Why Jeremy Lin Will Thrive with the Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers may not have persuaded Carmelo Anthony, but they did land Jeremy Lin.  After being a star in New York and then becoming an afterthought in Houston, Lin now has a chance to redeem himself in La La Land.  

"

Im SO blessed to join the @Lakers and cant wait to get started!!! #purpleandgold #calikid http://t.co/DC2RvhX4Hg

— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) July 13, 2014"

Unlike last year, Lin will now be the second or third option on his team. Back in Houston, Lin mostly stood in the corner and was told to be a spot-up shooter. Unfortunately, this is not his forte.  

Lin is a fast player with an incredible ability to penetrate and get to the rim (as seen in the GIF below). 

Most importantly, he's the only one on the Lakers with this skill set. Kobe Bryant is still a great player, but in his advanced age he's become less of a driver and more of a shooter or facilitator.  After several knee injuries and a torn achilles, Bryant is just not as explosive as he once was.  

"

Jeremy Lin reportedly going to Lakers. He shot 57.9% off drives last season, 2nd only to LeBron James who shot 63.8% (Min 7 drives per game)

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 11, 2014 "

Unfortunately for Lin, the Lakers already have a young promising point guard in Kendall Marshall. Marshall averaged 8.8 assists per game last year in Los Angeles, and he's only 22 years old.  

Marshall's impressive season might entice the Lakers to start him over Lin.  

The perfect spot for Lin would be coming off the bench as the sixth man. This will allow him to be the focal point of the second team. ESPN New York's Robin Lundberg, shared a similar opinion:

"

I believe Lin will excel as starting pg or third guard off bench. If you disagree fine, but talk to me after this season.

— Robin Lundberg (@robinlundberg) July 8, 2014"

Lin thrived in New York when he was the primary focus, but he struggled in Houston as a role player.

With the Knicks, Lin averaged more points (14.6) and assists per game (6.2) than he ever did in his two seasons in Houston.  

However, Lin did show some maturity over the past few years. Not only did he limit his turnovers to 2.5 per game, but Lin also upped his three-point shooting percentage to 35.8 percent last season.  

The Rockets signed Lin not knowing that James Harden and Dwight Howard would soon follow. And with the maturity of Chandler Parsons and Patrick Beverley, Lin shortly became the fifth option.

With another opportunity to be a key contributor, Lin will surely thrive in Los Angeles. Linsanity Part II, anyone?  

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