While it wasn’t a season as he had with the Knicks during his Linsanity days, Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin had a solid campaign this past year and wants to remain a member of the Hornets. Although having an interest in staying, the 27-year-old has been reported that he wants to opt-out of his current contract.
“I would love to [return]. I don’t like moving every year, I don’t like packing and unpacking boxes. So we’ll see. But I’m definitely interested in coming back. … This is the most fun I’ve had in my six years [in the NBA]. Being around a great group of guys and a coaching staff that really cares. I’ve learned so much about the game of basketball, particularly at the defensive end.”
Spending a majority of the time as a backup to Kemba Walker allowed Lin to come in with the second unit and be a huge spark on offense. He averaged 11.7 points per game on 41% shooting and a career-high 3.2 rebounds per game.
Along with Lin, Al Jefferson, Nicolas Batum, Courtney Lee, and Marvin Williams are all set to hit free agency which puts the Hornets in a bind. Each one of those guys contributed something to the team last year. Charlotte has already come out and said that retaining Batum is their biggest priority, as his polished all-around game would pay dividends for them. Jefferson, though aging, can still score from the block with his combination of finesse and footwork; both Lee and Williams were two of their best shooters from deep, a skill that Lin doesn’t have.
What Lin does have, however, is relentless aggression that never subsides. Over this past year, he was second on the team in free throws attempted (292) and made (238), trailing Walker for the team lead. His ability to get to the cup was even more pronounced in the playoffs as he went to the charity stripe 39 times for an average of almost six per game, best on the team.
Luckily for the Hornets, Lin said that money won’t play too much of a role in deciding where to play, “my biggest thing is I want to have fun and be happy.”
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