Jeremy Lin (Photo : NBA Stats/Reuters)
Jeremy Lin spurned the opportunity to start with the Dallas Mavericks to join the Charlotte Hornets on a two-year, $4.3 million contract. The move officially ended Lin's bid to be a starter again as he is expected to back up Kemba Walker next season. But despite accepting a relegated position, Lin once again used his Harvard smarts to put himself in position to succeed.
After gauging his value on the free-agency market for a week, the 26-year old Lin decided to boost up the Hornets backcourt depth by committing to the Michael Jordan-owned franchise.
The Mavericks, who were the front runner to sign Lin the past few days prior to his decision, dropped out of contention to get the playmaker the moment DeAndre Jordan reneged his commitments with Mark Cuban and Co and re-signed with the Clippers.
While Lin will surely have the chances to vie for a starting role with the Mavericks, the prospect of playing for another lottery-bound ballclub for the second straight season was too much of a downside. Instead, he picked a team that looks determined to make a deep run in next year's playoffs after drafting Frank Kaminsky and trading for Nicolas Batum, Jeremy Lamb and Spencer Hawes.
Hornets general manager Ric Cho was instrumental in bringing Lin to Buzz City, believing the Asian-American star is a perfect playmaker for the team's second unit.
"The one thing he can really do is get into the paint and with our second unit that is important because he can create shots for others," Cho told ESPN . "We have several guys on the second unit that will benefit from that whether it's Jeremy Lamb or Spencer Hawes, Frank Kaminsky or Marvin Williams."
Lin has been one of the finest finishers in the game when attacking the basket, converting 52.8 percent of his shots at point blank range. He averaged 11.2 points and 4.6 assists in 25 minutes per game last season with the Lakers, but his three-point shooting percentage went up to a career-high 37 percent.
The Hornets are hoping Lin would give them another source of points off the bench after finishing 28th in the league in points per game (94.2 ppg). And based on the make-up of the Hornets' second unit (Lamb, Hawes and Marvin Williams), Lin could thrive really well both as a scorer and floor facilitator.
On unit composed of floor-spacing shooter, the pick-and-roll will be a potent weapon for Lin as he looks to weave through the defense for a bucket or kick the ball out for a wide open three-point shot. Lin's versatility to play the off-guard position will also allow him to play with Walker on the second team, giving the Hornets two capable ball-handlers in tight ballgames.
But the smartest part of his new contract is it will give Lin the opportunity to be a free-agent again at the prime age of 28. A strong output for the Hornets over the next two years, especially in the playoffs, could give him a much nicer pay-day in 2017, when NBA salaries are expected to triple.
The Mavericks could have given a starting nod again, but the uncertainty of the situation in Big D is too risky for Lin to take. The Mavericks are expected to take a step back after losing what they thought to be their biggest free-agent signings for quite some time in Jordan. It might take two or three years for the Mavs to return to relevance.
On the other hand, the Hornets are set to compete in a much weaker Eastern Conference, putting Lin in position to show his mettle in the postseason. After all, it is in the postseason where all the money is made.
