Brooklyn Nets: 5 goals for Jeremy Lin in 2017-18
By Randy Porga
2. Emerge as a true floor general
Jeremy Lin is a potent scoring threat at point guard with clever moves in the paint. He can do just about everything when driving to the basket with creativity. He has the ability to finish with either hand and has an excellent floater as well. One area that Lin needs to become more diverse in is his passing game and assist numbers. As a team, the Nets finished 20th in assists during 2016-17 and Lin averaged just 5.1 per game.
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If he can improve on being a facilitator instead of score-first guard at times — especially out of his bread and butter, the pick-and-roll — Jeremy Lin can be deemed a legitimate leader.
He may have an opportunity this season to showcase his versatility and ability to be a leader from some things learned during his time in Charlotte. Throughout seven years in his career, 81 percent of the time he plays at the 1, but during 2015-16 he played at the 2 a surprising 63 percent of the time.
With a capable scorer in D’ Angelo Russell, it would not be a surprise to see both on the court simultaneously, with Lin shifting once more to the 2. With the addition of a solid 3-point threat and a push-the-pace backcourt, Lin should be able to see his assist per game numbers find another jump.
While Lin may not be a James Harden or Kyrie Irving with the ability to carry a team on his own, he does possess the ability to make the players around him better. That is exactly the kind of character Lin will need to exhibit and step up as a true floor general for the Brooklyn Nets.