Brooklyn Nets: 5 goals for Jeremy Lin in 2017-18

3. Reach full potential with more minutes

There is a common denominator regardless of what team Lin has found himself on in recent years: He almost always gives the team the best chance to win when he is on the court. You can look back at his true debut in the “Linsanity” era, or even in his short stints with the Houston Rockets or Charlotte Hornets.

This year would not be the first time Lin has faced stiff competition at the guard position on his own team. If anything, he has proven this to be irrelevant in terms of his performance.

He shined when sharing the court with Kemba Walker with his time in Charlotte, and if not for being bogged down with injuries last season, the Brooklyn Nets surely would not have lost 60 games for the second consecutive season.

Coming off a season where he averaged 24.5 minutes per game, he almost returned to his 2012-13 form (with the exception for him playing all 82 games). When taking into account his per 36 minutes, it becomes clear that Lin is noticeably better with more playing time.

Per 36 minutes for just last season, he blew the lid off of his personal best in points, reaching 21.3 points and 7.5 assists. If the Brooklyn Nets can inherit a healthier, less injury-prone Lin that is capable of playing closer to 30 minutes per game, that alone should be able to narrow the gap in many close games.