The buzz and fanfare surrounding the entrance of Jeremy Lin into the NBA has reached a deafening silence. In certain circles in the Asian-American community, it was hoped that Lin could become a true, bona fide superstar in the NBA, the first for a person of his background. Already well into the basketball season, Lin has not been heard from at all. Not a peep out of him. Embraced warmly by residents in the San Francisco Bay area where he grew up, the Harvard University graduate and men's basketball team star, has certainly not made the type of splash that Kevin Durant made in his rookie season or even Yao Ming for that matter. It goes without saying that he will not be voted the 2010-2011 NBA Rookie of the Year. (I don't think they give out awards for the league's best benchwarmer.)
Lin certainly has excellent athleticism, great basketball skills and intelligence. In his senior year at Harvard, I had the pleasure of heading up to Cambridge and seeing Lin play a home game against George Washington and show off his basketball skills. During the course of the game, Lin played great including one possession when he stole the ball and proceeded down court to make a nice dunk. As captain and leader of that team, he gave a fine example of himself. But then I had to remind myself of the level at which he was playing and the quality of the opposition. Good basketball at any level is fun to watch, but the general quality of Ivy League basketball pales in comparison to, say, the leagues represented in the final eight of the NCAA basketball finals.
From preliminary views, Lin had a solid and productive time in the basketball summer leagues prior to joining the Warriors for the current NBA season. No doubt it is a big leap to go from Ivy League basketball to the NBA all in the span of less than one year.
At this moment, plain and simple, Lin is not getting enough playing time. His points and minutes per game are typical of a back up player: 1.9 ppg/0.9 rpg/1.1 apg/8.7 mpg. Whatever grand plans Warriors management have in mind, it seems that Lin is to play as little as possible and simply observe and soak in as much as possible in his initial season in the NBA. Nevertheless, if Lin cannot play, how is he going to prove his worth and ability to the team? The Warriors already possess two quality starting guards in Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis, so earning a starting role represents a difficult challenge. Questions hang over his head. Can Lin show his worth and earn a starting role? Is Lin going to get more of a chance to play next year? Will Lin be content being a back up player?
The search for the first true Asian-American basketball superstar continues. Whether such an individual emerges in the next decade or two is anybody's guess. Apart from Kelvin Kim, a starting guard at UCSD, right now I am not aware of any Asian-American basketball stars in the college ranks, nor in the high school ranks. Even a Google search does not turn up anyone remarkable. (Any worthwhile comments in this regard will be appreciated.) Maybe some 10 year old kid somewhere playing in a neighborhood playground in obscurity will be able to step up and step out in due time. Time itself will tell if Jeremy Lin enjoys a successful and satisfying NBA career. As for Lin, worse comes to worse, he can fall back on his Harvard degree and pursue a new career off the basketball court. If he wishes to stay on the court, he has the intelligence to make a fine coach at some point down the road. The author hopes Jeremy Lin becomes a starter, if not with the Warriors, then with some other team. We will be watching and we will revisit this topic again in the future.
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