Comments on: For the Bibliophobic, A Jeremy Lin Primer

By: ruruland

ruruland — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:49:16 +0000

iserp: I’d say that Landry will play more into the 3 with JR Smith, but i don’t see him out of the rotation at all. Shump will get some minutes at the PG, and i think D’Antoni will split time between Lin and Davis (if Davis looks like last year in the Cavs and Lin is still playing like a good PG). Jeffries won’t play too much time next to chandler except against dominant frontcourts (lakers…). I don’t expect too many minutes for Jorts or Jerome Jordan. Actually, i think D’Antoni will play with smaller lineups now that we have actual PGs. This is a 10-man rotation i would be happy with: J-Lin 25 / Davis 18 / Shump 5 Fields 10 / JR Smith 25 / Shump 13 Melo 26 /Fields 12 / Novak 10 STAT 32 / Melo 6 / Jeffries 4 / Novak 6 Chandler 32 / Jeffries 16

no way Lin gets less than 30 mpg. Shump will be a platoon situational player.

By: Z-man

Z-man — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:41:44 +0000

Robert Silverman: I’m kind of flabbergasted at the calls for Fields to be benched, let alone removed from the rotation. He’s good. He’s a solid starter. And he’s going to improve. Smith will finish some games like he did v. Miami and Dallas, but I’ll wager that Fields’ jumpshot and FT shooting improve as the year goes on.

If you made that bet in January, you would have lost.

By: iserp

iserp — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:56:29 +0000

I’d say that Landry will play more into the 3 with JR Smith, but i don’t see him out of the rotation at all. Shump will get some minutes at the PG, and i think D’Antoni will split time between Lin and Davis (if Davis looks like last year in the Cavs and Lin is still playing like a good PG). Jeffries won’t play too much time next to chandler except against dominant frontcourts (lakers…). I don’t expect too many minutes for Jorts or Jerome Jordan. Actually, i think D’Antoni will play with smaller lineups now that we have actual PGs.

This is a 10-man rotation i would be happy with:

J-Lin 25 / Davis 18 / Shump 5
Fields 10 / JR Smith 25 / Shump 13
Melo 26 / Fields 12 / Novak 10
STAT 32 / Melo 6 / Jeffries 4 / Novak 6
Chandler 32 / Jeffries 16

By: BigBlueAL

BigBlueAL — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:21:04 +0000

This is amazing, have already read 2 articles about LeBron passing up the final shot at the ASG. This apparently is kinda a big story. Unbelievable.

I will add though that when you see the replay of the turnover Kobe was clearly pissed off that LeBron threw that pass (Adrian Wojnarowski mentioned that in his article Kobe was mad at LBJ after that pass and I thought he was talking crap but after seeing the replay he clearly was). He also mentioned Melo being mad but I noticed when it happened live how Melo was frantically calling for the ball since he was wide open (his hustle is what allowed the East to get the ball back after DWill’s miss) but Melo didnt look mad since he was smiling about it with LBJ after while Kobe really did look pissed. I honestly dunno if LBJ is truly scared of taking and missing shots late in games but one thing is for sure we dont ever have to worry about Melo feeling that way lol

By: jon abbey

jon abbey — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:21:43 +0000

Brian Cronin: So, rightly or wrongly, it sure seems like Fields > Shump in D’Antoni’s book.

the context is what matters, we'll see what happens if all 11 guys can stay healthy for a while. you may be right, D'Antoni hasn't exactly covered himself in glory with his use of personnel thus far, but if all 11 stay healthy, I just don't see how Fields doesn't eventually become the odd man out (if he doesn't start hitting 3s). Shumpert's perimeter D is a huge asset in almost every game, and for those who talk about a "commodity", Shump is a genuine commodity, one with way more upside than Fields.

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 07:28:52 +0000

In fact, since Lin became a starter (and thus, Shump’s PG minutes were reduced), there hasn’t been a single game where Shump has played more minutes than Fields, and typically the disparity between the two has been significant.

So, rightly or wrongly, it sure seems like Fields > Shump in D’Antoni’s book.

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 07:14:40 +0000

As others have mentioned, a Fields/Shump rotation at back-up SG based on what the game calls for is almost certainly what D'Antoni will do (back-up in total minutes, as Fields will likely continue to start, with Smith just getting the most minutes at the 2). As Jon notes, there's likely at least 23 minutes available at the SG position (plus minutes at the 3, as no way Jeffries plays 8 minutes a game at the 3 - I don't think D'Antoni has played Jeffries a minute at the 3 this year, let alone 8 minutes a game), and since the last time Shump and Fields both played (in a big game to boot), Shump got less than 20 while Fields got 26 (with no Melo playing), that gives you a strong indication of how D'Antoni sees the depth chart. In other words, Shump will be used like Tony Allen was on the 2008 Celtics - D'Antoni'll play him when he feels it necessary, but he's not going to be the primary guy at the position. Speaking of the 2008 Celtics, Doc Rivers found room to play 11 guys in a close game in the NBA Finals! A game where Pierce played 42 minutes and Ray Allen played the entire game.

By: Robert Silverman

Robert Silverman — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 07:07:46 +0000

Fair enough. Even though Shump can be a lock-down defender, I still wouldn’t play him extensively over Fields. I dig Shump, but he’s terrible offensively right now, for all his athletic gifts.

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 06:53:39 +0000

I understand the logic of it. It is less of a shot at Fields (although, okay, obviously anti-Fields bias plays some part in it – I don’t think Jon would even dispute that part of his thoughts on the subject are colored by his general belief that Fields is not good) and more a matter of what players “need” to play. Obviously Lin, Melo, STAT, Chandler and Smith “need” to play. Then you add in Jeffries and Harrelson, who are your back-up bigs. Then you add in Davis just because someone needs to be the back-up point guard. Then you add Shump because he has to get some playing time simply because he has an elite skill that comes in handy for certain parts of the game (like if Deron Williams is lighting up the team). Then you add Novak because he’s shooting an amazing percentage from three.

Well, that’s ten people right there who fit definitive “needs” for the Knicks. Fields is not as good of a defender as Shump and he is not as good of an offensive player as Smith. He doesn’t have the outside touch that Novak or Harrelson has. He can’t play the point. He can’t pass as a 4. So if you are working under the position that D’Antoni will not play 11 guys, then Fields seems to be the odd man out.

I don’t believe D’Antoni will do that and I would sooner believe he would find minutes for 11 guys than I would believe he would bench Fields, but I understand the logic behind the argument.

By: Robert Silverman

Robert Silverman — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 06:39:51 +0000

I’m kind of flabbergasted at the calls for Fields to be benched, let alone removed from the rotation. He’s good. He’s a solid starter. And he’s going to improve. Smith will finish some games like he did v. Miami and Dallas, but I’ll wager that Fields’ jumpshot and FT shooting improve as the year goes on.