Atlanta Hawks: 3 candidates for a breakout season in 2018-19

2. Jeremy Lin

Before he hurt his knee on opening night, it looked like Jeremy Lin was primed to have a productive season with the Brooklyn Nets. He scored 18 points in that game against the Indiana Pacers and looked good running the pick-and-roll, but his injury didn’t allow fans to see if he could extrapolate those totals over a full season. He will get that chance in Atlanta, especially as the projected starting point guard.

When healthy, Lin is a reliable, average-to-above-average NBA point guard. His leaky defense makes him better suited for a sixth man role, but there’s no question that Lin has the offensive attributes most teams look for in a point guard.

Asking Lin to recapture the magic of his “Linsanity” days with the New York Knicks is probably asking too much of the 30-year-old. However, he will get plenty of chances to try as the primary ball-handler. That is unless a certain someone takes his spot…