When Jeremy Lin was traded to the Lakers in a salary dump by the Rockets, there was hope that he could recapture some of the "Linsanity" magic by learning the ropes from Steve Nash and playing off Kobe Bryant. Needless to say, things didn't go as planned. Nash retired, Bryant got hurt and Lin was in the spotlight once again as the second-highest-paid active player on the roster for one of the worst Lakers teams in history.
Jeremy Lin’s career is at a crossroads with Lakers
Lin’s time in Los Angeles has not gone smoothly.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Like most things for the Lakers this season, the flier on Lin just hasn’t worked. He quickly lost his starting spot to Ronnie Price and then lost even more playing time to rookie Jordan Clarkson. His shooting chart shows just how much Lin is struggling from mid-range. While there has been a solid improvement in three-point shooting, it hasn’t been enough to earn the trust of coach Byron Scott:
As a passer, the turnover problems that plagued him early in his career have returned. Even in the pick and roll -- his bread and butter during the Linsanity run -- Lin is struggling to make the right decisions. He’s turning the ball over on 21.7 percent of the possessions he uses according to Synergy Sports, one of the worst marks among high-usage ball-handlers.
Even those dreadful offensive numbers pale in comparison with Lin’s defensive issues. The Lakers are terrible on that end regardless of who plays but have been three points better on defense when Lin sits. He allows the highest points per possession of the 77 players who have guarded 500 possessions. Lin has simply not been good on either end of the floor.
Lin is aware of how disappointing his play has been this season but he feels he has been blamed for things beyond his control, according to what he told Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
“There are adjustments that could’ve been made everywhere from everybody’s standpoint,” Lin said. “I don’t know what they are right now. But if I sat down and thought about it for a long time, I could come up with some stuff.”
Lakers Nation: Jeremy Lin on the Lakers’ struggles
The former Rocket noted the lack of space as one of his biggest challenges running the Lakers’ offense, and Kobe Bryant’s inability to practice as a reason he couldn’t mesh with the star shooting guard early.
Coach Byron Scott acknowledged the struggles but disagreed about the idea that the team was to blame:
“I don’t know if you can make it easier. We go over it pretty much every single day with the way we’re going to play and the style we’re going to play. That adjustment is basically up to the player to take it, buy into it and run with it.”
“Just play basketball. If you have a shot, take it. If you have a drive, take it. If you don’t, pass it. We make it harder than it should be. It’s not that hard.”
Lin and Scott have not seen eye-to-eye all season long, with Scott citing Lin’s inconsistency as the reason why his role and his minutes have oscillated so much throughout the year. Lin doesn’t seem to be in the Lakers’ long-term plans; he’s on an expiring contract and is now clashing publicly with the coach.
Lin is still only 26 years old and should get another shot from someone. What’s becoming clear is that it just hasn’t worked out in Los Angeles.
See More:
