NBA Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers Need Jeremy Lin to Be More Aggressive

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Kyle Terada - USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Jeremy Lin came to the Los Angeles Lakers in a salary-clearing trade during the offseason. He struggled in his previous stint with the Houston Rockets, unable to play alongside James Harden and truly establish himself. He has already found himself in a similar situation playing next to Kobe Bryant, looking extremely passive on the offensive side of the ball. The Lakers, who do not have many playmakers due to all the injuries, need Lin to play more aggressively to take some of the pressure off of Bryant.

Lin is at his best when he has the ball in his hands and is able to attack the defense. He has had some success operating off of the pick and roll with Carlos Boozer and Jordan Hill, and still looks impressive finishing at the rim. The problem is that Bryant tends to dominate the ball for long periods of time, and Lin hasn’t been able to make as much of an impact. Lin needs to demand the ball so that Bryant is not doing all of the work.

Another possibility is to give Lin more time when Bryant is not in the game. The second unit needs a playmaker to get the offense going, and it makes sense to let Lin be the focal point for that unit. He can roll over minutes from the starting unit and be the true creator.

The Lakers have a lot of problems to deal with right now, and have a lot of work to do if they want to get better. A more confident Lin would be a step in the right direction. They need him to improve on his game if they want to stay competitive. He has the ability to score and create for his teammates, but needs to become more assertive and not disappear from games when he plays off the ball. If he can make this change, then the Lakers will improve as a team.

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