If The Opportunity Presents Itself, Brooklyn Should Pursue Jeremy Lin
As Originally Published on BestofNJ.com
It’s no secret the Brooklyn Nets are in need of a major talent overhaul following their 21-win campaign this past season. There are some nice pieces in place, most notably Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young, however there’s no denying the need to fill the gaping hole that presents itself at the point guard position. Brooklyn began this past season with veteran Jarrett Jack at the helm, but finished with arguably the league’s worst rotation with Shane Larkin and Donald Sloan following Jack’s season ending injury. It’s quite possible it was the worst even with Jack.
With virtually no draft assets until 2019 to address the issue, the Nets’ options to improve their roster will be limited to trade and/or free agency. There will be the temptation to chase a bigger name on the open market (Mike Conley), but perhaps the best option for Brooklyn would be to reunite Kenny Atkinson with Jeremy Lin, should the 27 year-old point guard decide to opt out of his final year ($2.2M) with Charlotte. That’s right, it was Atkinson who was an assistant with the Knicks during the height of Linsanity and who Lin has loudly praised.
As a reserve this past year, Lin averaged nearly 12 points and 3 assists in 26 minutes per game (16 points and 4 assists per 36 minutes). Obviously he’s not your quintessential “franchise point guard’ however he would be a significant upgrade to the Nets’ current depth chart and would help bring a level of competitiveness and respectability back to Brooklyn until the next franchise floor general can be found via the draft, trade, or free agency. Even with the salary cap going up, signing Lin shouldn’t be as costly in comparison to other potentially high-priced free agents.
The Nets’ brass has preached the importance of patience and building a winning culture as they reboot this Brooklyn team. Having the right philosophy is one thing but so is having NBA caliber talent. The Nets cannot afford to bring back the same quality point guards as they had this past year and expect to make great strides as an organization, both on and off the court. Of the aforementioned three, Larkin seems the most likely to return if he chooses to opt into the final year of his deal, and even if that’s the case, he seems best suited in a reserve role. Jack is coming off of a torn ACL and has a nominal buyout in his contract, and Sloan will be a free agent.
As for Lin, he has proven he can handle the big stage that comes with playing in New York when he averaged 19.6 points and 8.3 assists per 36 minutes with the Knicks. He electrified the Madison Square Garden crowd during that stretch of time and you have to wonder what type of excitement would be circulating around the Barclays Center if the Nets were playing competitive and meaningful basketball again. They wouldn’t be a contender in the Eastern Conference by any means, but a trio of Lopez, Lin, and Young would at least make them relevant.
For a franchise in need of a little bit of buzz and fanfare, maybe it’s time for Brook-Linsanity.
