Brooklyn Nets: This Could Be Jeremy Lin's Career Year

During the offseason, the Brooklyn Nets signed Jeremy Lin to a three-year, $36 million contract. After Linsanity, he looked like a star. This has not been the case the past few years. Is New York to Lin what spinach is to Popeye?

The Brooklyn Nets’ key acquisition this off-season was none other than Linsanity himself; Jeremy Lin. In 2011-2012 when Lin was a New York Knick, he pulled off an incredible string of games and hitting clutch, game-winning shots. He finished that campaign with averages of 14.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.6 steals. All of these, except rebounds, were and currently still are, career highs.

Also, there has only been one year where Lin averaged more than 30 minutes of playing time each game. That year was the year after Linsanity in New York where Lin was playing for the Houston Rockets.

Lin credits that to Kenny Atkinson, then an assistant with the Knicks. He was the coach that fought for Lin to be able to play, which ultimately propelled him.

There is a reunion in the books, and Lin said himself that he would not have come to Brooklyn if Atkinson were not here.

We have a player in his prime connecting with his mentor and favorite coach on a team that needs a leader and a scorer and a star. It is a match made in heaven, it would seem.

This preseason for Brooklyn, Lin has seen numbers comparable to his regular season career highs, some areas have higher averages. In the five games he played, Lin averaged 17.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.4 steals. The kicker here is that Lin shot 61.9% from the field and 50% from three.

More from Nothin' But Nets

If Lin could put up those astonishing numbers in five games this preseason playing only 23 minutes per game, imagine what he could do over 82 games playing over 35 minutes a game?

Lin is the leader and the scorer on this team. Lin’s lone lead role as a starting guard in the NBA was the year after Linsanity (2012-13) for the Rockets.

The 28-year-old point guard struggled over the past few seasons. Last season with the Hornets, he had a slight resurgence. He did not start many games, but he started to look like his old self again. The one statistic that makes that clear is the fact that he started only 13 of the 78 games he played in, but he played an average of nearly 27 minutes per game.

The Harvard grad became an integral part of the Hornets last season and they did try to re-sign him. Unfortunately for them, they do not have Kenny Atkinson.

Do not ignore the fact that Linsanity happened in New York City, which is known for its large concentration of Asian people. Now that he and Atkinson are back in the City that Never Sleeps, look for domination to occur.

Lin has an overwhelming amount of support from Brooklyn. It is almost comparable to when the New York Yankees signed Hideki Matsui from Japan.

Now with the Nets, Lin is reunited with his two true loves in Kenny Atkinson and New York City, and he will have a career year. He may eclipse 20 points per game. He may eclipse seven assists per game. He may even make the All-Star Team.

Next: Foye to Miss Opener

Linsanity is back in New York, this time he is making a trip down the A train from Penn Station to Atlantic Avenue, and he is here to stay.

Brooklyn Nets: This Could Be Jeremy Lin’s Career Year

By Matthew Pisani | Oct 25, 2016

During the offseason, the Brooklyn Nets signed Jeremy Lin to a three-year, $36 million contract. After Linsanity, he looked like a star. This has not been the case the past few years. Is New York to Lin what spinach is to Popeye?

More from Nothin' But Nets