Jeremy Lin has been bounced around the National Basketball League over the last five years and it seems as though people barely even noticed. This year, he plays for the Charlotte Hornets and even though that comes after playing for the Knicks and Lakers, Jeremy Lin is still playing off the bench. There are not that many Asian Americans in the NBA, but when he was with the Knicks he quickly gained a following.
Fans called the time he spend on the court, “Linsanity” and that had a lot to do with the fact that he led a major winning streak for the New York Knicks back in the 2011-2012 season. The Knicks moved him into the starting lineup, which was a first for his career after being un-drafted coming out of Harvard. After the 2012 season, Jeremy Lin had some value and the Houston Rockets were next in line to pick him up and sign him to a three year contract.
That excitement lasted just two seasons and the Lakers picked him up in a trade, but he only played the one season there. Having trouble getting court time, Jeremy Lin was not the same guy that created the term, “Linsanity”, but there was still plenty of potential for him off the bench. As a secondary player, Lin would find himself on the court for twenty to thirty minutes a game and that was plenty of participation.
In recent weeks, Lin has been keeping up his part of the deal and is on his way to win the NBA’s “Sixth Man of the Year” award. One that is usually saved for the top player that comes off the bench and can still prove himself. Last week, Lin came off the bench and played a total of thirty-one minutes, scoring eleven points, getting two assists, one block, one steal and five rebounds. Coming off the bench, while the starting players are resting, those statistics are good enough to talk about after the game. As a point guard, it might seem that his contribution is small, but supporters say it is consistent.
Getting in line for the “Sixth Man of the Year” award has been talked about by many analysts and it has a lot to do with his consistent performance. The bad thing about playing on the bench is that once another player, of starting caliber, is added to the team, your time on the court is reduced. Because the Hornets are looking forward to their time in the playoffs, the recent addition of Courtney Lee is likely to reduce Lin’s playing time due to the fact that Lee has playoff experience. Jeremy Lin is not likely to be bothered by a decision like that.