Jeremy Lin Transfer to Brooklyn Nets: 'Linsanity' Wants to Improve on Shooting; Stats, Player Rankings and Previous Teams

By Carlos Mercado, CP Contributor Thursday, July 07, 2016

With new general manager Sean Marks at the helm, the Brooklyn Nets signed Jeremy Lin to a $36 million, three-year deal. The Nets also have a new coach in Kenny Atkinson, who was credited by Lin in hastening his development while playing for the New York Knicks.

Linsanity is back

Flashback to 2012, when Jeremy Lin was playing for the New York Knicks. Does this mean "Linsanity" is coming back?

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In a recent interview during the World Economic Forum, the ex-Knick told reporter Tian Wei that he wanted to improve his shooting. "I'm trying to be a great shooter because I can really drive to the basket," Lin said. "I can drive, but I feel if I can shoot at a more consistent rate and hit more types of shots, it will open up my driving game."

To improve his sport, he also stated during the same interview that he has been shooting anywhere between 700 to 1,000 jumpers a day. It's the first step in improving his game, as "Linsanity" certainly showed us what he's capable of.

Lin's NBA career

Lin's statistics have been decent throughout his NBA career. Unbeknown to many, his first team was with the Golden State Warriors, where he was used sparingly as the third-string point guard. In 9.8 minutes, he averaged 2.6 points on 38.9 percent shooting and 20 percent from the three. While he may be a rookie, those percentages are well-below the league average.

The 2011-2012 season saw him with the New York Knicks. Literally becoming an overnight star, the peak of "Linsanity" saw the ex-Knick score 24.6 points on 49 percent shooting, winning eight of their 10 games. He was the starting point guard moving forward, but his numbers regressed to its norm once Carmelo Anthony came back from an injury. For the season, he averaged 14.6 points on 44.6 percent shooting.

"Linsanity" saw him score 136 points in his first five starts, which are the most by any player since the NBA and ABA merged in 1976. He was also the first NBA player to average 20 points and seven assists during his first five starts.

As a free agent, Lin signed with the Houston Rockets until the 2013-2014 season. Teaming up with James Harden, Lin averaged 13.4 points on 44.1 percent shooting from the field. The second year with the Rockets saw him starting only half of the games he played in, and his scoring dipped to 12.5 points a game on 44.6% shooting.

Playing with 'Black Mamba'

He was evetually traded to the Lakers, where he played alongside Bryant during the 2014-2015 season. Seeing his minutes reduced and playing with ball-dominant Bryant, Lin's numbers further dropped to 11.2 points a game on 42.4% shooting. He was projected to start for the Lakers, but ended up doing so 30 times in 74 games played.

Lin signed with the Charlotte Hornets for the 2015-2016 season. Although relegated to a bench role, he slightly increased his scoring to 11.7 points a game while shooting just 41.2% from the field. Last season also saw the point guard have the worst efficiency of his career, with only 13.8 PER. With Lin, however, Charlotte had the second-best offense in the league after the Warriors, with a net rating of 33. He also elevated his game in the post-season, surprising many as the Hornets were not expected to make the playoffs.

What he means for Brooklyn Nets

The signing of Lin bodes well for Brooklyn, especially after they waive Jarrett Jack and the loss of both Donald Sloan and Shane Larkin. What made Lin so successful during "Linsanity" was the pick and roll game, which he executed beautifully. Most of his shots were on drives or pull-up jumpers. The move to the Rockets and Lakers saw him settle mostly for three-pointers. An improved shooting stroke would not only bode well for the Nets but will make Lin an interesting player for the upcoming season.