Jeremy Lin could eventually start for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2014-15 NBA season where Kobe Bryant and co. will look to bounce back from a dismal performance last year.
NBA analyst Mike Trudell believes that Lin, who was traded from the Houston Rockets to the Lakers in July, will play a big role for Los Angeles in the upcoming season.
Trudell projected that Lin, who averaged 12.5 points to go along with 4.1 assists and 2.6 rebounds last season, will start together with Kobe Bryant, Wesley Johnson, Carlos Boozer and Jordan Hill.
"The one absolute lock for the starting five is, you guessed it, Kobe Bryant. Lin's the next most likely starter, his relative youth -- 10 years younger, to the day, than Bryant -- and athleticism a good compliment to Kobe," Trudell wrote.
Veteran point guard Steve Nash is reportedly getting healthy after missing 67 regular-season games last season. But even if Nash gets a starting spot, Trudell pointed out that Lin will remain as starter at shooting guard, giving the Lakers a different look on the offensive end of the floor.
Newly-appointed coach Byron Scott recently said in an interview with NBA.com that he admires Lin's style of play, saying that the 26-year-old guard would be a good fit to the team next season.
"Jeremy is a guy who I like. I coached against him, and I love that he's not afraid of the moment. He doesn't mind taking big shots, and he's very gritty, tough and intelligent. Those are all things I think will fit well with things we're trying to do," Scott said.
And as for Nash, Scott, who will be the seventh former Laker to coach the team, is hoping that the 40-year-old playmaker will be healthy enough to make an impact next season.
"With Nash, it's going to be interesting," Scott said. "Steve hasn't played a lot in the last year, and the clock is ticking. I did see him working out here a couple of days ago and he looked fantastic. He says he's pain free for the first time in a while, and hopefully he'll be healthy, number one, and hopefully he'll be able to provide some things for us on the offensive end especially."
