Jeremy Lin had a solid first preseason game as a Laker. He finished with 10 assists and 1 turnover. Jordan Clarkson and Ed Davis accounted for 7 of those assists. Unfortunately, his jump shot and finishing ability weren’t up to his expectations. He went 0-6 from the field and just 1-3 from the free throw line.
He looks to get aggressive with his scoring, shake off the rust, and get his rhythm back against Golden State, as he mentioned in the @LakersTV interview.
Jeremy Lin looked more comfortable playing the pure point guard slot, while Jordan Clarkson looked more comfortable playing shooting guard. Lin’s playmaking skills were very evident with Ed Davis finishing at the hoop after pick-and-roll situations, while Clarkson was on the wing for catch-and-shoot situations.
He also mentions during the interview that he’s comfortable playing the shooting guard spot in stints. Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant played combo guard in game one, taking turns initiating the offense and nearly hitting a perfect balance of scoring and playmaking. Each player finished with 11 and 13 points respectively, with 5 assists each.
When Lin became more aggressive the basketball, Clarkson was more of the initiator of the offense. Clarkson struggled to create his own shot and several sets on offense broke down. Lin struggled to finish at the rim with two layups easily blocked. Jeremy Lin admitted during the interview that Clarkson is more of a scorer, and it’s important for them to learn how to play off each other. He also stated that it’s his job to put him into positions to score.
Jeremy Lin’s career started with the Golden State Warriors. There’s no doubt there’ll be a few fans rooting for their local hero. We’d love to see Jeremy Lin experiment and get comfortable with his game and how it blends in with the Lakers’ personnel and coaching schemes.
We’d also love to see him have a great game.
What do you think? Do you think he has other areas to improve on after game one? Was defense an issue? Was shot selection an issue? Please leave comments below.