The Los Angeles Lakers are going to experience a lot more of this losing until this season ends in very depressing dosage. Individually, players try to make the most of their situation, and Jeremy Lin is no different, but he needs the same kind of minutes he got on his last outing.
In the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Lin played 30 minutes, only the third time in almost two months that he’s played so much. It wasn’t one of his best games; 2-of-12 from the field to score 11 points and fouling out as the Lakers lost in overtime, but it was a change for the better in the coach’s
But it won’t matter unless Scott gives him more time on the floor. That’s what this whole season, for Lin at least, has been hinging on. And if we look at most of the Lakers’ good games, even in losses to superior teams, Lin getting ample playing time in the right situation often translated and co-existed with the Lakers looking a lot better on the floor.
It’s hard to expect logic from a team that’s losing on purpose or is being set up to do so. But they’ve fallen quite far behind and frankly, even when trying they’re still going to be better than the Knicks and 76ers – lost causes and much more likely to end up with more ping-pong balls to use come the draft lottery.
Lin can play better and will if Scott actually does the right thing, but he rarely does. What about a trade? Right now there’s nothing concrete on the horizon, but as we move closer to the trade deadline something might show up. For now, just like many of his fans (and Lin has a lot of them), Jeremy Lin is simply waiting for the opportunities (he deserves) to show he can do more than he’s done so far this season.
Whether or not he’s going to get them is up to Scott; for now this failure of a head coach prefers seeing Jordan Clarkson doing almost nothing on the floor than giving his best guard the playing time he deserves.