In between the Atlanta Hawks cementing their status as the worst team in the NBA, Jeremy Lin once again added a bit to his trade value with another fine performance.
Another Loss, Another Strong Performance
Lin led the Hawks in scoring once again with 19 points while notching two firsts in Hawks uniform: His first double double (10 assists, his most since December 2016) and his first 30-minute game. Lin also grabbed 5 rebounds and added 3 steals while posting another night of efficient shooting: 6-for-10 from the field, 2-for-4 from three, 5-for-7 from the line.
Everything we’ve written recently; everything anyone following the Hawks and Lin has written over the last 2 weeks; all of that was showcased in the game against the Celtics, a 114-96 loss; a game pretty much over by the end of the first quarter (45-23), with Lin and the 2nd unit once again entering the game way behind.
The swagger with the ball which leads to more and more creativity in his decision; the aggressive way he attacks the basket (which earned him 7 trips to the line), regardless of the player guarding him (the Hawks, by design or by mistake, isolated Lin on Aron Baynes to pleasing results time after time); his improving (or perhaps returning) ability to dictate pace and feel comfortable in open court or half court sets.
Lin Shines in Comparison to Struggling Young
Lin’s production and efficiency stands in stark contrast to the struggles of Trae Young, getting under 26 minutes per game over the last 5 nights, scoring 10.2 on average, with just 29.3% from the field and an abysmal 5% (Not a typo) from beyond the arc. Now, I don’t see Hawks benching him, but perhaps he needs a little bit of a shakeup. The Hawks are making changes to their lineup around yet wouldn’t mind finishing last in the league for the upcoming draft. The logical rationale of what personnel gives you the best shot at winning doesn’t apply in this case.
Bottom line: Lin keeps improving, or perhaps his consistency is a sign of improvement, and turning himself into a more and more attractive trade asset.
Season Averages Update
19 games, 18.8 minutes, 11.4 points, 3.2 assists, 0.9 steals, shooting 51.1% from the field, 42.6% from three and 84.7% from the line.