The Lakers made some big line-up changes prior to Sunday night’s contest against the Pelicans, moving Jeremy Lin to the bench for Ronnie Price and starting Ed Davis over Carlos Boozer.
The result was much of the same in the end, with the Lakers beaten handily by the New Orleans Pelicans. Afterward, Lin expressed his feelings toward the change.
Byron Scott said he talked to Jeremy Lin after shootaround and Jeremy was okay with the change. Byron not worried about Lin's confidence.
— Shahan Ahmed (@shahanLA) December 8, 2014
Jeremy Lin admits he's "disappointed" he's coming off the bench. But deferred to Byron
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) December 8, 2014
Lin certainly appeared to be a player whose moral was broken. In 19 minutes, he managed just three points on 1 of 5 shooting with the second unit. Despite not having Kobe Bryant on the court, Lin remained passive for most of the night. He deferred too often and never appeared to be an aggressor on the court.
For better or worse, Byron Scott plans on keeping the lineup as is for another 15-20 games, giving the players a chance to fit into their new roles with the team.
Judging Lin off one game would certainly not be fair. However, based on previous results last season and his continued inconsistent play this season, you have to wonder if Lin can bounce back from this setback and prove he deserves a spot in the starting line-up again and if LA is where his future is at.