Why Jeremy Lin Should Be The Lakers Starting Point Guard
By Jacob Rude
He’s an oft-maligned player. His peak feels like it was years ago in New York. And when the Lakers acquired him this summer, it was met with a feeling of giving up on next season.
However, Jeremy Lin is better than you know.
It certainly feels like an eternity since Linsanity swept over New York, America, and the globe. In reality, it was two and a half years ago that Lin exploded onto the season against the New Jersey Nets. And over a nine game span that featured a game against our very own Lakers and a buzzer-beater in Toronto, Lin averaged 25 points and 9.2 assists a contest.
Fortunately for Lin financially, he cashed in on Linsanity with a 3-year, $25 million deal with Houston, a team that filled up with assets that summer and seemed on the verge of something big. Unfortunately for Lin’s career, the Rockets seemed to quickly give up on him with head coach Kevin McHale relegating him to a role off the bench, which clearly didn’t suit him well.
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In hopes of freeing up cap space for what seemed like a certainty in Chris Bosh signing with his hometown team, the Rockets sent Lin and a first-round pick to LA for essentially nothing. Lakers fans were more excited about acquiring the draft pick than a starter-quality player who would certainly be an upgrade at the point guard position.
This roller coaster ride Lin has been on has been emotional, exhausting, and exciting for anyone involved. And yet Lin is only 25 years old.
Which brings us to present day. With a new coach, a new team, and a new(ish) roster, nothing feels certain for the Lakers in regards to lineups and rotations. Despite Byron Scott reportedly having four of the five starters penciled in already, he won’t make a decision prior to training camp and the preseason. Lin will have a say in the matters.
The criticisms of Lin always seemed unfairly harsh. Last season was certainly a down year for Lin, no doubt. Whether factors who could or couldn’t control, Lin was put in an unfamiliar role off the bench. As a starter, he averaged 14.2 points and 4.5 assists while shooting 38% from three, compared to his averages of 11.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 33% shooting from deep as a reserve.
Jul 24, 2014; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers Jeremy Lin speaks to the media during a press conference at Toyota Sports Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
By all accounts, as the season wore on last year, Lin was seeing less time on the court and, subsequently, became less productive. While his month-by-month stats support this (aside from January when he filled in for an injured Patrick Beverley where his minutes spiked), it’s simpler to look at pre and post All-Star break to see the drop.
Pre-AS break: 43 games (25 starts), 13.3 points, 4.5 assists, 58.7% true shooting percentage
Post-AS break: 28 games (8 starts), 11.4 points, 3.6 assists, 54.6% true shooting percentage
So what does this all mean for Lin and the Lakers? Should he start simply because he plays better as a starter?
What the Lakers have this year is an opportunity. Similar to last season, the Lakers took most of the second half a the season to look at borderline talent, leading them to keep the likes of Wesley Johnson and pass on MarShon Brooks and Kent Bazemore. This year, they have the same opportunity, but with a much better player.
Lin, as I mentioned, is 26 years old and in the beginning of his prime. His competitor, Steve Nash, is will turn 41 during the season and hanging on by a limb. While Nash has the more storied career, he’s admittedly hanging on for the money (and who can blame him?). Why play the old man in his swan song season over the young player in a contract year?
With Lin, the Lakers could have their point guard of the future. It makes little sense to limit Lin’s playing time (and Jordan Clarkson’s, for that matter) by a past-his-prime point guard. If Lin can prove his worth, he could come back to LA and provide a vital piece to a possible Lakers’ championship contender.