Jeremy Lin: “I Don’t Think I Play Soft”
Jeremy Lin and the issue of toughness began in 2012, as his Linsanity days were coming to an end. It was the month of February and the Knicks had won nine out of eleven games. Jeremy Lin was installed as their hero and savior and the NYC mood was sky high. What the Knicks were accomplishing was what Jeremy Lin was making possible.
But, the Knicks went into Miami on a Thursday night, a nationally televised game against the Heat’s suffocating defense. In short, the Heat were ready for Jeremy Lin.
Jan 5, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) drives to the basket on Los Angeles Lakers guard Jeremy Lin (17) during the fourth quarter of the game at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Blazers won the game 98-94. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
The Jeremy Lin assignment was given to Mario Chalmers. He hounded Lin like Lin stole his three thousand dollar watch and then sold it on E-bay. Chalmers dogged Lin and was almost in his jersey. Lin couldn’t function. He turned the ball over, he missed shots. He was suddenly Jeremy Lin from Harvard, not Linsanity.
For all intents and purposes, Linsanity died that night, the bloom was off the rose. Lin made one shot the entire game; he missed 10 shots. He had 8 turnovers and 3 assists. The Knicks lost six of the next seven games. Linsanity was over. But the toughness question was not.
It was asked again, three years later, not in March, but in January, in cold, cold Utah. The Lakers had just lost to the Jazz.
Live Feed
Raptors Rapture
In that game, Jeremy Lin was presented with an opportunity. Inserted into the starting lineup after Ronnie Price was a scratch because of a recurring injury, Lin had the responsibility to build upon Kobe Bryant’s textbook example of unselfish basketball. No one expected Jeremy Lin to dish out 17 assists but just figure out how to make his teammates better, how to get them the ball in places where they could thrive.
But afterwards the toughness question came up.
"“I don’t think I play soft. I try to be a hassle on both ends of the floor.”"
Not so much in Utah. He had little impact even as he played 30 minutes. Jeremy Lin shot 30%, had 3 assists, and 6 points. He lacked aggression as he was continually confused on how to solve the puzzle of the Jazz big men every time he drove in the lane.
"Once the game was over Lin said, “everyone needs to assess themselves individually.”"
Everyone. Meaning him. His counterpart, the starting point guard for the Utah Jazz, second year player Trey Burke, played 38 minutes, had 20 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal.
Jeremy Lin was not the only culprit as Byron Scott pointed out afterwards. Yes, Lin’s job was to deliver the ball to his teammates and he failed in that regard. The Lakers, however, as a group, killed themselves with turnovers. Everyone had turnovers except Nick Young and Ed Davis. The turnovers neutralized a good shooting performance, 47%. Senseless and careless mistakes set up one fast break after another, one dunk after another.
For the second night in a row, the Lakers shot the ball at a higher percentage than their opponent and still lost the game. Defense matters. In Utah, it was the three point shooting defense that the Lakers did not bother to pay attention to. The Jazz took 24 more three point shots than the Lakers; the Jazz made 12 three pointers and outscored the Lakers on the perimeter by 27.
But around Jeremy Lin’s locker, after the game was over, he was once again asked to defend his game and his relevance as a starting point guard.
The worst thing a NBA player can be called is “soft.” Jeremy Lin disagrees with those that think he is, even if the numbers don’t back up his claim.