NBA Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers Nearing End of Jeremy Lin Experiment

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By @IanClarkMcEwan

Jeremy Lin Lakers

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

It was less than three years ago, Feb. 27, 2012 to be exact, that current Los Angeles Lakers point guard Jeremy Lin graced the cover of Time Magazine. At the height of his fame, dubbed “Linsanity,” Lin was must see TV. A game winner against the Toronto Raptors and a duel with Laker legend and current teammate Kobe Bryant at Madison Square Garden while a member of the New York Knicks highlighted the phenomenal play of the unheralded guard. Yet many NBA pundits cautioned that while Lin should not have been overlooked, he was not an all time great in the making.

Fast forward to the present day. Lin did not see playing time in a Laker loss to the San Antonio Spurs in which the aforementioned Kobe did not play. In fact, Lin lost his minutes to fellow journeymen Ronnie Price and Wayne Ellington, as well as 2014 second round pick Jordan Clarkson. Lin was the only healthy player in uniform who did not record a minute for the Lakers Friday night.

Combined with Scott’s comments in recent weeks regarding the disappointment in Lin’s play, it appears his stint in Los Angeles will be coming to an end before the trade deadline. He is an unrestricted free agent this summer, meaning he will look quite appealing to a contender looking to add some scoring off the bench with no investment in the future.

The Lakers will likely be looking for assets to use in this year’s draft in exchange for Lin, which could range from a highly protected first-round pick to a second-round pick. It’s unlikely the Lakers will look to take back any players with contracts extending past this season, unless they can find a suitor who can offer an underperforming young talent with a team-friendly deal.

For Lin, coming to the Lakers looked to be a great opportunity to prove his value to an NBA team. A franchise with no point guard to build around, Lin has proven he does not fear the spotlight, having been at the center of, arguably, the most intense NBA media frenzy this side of a Michael Jordan retirement. However, his weaknesses regarding running a half-court offense and his lacking defensive prowess have driven Byron Scott to bury him on the end of the bench.

They say good things come in threes. By the time Lin is traded, it will have been about three years since the height of Linsanity. Lin will have a familiar task at hand when he arrives at his new team; proving he is worthy of an NBA roster spot.

Ian McEwan is a blogger for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @IanClarkMcEwan,“Like”him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. He is not the British author.

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