Jeremy Lin’s Versatility is Paying Off for the Charlotte Hornets
Jeremy Lin has shown just how valuable he is to the Charlotte Hornets this season by excelling in every role that the team has asked of him.
The Charlotte Hornets knew that they got a steal when they signed Jeremy Lin in off-season but they probably didn’t see him having this big of an impact on the team. Lin’s versatility has been a huge blessing in disguise for the Hornets this year.
When Lin first signed with Charlotte they were planning on using him as their sixth man. He was expected to be the point guard for the second unit and lead the bench. This was a role that Jeremy could fill and that the Hornets needed.
But injuries to many of the Charlotte Hornets’ key wing players has caused the team to use Lin in other ways than originally planned. It speaks to Jeremy’s versatility that he has been able to fill in at every role that the team has needed him to and do it well.
But that isn’t the only role that Jeremy has played this season. Injuries to Nicolas Batum, who is Charlotte’s starting shooting guard, has caused the team to ask for Lin to fill into the starting line-up.A serious injury to Michael Kidd-Gilchristbefore the season started caused the team to move P.J. Hairston off of the bench and into the starting line-up. This put added pressure on Jeremy Lin to lead the second unit. He has stepped up and filled that role perfectly for the Hornets.
Jeremy played alongside Kemba Walkerand even though they are somewhat of an undersized guard duo, Lin’s ability to defend players that and bigger than him have made it possible for the two to work side by side.
So far this season, Lin has started six games for the Charlotte Hornets and has played 38 of 40 games so far this year. He is a dependable scoring option off of the bench for the team and a player that can create shots for others as well.
This season for the Charlotte Hornets, Jeremy Lin is averaging 12.3 points per game, which is good enough for fourth most on the team, to go along with 3.o assists per game, and 3.2 rebounds per game in 26.4 minutes per game this year.If Jeremy is asked to score, he scores. If he is asked to defend a tough offensive player, he defends, If he is asked to be a playmaker and create for others, he creates. If he is asked to be a secondary player and knock down tough shots, he does just that.
He is shooting 42.3% from the field, 30.6% from three, and 77.8% from the free throw line this season. Lin’s defense has been a nice surprise for the team this season as he has a 99.1 defense rating on the year which is good enough for fourth best on the Charlotte Hornets.
Jeremy is third on the team in assists this season. He has the second highest plus/minus with +1.7. He takes the second most free throw attempts per game on the team with 4.0 attempts per game. He also draws 4.5 fouls on average per game which is the best average on the team.
Lin has been trusted to play alongside Kemba and Batum late in games. Jeremy has had some huge games for the Hornets this season and has even won some games for his team. He is much more than just a bench player or a sixth man for this team. He is a versatile guard that can play a multitude of roles for Charlotte.Lin’s toughness has been tested this season but he has responded by playing through ankle injuries for about a month now.
Everything that the Charlotte Hornets have asked of Lin this season, he has successfully done. He can lead the team in scoring one night, assists another night, defend the other team’s best perimeter player, and every night he will give the team everything that he’s got to try to get a win.
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