The Brooklyn Nets try to make do with a returning Jeremy Lin who has been used sparingly following a hamstring injury back in November. (Photo : Getty Images for The New Yorker/Anna Webber)
The Brooklyn Nets have Jeremy Lin back though the star guard has been limited to restricted minutes. Hence, head coach Kenny Atkinson will have to find other ways for now as his team tries to buy “Linsanity” time to fully recover.
Jeremy Lin has been out since November due to a hamstring injury. He missed a total of 17 games and such told heavily for the Nets. Proof of that is their 7-20 win-loss card which dropped them to the lower part of the NBA Eastern Conference standings.
Right now, all the Nets can do is wait for Jeremy Lin to get back to full health. The current season has a long way to go and the Brooklyn can still technically make a realistic run for a playoff spot. Rushing the 28-year-old star is risky and Atkinson is readily aware of it.
Now, Atkinson will have to find a way to buy Lin some time before his regular starting guard is put back in the regular rotation. Lin did make his first start since falling to injury but the Nets fell to their division rival Toronto Raptors, 116-104, the NY Post reported.
It was a welcome sight to Nets fans though missing Brook Lopez didn’t help the charges of Atkinson. Lin player hard as always but something was still visibly wrong from within the ranks.
“I was upset at halftime and I told the team our inability to get back our defense just wasn’t good enough,” Atkinson said. “Our compete level in the first half wasn’t good enough.”
That said, Atkinson is facing a dilemma that may be way beyond the Jeremy Lin issue. As a whole, the team has been struggling to get on the same page – proof of which was the lack of defensive effort against the Raptors.
With the lack of effort, it begs to ask if the Nets would be pulling trades or manpower changes moving forward. Brook Lopez has been the subject of trade rumors though is prone to injury may turn other teams off.
The Nets do have young talent surrounding Lin and Lopez right now but somehow a veteran could come in handy, Nothin But Nets reported. Could Sean Kilpatrick, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Isaiah Whitehead, Caris LeVert, Yogi Ferrell, or Chris McCullough be dealt soon?
Check out how Jeremy Lin is handling his minutes restriction via the video below.
