The Los Angeles Lakers believe the sky is the limit for point guard Jeremy Lin. In need of depth at the position, the Lakers made a trade with the Houston Rockets for Lin in hopes that he can bring some Linsanity to the West Coast. It is undetermined whether or not head coach Byron Scott will make Lin a starter for the 2014 season, but he does plan on giving him a majority of the playing time at the position.
Plain and simple, Steve Nash did not get the job done last year. The veteran spent more time injured than playing over the past two seasons, causing the Lakers to struggle both on the court and off with his high-priced contract. That was the main reason for the Lin trade. Now the question becomes who is the primary point guard when the season starts.
According to Jabari Davis of BasketballInsiders.com, Lin will play the most minutes at the point guard position whether Nash is the starter or not. Los Angeles has done nothing but praise the point guard since acquiring him in the offseason and they intend on using him like the player they believe he can be no matter the status of Nash. Scott has stated that Nash is healthier than he has ever seen him before over the past two years. However, no one knows just how long that will last and the Lakers need someone who can be consistent for them.
The Los Angeles Daily News reported that Scott intends for Nash to be the starter at point guard with Lin, Nick Young and Jabari Parker highlighting the bench. Nash would join Carlos Boozer, Kobe Bryant and possibly Jordan Hill in the starting lineup for the Lakers come the start of the year. Is that enough to get it done in the Western Conference?
No matter how well Lin plays this season, he is not guaranteed a new contract for 2015. The point guard, along with Nash, has an expiring contract that fits perfectly into the Lakers plan of making a big run next offseason on free agents. They have been linked to several big names including Rajon Rondo and Ricky Rubio, but not Lin.
