Atlanta Hawks: 3 goals for Jeremy Lin in 2018-19

3. Run the pick-and-roll effectively

In the brief time in which Lin was on the floor last season, he looked effective running the pick-and-roll. He averaged 1.14 points per possession (PPP) on ball screens, which would have been one of the best marks in the association when extrapolated through a whole season.

Chances are that Lin wouldn’t have been able to keep up at that pace for an 82-game stretch, but his recent history shows that he can fill up the scoreboard in those situations. Over the last two seasons, Lin has respective averages of 0.88 and 0.79 PPP on pick-and-roll plays. Those numbers aren’t exactly jaw-dropping, but they indicate the level-headed competence that Lin possesses.

As the pick-and-roll has become an integral part of most NBA offenses, it is imperative that point guards today know how to run it. While no one will confuse Lin with the likes of Damian Lillard, Stephen Curry or Kyrie Irving, he has shown that he more than knows what he’s doing. He’ll have a chance to show it in Atlanta.