Jeremy Lin has left the New York Knicks for the Houston Rockets, James Dolan is probably really mad about the poison pill that Daryl Morey force-fed him, and there's going to be less merchandise sold at Madison Square Garden this season. Lost in all this is that the Rockets got a shiny new point guard, and they have fans who matter too.
Jeremy Lin To Rockets: Houston’s Reaction Is Mixed
Tom Martin at The Dream Shake wrote about Lin’s acquisition, which he called a good move. He’s expecting Lin to become a legitimate starting NBA point guard, but not a superstar.
So at the end of the day, what can we expect from Lin? I’d say we’re looking at a point guard who will fall just inside the top 20 in the league once he gets used to his teammates. Maybe 13 to 15 points per game with six to seven assists? Defensively, Lin will probably struggle, but on offense I don’t think the Rockets will lose much from the position. This is a good move for Houston, perhaps more for our spirits than for wins, but the wins should come in time, too.
I almost forgot to mention, he’s only 23 years old. That’s as encouraging as anything else.
Meanwhile, Brian McDonald of SB Nation Houston is a little more skeptical. He decided to cross the streams and compare Lin’s signing to a recent poor signing by the Houston Astros.
Kaz Matsui in two and half seasons (239 games) with the Mets hit for a .256 batting average with a .308 on base percentage, .363 slugging percentage, and scored 106 runs. During a season and a half with the Rockies (136 games), Matsui had a .300 batting average, .350 on base percentage, .426 slugging percentage and scored 106 runs; night and day difference. His numbers were inflated by playing at Coors Field, the Astros gave him a stupid three year contract for 16.5 million, and he was a disaster in Houston with .259 batting average.
No one’s expecting Lin to duplicate Linsanity, but a consistent four years of starter-level play will suit Rockets fans just fine.
For more on the Knicks, visit Posting and Toasting and SB Nation New York. And for more on the Rockets, visit The Dream Shake and SB Nation Houston.
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