Several blogs are reporting that Los Angeles Lakers coach Byron Scott plans to return Jeremy Lin to the starting line up for the last 10 games of the season.
“I want to see how much of a difference it is now as opposed to the start of the season,” Scott said Sunday to Inside SoCal. “He knows the offense better and he knows what I need from him every single night on both ends of the floor. Now to see him in a starting role, it would be a little bit of a change. He was thinking so much back earlier in the season. Right now, he’s just playing.”
Lin started the first 19 games of the season before being benched in favor of Ronnie Price. Price was eventually replaced by Filipino American Jordon Clarkson.
CBS Sports which had originally reported Lin would start alongside Clarkson now says Clarkson would come off the bench should Lin return to the starting line up.
With 17 games left in the season, it seems odd that Scott would announce Lin’s return to the starting line up for the final 10 games now. The Lakers are widely considered to be tanking so they can get a higher draft choice and retain their number 1 draft pick. They would lose that pick if they move out of the bottom five in the standings.
