Can Jeremy Lin find his shot?
by Adi Joseph, USA TODAY Sports
Four top story lines from Friday night’s 13-game NBA slate (all times p.m. Eastern):
Can Jeremy Lin find his shot?
Houston Rockets at Memphis Grizzlies, 8, NBATV: One of the most surprising things about Lin’s surge last season for the New York Knicks was how efficient he stayed throughout its early run. He shot 47.2% in February. This was attributed to his Harvard background, and Lin shot 51.9% in 2009-10 as a senior there. But further examination reveals a different story: Lin’s shooting fell off when teams began expecting him. Lin led an eight-game winning streak for the Knicks last February when he was promoted to the rotation, but he has shot 40.7% from the field over 23 games spanning this season and last since his first loss. James Harden is the central piece in the Rockets’ rebuilding process, but Houston has a lot invested in Lin as well. He shot 2-for-9 in a loss Wednesday to the Denver Nuggets. Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley is 2 or 3 inches shorter and 15 to 20 pounds lighter than Lin, so he should be able to take advantage of his physicality tonight.
Who is the hottest banged-up team in the NBA?
Dallas Mavericks at New York Knicks, 7:30: The Mavericks are without Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion. The Knicks don’t have Amar’e Stoudemire. But knee injuries haven’t crippled these teams at all. The Knicks are 3-0 behind Carmelo Anthony, who has made a spectacular transition to power forward, where he should have been playing his entire career. And free agent addictions O.J. Mayo and Chris Kaman have taken control to guide the Mavs to three wins in a row and a 4-1 mark overall. Mayo could go off again, given New York’s backcourt defense. But without Marion, Dallas has no one to defend Anthony.
Can Kenneth Faried continue his rebounding run vs. bigger players?
Utah Jazz at Denver Nuggets, 10:30, ESPN: The Nuggets power forward has 36 rebounds in his past three games. He grabs 19.7% of available rebounds while on the court, despite his 6-8 stature. He’s one of the most fun-to-watch players in the NBA, … [For more on Tonight's NBA schedule: Can Jeremy Lin find his shot?, click here.]
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