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Jeremy Lin is coming off of a season with the Los Angeles Lakers in which he failed to live up to the hype that was given to him when he was acquired from the Houston Rockets last offseason. He didn’t play poorly, but he wasn’t able to step up and be the starting point guard that they wanted him to be.
Larry Bird and the Indiana Pacers are not expected to bring back C.J. Watson next season. He was an excellent backup point guard behind George Hill when he was healthy, but over the past two seasons he simply hasn’t been available down the stretch when the Pacers needed him the most. That has been an issue with the Pacers, and they will need to find a new backup.
Indiana could end up showing interest in Lin, and it might end up being a very good fit for them.
During the 2014-15 season with the Lakers, Lin ended up averaging 11.2 points, 4.6 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game. He shot 42.4 percent from the field overall and 36.9 percent from behind the 3-point arc. Obviously his numbers haven’t been starting worthy, but he is without question capable of being a quality backup point guard.
Following last season, his value will drop down into what could end up being the Pacers’ price range. They aren’t going to have a lot of money to spend in free agency, but they will have some. Lin would also likely be interested in joining the Pacers on a smaller deal due to the fact that they can offer him a role as well as the chance to contend in the playoffs.
At just 26 years old, Lin still has a lot of good basketball left in him. He could be had for a two or three-year contract, which is likely what Bird would like to give to his new backup point guard this offseason.
Lin may not be the best offensive player, but he is very effective with what he does. He is capable of getting to the rim and knocking down the perimeter shot, and can create space as well. Not only can he score the ball offensively, he is also very capable of setting up and running an offense.
That being said, the defensive side of the floor is a completely different story. He isn’t the type of player that the Pacers usually look into signing, and isn’t close to as pesky as Watson was on the perimeter. Lin isn’t a terrible defender either, but he would be a step back from what Watson brought to the table.
Despite the defensive issues that he has had, there is no doubt that he would be a solid pickup for the Pacers at the right price.
There is no doubt that the Pacers have quite a few holes to do with little money to fill them, but Lin could be one of the pieces to help fill the roster out. It will be interesting to see what Bird has up his sleeve this season, but there is no doubt that he will be intrigued by the fundamentally sound Lin.
Expect to hear quite a few teams interested in Lin, and for the Pacers to at least consider the possibility of signing him as well.
Evan Massey is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com, and contributes across the NFL, MLB, NCAA and NBA portions of the site. Follow him on Twitter at @Massey_Evan and like him on Facebook.
