Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks anointed Jeremy Lin the team leader this coming season shortly after trading center Brook Lopez.
Marks said Lin will “definitely” be the player to guide fellow point guard D’Angelo Russell, the second overall pick from the 2015 draft, who was just acquired from the Lakers in exchange for Lopez.
Marks told Newsday Lin will be a good influence on Russell as he transitions with the team.
“We’ve got young players. He’s (Lin) definitely the leader of that clubhouse, with his work ethic and the stuff he does in there,” Marks said to the NetsDaily. He’s tremendous. The guy’s in the gym every single day pushing it. So, he’s some guy our young guys look to and go, ‘wow, impressive.’”
Lin is up for taking on the responsibility of mentoring Russell and says they can learn a lot from each other.
“I think at the end of the day, he’s a really good kid,” Lin said. “He has a good heart, and he’s a tremendous basketball player. Once he meets our team and gets in our locker room, I’m pretty sure it will be a seamless transition. I’m sure I’ll learn a lot from him as well, and hopefully he learns from me. What we want to do is create that family atmosphere where we’re kind of pushing each other, keeping each other accountable, helping each other.”
Welcome @Dloading and Mosgov to the squad!! Lets goo #BrooklynGrit
— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) June 21, 2017
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Lin’s future with the Nets, however, is uncertain. Marks said that they want to keep Lin around, but he could be a free agent in 2018.
Although Russell had shown some immaturity at times with the Lakers, he could be the Nets point guard of the future, Marks said.
Russell is looking to put his shaky period with the Lakers behind him and starting fresh with the Nets. When the Lakers selected Lonzo Ball, the second pick in the NBA draft, Magic Johnson said Russell was an “excellent” player but needed a leader, according to the Washington Post.
“I’m excited. Once I heard the trade happen, I was surprised,” Russell said. “I didn’t look at it as a negative. I looked at it as a celebration. I can’t wait to get in the gym with these guys and just learn from them.”
Although both Russell and Lin are point guards, Lin does not think they’ll have a problem working together. He looks forward to the upcoming season with Russell now on board.
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