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Chopped & Screwed Linsanity: Jeremy Lin’s Heading To Houston
Everything Else By J. Tinsley on July 17, 2012 at 7:30 pm
In what became the second biggest debate around the basketball world over the past week and change – the first being the Dream Team vs. 2012 fantasy matchup – the New York Knicks made it official. Jeremy Lin wasn’t worth dishing out damn near $30M confirming the surprisingly controversial point guard returns to the team which originally cut him, the Houston Rockets. And with that, let’s run through this cliff notes style.
– On one hand, I understand those Knicks fans who wanted Jeremy to return. Somewhat. He had a good month and change and, without his run through the NBA and pop culture, the Knicks don’t make the playoffs. Then again, on the other hand, did you really want to throw that much money at guy who could still be a flash in the pan as opposed to consistent starter? Really, this is the same guy who said he was 85% to play in the Heat series but refused. Listen, Jeremy Lin’s story was one of the best feel good ones in awhile. We all know that, but the verdict on his longevity is still in deliberation.
– Feelings were hurt in this deal too. Jim Dolan allegedly felt insulted Lin didn’t show any loyalty to the organization by hiring a publicist without consulting them and attempting to restructure his contract. Let’s move on from the sports and “loyalty” talk before this gets weird.
– I say that to say this. Let’s say J-Lin makes me eat those words and becomes the point guard the hype led so many to believe he was. Can you imagine what his NEXT contract will look like? I’d make a joke, but chances are it would come off as racially insensitive. And I’m not that kind of guy.
– So with the Lakers reportedly being back in the Dwight Howard sweepstakes for the 782nd time, where does this leave Houston? They’ve got their point guard that will put butts in the seats (at least starting off) and a guy who basically corners the Asian NBA market in the manner Yao did. So can they get him the most controversial player in the game who just happens to be the best center? Even still, a Lin-Howard 1-2 (or is it 2-2) punch still doesn’t scream “championship.” Not when there’s that team in Oklahoma City out west.
– The Knicks now have Jason Kidd who just happens to be the new face of AA. Then there’s also the reacquisition of Raymond Felton. In an ideal scenario, we get a Kidd rehab reality show and Felton shows the promise he did before the Knicks gutted their entire roster for Carmelo. There also needs to be a camera around when Felton and Melo have their first conversation. That’s definitely a “that awkward moment when…” moment. In a worst nightmare scenario, however, Felton returns to the Big Apple looking like this. That’s the last Raymond weight joke that will be told this evening. I promise.
– Lin in Houston all but guarantees he’s going to be the starting point guard for the West in the 2013 All Star Game, which, you know, just happens to be in Houston. I fully expect for Chris Paul to publicly execute him in the first Clippers/Rockets game with one of those 25-13-10 games. And some high quality trash talk. Someone make sure Julius Hodge has a Lin jersey that night.
Bonus: Grant Hill signed with the Clippers giving them a rotation which will probably go nine deep and a team which should be even better than they were last season. This also signifies damn near half of their roster has had season ending injuries at least once in their career. Unfortunately, the “Cripple City” joke has already been run into the ground via Twitter.
CATEGORY: Everything Else, HEADLINES, SMOKE BREAK, Sports | TAGS: Houston Rockets, Jeremy Lin, NBA Basketball, New York Knicks
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J. Tinsley
@JustinTinsley is ranked 10th in the "Most Interesting Man In The World" list and rising thanks to co-signs from Hugh Hefner, Barack Obama and the late Bernie Mac.
@JustinTinsley is ranked 10th in the "Most Interesting Man In The World" list and rising thanks to co-signs from Hugh Hefner, Barack Obama and the late Bernie Mac.
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There are 32 comments about:
Chopped & Screwed Linsanity: Jeremy Lin’s Heading To Houston
Guaranteed starting All Star, fourth or higher in voting.
Fuck Jeremy Lin. Fuck him.
I can’t respect a dude that sat out in the playoffs to protect his contract like that. the PLAYOFFS. This is Karma and he totally deserves all of it. Fuck him.
relax bruh. You’re worried about the playoffs when the guy was sleeping on his cousin’s couch during the season wondering if he would get another pay check.
In addition, why risk a career move to play in a series where the inevitable would have surely happened anyway. Knicks weren’t beating the Heat regardless of who they ran out there.
If someone is willing to pay him $25 million then it is what it is. You really need to redirect your anger to the Knicks who refused to match the offer or to the Rockets for offering such a back loaded deal.
You been sippin that Steven A Kool Aid? I don’t see how people are puttin this on Lin. Knicks just had to make an offer instead of “waiting to see what the market dictates.” Pussies. Kid would been “loyal” if you just offered him a contract. If Houston offers him a bananas contract he should take it.
this dude went to harvard so get outta here with that he was sleeping on somebody couch bs. dude is a coward.
how does going to harvard determine whether or not someone is sleeping on a couch? absolutely nothing that he has done denotes that he acted cowardly. at the very best, if you believe that he went back to houston to get an altered contract, then he’s kind of shady.
BUT…no one ever knew exactly what that original contract between him and the rockets was. so the rockets could have went back to the drawing board and tried to figured out a way to force the Knicks into a tough decision. “oh, last week, we said 20 mil total, but we figured the Knicks would match, so we making it $25.5.” what’s J-Lin supposed to do? say “no, i don’t want that money so that the Knicks will match”? don’t be silly. Knicks had their shot. By all accounts, they told him to go see what he could get. If you can’t afford to pay, then don’t make him out to look like a scumbag cuz someone else was going to pay.
Lin who?
This deal is all types of stupid. You release a player only to call him back AND grossly overpay him?! You dropped him the first time for a reason; I think that the Rockets might want to watch a little game tape before dropping dough on a point guard with no left hand.
Houston obviously made the deal for marketing reasons.
Yep. All those Yao Ming fans will come right back
In a word: OVERFUCKINGRATED.
Can he play? Of course. That’s not the debate here. Is he such an outstanding POINT GUARD that he merits so much attention, money and praise? Absolutely not. Knicks got what they got out of him as far as play and marketing. In season 2, the league would have figured out how to reduce his impact. It ALWAYS happens. And he would’ve looked lost out there like he was towards the end of his TWENTY FIVE GAME recognized career.
I’m not saying don’t get your money. There are many other players in the Association with ridiculous contracts, just from this Summer alone. Just saying, let’s not act like it’s such a coup by Houston’s GM that he backloaded it so much the Knicks couldn’t match it. Reminder, this is the same GM offering up at minimum SEVEN players, including all 3 of his recent draft picks, for a center who doesn’t even want to be in Houston.
And to add to that, its highly arguable that Ray Felton is a better point guard for the Knicks that Lin could have been.
Mario Chalmers figured him out way faster than that.
y’all stupid…mario chalmers didn’t shut him down…that was the norBeL and wade show. they gave him the MJ and Pip treatment vs Toni Kukoc. “oh, everybody says you’re such a star, let’s see what you can take.”
never mind, just watched the game tape again…basically, everybody crapped all over lin in that game, i’m counting steals from both chalmers and norris cole, charge taken by battier, steal by chris bosh, altered shots by joel anthony. just a horrible night…against the top defensive team in the league and the future WORLD CHAMPIONS so forgive basically a rookie for sucking against them.
Jeremy Lin got a 30million deal based on a 25 game body of work in which he ran thru such defensive stalwarts as Steve Blake, Derek Fisher at age 39, the Wizards, etc. So Houston anteed up $1mill for every game played or a little over $2.6 mill per each of the 10 or 11 really good games Lin played.
Hey, they gave him the money so, whatcha gonna do? Play on, playa.
Hope he earns the contract.
This guy got no left hand playing a position that requires you to be strong with both and STILL got paid. Didn’t we just go through a lockout because teams were giving out stupid contracts? SMH. These mufuggas never learn.
On the flip side, since their GM I’d giving out these dumb deals, I hope my Bulls don’t match on Asik and Houston is stuck paying a combined 30 million in year 3 of these deals to a PG with no left hand and a big man that can’t catch an entry pass and lacks the stamina to play more than 20 mpg.
So many truths. I almost feel bad for Houston fans. This is how bad teams are made. Might as well be the Texas Raptors
the truth was spoken here by El Ro.
On point