Jeremy Lin will begin his 2014-15 NBA season as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. After two up-and-down seasons with the Rockets, Lin appears ready to take the opportunity to make an impact for his new team, and here are several reasons why Linsanity version 2.0 could happen again next year.
Byron Scott's Arrival
Byron Scott has been one of most respected coaches in the business, having served as a mentor for Jason Kidd with the New Jersey Nets, Chris Paul with the New Orleans Hornets and Kyrie Irving with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Point guard play has been Scott's bread and butter throughout his coaching career, and the 25-year old Lin, who averaged 12 points and 4 dimes last season, is expected to benefit a lot from his new coach philosophy.
In fact, Scott admitted he liked Lin's aggressiveness as an offensive player and competitiveness on the defensive end of the floor. A little tweak in his game along with the right coaching could help Lin reach another level.
Under Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant Tutelage
Teaming up with two of the best players in the history of the game is a blessing for Lin, who is ecstatic about the chance to play with Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant.
At age 40, Nash won't get that much playing time like he used to, but he can be a major factor in the Lakers' turnaround bid next season by mentoring Lin to become a more polished playmaker.
As for Bryant, Lin can rip few pages from the Black Mamba playbook, especially on how to stay aggressive throughout the course of the game. Bryant is one of the most competitive guys who ever played the game, and his leadership could light up the fire inside Lin.
Pick-and-Roll with Carlos Boozer
If Lin wants to double up his production for next season, he has to execute pick-and-roll plays to perfection, and there's no better player to tandem out there than Carlos Boozer, perhaps the craftiest pick and roll big man in the game.
With Lin and Boozer orchestrating the oldest offensive scheme, the Lakers can have another source of points outside the scoring brilliance of Bryant.
Chip on His Shoulders
After being 'disposed' by the Rockets, Lin should have a lot of things to prove next season. On Opening night, he has a chance to start his vindication campaign on a positive note when the Lakers play his former team the Houston Rockets.
As Scott stressed, Lin should be playing with a chip on his shoulders given how things ended up with the Rockets.
Playing for Another Contract
This is perhaps the most ideal reason why Lin should play better next season. A big year would certainly guarantee him more opportunity to get lucrative paycheck and better role either with the Lakers or another team, while another disappointing season would put a cloud on doubt over his career.
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