The 26-year-old point guard is certainly one of basketball’s more polarizing figures. At the very least, he's seemingly someone at odds with himself.
During his first press conference in L.A., per Lakers.com, when asked whether he could start for the team, Lin said: “I would obviously love to, but that’s not me coming in saying I need this or that. I just want to be a part of the team.”
Later, when talking about expectations in a huge media market, he remarked: “One of the biggest ways I want to handle it is to not let it affect how I play or not to think about it or feel pressured."
Yet, when his starting role was taken away after 20 games, Lin sounded very much like someone who was feeling pressured, saying in the locker room (h/t Lakers Nation): “This is one of the toughest situations I’ve ever been in since I started playing the game of basketball, trying to figure it all out.”
The Harvard-educated athlete is highly quotable, but it’s his on-court actions that have painted the clearest picture. He simply hasn’t found his way in L.A. as a player, and the ongoing question is whether he ever will.
Lin's game-to-game performances swing back and forth wildly regardless of his role as a starter or reserve. There have been nine occasions this season in which he made only one or none of his field-goal attempts for a combined 5-of-47 shots.
Yet on the other hand, he has scored in double figures 16 times. It is feast or famine in Los Angeles for the 6’3” guard, now with his fifth NBA team in as many seasons.
Lin can be an effective player on any given night, whether using his speed to carve through defenses or pragmatically setting up his teammates fo...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
