Jeremy Lin’s breakout performance in the Los Angeles Lakers win over the Charlotte Hornets might have opened eyes on the true potential of the Asian-American standout as a playmaker.
In fact, there are already several people inside the Lakers’ locker room who are starting to believe that Lin’s presence could even rival the star power of franchise player Kobe Bryant.
Lakers center Robert Sacre, who is known for his comic stunts on the bench, did not mince word in saying that the former Harvard hot shot could be the next big star after Bryant.
"Kobe's got some competition now," Sacre said when asked about his reaction to Lin’s 21-point and 7-assisst performance against the Hornets in an interview with Serena Winters of Lakers nation.
Sacre obviously has just gone overboard in his evaluation on Lin’s recent showing by comparing the Lakers point guard to a Future Hall of Famer and one of the greatest players to ever set foot on the NBA hard wood. Then again, there are tons of reasons to be optimistic about Lin moving forward.
Before exploding against the Hornets, Lin had a decent 18-point game against the Phoenix Suns and a 17-point, 9-assist showing against the Los Angeles Clippers. Moreover, he was beginning to show confidence in his shots while cutting down his turnovers.
Bryant has been very vocal about Lin’s great potential ever since the start of training camp, stressing that his backcourt partner has all the tools to become an excellent player on both ends of the floor.
"I'll go out there and I'll leave on the floor everything, and compete and not be fearful of criticism or fearful of not playing well or missing shots. That's the same way I want the guys to play, Jeremy in particular, because he's a really good player. He's just getting used to playing with that kind of effort and attitude," Bryant said of Lin’s need to pump up his aggressiveness.
With their rough 0-5 start now a thing of the past, the Lakers will try to keep their winning ways on Tuesday against Western Conference power house Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Center.
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