The Los Angeles Lakers will enter the 2014-15 NBA season already with a man down, after shooting guard Nick Young suffered a thumb injury during a 5-on-5 scrimmage on Friday.
Young, who led the Lakers in scoring last season with at least 18 markers a game, is a huge loss to the team since they really need more firepower behind superstar Kobe Bryant.
According to reports, Young's surgically-repaired right thumb will take around six to eight weeks before it completely heals - a scenario that would sideline him for at least the first two weeks of their regular-season campaign.
Without their best offensive weapon off the bench, the Lakers are now looking for other members of their second unit to step up their game when their numbers are called.
Veteran guys like point guard Ronnie Price and swingman Wayne Ellington, who were signed by the Lakers just before the start of training camp, could certainly fill the void left by Young.
However, there's no better guy to rally the Lakers second unit offensively than the 26-year old Jeremy Lin, who could see more action as a combo guard this season.
Averaging just 12 points and 4 assists last season, Lin might still end up as a backup point guard, but his role will be way bigger than he had last season with the Houston Rockets, especially if key players like Young and Steve Nash get hurt.
Lin's ability to play both the point and off-guard position allows head coach Byron Scott to put another scorer on the floor, whenever Kobe Bryant takes some breather.
At training camp, Lin is so far leading the second unit pretty well against projected starting unit of Nash, Bryant, Wesley Johnson, Carlos Boozer and Jordan Hill. He's also making an impression on Scott and Nash, who highly lauded the guard's ability to slash through lanes and create problems on the paint.
On Monday, the new-look Lakers will have their first chance to gauge up their current standings after the first week of training camp, as they play the Denver Nuggets.
While it's still too early to go all-out, this exhibition match against the Nuggets will be crucial for Lin as he tries to find his phase and establish his role with the Lakers this early.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
