Home » Sports »

Jeremy Lin – We Believe

February 20, 2011 11:00 am
@BennyDuh
Sports
2 comments

With All-Star Weekend marking the close of NBA’s first half, Jeremy Lin‘s season has been nothing short on an up and down roller coaster ride. As a fan, it’s hard to see Jeremy ride the pine but he has always had to earn his respect since the first day he picked up a basketball. This has a lot to do with the color of his skin and the name on the back of his jersey. But every stop along the way of his journey, he has proved himself time and again and earned the respect of his peers.

Now that Jeremy has reached the ultimate goal of the NBA, he will once again have to prove himself and earn his minutes being in the bottom rung as a rookie. In the limited playing time afforded to him, Jeremy (the middle son of Taiwanese parents who emigrated to the U.S. in the 70s) has already shown his strength as a defensive stalwart. He has great basketball instincts and anticipation, much like LeBron, in picking off passes and getting his hand on a lot of balls. On the ball, Jeremy puts strong defensive pressure by staying low and constantly moving his feet. As reported by Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports:

(Jeremy’s) been downright ridiculous as far as defensive stats go, totaling 19 steals and seven blocks in just 145 minutes. That projects to 3.9 steals and 1.5 blocks per 30 minutes. It’d be interesting to see him get some court time with the Warriors just to see how he keeps performing in those two categories.”

Being assigned to the D-League was certainly a humbling experience for Jeremy. However, the extended minutes he played with the Reno Bighorns just shows the type of impact player he can be. Since rejoining the Warriors in the Association, Jeremy has vowed to continue working hard and backup his two all-star caliber backcourt mates.

As most players would attest to, it is not easy to find a groove in limited minutes of play. A lot of times, you are just playing not to make mistakes and that is not the type of player Jeremy is. Jeremy excels when he is attacking and that also opens things up for his teammates.

Jeremy, here are some final words of advice and encouragement:

Utilize more pick & rolls/pop with David Lee since that’s his bread and butter. With your other bigs, look to throw more lobs off the pick and roll like JKidd and CP3.

We’ve already seen you cross over a great defender in Tayshaun to score at the cup. Look to perfect that teardrop like Parker has and add that to your repertoire. That will be your calling card to score over athletic centers like Dwight and JaVale.

Be opportunistic and continue using your quickness in attacking the rim. If you can’t take it to the cup when help defense comes, kick it out to Steph Curry and Dorell Wright for open 3s.

Keep looking to get out in transition and using that great court vision of yours to score easy buckets. Your energy off the bench will give the Warriors a much needed lift.

As a student of the game, continue to work hard in practice and learn from Monta and Steph. Don’t ever get down about you minutes. Many players have gone through the same thing including J.J. Redick who is now in the regular rotation of the Magic after five years. Always be ready when your number is called, go out there, have fun, and play your game with confidence. Your hard work and dedication to the game will take you a long way. Your faith will take you even further.

We, as your supporters, know you belong in the league. We believe Jeremy. We believe. Now just go out there and put on your show in the second half!