Jeremy Lin
Undoubtedly the biggest “star” on the Brooklyn Nets, Jeremy Lin is the closest to “untouchable” within the organization. While Lin doesn’t have the potential or ceiling that McCullough or LeVert currently have, Lin is definitely the best guard on the team and the de facto leader of the Nets.
Only playing 12 games this season due to injuries, Lin is averaging around 14 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds. In the games he has not played, he is often seen, in street clothes courtside, looking like a glorified assistant coach.
How is an injury prone point guard untouchable? Well for starters, who is going to trade for an injured Lin, who many in the NBA believe is best suited as a backup? Besides being the clear-cut starting point guard on this team, he is a mentor to the younger guys like Whitehead. This is invaluable considering the negative influence many superstars have on younger players, especially rookies, just look across town to Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks. Anthony, among others questioned the Nets decision to give the keys to the franchise to Lin. However, those in-the-know are aware Lin embodies the culture Atkinson and Marks are building.
RELATED STORY: Lin Among Leaders in First All Star fan Vote
Lin was undrafted out of Harvard and took the league by storm. Even though no one believes there will be a second coming of “Linsanity” in Brooklyn, Lin has evolved passed that. He wanted an opportunity to start and he reunited with Atkinson as his head coach who is all about giving gritty play-makers said opportunity.
Lin leading the Nets to a championship is improbable, if not impossible but that’s not what they’re paying him for. The word “intangible” has become a sports media buzzword but in all honesty, Lin’s intangibles are what make him untouchable. At least for as long as Kenny Atkinson is the head coach in Brooklyn.
Next: Top 5 Moments in Nets History
Regardless whether the basketball world views him as a franchise point guard, the Sean Marks, Kenny Atkinson and the Brooklyn Nets do.
—
Like this content? Follow the writer to get his latest updates.
Get ahead of the game by adding the FanSided app and selecting Nothin’ But Nets and be alerted the second our articles are posted. Visit the app store or link here.