It always seems to me that if a player has skills- and Lin most definitely does- and his skills fit into a "system, the key issue becomes how he meshes with his other teammates, and more significantly, with any star or dominant player on that team.
I don't think it is any surprise that the Linsanity stretch was done on a team with MDA, a coach who depended on the skills of his PGs, and that Carmelo was on the sidelines for much of the time he had his run (or am I mistaken on that).
You can't pair a regular (who is not a superstar)PG with a guy like Anthony, a ball dominant scorer, or a Harden, who is a guy that wants the ball all the time. You can see why he might not flourish with Kobe until they work things out together and he regains his confidence.
For better or worse, you are finally seeing Shumpert come out and assert himself on the court. A guy like Larkin will take years to really come into his own on a team where the first thought is to defer to a player like Anthony. There is a reason that guys like Larkin and Hardaway looked like different players in the SL, and it had nothing to do with the level of competition they played against, it had to do with who they played WITH.
Most of us have played pickup games or in leagues where you have a superior player who is deferred to (hell- some of you might have been that guy), and at some point you decrease your effort if it is not recognized, or the coach takes you out because you are not dumping the ball to your star.
Would have been nice if Lin had worked out in NY- I still think that he is looking for that perfect fit on a team. Maybe he and Kobe can establish something before Bryant leaves the game.
EnySpree: Can we agree to agree not to mention Phil Jackson and triangle for the rest of our lives?
11/11/2014 5:52 AM