The Height of Why Jeremy Lin Matters More Than Yao Ming to Asian-Americans

Jeremy Lin is not short.¹

Only in basketball is Lin considered short. There he is, a "small" 6'3" guy dribbling through a forest of seven-footers, looking for just a sliver of sunlight, fighting the same battle that an average Asian man or woman might fight in a crowded Manhattan subway car.

Yao Ming, on the other hand, was taller than even the seven-footers. At 7'6," Yao towered over his competitors, and was the tallest player in the NBA for most of his career.

Yao, indeed, occupied the penthouse of the tower, blessed with height and athleticism and pedigree² that make Lin seem like a busboy.

Ultimately though, Yao was too inaccessible, too superhuman for an Asian kid's dreams. What Asian kid dreams of being 7'6," especially when your dad is 5'6"?

But 6'3"? Just possible.

In fact, both Lin's parents are 5'6."

Somewhere, little Asian kids are praying for a growth spurt.

Somewhere, a white or black or brown kid is thinking of getting a "17" shirt.

Somewhere, Wilt Chamberlain sighs.

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1 A couple other reasons: Of course, Lin is more accessible to Asian-Americans because he's American. Jay Caspian Kang alludes to this. He's also more accessible to other Asians, because truthfully, some Asians are less receptive of the Chinese (as opposed to the Taiwanese), for various social and political reasons.^↩

2 The Houston Rockets picked Yao with the first overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft, and they expected him to become an impact player. There was, however, a particularly memorable doubter. That draft year turned out to be fairly weak, with only Amare Stoudemire, Caron Butler, Tayshaun Prince, Carlos Boozer, and Luis Scola rating as semi-impact or better players.^↩

Can Jeremy Lin Improve His Fatal Flaw?

Jeremy Lin has increased the vertical leap of every Asian man’s penis by at least an inch. Baller has white girls cooing, “How does he do that?”¹ He is our Michael Jordan...with bedhead.

However, Lin has a serious flaw on the court which may mean the difference between being a good player who is overhyped because of his nationality (i.e. Chien-Ming Wang) and a truly great player who overwhelms stereotypes (i.e. Ichiro): He turns the ball over too much.

Yes, he’s basically a rookie. And yes, he’s a point guard who handles the ball a lot, and therefore, loses it more. But lost in the hoopla of dropping 38 on Kobe and a three-point winner at Toronto are these numbers (albeit a small sample size): In six games as a starter, Lin has averaged 6.3 TOV (turnovers)/per 36 minutes played (5.0 TOV/per 36 minutes if you count the New Jersey game, which he didn't start). That’s ugly. To compare, the NBA’s worst in this category so far this year is another point guard, Russell Westbrook, at 4.5 TOV (in 29 games).

Less turnovers can be the difference between good and elite status. So how much can Lin improve this problem, now and over his career? Is it simply a matter of gaining more experience?

From basketballreference.com, I pulled all the point guards from the Top 50 of Most Turnovers Ever and compared their best and worst TOV/per 36 minutes seasons (as starters). Then I did the same thing with the Top 25 of Most Turnovers among active players.

Point Guards with Most Turnovers Ever	Worst Season TOV/per 36 minutes	Best Season TOV/per 36 minutes	Difference
John Stockton	3.6 (1984-85)	2.6 (1999-00)	-1.0
Isiah Thomas	4.4 (1981-82)	3.1 (1991-92)	-1.3
Magic Johnson	4.3 (1983-84)	3.4 (1981-82)	-0.9
Mark Jackson	3.3 (1988-89)	2.3 (2001-02)	-1.0
Gary Payton	3.0 (1995-96)	1.9 (2003-04)	-1.1
Rod Strickland	3.6 (1995-96)	2.5 (2001-02)	-1.1
Terry Porter	3.4 (1986-87)	2.4 (1991-92)	-1.0
Stephon Marbury	3.4 (1999-00)	2.3 (2006-07)	-1.1

Active Point Guards with Most Turnovers	Worst Season TOV/per 36 minutes	Best Season TOV/per 36 minutes	Difference
Jason Kidd	3.9 (2005-06)	2.3 (2008-09)	-1.6
Steve Nash	4.0 (2009-10)	2.4 (1998-99)	-1.6
Andre Miller	3.3 (2000-01)	2.4 (2008-09)	-0.9
Baron Davis	3.2 (2010-11)	2.5 (2000-01)	-0.7
Mike Bibby	3.0 (1998-99)	1.5 (2009-10)	-1.5
Chauncey Billups	2.8 (1997-98)	2.0 (2006-07)	-0.8
Tony Parker	3.3 (2005-06)	2.4 (2001-02)	-0.9

As suspected, most point guards improved their ball management with experience. Stockton, Thomas, Jackson, Porter, Miller, Bibby, and Billups showed clear growth from their rookie or sophomore years. However, active point guards like Nash, Davis, and Parker entirely bucked the stereotype with best seasons as youngsters.²

Among retired point guards, the difference between the worst and best TOV/per 36 minutes seasons was startlingly consistent. There's greater deviation among active point guards, but there are no true outliers among any of these players.

So what does this have to do with Jeremy Lin’s career arc? We see that cutting just one less TOV/per 36 minutes over a career is difficult for some of the best point guards in NBA history; cutting 1.5 TOV would be exceptional. If his current 6.3 TOV/per 36 minutes rate (as a starter) holds or worsens this season, Lin may have to improve at least TWO turnovers from his worst to best season to become more than a footnote in league history.

Can Lin improve enough? After losing the ball six times each against LA, Minnesota, and Sacramento and eight times each against Utah and Toronto, he may be facing historical odds.

This is the floor of expectations for Jeremy Lin. The ceiling? He’s painting it as we speak.

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1 This is what I heard at a bar last Friday when Lin torched the Lakers. I wasn’t proud. I thought, “Way to dismiss us before.” See, even though I can’t play basketball, I never thought that we couldn’t play basketball.^↩

2 In the case of Nash and Davis, who appear to be entering their twilight, perhaps too much responsibility is being given to them at this point? We didn't see the absolute twilight (as point guards) in the careers of Thomas and Magic. For example, Mark Jackson posted his worst TOV/per 36 minutes rate in 2002-03 as a 37-year-old backup.^↩

Sheng Sinatra Presents...“Turn Off the Lights” by Teddy Pendergrass

What is "Sheng Sinatra Presents...?"

“Sheng Sinatra Presents...” is the 1492 of karaoke, where old, dusty songs discover a new world of impassioned exploitation. So freshen up your playlist with your host...Sheng Sinatra!

This month, Teddy Pendergrass and “Turn Off the Lights”¹ set the babymaking mood. In anticipation, YouTube users are already starting to unzip their flies:

“I’d like to thank this song for helping create my two children!” (kdunagan100)

“im wet from this song....and im a guy.” (wCRONUSw)

But before we diddle, Eddie Murphy has a couple thoughts about the Pendergrass.

Tonight, layups are allowed.

Teddy Pendergrass

"Turn Off the Lights"

Key Lyrics

Turn off the lights and light a candle
Tonight I’m in a romantic mood, yeah

Let’s take a shower, shower together, yeah
I’ll wash your body and you’ll wash mine, yeah
Rub me down in some hot oils, baby, yeah
And I’ll do the same thing to you

Just turn off the lights


The Original

Full Lyrics


How many dudes crossed home plate because of this song? Is this the Hank Aaron of hook-up jams?

Watch out, Mulan². Because Sheng Sinatra is ready to turn on the lights...of your body.

Sheng Sinatra Sings!

If Sheng Can Sing It, So Can You!

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1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teddy_(album)^↩

2 Mulan is my girlfriend. Yes, Sheng & Mulan, like the Disney movie.^↩