A few people have asked my thoughts on Jeremy Lin, the Asian-American point guard and Harvard alum who has played well over the past five games for the struggling New York Knicks. I’ll mention up front that my strange title ties in at the very end of the post.
Relevant materials:
- Tyler Cowen’s short coverage.
- Nate Silver believes that Lynn isn’t a fluke.
- Boxer Floyd Mayweather says that Lin is being hyped because he is Asian and that black players do what Lin is doing all the time.
- At The Atlantic, Robert Wright chalks some of the hype up to Lin’s Asian-ness, and develops an HBD theory, borrowing from other research, that Asians are good at minimizing the foreground and maximizing background. This would benefit Lin in his role as point guard.
- Jay Caspian King covers Lin at Grantland.
- Jeremy Lin’s stat sheet.
My quick thoughts on this topic which speaks more about the interaction of the internet with the real world – what with everyone scrambling to make sense of Lin’s rise:
Lin is gaining attention for a few reasons. He has surpassed every expectation ever placed on him in a very short period of time. He is a frontrunner now, and will forever be remembered for churning up excitement and momentum in an increasingly complex league.
If Lin had one game where he scored 20 points, he’d gain attention for it. He’s now had five in a row. Playing in New York is a part of this. If Lin was on the Milwaukee Bucks, he wouldn’t be receiving much attention. The New York Knicks have had very high expectations placed upon them. If any year within recent history was going to be The One, this was supposed to be it as Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire were supposed to make the Knicks contenders. The team has played below expectations so far this season, and Lin has stepped in to not only play very well but to also help the Knicks win five games in a row (they were 8-15 before Lin became a starter and are 13-15 now). If the Knicks had lost a couple of those games, fans would not be as Linsane as they are today. It is worth mentioning that Lin’s scoring rampage is partially due to the Knicks’ being without their two high scorers – the aforementioned Anthony and Stoudemire.
But Linsanity speaks to the psychological tendency of fans to get drawn in by streaks and runs. People love streaks and runs; it allows fans to play off between achievement and failure. It is edgy; we all know that the good thing will end, and this draws us in. As many have mentioned, this is what drove Tebow-mania.
So now the question is “is Lin a fluke?” Being able to get to the hole is a talent that is hard to replicate. If Lin can get to the hole and put up 38 points – as he did in one game – he will always be someone who can score and will always be an asset to whichever team he plays for. My guess though is that he will be a decent role player who might average 10 points a game over his career.
What is troubling in Lin’s statistics is his penchant for turning the ball over. This somewhat diminishes Wright’s argument laid out above about Asians’ non-myopia. Lin has recorded decent assist statistics during his streak – 7, 8, 10, 7, and 8. At the same time, he has a less-than-mediocre assist-to-turnover ratio – a key metric used to gauge the ability of point guards to do what they’re designed to do: create scoring opportunities for teammates. Lin has already recorded one 8 turnover game and two 6 turnover games within his short streak. For non-basketball enthusiasts, this is a relatively high number of turnovers. Two comparisons: first, Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash – during his first season with Lin’s current coach – run-and-gunner Mike D’Antoni – had a few bad games as well. But even cherry-picking Nash’s ten worst turnover games, Nash still had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.87 which is better than Lin’s five game ratio of 1.74.
We should make apples-to-apples comparisons as Lin is pretty much a rookie which brings the attendant lack of experience. Comparing Lin to other rookies – past and present – leaves us with mixed feelings. In comparison to rookie point guards drafted in 2011, Lin fares relatively well. His overall assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.87 is higher than two highly-touted picks – Kyrie Irving (1.60 ATO) and Brandon Knight (1.27). The ratio is less than Kemba Walker’s (1.92). Lin has outscored these players over the course of his five game streak, and since he has been a starter. But on this important metric – and just cherry-picking to provide more comparison points – Lin underperforms a few other older players at similar points in their careers. Two good players – Chris Paul and Steve Nash – has an ATO of 3.52 and 2.43, respectively, during their first two seasons. Two mediocre players – Sam Cassell and Nick Van Exel – had ATOs of 2.24 and 3.11 during their first two seasons.
If Lin is benefiting from some anti-Asian bias – if, as Jordy Nelson and other white receivers in the NFL experienced, there is a tendency on the part of the majority black players in the league to disrespect non-blacks’ ability – then his turnover numbers are especially curious. If Lin has been able to score because his defenders aren’t defending him as closely as they might, then his turnover stats are especially alarming.
So basically, my synopsis is that Lin has done the right thing at the right time at the right place. His legacy is forever cemented. To bring in the title of the post and to harp on the importance that New York plays in all of this, I’ll make a comparison between Lin and the Son of Sam. Though there have been more prolific killers, David Berkowitz captured the nation’s attention during 1976 and 1977 because he murdered six people in relatively quick and serial fashion in the nation’s largest media outpost. The people of New York were gripped by this streak, and that mirrors the Linsanity we see throughout the nation today. And, yeah, the expectation ceiling placed above Lin due to his being Asian – which he has burst through – has something to do with all of it.
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Lin, Stoudemire and Carmelo on the floor together will be a terrible defensive unit. Let’s see what happens after all 3 start playing together consistently.
Lin’s definitely an expert at conserving his dribble and getting into the paint quickly. He can get from the top of the key and into shooting position with one quick bounce, making it very hard to pressure his dribble. He’s also got a nice selection of floaters that compensates for his average jumping ability.
I don’t think he is a fluke either. He is abnormally tall though.
The Chinese are good at repetitive tasks …. otherwise iPods would be made in Africa for an even bigger savings. Being good at sports is two things, mental preparation/edge, and repetition until you get it right. If anything these Chinese ought to be taking over the NBA. negroes only know how to try to psyche other out, they have no self control / emotional control. negroes give up on repetitive tasks, thats why the suck at the free throw line when the game is close. You get enough Chinese in the league and you will see someone shoot 100 for 100 from the line.
Oh, and I forgot to mention, Allen Iverson is a broke ass negro.
Lin’s driving brothers nuts. If they can’t beat a slangy-eyed at their own game, what does that leave them? He’ll be like any good white player soon—–completely disrespected by the welfare set.
Am I the only NYer here? Anyways, I was at the Utah game and saw him play. Lin is only going to get better, and stronger, as he adjusts to the defenses thrown at him (LA roughed him up pretty good and he still dropped 38 on them). Stat is going to fit in nicely with Lin because this is basically Nash/Stat Part Deux minus Nash’s experience. There will be pick and roll galore. His A2T ratio doesn’t bother me right now. We’ll see how he is in a month.
I have my reservations about ‘Melo though. He tends to hold the ball too much. Knick fans are not patient, which is a huge problem with the way the team is run. If you think about it, the teams that are doing really well this shortened season are the ones that were basically the same as last year. This team, as is currently made up, has not had a full NBA season under its belt (‘Melo came in last year with only 27 games left and this shortened 66 game season hasn’t left much time for practice). I wish my fellow Knick fans would wait a full 82 games before they start calling for trades and firing of coaches (and I’m not a big fan of D’Antoni).
“He’ll be like any good white player soon—–completely disrespected by the welfare set.”
Nash is one of the most respected players out there.
Nash also works very hard to establish his lefty bona fides. He’s the ignorant Canuck who came out attacking the US shortly after 9/11.
Lin plays a simple pick n roll game that not a lot of current PGs play now because they are products of the AAU, break your man down PG style. Look at the success of Ricky Rubio this year. He is awesome with the pick n roll. The unspoken thing for both of these guys is that they are taller PGs (more Chauncey Billups/Steve Nash built). Both Rubio & Lin have something a lot of PGs don’t have today, the natural passing ‘gene’. Yeah, genetics might not make them gifted like we normally view athletes, but there is something to being a natural passer. Nash is one. Chris Paul is another. Magic and Bird were like that. Some guys just don’t have that ability, and the AAU feeder system pushes smaller PGs who are ball hogging shooting guards in disguise. I think that passing gene is something you are born with like great speed or leaping ability. I bring this up because this is a natural talent (passing ability) that the people who speak of athleticism rarely discuss. A running back finding the hole and making the right cut is a natural gift. Michael Bennett was the fastest RB in his draft class but frustrated pro coaches because he could not read the way an O-line would block, could not pick the hole and cut.
NY + Asian-American + Harvard + cut by other teams + Magical week in MSG = media frenzy
@SOBL1:
Let’s not forget: slowest sports news month as well.
February is famous for being the worst sports news month. Superbowl is over, pitchers and catchers haven’t reported, hockey and basketball in the middle of their interminable and meaningless “regular season”, no Olympics, no college football, March Madness not till next month, etc. There’s a reason that Sports Illustrated chose February to publish their Swinsuit Edition—with nothing worth putting on the cover sports-wise, best to just sell out and put hot babes in skimpy outfits.
Lin’s play is the most notable sports event going on, and the most notable news event that guys will enjoy. February and Early March belong to the fags and the broads—all the awards shows for “best gay anthem” (the grammy’s), best TV series shitting on men (Emmy’s, Golden Globes), best movie defending pedophilia/attacking the troops/claiming gays are the best people in the world (Oscars, SAG).
Mayweather has some weird hatred for Asians.
Just like dr.shit- for-brains has for those who accomplish things.
I’m surprised you’re not championing the nigger, fascist. Trying togo undercover for the Obama campaign again, boy ?
Great point, whorefinder. Feb is the dead period for the mouth breathers that pray at the sports altar. Never really considered how the chick awards shows were all stacked in the dead sports period.
I do think the NBA is definitely enjoying and will push this as Stern must have seen the Tebow thing and realized he hasn’t had anything like that in years. This is a gift dropped in his undeserving lap.
Mayweather also said anti-Asian statements about the Pac-man that he keeps ducking. I bet no one asks him to apologize.
SOBL, that’s what I mean, this is becoming a pattern with him. Why is he even commenting on basketball?
@Dr G – He’s commenting because the black sports punditry has picked up the focus on Lin, his hurdles getting into the NBA and disrespect for his game. JA Adande was on some ESPN show saying how yes Lin has faced hurdles, but this is nothing compared to Jackie Robinson. I couldnt believe Adande went there, but then realized this was on ESPN (Miniprop for BRA). Seriously, blacks can’t handle when any other group ever has an uphill climb in anything. They have to bring it back through a black prism and pull out some trump card. The reporter even foolishly said how blacks wouldnt have even had a shot at Harvard in Robinson’s day. Laying it on thick would put it lightly. This has been a dog whistle for black sports writers and athletes to comment. You’d think for once blacks would collectively think “hey wait, we’re dismissing someone for race like what our grandparents told us they went through 50 years ago, let’s not do that”, then set up a tweet hashtag and it would spread to all of them in like 3 hours. #layoffLin
Whorefinder — Awesome summation:
I suggest one correction though:
“best TV series shitting on men”
should be:
“best TV series shitting on White men”
Because Holly would does not shit on the noble savage.
God did to differentiate them from for the White Man, this the Bible tells us.
Because, as a fascist like you dr. Shit-for-brains, every moment must be used to advance the party agenda and attack the enemies of the party! Sieg heil, Mein Obama!
Blacks love Lin
Almost nO one disrespects him
This wishful thinking that nonwhites don’t get along is weird
Anti racist:
Everyone hates niggers. Deal with it. The wishful thinking that they’re beloved is weird.
SOBL1 — I disagree here:
I think that passing gene is something you are born with like great speed or leaping ability
I think passing ability is a skill honed … a skill perfected though repetition, dedication.
What surprises me is that he is from Harvard and not Princeton.
Really? Harvard’s pretty good for an Ivy. They’re 21-3 this year, bubbling under the top 25. They’ve won the Ivies the past several years, I think.
The thing is, we celebrate when Blacks achieve things that Whites/Asians have already achieved a thousand times before. Which is essentially what he’s bitching about with Lin. Maybe it is just bitterness about Pacquiao, which is a pretty dumb reason to dislike an entire race.
Im from NY. Been watching the knicks since the mid 80s or so.
Back in the 80s the knicks were known as one of the hardest defending teams, usually only giving up 70-80ppg and getting into fights. the knicks were known for their hard 1/2 court D, non-existant mid-range shooting and patrick ewing. they didn’t run and gun, they couldn’t shoot for shit, and they had no players to hit the 8-15′ jumper reliably. This basically left everything on ewing’s shoulders and he couldnt carry it out alone.
Then in 1990 something wierd happened. some guy from an oklahoma supermarket got picked up by the knicks. interestingly enough, this guy played and got waived by the GS warriors just like Lin. He got dumped into the CBA league to rot, kinda like Lin in the D-League. Anyhow, the knicks sign him as a free agent. He is #3 John Starks.
There are many similarities between Lin and Starks. The underdog, cinderella story. The whole nice guy demeanor. The hard work ethic, starks used to do pushups and situps during the game on the sidelines at times. Many of the NBA players, do not appreciate the fact that they are where they are and getting paid what they get paid to play a game. Its almost as if they feel entitled to it all (calling themselves SLAVES).
Then you get guys like, starks, nash, lin, and they are thankful, almost HUMBLED at how they are received by the public and their teams. Of course one of the main differences between Lin and MANY NBA players is that Lin is intelligent. He’s Book SMART too. What he lacks in physical toughness or athleticism/instinct (he aint black) he makes up for with his brains. All the asians already know that, I used to watch asian kids routinely destroy blacks/hispanics in the playgrounds of brooklyn, then the asians would get beatup for daring to win. THATS why their are going batshit for him. Because you have a smaller, weaker, slower, Asian TORCHING the Black man and he’s doing it by using his BRAIN. Same thing with the whole white quarterback. The man you want running the team doesnt have to be the strongest fastest or most intimidating. He does however have to be pretty damned smart, and have the support of his team. On top of that, its probably difficult at best to find an urban black thats got some high level ball skills that isnt a narcissist. and as a narcissist, he must take shots, not pass the ball.
In my opinion, this linsanity is simply because he is doing some thing on the knicks that they haven’t had in at least 30 years. Someone to make the game Fast, Fun, and Exciting (typical west coast ball). Not to mention, it looks like Lin can hit his shots consistently (starks couldnt do that, neither could spreewell, harper, or davis). NY has been starving for something like this for decades. Everytime the knicks got a Franchise player, he was injured or WAY over his prime, or just sucked ass, and they always paid a damned fortune for EVERYONE and traded away all their first round draft picks. Think Granmama (johnson), Charles Smith (what a fucking WASTE that guy was), Mason (the dude was a bruiser tho), Hello MARBURY.. here’s lookin at u homie. Spreewell tried, but he was a bitch.
NY is a huge stage just like LA, Chicago, etc, but they haven’t had a legit superstar with a proper role players. NewYorkers are just happy to now possibly have a team that is somewhat exciting, win or lose.
In my opinion, the knicks style of play right now is somewhat reminiscent of the Utah Jazz back in the mid 90s with stockton and mailman connecting on the pick n roll day in and day out. If Lin can become a truly dangerous outside threat 15-25′ jumper/3pointers, he and Stoudamire can create havoc on the wings with the P&R and open the court up for ‘melo on the opposite side. The fans see this, and they are hungry for it. That is Linsanity.
As for Floyd Mayweather and his comments, yes, he is absolutely correct.. Lin is getting crazy props for doing shit LOTS of 12yr old black kids do for free. The feminists taught us, that is what you call privilege, in this case BLACK PRIVILEGE. Black people dont get serious props for their athletic abilities, because its assumed they ALL have it.
No one really gives to shits about a 7’2 black guy dunking a ball, because we’ve been seeing that shit for 40 years now. No one cares about a 6’4 190lbs black monster driving the lane and doing a crossover and a behind the back alley oop to himself for a lay-up because we’ve seen it all before. Its no big deal.
See that white guy with a 60% 3pt average, 90% FT, 3%assist? nope, niether does anyone else, because we’ve seen that before too.
See the Asian guy playing European style ball AND hes gut the testicular fortitude to drive the lane or take the charge, and he plays in NY, and he works hard, and he has a good vocabulary and speaking voice, and the black guys like him too, and he doesnt try to act black.. wait.. WHAT?!?! holy shit.. did u see that man?!?!?!!? exactly..