Jeremy Lin has had an awesome preseason, and with Lin expected to handle the starting shooting guard duties this year, that’s a good thing. Lin’s career has been up-and-down since he exploded onto the scene in 2011 with the Knicks.
Lin’s best games as a Knick came with Carmelo Anthony out of the lineup, and since then, during stays with the Rockets and Lakers, he has been mildly disappointing when surrounded by stars such as Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, and James Harden. It may not be a coincidence that he’s thriving early with the star-less Hornets. In Charlotte, he has respect.
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"It takes a lot of pressure off me. I don't always have to go back for the basketball every time. When he's out there, he's helping me with the pace, with the tempo. He's very unselfish and he can score the basketball very well. So that's fun,” point guard Kemba Walker said of Lin. It’s a far cry from the sentiments expressed by Anthony when Lin’s contract with the Knicks was up, and he signed with the Rockets.
When asked in 2012 if he wanted Lin back, Anthony laughed. "It's not up to me. It's up to the organization to say they want to match that ridiculous contract that's out there." Lin averaged 14 points and six assists for the Knicks. These days, forwards like Tristan Thompson, who averaged eight points and eight boards, are snagging five-year, $82 million contracts.
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With the Rockets the disrespect was less blatant, but he didn’t fit in with their offense and was not featured at all. In L.A., it was clear Bryant didn’t have much regard for what Lin could offer.
So he’s had some bad experiences with stars. In Charlotte, Al Jefferson is a fantasy star, but aside from him, it’s a low-profile collection of talent. And here’s how Lin’s preseason is going.
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