Lakers Rumors: Why Jeremy Lin Can Win Most Improved Player of the Year Next Season?

Jeremy Lin has already made a reputation as a solid NBA player even after the 'Linsanity' euphoria subsided. Since entering the league as an undrafted player, Lin proved that he can play with elite players and contribute decent statistical numbers for his team.

Then again, there's a void that Lin needs to fill in before his playing career comes to an end. We are talking about an empty space on his trophy shelf that he has yet to put up with some shiny hardware given at the end of every NBA season.

At 26-year old, Lin is still a young player with rooms to improve. In his past two seasons with the Houston Rockets, the Asian-American star showed the he can thrive under any circumstance, whether as a starter or a reserve player.

Last season, Lin was actually among the frontrunners for the Sixth Man of the Year early on before he ran out of the gas in the 82-game campaign. Still, Lin put up at least 12 points and 4 dimes in 29 minutes of action a game. He also registered career highs in field-goal (45 percent), three-point (36 percent) and free-throw (82 percent) shooting percentages, a testament of the guard's efficiency in limited minutes.

This coming season with the Lakers, Lin is given a great opportunity to further enhance his stock in the NBA and prove everybody that he's more than just a one-hit wonder in New York roughly three years ago.

According to a number of analysts, Lin is in position to become a starter for the Lakers next season as the 40-year old Steve Nash looks to keep his body fresh during the long season. With this situation, many are betting on Lin to have a breakout year statistically because of the bulk of minutes he's going to receive from head coach Byron Scott.

Throughout his career, Lin has averaged 11.9 points and 4.8 assists in 27 minutes per game. These numbers are predicted to increase this season, perhaps good enough to keep him in the running for the Most Improved Player award at the end.

Sounds ambitious? Probably so, but Lin really has a solid shot at bagging the Most Improved Player plum this year. Why? It is because numbers do most of the talking for this kind of award.

Unlike the Most Valuable Player which is presented to the baller who made the biggest impact to the team's success in the season, the MIP hardware is given to a player who achieved a tremendous jump statistically, whether or not the team made the postseason.

Many NBA analysts believed the Lakers will still fail to reach the playoffs this year despite the return of Kobe Bryant and Nash. However, the team's expected downfall won't do much damage on Lin's bid to win the MIP. As long as he continues to pad up his numbers (probably double it up to 19 points and 8 assists), Lin will have a chance to win his first individual award.

Of course, there's going to be some really tight competition in the presence of Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, Charlotte Hornets' Lance Stephenson, Phoenix Suns' Gerald Green and even Minnesota Timberwolves' Anthony Bennett. Yet, Lin should be a relevant contender for the plum, thanks to Linsanity 2.0.