Jeremy Lin (Photo : Hornets)
Jeremy Lin enters the second half of the season with a lot of reasons to be optimistic following a strong output for the Hornets through 53 games. However, there's also an argument that Lin could have provided even better numbers, if he's not playing alongside a ball-dominant player Kemba Walker.
Lin is averaging at least 12 points, 3 rebounds and 3 dimes in efficient 27 minutes of playing time per game, making him a legit contender for the Sixth Man of the Year plum at the end of the season.
On the other hand, he's also having one of his worst years shooting-wise. Lin is currently shooting 32 percent from the three-point line, which is the lowest shooting percentage since his second year in New York.
And although he manages to get his overall field goal percentage to an acceptable 42 percentage, most of his field goal conversations are coming from layups as a result of his underrated ball penetration.
Legendary prep-school head coach Doc Scheppler had an opportunity to diagnose Lin's shooting funk in an interview with veteran sports writer Nathan Gottlieb (via Hoops Habit).
Scheppler, who has been serving as personal shooting coach for Lin since 2011, believes Lin's shooting struggle goes beyond his mechanics or the lack of confidence to take shots outside the shaded lane. In fact, he thinks Steve Clifford's tactic of putting Lin off Walker could be another reason to his woes.
"Jeremy shoots better when he has the ball in his hands more and is moving. He hasn't been able to do that much at shooting guard. It's like he has to go stand in the corner of the class," Scheppler stressed.
Moreover, Scheppler also pointed out that Lin and Kemba just couldn't co-exist on the same backcourt. Although he absolutely agrees that Walker is an elite scorer, the coach believes his hero-ball mentality makes him unfit to play the point guard spot. Apparently, that's the one dragging not only Lin down, but the entire team as well.
"Kemba is an unbelievable athlete, but he's not really fun to play with. I know I'm biased for Jeremy, but Kemba is a shoot-first point guard. It's almost like he's playing street ball. He doesn't seem to trust playing with other people. Kemba could be a much better point guard if he trusted players," Scheppler stressed.
In Feb. 3 win against the Cavaliers, Clifford inserted Lin into the starting lineup, replacing an ailing Walker. The former Harvard went on to drop 24 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds in his first real shot at leading the team.
Lin signed a bargain of a deal (two-year, $4.3M) last summer to find a fresh start with the Hornets. So far, He is slowly redeeming himself and making an impact for his playoff contending team. He can leave after this season (if things still don't work out well between him and Walker) by opting out of the second year of his contract, but so far Lin appears contented with his stint in Charlotte, and that matters the most.
