Jeremy Lin Gets Vote of Confidence from Lakers Head Coach Frontrunner
Jeremy Lin could be on his way to a bigger role he wants from his new team, especially if the Los Angeles Lakers decided to hire Byron Scott as their next head coach.
Scott, who is rumored to be the front runner for the Lakers' head coaching gig, said in an interview with Time Warner Cable Sports.net that acquiring Lin is a terrific move for the Lakers as he believed the former Harvard hot shot will be playing with a chip on his shoulder after a subpar season with the Houston Rockets.
"He's, I think, looking to kind of re-establish himself because of the injuries that he had last year in Houston and [he] kind of lost his way and lost his job there, and I think he's going to [come to L.A.] with a little chip on his shoulder, so I thought it was a good move," Scott said.
The former New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers head coach admitted that he really liked Lin as a player, citing his aggressiveness on the offensive end and deceiving ability to hold his ground against opposing guards.
"Defensively - the thing that I thought was going to his biggest downfall - was something that I thought he really competed at the times I coached against him," said Scott, who was part of the Lakers' Showtime gang along with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar back in the 80s.
With Scott, Sky is Limit for Lin
The 25-year old Lin averaged just 12 points and 4 assists a game in a backup role with the Rockets last season. However, his improvements in shooting percentage (45 percent from the field and 36 percent from the three-point line) and defense suggested that he can still transform into a better polished player if given the right situation.
Should Scott get hired by the Lakers, Lin could get enough playing time for him to make an impact on the offensive end of the court. Scott's experience dealing with elite guards like Jason Kidd with the Nets, Chris Paul with the Hornets and Kyrie Irving with the Cavs will benefit Lin a lot as he tries to sharpen his playmaking skills.
If everything clicks, it won't be surprising to see Lin padding his averaged to at least 18 points and 8 dimes per game - which would be easily his career highs.
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