All Hail the Returning Jeremy Lin

Despite a hiccup on Wednesday, Jeremy Lin’s hamstring hiatus seems to be nearing an end. That good news starts to get even better when you look at the other point guard options on the Nets roster.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. The Nets entered the season excited to bring Linsanity back to the Big Apple. They also had a solid veteran backup in Greivis Vasquez. But when Vasquez’s injured ankle didn’t heal and Jeremy Lin became resigned to street clothes, the Nets were woefully thin at point guard.

They turned to a pair of rookies, Isaiah Whitehead and Yogi Ferrell with very mixed results. Whitehead has shown flashes, and may have locked down the backup point guard spot for the rest of the season. But there are still plenty of holes in his game. His defense, like most rookies, has ranged from bad to horrendous. He too often falls for ball fakes or jab steps and, while the physical tools seem there, his awareness leaves a lot to be desired. The Nets are seven full points per 100 possessions better so far when Whitehead sits.

Ferrell didn’t fare much better. He’s seen action in 10 games and averaged 15 minutes, 5.4 points and 1.7 assists. He showed some ability to penetrate and bend the defense, but was waived on December 8 and has rejoined the D-League’s Long Island Nets.

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The Nets waived Ferrell in part to create a place for Spencer Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie was a second round pick of the Detroit Pistons in 2014, but averaged just 4.4 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game in two seasons in Motor City. Following a trade to the Bulls this summer, he joined Chicago’s D-League team and played well in nine Windy City games, averaging 9.4 points, 8.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 37.4 minutes.

This is why Lin’s return is so huge. Even the sunniest outlook on either of Whitehead or Dinwiddie would still include the caveat that both are unknowns as NBA talents. They will need time. Time that the Nets may not have if they want to remain competitive this season.

Value of Lin SO apparent in this game. Nets hanging in tough with red-hot Rockets. Harden has hit some incredibly difficult timely shots
— Ryan Ruocco (@RyanRuocco) December 13, 2016

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The play of Sean Kilpatrick is informative here. Kilpatrick is a dynamic scorer and silenced a number of critics with his play this season, but he is not a lead guard. He’s finished with more than five assists in a game just once this season and has issues with turnovers.

He also reads the defense a few beats slower, and the Nets take a little longer to get into their sets when he is at the top of the key. It may not seem like much, but in big moments, that hesitation can make all the difference.

Lin played close to 20 minutes in both of his first two games since returning from his hamstring injury. Both games went down to the wire and there is a persuasive case to be made that Brooklyn should have won them both.

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Though they lost both, the Nets turned in a pair of positive performances. Look for Lin to keep getting healthier and for the Nets to improve right alongside him.