com/2012/07/save-james-dolan-why-knicks-must-sign-jeremy-lin/
I agree that SAS was way off base with his column, but I do think that JimmyBX raises good points here.
Black athletes get these “selfish-just-about-the-money-hit jobs” on ESPN ALL-THE-TIME with little backlash. SAS has been known to bash Black Athletes just as hard, however there is no doubt that Lin has received favorable media treatment and Melo turned into the villain EVEN BEFORE THEY PLAYED A SINGLE GAME TOGETHER.
I believe whether wrong or right, SAS is far more of an equal opportunity basher than many of his sports writing colleagues—and certainly Mike Breen as Jimmy mentioned.
Having said all that, Lin should still be signed. We have no shooting guard, JR will only be effective coming off the bench, and Dolan has the money. Sign Jeremy Lin now!
Mr. Jamie O’Grady-
In my humble opinion, this is the single best rebuttal piece I have ever read in my life, in any form of media. You take that jackass’ work line by line and rip him to shreds. With actual facts, and not stuff ripped out of your butt.
Stephen A. Smith has made a lucrative career of simply just talking out of his ass. It seems like he makes up half his options on the spot rigth in the middle of his rants.
Someone needed to rip him a new one (there sure is a lot of activity around this guy’s rear end
now isn’t there?). You sir have done it. And have done it immaculately.
@JimmyBx. You are sounding a little ignorant. Please stop spewing this knee-jerk oversimplification nonsense that makes it seem as if some system was “solely” responsible for the level of game Lin showed. Limited sample size argument is definitely a valid enough argument to wonder whether the potential he showed is worth the gamble. I’m not saying with absolute certainty that the kid is the second coming of the best point guard to ever play the game. Shit, he may not even amount to nothing more than the “glorified back-up” that his detractors seem to believe he is. But to make it sound as if you know for sure that the only reason the kid showed he could ball at the NBA level is because of some system is asinine. The truth is, at least in my opinion, his limited sample size has shown that perhaps nobody really knows what kind of potential this kid has when given a chance. Prior to “Linsanity”, all these talent evaluators (including the Knicks before giving him a shot), were certain he did not have a game suited for success in the NBA, in any system. At best, they thought he would be a backup. It is why he went undrafted. And its entirely possible at the time that they were right. But to put himself in a position to have the level of success he had during the height of “Linsanity,” I’m sure he took that criticism and by all accounts, worked on his game. He just didn’t step into the system and all of a sudden started balling his ass off because of a combination of only the system and some luck. But to hear some of these so called experts and some people who just plain sound like they are hating tell it, you would think the kid stumbled upon some magical sneakers and laced em up and all of a sudden took the city by storm, with the help of the D’Antoni system. This line of thinking just confounds me. Can he not be a hard worker who has the kind of work ethic that perhaps nobody really saw when evaluating him? What if he probably has a desire to be more than average? What if in his own mind, deluded as it may sound to some, he really wants to be a high level NBA player. At the NBA level, isn’t what’s between the ears, a high level of belief in one’s skillset and a heightened desire to compete what separate the “stars” from the decent players? To me, having some of the games he had during “Linsanity” demonstrated not just that he was a product of the system, but perhaps this kid loves to compete and has a high belief in his game. You just don’t put yourself in a position to succeed the way he did unless you possess to some extent these attributes. It wasn’t all just luck and the system. And who knows, maybe he never fully harnesses these qualities playing in New York. Maybe he never harnesses them playing anywhere. But what argument do all you haters have that makes him someone who’s a flash in the pan. Based on the fact that he put himself in the position going from an undrafted afterthought to where he is right now, wouldn’t you gamble the opposite. Wouldn’t you gamble that he’d improve his game? What’s with all the absolutes that the holes in his game are insurmountable and will always render him at best, a quality back-up. Why couldn’t he cut down on his turnovers? Why couldn’t he improve his handle going to his left? Why couldn’t his jumper get better? Aren’t all these holes something that could be improved upon with hard work. Why are we absolutely sure that Rubio or Irving can be better than they’ve demonstrated but Lin has maxed out on his talent and can be nothing more than a glorified backup.
Its funny to me that this a business where for the most part, talent evaluation is nothing but gambling (no matter how scouts want to believe otherwise), and yet gambling on Lin based on what he’s shown seems so odious to some. Honestly, what is behind this hate?
Oh, and great piece Jamie
Well thought out, written and persuasive. Go Mr. O.
Great piece.
SAS is a Jerk.
Stephen A Smith is a racist assh*le who screams like a moron. The only difference is he is being paid for his worthless opinion. Get that idiot off the air please. I get sick every time I see his ugly mug on TV.
Beautifully written article. A joy to read.
This is a nice piece calling out on of the bigger goons at ESPN. I think the saddest part is that SAS makes $2mm????? WTF?
Hey Albert, great write up. Jeremy Lin will do what he always has done, which is to prove all the doubters wrong. He will do that whether he is in Houston or in NYC. Either way, the kid will prove all the doubters wrong. I been watching the kid play since college. People that say he came out of nowhere has no clue. He always had that ability to compete and excel. I saw him first when he played at UCONN in college. The kid was a giant among all the players on the floor. He always had what he is showing now. Knicks simply gave him the platform to showcase his skills.
Jamie – I just want to say great job on an excellent article. You said it much better than many of us are capable of. Great job again.
@Albert….it’s quite obvious that you have not been following D’Antoni’s career, nor the careers of players who played in his system. Lin is a perfect sample of why players LOVE playing for him. He inflates their numbers and subsequently their worth. There’s little oversimplification done here. D’Antonis system favors the erimeter game. Its based on a ton of screens and slashing without any concentration on below the foul line offense. Everything begins 30+ feet from the basket. If
you’ve never played Streetball (what D’Antonis system is for the most part), then you’re just speaking from the heart. Again, the bottom line here is this is a wonderful story Lin has written for himself. The kid has done well to go from the scrap heap to one of the most overpaid players in the NBA. I say overpaid because no player deserves 5m per after just 25 games following being cut by 2 teams. Its a ridiculous contract which is going to lead to changes to the CBA when the owners wake up. Your colorful description of why he’s succeeded is more emotion than teams, scouts and analysts doing their jobs poorly. It’s called being at the right placeattherigttime.
The Knicks are loaded so they cant keep Lin and Fields.
SAS likes to repeat the 85%.
Lin has 7weaks not playing with his teammates and he felt sore in his knee.
He cant run and jump.
And Melo said the same thing about LIN : Don’t play.
IF the Knicks believed he should play the Miami game, he should not re-sign with this team.
When NY talked about bringing NASh to start over and mentor Lin,
it is reasonable for Lin to search for opportunities in other teams.
Young players want money and opportunities. High salary can secure their position.
Only Vete. would talk about loyalty, championship and take salary cut for the team because they are already rich.
SAS is the cancer of NY basketball.
Lin should go to HOU, so he can away from the toxic NY medias and stop the hype of Linsanity.
@JimmyBx – if D’Antoni’s system is such a plug and play system which guarantees success show me the similar stretch that Sergio Rodriguez had as compared to Lin while playing for the Knicks. Where’s Chris Duhon’s stretch at? What about Toney Douglas?
You missed my point entirely, which is you and those who support your “system” argument speak of the system as if anyone can be given the ball to run it and be guaranteed immediate success. I’m sorry but to me that sounds asinine.
And my argument isn’t being made on emotion, nor did I say that scouts and analysts did their job poorly. If you read what I wrote, I made it a point to say that its entirely possible that the scouts initial assessment of his talent level was correct. But it’s also entirely possible that he took the criticism and worked on his game in ways that perhaps nobody saw he had in him. If this happens to be true, then why is believing that this hard work could possibly correlate with the level of success he had during “Linsanity,” an argument purely based on “emotion?” Why is it hard to believe that this level of hard work could signify a work ethic that may possibly transcend any system? Based on what we’ve seen so far from him, limited sample size and all, its shortsighted to attribute his success simply to some system he was “fortunate” enough to play in.
You’ll get no argument from me that handing him a contract of this magnitude based on the sample size of work provided, is not deserving and possibly nuts. But again, talent evaluation is an inexact science. There’s really no way of knowing for sure whether anyone is worth whatever contract given until the duration of the contract. I guess you could argue that the person can give you a much bigger sample size than 25 games, but some have done that only to coast after they’ve gottten that big pay day. In the end, its really all dependent upon a combination of variables within the athlete, some mesurable, some not.
But notwithstanding all that, I’m still curious why it is that you are so certain this dude is an overrated bum who swindled a big pay day from some unsuspecting NBA franchise? to those who think like you, why is it that shitty games against Miami or Boston mean he was exposed and reverted to the norm and that teams figured him out; whereas games like he had against the Lakers and Dallas or the fourth quarter he had against Philly mean teams still didn’t have a book on him about his tendencies or it was some lucky magical ride? Why is it that he is incapable of making adjustments to being “figured out” and counteracting against these adjustment teams make against him. Why can’t he be a player whose combination of talent and work ethic maybe was understimated, whose still figuring out how to be an NBA point guard but who may be talented enough and driven enough to figure it out and at worse be a starting level NBA point guard?
Chris Duhon had like 22 assist in a game if not more…the system helps anyone who is a ball handler or slasher…Lin secretly flew back to houston and renegotiated a deal he knew the knicks couldn’t afford to match…knicks feel he was disloyal…seems lin wants to be a rocket..happy for him he got his money and its guarenteed…The knicks did him a favor letting him test the market and once they told him they would match he went and renegotiated which has dolan upset. we all know dolan can afford it but we also know how stubborn he can be..I like jeremy lin but i dont think he’s worth the money i honestly dont but only time will tell. It just baffles me how people kill management for years about spending to much to now being mad because they are refusing to pay someone who made the fans happy for a month. It was carmelo everyone was rooting for in may not lin…People were’nt even this upset when ewing got traded which shows they’re basketball i.q. What if Lin is a bust next year then what? no one will trade for him and the knicks are stuck overpaying a bench player.. they can waive him after year two if worst came to worst..Or match it and trade him to houston after dec. and get something for him because right now it looks like they are losing him for nothing.
ALBERT- Seriously? You’re arrogantly going to question how D’Antoni’s system has turned average guys into legit players? Really? And allow me to interject some common sense here once again. LIN DID IT FOR ONLY 25 GAMES! HELLO!!!!!!! I’m sorry, that’s not enough to grant the man a 25M dollar contract over the next 3 years. He’s not even worth 5m per. Hell, I would question if he’s worth 3m.
You keep talking about “work ethic” as if he worked harder to improve his game. That’s just a bottom of your heart, fanboy mentality you’re operating under. It’s what you wish was the case. So Dolan is supposed to believe that by some miracle of God, hard work, and determination, Lin is now a player worth 5m per year. That’s simply asinine. The common sense theme here is Lin was a product of D’Antoni’s system coupled with Amare and Melo being injured.
I’m going to trust the Knicks on this one. They obviously don’t believe in Lin. We all know Lin has trouble going left. He isn’t a smooth point guard. You double him up and he turns the rock over. He was extremely vulnerable as defenses cracked down on his suspect handle. He’s more a two. He succeeded in a system where the pick n roll offers guys with soft handles like Jeremy the opportunity to have a running start at the basket. Why is that important? Because Lin can’t square someone up off the dribble, minus a screen, and create. That style doesn’t exist any longer. D’Antoni isn’t the head coach. Woodson plays basketball in a more traditional manner. The guy with the most talent touches the ball more often, via passes from the PG. That’s how basketball is supposed to be played.
I never said Lin was an overrated bum. He’s simply overrated. He’s a product of an inordinate amount of hype. He’s loved because he’s an Asian-American who stumbled onto success as a Knick. People love the story more than they do the talent. You may not like it, but Dolan did the right thing.
The dude would be getting paid more then Tyson who was the defensive player of the year, in his third year of the contract. His body broke down as his pay slowed up and ended up injuring himself after a few months of NBA rigor and beatings. The league has his number now. I will be rooting for him but I have a feeling a second season in the media/pressure hell that is NYC would of ended up being a disaster for Jeremy and would of ended up significantly decreasing his value. He did the right thing by chasing the money while he still had the opportunity, as I bet even he probably wonders if his career will hold up. That being said, the Knicks made the right choice as well. With the talent we have, we need to start being frugal to attract better players regardless if people think this is the wrong time to start. We also need to continue to develop Shumpert and keep making good draft choices.
JimmyBX – If you think Jlin is overrated then you got no clue whatsoever. Jlin is underrated his entire life. He has been overlooked by everyone. All he does is win. I have been watching the kid in college. I knew he could play in the NBA back then and I still believe it now. At end of the next season, I hope you are man enough to come here and eat crow. The kid will prove it on the court like he always has done.
Look guys, Jeremy Lin is getting paid $8M per year. Houston let Dragic go while offered him the same deal. His body of work is not any greater than Jeremy Lin. Jeremy Lin is simply being paid at market value. There is nothing wrong with that.
@jimmybx
It does average to $8M a year. It is pretty 2nd grade to count ALL luxury tax towards a single players salary when the tax is based on TEAM salary.
Great piece, SAS is a moron
@JimmyBX – I never argued that the contract offered was deserving so whatever “common sense” you are appealing to is a waste of time because you’re preaching to the choir. In fact I explicitly say that its not deserving and possibly nuts. But I would match because player evaluation is not an exact science and in my estimation, his potential talent looked tantalizing enough to gamble. If he turned out to be a bust, it wasn’t as if they did not have any recourse to minimize the financial hit, so this whole fiscal responsiblity argument is a red herring. But whatever their reason for not matching, whether fiscally, talent level, or combination of both, the Knicks made their decision. We will see soon enough whether it was the right one. As a Knick fan, I hope it was. I don’t agree with it, but that’s just my opinion.
I will reiterate again that your “system” argument, especially as it relates to being the definitive reason for Lin’s success, is asinine. Even if I concede your point that the system makes average players better, there was nothing “average” about some of the games he had during the stretch in February. Also, you do not have a body of work in a different system in the NBA pertaining to Lin prior to “Linsanity” that you can call upon to compare to his performance in D’Antoni’s system and come to the conclusion that it was DEFINITELY the system. Chris Duhon may have had a career year playing for the Knicks under the system but @ least he had a substantial enough body of work in a different system prior to joining the Knicks. I’m not saying that you discount the possibility that the system may have had something to do with it, but this knee-jerk “oh it HAS to be the system” argument posited by you and others is asinine and ignorant. Its funny to me how he came crashing down to earth after teams figured him out but yet he averaged almost 15 points and 6 assists in March while taking almost four fewer shots and cutting down his turnovers from 5.0 to 3.8. He had a three game stretch playing under Woodson where he averaged almost 20 points and almost 7 assist right before getting hurt and yet he’s overrated and can only excel in D’Antoni’s system. I saw the same games you saw where he looked overmatched at times or made some head scratching turnovers or just didn’t look composed and out of control. I’m not saying those instances did not happen. Believe it or not though, those things can happen to rookie NBA point guards with only 35 games of starting experience under their belt. Crazy right?
I disagree with your assessment that he can’t square up and take players off the dribble without a running start or use of a screen. I saw enough evidence of an isolation game in his arsenal. He may not be adept with his left hand but this whole notion that he can’t go left is untrue.
With respect to my “work ethic” contention, if you cannot see that hard work and consistent hard work has a correlation to improving one’s game, then I don’t know what to tell you. Talent does not exist in a vacuum. Its why players work on their game. Again, if that sounds like “fanboy” spiel or wishful thinking, then lets just agree to disagree.
Lastly, why is the fact that he was the product of overzealous media coverage have any bearing on what level of talent he may or may not have? He’s loved because he’s an Asian-American who “stumbled” upon success? Really? That’s what you’re going with. Lets just discount anything that he may have done to put himself in a position to take advantage of the opportunity he was given? He’s just simply an overrated Asian who was fortunate enough to stumble into the perfect storm of relentless media coverage and D’Antoni’s system which enabled him to average 20 and 8 in a month, without any actual work on his part? That sounds logical to you?
because Dolan has such a great record of doing the right thing, we should really trust in him. can he rehire Isiah already? he’ll turn this team around!