The season-ending shoulder injury to Kobe Bryant could be a blessing disguise for several players on the Los Angeles Lakers roster, most especially Jeremy Lin, who is in the race against time in improving his stock before he becomes an unrestricted free-agent this coming summer, according to USA Today NBA writer Adi Joseph.
The Lakers' postseason hope dashed away a month earlier, but their relevance in the season wasn't completely lost until Bryant suffered a torn rotator cuff that would require a season-ending injury and lengthy rehab.
Bryant, who already went through major surgery procedures to fix torn MCL in his knee and Achilles tendon, absorbed another big setback at this point of his career, although returning for perhaps the final year of legendary basketball career next year has never been a doubt.
With Bryant down for the remainder of the campaign, the Lakers will now pay its attention on putting up the right pieces for next season's grind. As for the remaining 37 games, Joseph thinks it's about time to let Lin out of his doghouse.
"Lin is the player the Lakers need right now, need if they're going to stay competitive with a roster that looks like a No. 8 seed's bench. He's not Bryant, but he is more amenable and humble, and letting him run the show could open things up for big men Jordan Hill, Ed Davis and Tarik Black," Joseph opined.
"Even when tanking, coaches and players will try. There are consequences to creating a losing culture for an extended period of time, particularly for young players. The Lakers are in a position to try to figure out what they have, and Lin might be the best of that bunch."
Lin, who is averaging at least 10 points and 4 assists this season, could view the last three months of the season as an opportunity to address his plummeting free-agency stock. His value has been consistently on a decline since leaving the New York Knicks for the Houston Rockets in the summer of 2012, and this rare chance of playing freely without a ball-dominant star on the wing (Bryant, James Harden, Carmelo Anthony) could turn things around for his career.
