NBA Offseason 2012 - Page 52

On July 18 2012 19:12 Klogon wrote:
Gotta love this rant:
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8174968/jeremy-lin-leaving-new-york-knicks-james-dolan-blundered-again

On July 19 2012 04:01 GARO wrote:

Trolling around nearly any Knicks fan forum will get you a shitload of 'fans' who espouse this theory.

'HE DIDNT PLAY IN THE PLAYOFFS AT 85%, SO FUCKING GUTLESS'

And lol: http://www.forbes.com/sites/randalllane/2012/07/18/jeremy-lin-may-be-the-dumbest-harvard-grad-ever/2/

On July 19 2012 05:46 XaI)CyRiC wrote:
Sad uninformed article as an example of the silly arguments used to paint Lin badly and make the Knicks look smart:
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/garden_brass_chose_game_over_glitter_kUbaZ6Pu6jFaSmOeSKDBNN

Just to address a few points in the article:

1. Felton's best games were in NY... while under D'Antoni and not playing next to Melo and Amare. The fact that he even cites to that part of Felton's career shows how uninformed the author is. He also repeatedly points to the fact that Lin played great for a short period of time, but chooses to focus on a short period of time of Felton's career, which has largely consisted of him playing below average or average at best while dealing with constant fitness issues.

2. Yes, Lin struggled against the Heat the one time he played against them. How is that a reason to ignore everything else he brought to the table? The fact that Lin struggled against arguably the best defense in the league while being its main focus (Lebron and Wade were gunning for him all game) is hardly an indictment against him. Nevermind the fact that he had been playing tons of minutes after not playing at all, carrying an hugely flawed roster, and was dealing with the recent returns of Melo and Amare who had just returned from injuries (and thus not threats or of any help against MIA). It's not like the Knicks did well against the Heat without Lin. Terrible argument.

3. The article keeps talking about how Lin was going to be paid like an elite PG, but the first two years of the contract were way below his market value ($5M). That means the Knicks wouldn't have had to pay him elite PG money until after they had two years to evaluate him. During those years they could have traded him or used the "stretch" provision to soften the impact to their salary cap. Does the author even know about those options?

4. He paints Lin as a "clever manipulator of the system" because he shared the Knicks "strategy" of matching the Rockets' original offer. Seriously? That "strategy" was all over the Internet and media outlets, and the Rockets did not need Lin to tell them, if he even did. Woodson himself publicly stated that the Knicks would be matching the offer.

Pitiful and embarassingly uninformed/inaccurate piece of writing.

On July 19 2012 05:22 XaI)CyRiC wrote:
Can't say I'm surprised, but still a bit astounded by the arguments people are making for attacking Lin and making out to be the bad guy in this, and to justify the Knicks letting him go. The Hoopsworld article lays it out perfectly, and addresses the Bird rights factor (which I had honestly forgotten) which makes the move even more inexplicable and inexcusable. Whether Lin was going to be a poor, average or great player doesn't matter at all. The fact is that he has value to NY and to other teams around the league, and there were many options for the Knicks that made a worst-case scenario very manageable.

On July 19 2012 06:06 GARO wrote:
That same writer also decided to take time to tell us the obvious:
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/this_team_best_player_isn_going_nwFfzv71RMhWiHIXNPAvRN#ixzz20zLtNFbu

Because we all thought Jeremy Lin was the best player on the Knicks all along and needed to be reminded that Carmelo is still there?

Dolan -- who didn't talk to Lin often but had generally been "really nice to me" -- wound up expressing support. "I have plans for you in the future," Lin recalled the owner saying. "This is a long-term investment. Don't rush back."

But the morning of Game 5, when asked about his status, he had publicly diagnosed himself at "85 percent" -- a comment he says has since been misunderstood. Lin was not 85 percent healthy, he says, but rather 15 percent away from the absolute minimum threshold to play. "People think it was easy for me to sit there and watch us lose, like I had nothing to do with the season," Lin said. "I was dying to play. I didn't miss a game due to injury in seven years until this past season, and people are acting like I wouldn't want to play in the playoffs? Of the NBA? In my first season?"

On July 19 2012 06:27 Kazeyonoma wrote:
I just think it's ridiculous, we kind of know Dolan for making ridiculous contracts, and now letting a good player walk away by FORCING HIM INTO FREE AGENCY. but it's almost like he's managed to spread his stupidity to NYK fans... they're defending him, and saying they're saving money, and that lin wasn't 'that' good.

I love being a laker fan because guess what. Dr. buss has basically shit on the luxury taxes to bring us championships. Do you think a single laker fan gives a shit about saving dr. buss money? Do you think Dr. Buss gives a shit about saving himself money if it means not winning championships? god. Reading these comments just reaffirms I love where I live.

On July 19 2012 06:59 Holcan wrote:
and to think, I was jealous of the knicks getting such a valuable asset for free, and then they just let him walk for nothing.


at least they have shumpert, amirite?!?!?

"Also … really? Jeremy Lin owes Jim Dolan? In what America does that make sense, except in the America where every employee owes every rich guy undying loyalty for life because the rich guy happens to sign his checks? Especially when said employee was the linchpin in a TV contract and when his popularity was the leading factor in a $600 million increase in the value of said rich guy's company? Oh, wait, that's exactly what Jim Dolan's America looks like. We are all just paying witnesses."

Question No. 5

Does it seem weird to anyone else that the one team willing to take on Lin's now-huge salary is the one team that has direct knowledge of just how much money an Asian star player can bring a franchise via international marketing?

I'm just asking.

On July 19 2012 06:40 XaI)CyRiC wrote:


Have to admit that watching the Knicks does make you appreciate being a Lakers fan. Both are in huge markets and have owners who are willing to spend a LOT of money, but that's where the comparison ends. Yes, the Lakers do have advantages over smaller market teams, but the Knicks prove that being in a large market and having an owner willing to spend doesn't guarantee anything.