When news broke out that Jeremy Lin is joining the purple and gold team in Los Angeles, it was clear that fans and officials of the Lakers expected a lot from him. After a short stint at the starting lineup, the former Houston Rockets found himself deep in the bench with many asking the question if he would return to Los Angeles Lakers next season.
The Harvard alum found himself in the first five when Steve Nash got injured, reported Bleacher Report. However, it was a Cinderella moment for the player when he was eventually put on bench with Ronnie Price and Jordan Clarkson ahead of him.
According to Hoops Habit, one of the reasons Lin did not work with the supposedly new team of Byron Scott has a lot to do with its offensive style. The point guard is known to be very effective in shooting close range with around 55.6 percent of accuracy in the restricted area during the 2014-15 season. However, the LA Lakers style of shooting is on the midrange, which is a waterloo for Lin.
It was also noted that "Linsanity" did not always get along with Scott. The two have been reported arguing numerous times, sometimes even captured in social media. This led to the speculation that Scott might do away with the NBA player.
However, it seems that the two have achieved major improvements in how they communicate. In fact, an article in Lakers Nation wrote about Scott's praise for Lin's ability to take comments for improvement.
"The one thing about him, the kid takes criticism. You can jump on him about hinges and he takes it with a grain of salt and tries to get better, that's the one thing I do love about him, he doesn't pout about it," said the Los Angeles Lakers coach.
Even Lin acknowledged the positive change in their relationship. "Our respect for each other grew as the season went on," revealed the NBA player to Los Angeles Times.
The 26-year-old player has expressed his desire to return to the Lakers. He admitted that he enjoyed his time with the team especially during the second part of his season despite the rocky patch he had to endure.
After his exit interview, Lin said, "I'm definitely encouraged and very optimistic in terms of progress that was made."
How big that progress is and if the Lakers team is willing to gamble on another season with this free agent remain to be seen in the coming weeks.
