Los Angeles Lakers point guard Jeremy Lin might no longer have a chance to catch up Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry for the two starting spots in the Western Conference backcourt, but his presence in the race will have a significant ramification in the ongoing NBA All-Star balloting.
For the third consecutive year, the 26-year old Lin has put himself in the race for the Western Conference All-Star squad. Lin, who commands a huge support from the Asian market, managed to finish in the top-5 of West All-Star backcourt the past two seasons, despite playing in a conference loaded with extremely talented guards.
On Thursday, the NBA announced the result of the second return of NBA All-Star balloting. And as expected, Lin is among the leaders in the Western Conference All-Star backcourt, receiving more than 114,000 votes and placing even ahead of four-time NBA champion Tony Parker.
While it's not surprising to see Lin's name on the list (after all, he has already established himself as a star in the Asian market), his current play and stats say the other way around.
Averaging at least 10 points and 4 assists per game as a backup point guard for the Lakers, Lin himself knows that he doesn't deserve to get any of these All-Star considerations. But in a star-driven league, his huge marketing machinery will always put Lin in the thick of the fight and complicate the outcome race.
With Stephen Curry looking like a lock to start at the point guard position for the West All-Star, Bryant and James Harden of the Houston Rockets are figured in a dog-fight for the final starting spot in the West backcourt likely throughout the remainder of the voting period.
Lin cannot anymore catch up Harden or Bryant but his move from Houston to Los Angeles has surely made an impact in the race, with thousands of Chinese or Taiwanese fans opting to vote a Lin and Bryant backcourt rather than Lin-and-Harden combo.
To make the story short, Lin's presence in the current race is jeopardizing Harden's chance of becoming an All-Star starter for the first time in his career, and there seems nothing he can do to change the obvious result.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
