LA Lakers: Jeremy Lin Joins Chris Paul as Another Point Guard Who Got Away
Talk about adding insult to injury. The OC Register recently reported that New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin was very close to joining the Lakers before he was claimed off waivers by the Golden State Warriors last season.
To make matters worse, Lin, a Los Angeles native, even expected the Lakers to select him with the 58th pick of the 2010 NBA draft, even though his skill base was not thought to be suited for Phil Jackson's triangle offense.
Well, hindsight is 20/20. Call it water under the bridge or whatever other saying tickles your fancy, but it basically boils down to the same thing.
Lin joins former almost-Laker Chris Paul as another impact player that slipped through the team's fingers, and now, the franchise is reaping the ill benefits of both situations.
If you haven't noticed, Los Angeles is in serious need of some point guard help, like, yesterday, and to think fans may be forced to settle with a washed-up Gilbert Arenas or Allen Iverson when either Lin or Paul could have been wearing the purple and gold.
Does anyone else feel slighted?
It's bad enough to share the same building and locker rooms with the player who was destined to lead the Lakers franchise into the future before NBA commissioner David Stern nixed the deal.
But to find out how close Lin was to joining the Lakers after watching him drop 38 points in a victory at Madison Square Garden is like pouring salt in an open wound.
I don't want to make it sound like Lin or Paul would have been a cure-all for Los Angeles, because the Lakers do have other issues such as their bench. But both players would have certainly been cure-alots considering how pitiful the Lakers point guards have been so far this season.
Current starter Derek Fisher has to be in the running for the NBA's worst starting point guard, and while Steve Blake is a little better than Fisher, he's still nothing to write home about.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ramon Sessions has also been the subject of trade rumors involving the Lakers, and while he does provide more youth, energy and athleticism than either Iverson or Arenas, I don't anticipate any moments of "Linsanity" from his game.
The Lakers will have to make a move in the near future to solidify the point guard position or run the risk of watching their fragile season flushed down the drain.
Unfortunately, whomever they sign will not have the same type of impact that Lin or Paul would have, and it hurts even more to know that the Lakers were a moment of courage from Stern or waiver wire deal away from having one of the NBA's top back courts right now.
