Jeremy Lin will embark into a new journey of his NBA career as a member of the fabled Los Angeles Lakers. After two see-saw seasons with the Houston Rockets, Lin will be teaming up with former MVPs Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash along with other new acquisitions.
The former Harvard standout has already played with some of the best players in the league like Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks and James Harden & Dwight Howard of the Rockets, but a perfect teammate who would compliment his game could be just around the corner, soon to be wearing a purple-and-gold uniform.
Nope, it's not Kobe. It's Carlos Boozer, the former two-time All-Star power forward who's one of the better finishers in the league off pick-and-roll plays.
Hooping Up with Boozer
Projected by many analysts as a starter for next season, the 25-year old Lin will be given lots of chances to show his brand of play for the Lakers. Under the tutelage of Lakers head coach Byron Scott and pick-and-roll expert Steve Nash, Lin's stay with the purple-and-gold could be beneficial to his growth as a polished basketball player.
Lin has been a solid pick-and-roll executor in his entire career, and pairing up with Boozer at the low block could give him tons of looks to dish out for an assist or create his own shot off the screen.
Before Dwight Howard arrived in Houston, Lin was the best roll man off a pick-and-roll play among players with at least 35 plays, as he averaged 1.38 points per play. Many thought Lin's tandem with Howard could be a potent weapon for the team last season, but his demotion to sixth man role along with the lack of freedom to make plays (primarily because of Harden's demand to have the ball always in his hands) prevented it from blowing up.
Scott has been a point-guard oriented coach dating back his first coaching gig with Jason Kidd and the New Jersey Nets. He also mentored Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving, honing them to be better pick-and-roll passers. The Lakers coach believes Lin can certainly become one of his All-Star wards, and Boozer could be the key to unlock Lin's potential.
Boozer (16 points and 10 rebounds in career) may be a little bit undersized as a power forward, but he's one of the smoothest operators at the low block. He is a solid low-post scorers, though majority of his points come from pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop plays.
During his time with the Utah Jazz, Boozer transformed into an All-Star player primarily because of his partnership with Deron Williams. Together, the two formed one of the most destructible pick-and-roll combos in the league, catapulting the Jazz as far as the 2007 Western Conference finals.
In reality, Lin is no Williams, more so during his prime. However, Lin can be a heck of a player if he everything sinks into place with his new pick-and-roll partnership with Boozer. All Lin needs is a little bit of freedom to be creative. Scott would help in that aspect by convincing Bryant to get out of Lin's way in some occasions.
Right now, Lin and Boozer both need each other to perform at a high level. Perhaps, this combo could 'surprise' a lot of people next year. It's surely another exciting story every Lakers fan should be excited about.
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