Charlotte Hornets' Jeremy Lin lit up with 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. The unheralded shooting guard from Harvard bounced back from a dismal one-for-eight performance versus the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, helping the Hornets stretch their winning streak to five games, a season-high for the franchise.
Over the past five outings, Lin's output has been very low compared to his usual production during his "Linsanity" run in New York. The Torrance, California native only averaged 7.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.8 block. Lin's shooting rate is at 33 percent, according to CBS Sports.
During his "Linsanity" run, Lin led the New York Knicks to an 8-1 streak with an output of 25 points and nine rebounds on a respectable 50.9 shooting percentage. He also had a similar run with Houston when point guard and main scorer James Harden was out for six games.
On a good night, Lin is capable of scoring huge numbers but the good nights come in spurts. Los Angeles Lakers head coach and Lin's former mentor Byron Scott once said it could be a matter of confidence, according to a Lakers Nation report.
"He'll have one real good game and the next game it seems like he doesn't have his confidence," Lakers Nation quoted Scott as saying. "I know he knows he can provide a lot more than what he's been doing."
With Courtney Lee joining the Hornets after getting traded for P.J. Hairston, observers are expecting to see Lin's playing time dwindle as the season goes forward, but not much. Small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is out for the season due to a shoulder injury. That means Lee can move up to play the three spot in rotation with Jeremy Lamb
Meanwhile, Lin's teammate and point guard Kemba Walker is fast becoming the face of the franchise. Walker lit up the scoreboard with 28 points in the game the Nets, sinking in 11 of 18 shots on a 47.8 percent shooting.
"That's our superstar right there," Charlotte Observer quoted Hornets' big man Al Jefferson as saying at the end of the game.
The Hornets will be facing LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. Against the Cavs, the Hornets are 0.500 this season.
Check out the Hornets-Nets highlights in the video below.