Jeremy Lin News: 'Linsanity' Wants More Playing Time With Los Angeles Lakers
In the midst of one of the biggest NBA free agency and trading offseasons in basketball history, the Los Angeles Lakers found themselves with an undrafted point guard who once took over Madison Square Garden with constant dazzling performances. "Linsanity" was one of the biggest and most exciting events at the time in sports.
For Lin, the days of taking over games in New York City seem like a decade ago. His two years with the Rockets were overshadowed by James Harden and Patrick Beverley sharing the point guard role. Head Coach Kevin McHale prefers to run a rotating point guard system and in the end, nobody benefited.
Lin was eventually traded by the Houston Rockets to the Lakers after just two seasons with the team.
The Lakers just finished one of their worst seasons in franchise history after they ended the season 27-55. It was a pretty disappointing offseason for the Purple and Gold after they failed to acquire LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh. It's also unlikely they will add Kevin Love. Kobe Bryant is entering his 19th season and Steve Nash is still eating up cap space. The Lakers don't even have a head coach yet.
Jeremy Lin to the rescue?
Lin recently said in an interview with "Watch China Times" that he wants more playing time. "I wish my role could be bigger and more important, and I also wish I could get more playing time next year."
The Lakers know firsthand what Lin is capable of. He scored a career high 38 points against the Lakers during the 2012 season. Lin and Kobe scored a combined 72 points in that game. Lakers fans are hoping that can continue, except this time on the same team. Many expect this to be the best individual season of Lin's career because it is a "contract year." After next season, Lin will become an unrestricted free agent, so he needs to drive his stock up as much as possible.
A lot of questions still remain in Los Angeles. The team will be without Pau Gasol for the first time since 2008 and even Steve Blake is no longer there. It's going to be up to Kobe and Lin to guide this Lakers team to success if the postseason is even a remote possibility. Kobe Bryant is going to have to trust Lin as his main distributor next season. Bryant has deferred before in the past, most notably with Shaquille O'Neal. Bryant isn't getting any younger and a 25-year-old Lin receiving more playing time could only help.
We've seen play high minutes many times before and he has excelled. With Steve Nash now 40 years old, a young point guard like Lin running the show could help immensely.
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