Jordan Clarkson's significant improvement through his first four starts and the exposure he received from head coach Byron Scott during clutch moments only suggested that Jeremy Lin may no longer have a future with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Clarkson, a second-round draft pick with first-rounder talent, has been putting up strong numbers since he was inserted into the starting lineup by Scott.
The Missouri Tigers product is averaging at least 13 points and 3 assists in 34 minutes of play in his last four starts. Moreover, it appears the rookie is already gaining the Lakers coach's trust after receiving clutch time minutes, especially in Thursday's 123-118 double overtime win against the Chicago Bulls.
"His progression is coming, probably quicker than we all thought," said Scott, who finally saw their nine-game losing streak end with a victory against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
With Clarkson racking up more reps by day, Jeremy Lin's role has significantly diminished on the other hand. Lin, who was the Lakers' opening night starting point guard, has not only lost his starting gig but his usual playing time this season.
Acquired from the Houston Rockets in an offseason trade, the 26-year old Lin is averaging 10 points and 4 assists in 25 mins per game while shooting 43 percent from the field and 36 percent from beyond the arc. Many expected Lin to be an upgrade at the point guard spot for the Lakers, but his struggles to cope up with Scott's Princeton-based offense and inconsistencies led to his demotion.
Lin will become an unrestricted free-agent next season, and many analysts, including Yahoo Sports NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, think the Lakers have no plans in re-signing the former Harvard hot-shot. On the contrary, Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles isn't ruling out Lin sticking with the Lakers, but the Asian-American star will first explore all options on the deck for him to become a starter again.
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