Byron Scott plans to start Jeremy Lin in final 10 games for Lakers
Bleacher Report
It has been a rough season to say the least for the Los Angeles Lakers with the storied franchise facing another disappointing year ending without a playoff appearance. Although the Lakers may be one of the worst teams in the league, the team may have a bright future with a few promising young players currently on the squad.
With Julius Randle going down with a season-ending injury in the first game of the year against the Houston Rockets, all the attention has turned to rookie point guard Jordan Clarkson. The Missouri product has played much better than expected and appears to have secured a long-term future in Los Angeles, but now the question is what to do with veteran Jeremy Lin.
According to Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News, head coach Byron Scott intends to start Lin in the final stretch of the 2014-15 NBA season:
Byron Scott plans to start Jeremy Lin in last 10 games, though not set in stone. Jordan Clarkson will then come off the bench
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) March 15, 2015
During the first half of the season, Lin struggled as the Lakers starting point guard. The NBA journeyman never really found his niche playing alongside Kobe Bryant in the backcourt and eventually fell out of favor with Coach Scott.
As a result of Lin’s struggles as a starter, the veteran was benched in favor of Ronnie Price. Clarkson ultimately ended up replacing Price as the team’s top point guard on the depth chart and has done much better than expected in his new role on the squad.
As for Lin, the 26-year-old has bounced back after the All-Star break with some impressive play off the bench. The veteran hit the free agent market this summer and will be looking to prove to the Lakers and other interested teams that he is worth of a long-term contract.
Starting the final 10 games of the season will likely help to determine his future in the NBA and whether it’ll be in Los Angeles or elsewhere.
