Linsanity

[B-Fly]

Youre kidding right? In 6 games, he has accomplished more than many of the greats who have ever played this game.

I guess I don't understand your basis for this statement. He's averaged around 25 and 8 over the course of a six-game win streak. That's mighty fine. But how is that accomplishing more than many of the greats who have ever played this game? Oscar Robertson beat those per-game averages for 10 straight seasons. I'm loving this run by Lin, so I'm not trying to rain on the parade. But you've now said, "He's doing things rarely, if ever, seen in the NBA" and that "In 6 games, he has accomplished more than many of the greats who ever played this game", and I just don't understand how that's so.

[Controller Jacobs]

Capable NBA point guards are apparently hard to find. The Lakers are giving Derek Fisher and Steve Blake each 25 minutes a night, and they fell apart when Blake was hurt. If Lin ends up average overall and the home fans keep having fun with it, he's worth a lot.

Listening to ESPN radio when Lin was first pressed into duty, they quoted Knicks players as saying Lin had been schooling them in practice, so they saw the potential.

[BuckyBuckner]

I guess I don't understand your basis for this statement. He's averaged around 25 and 8 over the course of a six-game win streak. That's mighty fine. But how is that accomplishing more than many of the greats who have ever played this game? Oscar Robertson beat those per-game averages for 10 straight seasons. I'm loving this run by Lin, so I'm not trying to rain on the parade. But you've now said, "He's doing things rarely, if ever, seen in the NBA" and that "In 6 games, he has accomplished more than many of the greats who ever played this game", and I just don't understand how that's so.

I think he means in his first six games as a starter. No one has come out of the gate for their first six games as a starter and put up these numbers. I believe that's what he means.

[Controller Jacobs]

One thing that is unique to basketball (at least compared to baseball and football), is the affection fans have for the last guys off the bench. In college those guys are frequently non-scholarship players, and every time they get the ball the fans start yelling "shoot it!", no matter how far they are from the basket. So Knicks fans loved him immediately, then it turns out he can play.

[Controller Jacobs]

So is Lin's WAR 6, or is it 0 because he is the replacement player?

[B-Fly]

I think he means in his first six games as a starter. No one has come out of the gate for their first six games as a starter and put up these numbers. I believe that's what he means.

Got it. Although he's only started five games. He came off the bench for his breakout game against NJ. And yes, I think my earlier post I noted that the production level for the first six games of his NBA career in which he's gotten heavy minutes is something rarely, if ever, seen before, particularly considering that he's not some lottery pick rookie, but rather an undrafted second-year player who got limited garbage-time minutes in 29 games with the Warriors before being waived by them, then picked up and waived by the Rockets, and then picked up and sent to the D-League by the Knicks.

[BuckyBuckner]

One thing that is unique to basketball (at least compared to baseball and football), is the affection fans have for the last guys off the bench. In college those guys are frequently non-scholarship players, and every time they get the ball the fans start yelling "shoot it!", no matter how far they are from the basket. So Knicks fans loved him immediately, then it turns out he can play.

Thanks for causing me to remember Greg Butler. Worst NBA player ever.

[Hammer]

I guess I don't understand your basis for this statement. He's averaged around 25 and 8 over the course of a six-game win streak. That's mighty fine. But how is that accomplishing more than many of the greats who have ever played this game? Oscar Robertson beat those per-game averages for 10 straight seasons. I'm loving this run by Lin, so I'm not trying to rain on the parade. But you've now said, "He's doing things rarely, if ever, seen in the NBA" and that "In 6 games, he has accomplished more than many of the greats who ever played this game", and I just don't understand how that's so.

its easy. What were Big O's numbers in his first 6 NBA starts? Unfortunately I cant seem to find a game log but my question is did Oscar average as many points and assists in his first 6 NBA starts as Lin has? How many others have?

[Hammer]

I think he means in his first six games as a starter. No one has come out of the gate for their first six games as a starter and put up these numbers. I believe that's what he means.

yes I did. thanks Buck.

[Hammer]

Got it. Although he's only started five games. He came off the bench for his breakout game against NJ. And yes, I think my earlier post I noted that the production level for the first six games of his NBA career in which he's gotten heavy minutes is something rarely, if ever, seen before, particularly considering that he's not some lottery pick rookie, but rather an undrafted second-year player who got limited garbage-time minutes in 29 games with the Warriors before being waived by them, then picked up and waived by the Rockets, and then picked up and sent to the D-League by the Knicks.

He is putting up better numbers than most if not all of those lottery rookies, through 6 (or 5) starts. I would venture to say many of those lottery picks logged significant minutes although I cant say for sure.

[JudeBaldo]

Here's Nate Silver's analysis on why Lin's production is sustainable.

[Hornsby]

He is putting up better numbers than most if not all of those lottery rookies, through 6 (or 5) starts. I would venture to say many of those lottery picks logged significant minutes although I cant say for sure.

Pete, for you to be right, and for Lin to become an All-Star, let alone an "all time great", every GM in the NBA would have to be wrong, every scout, every coach, most coaches in the college game, and even Dantoni, who had him on the bench for 2 months, would have been blind to his talents.

It's a nice story, fueled by the twin facts of being a Knick, and being Asian. If he was a black kid who surfaced in Milwaukee doing this, I bet hardly anyone other than dyed in the wool hoops fans would ever notice.

I've got nothing against the kid, but I prefer to look at things realistically.

[Judge Jude]

The five highest ticket prices for NBA games in any city this year are now 4 Lin games at the Garden (two already played, plus the next two), and the Knicks-Celtics Christmas Day opener at the Garden.

The average Stubhub price for tonight's game was $92 last Friday - and $317 this morning.

The Garden guest list tonight is always impressive, but tonight also includes Bill Russell, Al Gore, CC Sabathia, Mary J Blige, Whoopi Goldberg, Bobby Baccala and Carmella from The Sopranos, Gerry Cooney, etc.

this is a mid-Feb game between two sub-.500 teams.

my longterm take on Lin is a nice "energy guy" second team player.
has a little Vinnie "Microwave" Johnson in him, but with better acceleration to the hoop perhaps.
overall, that would be a nice player claimed off waivers..

[JudeBaldo]

The five highest ticket prices for NBA games in any city this year are now 4 Lin games at the Garden (two already played, plus the next two), and the Knicks-Celtics Christmas Day opener at the Garden.

The average Stubhub price for tonight's game was $92 last Friday - and $317 this morning.

The Garden guest list tonight is always impressive, but tonight also includes Bill Russell, Al Gore, CC Sabathia, Mary J Blige, Whoopi Goldberg, Bobby Baccala and Carmella from The Sopranos, Gerry Cooney, etc.

this is a mid-Feb game between two sub-.500 teams.

my longterm take on Lin is a nice "energy guy" second team player.
has a little Vinnie "Microwave" Johnson in him, but with better acceleration to the hoop perhaps.
overall, that would be a nice player claimed off waivers..

I think he's better than that in D'antoni's system. But we'll see. And yes I am quite happy I've claimed off waivers. :-)

[Judge Jude]

fyi, 'get-in-door' price on Stubhub for Nets-Grizzlies (two other sub-.500 teams) across the river tonight was not $89 but actually..... one cent.

yes, really....