Heading to the D-League is good for Jeremy...

With the signing of Acie Law to backup Curry, Jeremy Lin has been in and out of the D-League for the past few weeks. This move has been especially beneficial for Jeremy- getting more playing time in the D-League allows Jeremy to work on his game and regain his confidence. Recently Lin has been named the D-League's Co-Performer of the week.

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Jeremy Lin Playing Well!!

Jeremy Lin has been seeing minutes the last two Warrior games against the LA Lakers and Denver Nuggets. Last night coach Smart even played the rookie guard in the first half, allowing Stephen Curry to rest after a back to back. Jeremy played well in 14 minutes, despite only recording 2 pts, 2 ast, 1 blk and 1 stl. His surprise play especially on the defensive end was a result of hard work before and after practices, says Smart in an interview after the Lakers game. Jeremy scored 13 pts, 2 ast, 3 reb and 2 stl in 17 minutes against LA. Hopefully, the last two games is a sign of more consistent playing time...

Jeremy Lin to Get Bump in Minutes

It's official:  J-Lin will be seeing backup PG minutes now that Steph Curry is out with a sprained right ankle.  As we threw it out earlier, J-Lin has fallen into a soon-to-increase workload due to injury.  Here's saying he makes the most of his opportunity.

Jeremy performed solidly down in LA against the Lakers, registering 2 points, 3 assists, and 4 steals in 16 minutes.  He "completely changed the tempo of the game."  Read the full article and Keith Smart's recent change of heart HERE.

Jeremy Lin - Keys to Getting More Burn

Now I’m not saying I’m some kind of Mel Kiper Jr. of the NBA, but after damn near 20 years of fervently following the Warriors, I think I’ve picked up a thing or two about the local 12.  And while J-Lin’s on-court performance will obviously be a prime driver of his court time, a couple other historic factors could be as well.

Politics

Personality clashes between player and coach has long been a staple of the GSW diet.  Think back to C-Webb and Nellie, just one year removed from the playoffs, a promising and young squad, and of course that dunk over Sir Charles.  Webber’s minutes went from a lot to none as he plied his wares elsewhere.  Then there was Spree-Hardaway-Nellie and Spree-Carlesimo.  ‘Nuff said.

Now Keith Smart doesn’t appear to have that same cult of personality that Nellie had, so hopefully, player-coach politics won’t factor into playing time.  And J-Lin’s playing time won’t come unwittingly at the expense of the team’s locker room harmony.

Injuries

Tell me the last time Golden State wasn’t among the leaders in that dreaded stat, “games lost to injury.”  That’s what I thought.  If you want to find the Warriors among the league leaders somewhere (anywhere), look no further than the Disabled List.  If trends from the past decade hold true, J-Lin could be seeing quite a few minutos by default.  After all, we must have the skinniest backcourt out there.  And I’m not even gonna put down my thoughts on the Warriors’ training staff.

How J-Lin Can Help His Own Cause

From Keith Smart’s preseason sound bites and the simple fact that Jeremy Lin is just a rookie (who played the majority of his collegiate ball at the 2), he will most likely see early-season minutes as a backup 2.  But J-Lin is not your typical 2-guard.  He’s a playmaker, he’s unselfish, and he plays like a point guard unencumbered by the shackles of that “point guard” label.  Sure, he’ll need to work on his ballhandling – I’m not sure how many Chris Paul’s or Darren Collison’s he faced in the Ivy League – but playing off-ball, he will need to knock down j’s, penetrate, and find open teammates.  From my experience playing ball, the best way to make friends and build chemistry on the court is by getting the ball to your teammates in spots where they can finish.  J-Lin definitely has a knack for doing that.  Finally, it never hurts to play lockdown D, hounding the other fellow.  For players facing the prospect of limited minutes, I liken their situation to that of a hockey player.  Any given line is out on the ice for only a couple-few minutes at a time before the next shift rotates in.  This gives players the opportunity to go all out, leaving havoc to the wind.  If J-Lin can follow the hockey model in his limited early-season minutes, it could go a long way in impressing the coaching staff and raise a few more notches on the totem pole.

Yi Jianlian 2010 Outlook

According to ESPN projections for the upcoming 2010 NBA season, Yi's play has been erratic over his career with the Bucks and with the New Jersey Nets. With a new Wizards team this year, he is better suited coming off the bench as a wing player, running the floor and knocking down jump shots. In fantasy basketball, Yi is qualified to play small forward and power forward.

After watching Yi play this summer (see highlights in our archives), I would have to disagree with ESPN. Yi can be more successful playing the power forward or center position, even as a backup. He has bulked up considerably. Yi can be a force finishing plays and flashing around the basket, playing off of John Wall and Andray Blatche. As a center in the NBA, he can take bigger and slower players off the dribble. With the threat of hitting the midrange jumper, Yi can significantly improve his FG percentage, offensive rebounding, blocks and scoring if he can focus on the inside.

This is Yi's final year in his rookie contract. He has to stay healthy and show that he is a solid NBA player. If he can consistently put up 15 pts 8 reb this season, he will be serviceable for many teams.

Yao's Return to Dominance Depends On One Big Left Foot

Can Yao re-emerge as the NBA's preeminent center?  The health of his repaired left foot permitting, Yao looks to make his way all the way back.  Read the Sports Illustrated article here.

Highlights of Jeremy Lin's first game vs the Clippers!!

You have got to check out Jeremy's first game! He played 11 minutes, scored 7 points, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 0 to. He was perfect from the field and at the free throw line. This is a great start to his career. Once Jeremy gets comfortable with the speed of the NBA game, he will be valuable to any team. More highlights to come...