The uncertainty over when Jeremy Lin would ever step on the court lingered seemingly at every moment of the day.
The uncertainty started when Lin sat in the Lakers’ loss on Friday to San Antonio to accommodate Jordan Clarkson’s first rookie start, marking his first non-appearance because of a coaching decision for the first time in three years.
The uncertainty continued when Lin’s conversation on Sunday morning Lakers coach Byron Scott only revealed the circumstances could change every game, though he hardly knew when or how.
The uncertainty remained unchanged as the Lakers opened Sunday’s game at Staples Center against the Houston Rockets, the team that traded Lin this summer in a salary dump after two seasons filled with fluctuating roles.
But nothing has matched Lin’s unpredictability with the Lakers. It has become a season where Lin struggled adapting toward sharing ball handling duties with Kobe Bryant, adjusting to Scott’s Princeton-based system and the fluctuating minutes as a starter and reserve along the way.
Perhaps that explains why Lin revealed he felt “thankful” for playing in an otherwise meaningless game. The Lakers’ 99-87 loss on Sunday to the Houston Rockets at Staples Center marked the team’s eighth consecutive loss. The Lakers (12-33) still have the NBA’s fourth-worst record. The Lakers seem destined to brace for more negativity when Kobe Bryant will meet with another doctor on Monday for another opinion on his torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder.
For Lin, though, the game meant everything. His 14 points on 2-of-9 shooting, 10-of-14 mark from the foul line, six assists and three turnovers in 28 minutes hardly marked a perfect game. But it at least provided temporary solace for Lin as he tries to navigate through his new role.
“Definitely a DNP would change your perspective on things and allow me to take a step back,” Lin said. “So I’m just thankful I got on the court. I try to play my heart out and have fun. I was glad I was able to do that.”
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