Three-time NBA All-Star James Harden has some words of encouragement for his former Houston Rockets teammate Jeremy Lin, whose career has taken another wrong turn with the Los Angeles Lakers this season.
Harden, who has emerged as one of the front runners to win the Most Valuable Player award this season, is aware of Lin's up-and-down season with the Lakers, but he remains confident that his former backcourt partner will eventually find his way through another adversity.
"He's strong-minded guy," Harden said of Lin during an interview with a Taiwanese press during Friday's All-Star media day in New York. 'He'll be successful wherever he goes. He's having an up-and-down year right now, but he'll fight through. That's one of the characteristics about Jeremy that is no matter what adversities he fights through and always comes out at the end.
Harden has become more than just an All-Star player this year, rising up as the focal leader of the Rockets and a strong MVP contender as well. He's averaging 27.4 points, 6.8 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game while exhibiting better effort on the defensive end.
On the other hand, the 26-year-old Lin is in the midst of his worst statistical year (averaging 10.4 points and 4.7 assists in 25 minutes per game) since his New York Knicks breakout three years ago.
Traded by the Rockets to the Lakers in a salary-dump move in the offseason, Lin has had high expectations about his stint with the purple-and-gold. He secured a starting role at training camp, but he eventually lost it to his backup Ronnie Price after 20 games.
After averaging at least 15 point in the first month, Lin's numbers drastically declined as a result of lesser playing time. Lakers head coach Byron Scott pointed out Lin's inconsistency and spotty defense as the primary reasons behind his decision to place a hard cap on his minutes.
Moreover, despite Kobe Bryant's season-ending shoulder injury, it's unlikely Scott will allot more minutes to Lin as he shifts his attention on developing rookie playmaker Jordan Clarkson.
Lin, who is pocketing $15MM in the final year of his current contract, will become an unrestricted free-agent after this season. The Lakers reportedly attempted several times to trade the former Harvard hot-shot, but found no luck in finding a trade partner.
Still, Howard Beck of Bleacher Report believes there's a high chance Lin might reunite with Harden next season with the Rockets showing interest to sign him next summer.
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