Jeremy Lin Has Been Here Before

For Jeremy Lin, nothing has been easy. Undrafted out of Harvard, he was sent to the D-league three separate times. He was waived by the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets, lingered on the bench in New York before injuries forced Mike D’antoni to go for broke and give him minutes. Even during Linsanity, Lin was faced with the harsh critique and skepticism that comes when you are in the spotlight all of a sudden and your motives are questioned.

Dec 9, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Carl Landry (24) fouls Los Angeles Lakers guard Jeremy Lin (17) in the second half at Staples Center. The Lakers won 98-95. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Two and a half years after Linsanity, here we are, one more Jeremy Lin setback to add to the list. He lost his starting job to a lesser player who is gritty but average. The season has been a struggle as Lin has had to play off of a dominant guard he has zero chemistry with. He has struggled in certain areas of the floor, particularly in the paint where it appears (a) he is thinking too much or (b) he is hell bent on driving to the rim despite defenders waiting for him.

Jeremy Lin’s defense has been deplorable. Other point guards light him up night after night. After Tuesday’s game against Sacramento, a win for the Lakers, Lin was not on the floor in the key moments of the fourth quarter and was dejected. He had to watch from the bench as Kobe became the point guard and delivered a pass to Jordan Hill that gave the Lakers the lead. It makes you wonder how much confidence Jeremy Lin has going forward, unclear about his role and where he fits and what is expected of him. The irony is stunning. For all of his talk about putting Houston in the past, Jeremy Lin’s past has come to haunt him once again.

Truthfully, Lin has been in a great situation only once. In New York, the team was perfect for his skill set. There was a shooting guard (Landry Fields) who took seven shots a game. There was a big man (Tyson Chandler) who played well in pick and roll sets and delivered hard screens. There was the scorer (Carmelo Anthony) who allowed Lin to control the ball in certain stretches of the game. There was the coach (Mike D’antoni) who loved his game and saw Lin as an extension of himself. It was a perfect fit and in basketball, like in love, when that happens you don’t leave. You stay.

Houston was supposed to capitalize on everything New York had started. They had a big man in Omer Asik who set screens. But a week before the 2012-13 season was to start, the Rockets acquired James Harden. Suddenly, Lin was pushed aside as the Rockets introduced their first franchise player since Yao Ming. Harden was a different world from Landry Fields. Harden, a native of Los Angeles, had grown up watching his idol, Kobe Bryant, dominate games through isolation. Harden needed the ball in his hands all of the time. So that left Lin in no-man’s land, a utility player out there on the court, dependent upon Harden to release the ball. Eventually, Lin was sent to the bench while Patrick Beverly, a defender, and former Lakers draft pick, became the starter.

There are many theories floating about Jeremy Lin. All of them have a kernel of truth attached to them, none are wrong but none are exactly right and that is the point about Jeremy Lin. He is so many different things. He can score at the rim if he beats his defender but he lacks athletic skill when he faces a tough defense. He handles the ball well but the Lakers don’t have a big man he can dump the ball into. And their bigs don’t set hard screens; they are not a physical team in that way.

The Lakers lack a three point threat so once Lin gets into the paint no one can save him. He can get to the rim because he is explosive but he doesn’t have the vertical to finish over defenders and he doesn’t have a head fake to trick defenders into fouling him. He is smart but perhaps too smart. He is constantly thinking instead of reacting. He can’t get past his mistakes. He is like a relief pitcher who broods about the last home run.

After practice on Thursday, Nick Young pulled Jeremy Lin aside. Kobe had just finished one of his classic rants during a scrimmage and Lin was the center of his trash talking whenever he missed a shot. Nick plays in the Drew League during the summer so he has an education in trash talk; he grew up competing on playgrounds. He told Lin he had to stand up to Kobe, he couldn’t let Kobe or anyone else make him passive.

Dec 3, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jeremy Lin (17) dribbles the ball against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

It’s the common Lin criticism: assertiveness. It’s frustrating to see him assertive in some parts of the game and passive in others. Often, he misrepresents the idea of assertiveness as scoring. But assertiveness is more about playing with a purpose, knowing what you want to do out on the court, dominating the action by the decisions you make. It’s leaving your mark on the game.

Which is the only thing Lin has to do now that he has been exiled to the bench and has a sidekick in Nick Young, another player who loves the ball in his hands. Lin is used to starting from scratch which is not the same thing as starting over. It is very simple, this formula to getting his game on track and his mind right. It’s not the rejection that matters nor is it the demotion. Live in the moment is what counts now. Take advantage of the opportunity. And leave your imprint.