Hello again Hornets fans. Is it crazy that I was most excited about Jeremy Lin as our free agent signings began? It wasn’t the trade for Batum or moving Lance to the Clippers. It wasn’t juggling Matt Barnes to the Grizzlies for Luke Ridnour for Jeremy Lamb either. It was truly Jeremy Lin. I was always intrigued by the guy. Anyone who watched him in New York or even Houston knows that those were some crazy times. Watch the movie Linsanity. Google Jeremy Lin and learn about him. Visit jeremylinfoundation.org. and learn about what Jeremy is all about. Heck, even go to YouTube, subscribe to his channel and watch his videos (I believe there are 21). I’ve done it all. We aren’t just getting a basketball player. We’re getting a player that will truly be grateful to the community, the team, and to the fans. He’s a Christian man and a player that I can only hope that my 2 sons would look up to and want to have as a role model. Oh, by the way, the guy can play some basketball too. He’s played in 2 cities where the media can eat you alive, and with J-Lin’s humble demeanor, that media can crush your will to go on. Lin saw the highest of days as Linsanity ran rampant in New York, and saw the lowest of lows in LA with the media just being crazy critical of him. I say it over and over that a player’s fit on a team can mean the world to their career. The way a coach uses a player can also affect said career. I believe that Lin is going to get a chance to actually do what he’s comfortable doing on the court, and the result will be great for him and for the Hornets. Do I think that his Linsanity days from New York will return? No. Why do I say no? I think he’ll be better. Do I mean better like even more Linsane than before? No. He’s older. He’s smarter. He works hard on the weak parts of his game in the offseason. Most importantly, he plays for the glory of God. I think he’ll be a more complete player than ever.
Do you believe in fate? I do. His first days in the NBA were spent with Coach Stephen Silas, working hard to get his game where it needs to be, even after practice was over. Flash forward to now, and Coach Silas is an assistant here in Charlotte. Charlotte has had interest in getting him here, and now, here he is. I believe we should all be excited for him being here…did I put him on a pedestal? Sorry about that. Back to the 1-2 punch I’m supposed to be writing about.
Jeremy Lin is here in Charlotte to let the world see that he can still play ball. The media is kinder here than what it was in the “bright lights, big cities”. Also, he get to come into this team, this family known as the Charlotte Hornets as a backup to Kemba Walker. A year separates Lin and Walker, with Lin being the elder player. Lin also has an extra year of experience. There are so many data comparisons that can be made about the 2 players, if you’re into the numbers. For the sake of fun, I have dropped out both players’ weakest years. Both had a weak rookie season, so let’s go with data where they played heavier minutes, and you got a chance to see what they could really do. For example, Lin has shot 43.9% from the floor and Kemba has shot 40%. Lin is a 34.7% 3-point shooter while Kemba has been 32%. Kemba has been the better foul shooter, shooting 82.1% from the stripe while Lin has been 80%. Their hustle stats are very similar:
Kemba
3.7 Rebounds
5.6 Assists
0.4 Blocks
1.5 Steals
2.1 Turnovers
17.6 Points per Game
Jeremy
2.8 Rebounds
5.3 Assists
0.4 Blocks
1.3 Steals
2.8 Turnovers
12.9 Points per Game
I’m not going to dig into their numbers to see who is best at what. That isn’t the point I’m trying to make. The point I’m going for is that this could very well be the first time this team has a #2 point guard that could play to the level of the #1 point guard. What does that mean? For me, it means if a team has a taller starting point guard, we can counter with the same. If one gets hurt, the other can fill in. Basically, both players have different styles of games and each has their own strengths and weaknesses, but the bottom line is that they are both strong and effective point guards that can relie3ve each other on the floor or play together and they each have a unique style that will work greatly for the newly re-designed Hornets for the 2015-16 season. This team is different, the way we play will be different, and I would guarantee that Kemba and J-Lin’s numbers will be different than ever before. I know what I expect in my heart and mind. I’m not going to share it here though. I don’t want to put pressure on these guys. That’s up to the coaching staff. I’m a Hornets fan at heart and I’m an eternal optimist. I believe that this team will be one of the best teams we have seen in Charlotte in over a decade, and Kemba and J-Lin will be a huge reason for that. We have 2 floor generals on this team that should steer us to one heck of an incredible season. My only hope is that J-Lin loves it here and it’s a priority for him to remain a Hornet for a long, long time.
As always…
Let’s Go Hornets!
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
