Jeremy Lin got a lot of votes during the 2014 NBA All-Star Game balloting, but it was not enough to earn his first stint in the annual spectacle. But now that he will play for the Los Angeles Lakers, will Lin earn a spot in next season's All-Star Game?
According to Damon Salvadore, Lin, who was traded to the Lakers from the Houston Rockets earlier in the offseason, will have to outplay and outshine five point guards in the Western Conference.
Chris Paul remains one of the top point guards in the league and Lin will have to steal the spotlight from the Los Angeles Clippers superstar to have at least a chance of making the All-Star Game.
However, outplaying Paul is easier said than done, but if Lin can somehow keep his assists average at par with the superstar guard, then 'Linsanity' will have an outside chance of getting more votes in the balloting.
Another player that Lin should outshine is Russell Westbrook, who averaged 21.8 points to go along with 6.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game last season.
Lin is not expected to get the same average next season, but Lin has proven that he can draw a lot of votes. And playing for the Lakers will just make him a more popular player, especially if he can lead the Lakers to a respectable performance in the first half of the season.
Aside from Paul and Westbrook, Salvadore mentioned San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry and Minnesota Timberwolves playmaker Ricky Rubio as strong All-Star contenders next season.
Rubio, who averaged 9.5 points to go along with 8.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game last season, is expected to improve a lot next season, considering the fact that he will have a bigger responsibility following the departure of Kevin Love, who was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Lakers head coach Byron Scott is expected to give Lin enough playing time to produce well next season with reports indicating that he might eventually start at point instead of Steve Nash.
"Jeremy is a guy who I like," Scott said of Lin. "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."
