Los Angeles Lakers point guard Jeremy Lin believed his team can be competitive in a loaded Western Conference, stressing the purple-and-gold could surprise a lot of people in the upcoming season.
Lin, who was acquired by the Lakers in a trade with the Houston Rockets few weeks ago, told Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders that he's excited to play with what he called the most prestigious organization in the NBA - the Lakers.
The 25-year old Asian American star added that he's already enjoying his time in Los Angeles not only because it's near his hometown in Bay Area, but he also has lots of friends in the area.
"I was extremely excited," Lin told Basketball Insiders in a phone interview. "I thought it was great for me to have a new opportunity and a new situation, and I thought that would be an awesome start. I thought it would be cool, obviously, going to L.A. since I'm from California and I have a lot of friends and family out there. I thought it would be a great opportunity playing-wise too, so I was really excited and ready to get out there.
Lin also expressed his optimism about the Lakers chance to compete next season, as he's very much confident that his current team will find a way to fight through a very competitive Western Conference playoff race.
"I mean, it's by far the most prestigious organization I've ever been a part of, obviously with all of the championships and just the level that it's traditionally been known to be at," Lin said of being a member of the Lakers.
"I think it's a challenge for us to get the team back to where it was before and I think we have an opportunity to really surprise people this year. I think people aren't expecting too much from us, and maybe they shouldn't, but we're hoping that we obviously do a lot better than anticipated."
Lin averaged 12 points and 4 assists in a backup role for the Houston Rockets last season. Despite a significant drop in his playing time, Lin gained improvement in his shooting percentage (45 percent from the field and 36 percent from the three-point line).
The Skinny
Aside from Lin, the Lakers added talent by acquiring Carlos Boozer (silent bidding), Ed Davis (free-agency), Julius Randle (7th overall) and Jordan Clarkson (second round). They also retained the service of 2013-14 season holdovers like Nick Young, Wesley Johnson and Xavier Henry.
Though they lost Pau Gasol, this Lakers team could compete for a playoff spot next year under the tutelage of Byron Scott. Obviously, Scott is coming off three subpar seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but expectations to perform better would be higher this time.
The Lakers can become a surprising team in the Western Conference, just like what the Phoenix Suns did last season. However, Kupchack and Lakers ownership are very much aware that the makeover of the team won't be enough to compete for a title or even get deeper into the postseason.
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