Brooklyn Nets: Why We Shouldn’t Be Worried About Their Preseason Woes
By Sandy Mui
The emergence of a new leader
Without a doubt, Jeremy Lin was the most impressive player for the Nets this preseason. In five preseason contests, the Harvard grad posted 17.2 points and 5.6 assists per game.
Lin also showed improvement in contributing to the rest of the team, with his assists spiking to his preseason-best in the finale. Against the Knicks, Lin scored a game-high 24 points and dished out 10 assists. The only downside was his eight turnovers. Still, not too shabby for a first look at the six-year NBA player as a Net.
Lin can be labeled as a leader on the Nets for numerous reasons. First, by the more traditional definition of a leader in basketball, he is their new full-time point guard. He’ll be running the Nets’ offense, and as a result, most of Brooklyn’s plays will be dictated by him. The last preseason game showed that Lin is already adjusting well to Kenny Atkinson’s offense. Not a surprise, as Atkinson is credited with helping Lin develop into “Linsanity” while both were with the Knicks.
Second, his age. Though Lin only broke out as “Linsanity” five years ago, he is 28 years old and is one of the older guys on the Nets’ roster. We’ve already heard stories where other players complimented Lin for his leadership, including one stating that Lin has already taken rookie Isaiah Whitehead under his wing.
Though we didn’t get to see much of the highly anticipated Brook-Lin offense this preseason, it’ll be exciting to see how Brook Lopez and Lin fare together in Brooklyn. Keep an eye out for all those Brook-Lin banners in the stands this season, and we’ll surely hear that term be tossed around a lot in commentary.