Houston Rockets: Jeremy Lin Has More Fans Then Playing Time?!

Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin, has a notably huge fan base. Not only is he popular in Houston, but he still has fans from his time in New York, with the Knicks, and in California with the Golden St. Warriors. Of course he is extremely famous in Taiwan due to his family’s heritage, but Lin also has a huge fan at a Houston newspaper entitled CultureMap.  Chris Baldwin, CultureMaps’ news director, and managing editor let loose on a post on Monday morning criticizing the Rockets allocation of minutes for Jeremy Lin.

Here is an excerpt:

McHale is stubbornly holding back his own team. Whether he cannot see the truth staring him in the face or simply doesn’t want to see it, does not matter at this point. Lin’s shown he can play at a level that neither Beverley or Brooks are capable of reaching. He’s carried a team offensively before. Heck, he’s carried these Rockets in stretches.

Houston simply doesn’t have enough weapons to win in the playoffs if Lin continues to be benched and banished. Offensively is where its recent meltdowns have come. The pathetic finish in Atlanta after that 11-0 start. The second half implosion for the ages against the Thunder at home.

Francisco Garica and Omri Casspi are both much too inconsistent shooters to be counted on nightly. Chandler Parsons is a true third star only in Never Never Land. James Harden’s individual brilliance and Dwight Howard’s power and underrated heart will mean little in the end if Jeremy Lin isn’t allowed to be a point guard.

The entire post is a hatchet job to the Rockets head coach Kevin McHale and a cry for more minutes for Lin. Unfortunately for Chris he failed to take a look at what the stats show. Over the 2013-14 season Lin has averaged nearly double the minutes that Aaron Brooks has, Lin – 30.9 minutes per game, Brooks 17.8 minutes per game. The notion that “Lin’s shown he can play at a level that neither Beverley or Brooks are capable of reaching” is also inaccurate. Aaron Brooks earned the Most Improved Player of the Year award during he 2009-10′ season scoring 19.5 points per game. Lin has yet to score that many per game, and Brooks made 209 three-pointers that season to lead the league and is ranked 24th in most three-pointer makes in a season.

I’m gonna let Chris slide on the Parsons bashing, and add this graphic showing the stats of the Rockets three point guards.

Maybe Chris is not aware that the Rockets have been using their three point guards in a three-headed monster sort of way. When they are all healthy each has an advantage that can be utilized to aid the Rockets. Lin, the highest paid point is better at running the offense and the teams best passer. Brooks is the best scorer of the three, and Beverley is by far the best defender.

In the end, I applaud Chris for his blindsided pro-Lin post as it will bring him numerous comments, and page views, but next time he should not let his emotions based on a couple Rockets games mold his argument.