Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott decided to bench point guard Jeremy Lin for a majority of Saturday’s 136-115 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday at Staples Center. The question now is will this be the end of starting gig for Linsanity?
Already embattled after dropping eight of their first nine games of the season, the Lakers just couldn’t get a break against a Warriors team that dominated from end to finish.
Kobe Bryant scored a team-high 44 points after going 1-for-14 from the field for 9 points in an earlier loss to the San Antonio Spurs 80-93, while fresh D-League assignees Xavier Henry and Jordan Clarkson recorded 8 and 10 points, respectively.
However, the Lakers just couldn’t stop the Warriors’ splash brother combo of the Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, who combined for 48 points. Curry also added 15 dimes in another MVP-type performance.
While Curry has been smoking hot as of late, the Lakers point guard finished with zero points on 0-for-2 shooting in 22 minutes of action. Lin, who is averaging 11.7 points and 4.4 assists per game this season, did not look ready for his second matchup with Curry, and it was enough for Scott to pull him out of the game and bench him the rest of the way.
The latest benching of Lin suggests that change could happen anytime in the Lakers backcourt, particularly on the point guard position. The former Harvard standout has not been the player the Lakers expected him to become, especially after losing veteran playmaker Steve Nash to injury in the preseason. And Scott is apparently losing his patience on Lin to bloom into a game-changing backcourt.
There are already trade speculations for Lin early this season, but his $8M price tag makes it impossible for the Lakers to deal him away. Perhaps, Lin might see his minutes dwindling down to give way for the development of youngster Jordan Clarkson, who made a name for himself as a big 6-foot-5 point guard for Missouri.
If Sunday’s picture will be the basis, it appears that Lin is going to have another frustrating year with the purple-and-gold.
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