Jeremy Lin Preseason updates

From the Fast Break Blog
Big Changes (Warriors 95, Kings 86)
Jeremy Lin — The Jeremy Lin NBA highlight reel will not need to be updated following his second NBA appearance. Tyreke Evans and Luther Head are real NBA players (unlike the ragged collection of Clipper camp invitees he faced Friday) and they pretty much ate Lin alive during his brief fourth-quarter appearance. Lin attempted two drives — the first ending in a steal, the second a jump ball. Both started from half-court sets and Lin couldn’t find daylight to the rim against his defender. He looked like he was forcing it — understandable given the adrenalin kick you must get from having 10,000 people cheer your every touch of the ball — but he wasn’t in long enough to settle down. With Adrien playing so well, I still think there’s a reasonable debate to be had over whether the team should eat whatever is guaranteed on Lin’s deal in favor of signing Miles to play back-up point. Regardless, until people start showing up in the Arena in Aaron Miles jerseys, I doubt Lin’s roster spot is in any real danger.

David Lee puts on strong showing in second game with Golden State Warriors
By Marcus Thompson II
mthomps2@bayareanewsgroup.com
Jeremy Lin made a brief stint at the end of the game. He had two turnovers in 1:21, prompting Smart to pull him for guard Aaron Miles.

Jeremy Lin stirs crowd in Golden State Warriors debut
By Marcus Thompson II
mthomps2@bayareanewsgroup.com
Posted: 10/08/2010 10:31:32 PM PDT
Updated: 10/09/2010 04:10:10 AM PDT
The loudest ovation of the night came when Warriors rookie guard Jeremy Lin, a Palo Alto native, got off the bench to walk to the scorer's table in the fourth quarter.

The Warriors were well on their way to a 127-87 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in an exhibition opener at Oracle Arena. But the crowd was just getting started.

Fan favorite Lin capped the night by totaling seven points, three rebounds and two assists in 11 minutes. Not as impressive a stat line as his teammates. Guard Monta Ellis had 22 points. Guard Stephen Curry had 18 points, six assists and four rebounds. Forwards Dorell Wright and David Lee combined for 33 points and 13 rebounds.

But Lin stole the show. When he scored his first basket -- a three-point play on a driving, windmill layup -- the fans erupted loud enough to create a mild earthquake in Oakland. Moments later, fans got even louder as Lin got a steal and led a fast break that he capped with a look-away pass to Brandan Wright for a dunk.

As much as he tries to tune it out, Lin notices the hype and expectations following him. Though he is beloved as a Bay Area product and a rare Asian-American in the NBA, Lin said he knows what some of his beloved fans seem to forget -- he is an undrafted NBA rookie. That means rough spells and hard lessons.

"I've got news for them," Lin said with a smile before the game, "I won't be an All-Star this year."

Coach Keith Smart said Lin has a tendency to be
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hard on himself and get frustrated. So Smart's plan is to take the pressure off Lin, get him to just play and learn as he goes.

Of course, his fans aren't trying to ease him into anything. They cheered every time he touched the ball, even if for a split-second. Some chanted "MVP!" after he knocked down a floater in the lane.

Lin, on the other hand, said he is focused on doing what rookies do: learning. He has been nothing short of a gym rat -- staying after practice, getting in his film work, looking to learn.

Lin said he is trying to be patient and embrace the rookie process.

"As a player, you want to always play well, so sometimes it gets frustrating," he said. "So I'm just focusing on working hard and getting better."





Lin grabs spotlight in exhibition

Rusty Simmons, Chronicle Staff Writer

Saturday, October 9, 2010

(10-08) 23:33 PDT -- The Warriors' first preseason game, a 127-87 victory over the Clippers on Friday night, was supposed to be about finding a pecking order for the reserves and seeing just how much of the defensive emphasis has taken hold.

Instead, it was mostly about the starters until, with 10:49 remaining, the focus shifted to Jeremy Lin.

Actually, the focus has been on his every movement since the Palo Alto High and Harvard grad signed here July 21. Seven international media outlets taped his every step in his first practice last week.

The 10,004 fans at Oracle on Friday started chanting for Lin in the third quarter. When he went to the scorer's table to check into the game in the final 11 minutes, the place reached its highest decibel level of the night.

They cheered every time he touched the ball, and spilled popcorn when he showed good strength and body control to complete a layup while being fouled. He wasn't done. On the other end, Lin stripped John Scheyer, raced out on the break and found Brandan Wright for a powerful dunk.

"That really touched me. It's something I'll remember forever," Lin said. "This whole opportunity is a blessing from God, and I'm very thankful for that. To get to play in front of so many family and friends, it's pretty indescribable."

Coach Keith Smart is trying to bring along Lin slowly. He doesn't want to overwhelm the rookie.

"Even in the preseason, you don't want to just throw a young guy out there," Smart said. "The pace jumps, and you don't want him to get too frustrated or down on himself. We're not rushing him to be a factor. We're going to keep this nice and simple."

Lin ended up with seven points, three rebounds and two assists in 11 minutes, but his teammates made sure to keep him humble. When he headed for a postgame shower, they hid his shoes.

"I have a long way to go and a lot of improvements to make," Lin said. "I've proven nothing.

"Anyone can have a good 10-minute stint."

Smart hasn't decided whether Lin will play mostly as a shooting or a point guard - or whether he'll play at all.