In spite of another up-and-down year, Los Angeles Lakers point guard Jeremy Lin is still regarded as one of the best playmakers in the league. ESPN Magazine Forecast Panel released the ranking the top 30 point guard in the NBA today, on which the former Harvard standout placed 28th overall.
The 26-year old Lin garnered an overall score of 4.83, which was derived from the scores he received across four major departments (leadership, scoring, playmaking and defense) to crack the top-30 PG in the NBA this season.
Los Angeles Clippers' Chris Paul remains the top playmaker in the league with an overall score of 9.09, edging Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (8.66) and Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook (8.48). Washington Wizards' John Wall (8.18) and Memphis Grizzlies' Mike Conley (7.76) rounded out the top-5.
The Lakers, already the most injury-hit team in the NBA this season, missed Lin's service for second consecutive game due to upper respiratory infection in Monday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Lakers beat writer Mark Medina of Inside SoCal.com announced on his Twitter account that the 26-year old Lin was ruled out two games in a row as a sinus illness continues to bother him.
Lin, who is arguably the best-performing Laker after All-Star break, recorded a game-high 29 points on 10-for-16 field goal shooting and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line in the Lakers' first meeting with the Sixers on March 22.
The Asian-American started the first 20 games of the season before he was relegated to the bench due to inconsistencies and defensive lapses. However, Lin came out from a one-week All-Star break like a man on a mission, as he delivered his best stretch of basketball in the second half of the 2014-15 season to earn a spot in the starting lineup.
Averaging 11.4 points and 4.7 assists per game, Lin is set to hit the free-agency market as unrestricted free-agent this summer.