The Charlotte Hornets sit at the number six spot in the Eastern Conference - a few notches up the Chicago Bulls and only a handful of teams below the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the NBA playoffs drawing nearer, the Courtney Lee squad has been recognized as a breakout team. Despite their slow start this season, the Charlotte Hornets find themselves looking into the possibility of actually dominating the LeBron James conference.
Amid the success of the Charlotte Hornets, rumors are circulating that one member of the basketball team is no longer happy with his role: Jeremy Lin. While Linsanity is a major contributor in the hardwood court, the entry of Lee into the roster diminished his already shrinking role when Kemba Walker is available. Lin, who has been used to setting up plays and sinking baskets, has been noted to take on a different role than the one he is known to excel at.
Apart from the rumored discontent he feels regarding his minimal role in the Charlotte Hornets, some experts also point to the rise in salary cap this summer. With the combination of his frustration and the lure of a better paycheck, Lin just might exit the team that only offers him a little over $2 million and diminished minutes.
"For a player who was once a considered as a sensation, playing as a substitute point guard may be tough to swallow," noted Junel Ayala of Sportsrageous. He added, "However, with the character that Jeremy Lin has, these rumors would likely not happen based on its premise. But things are still possible as long as the ball continues to roll in the NBA hard court."
The same observation has been echoed by a number of sports analysts. With Walker and Lee eating up the minutes that could have had Lin in the hardwood court, it becomes understandable that the former Los Angeles Lakers star no longer feels fulfilled with his role. Moreover, the nature of Lin as a ball handler clashes with the kind of role the Charlotte Hornets wants him to take.
"Lin has struggled to adjust to his unclear role with the Hornets, as his minutes are constantly shifting," shared Andrew Snyder of Hoops Habit. He added, "When Kemba Walker is healthy and starting, Lin is relegated to backup duty or playing shooting guard while Walker or Nicolas Batum run the show. When Walker is hurt or playing poorly, Lin occasionally is allowed to settle into his favored role of creator and floor general."
Lin himself confirmed the Charlotte Hornets' confidence on Walker. He said via ESPN, "(Kemba's) definitely controlling the game and Coach is definitely going through him."
Given that two of Lin's former teams, the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks, are keeping a close watch at the free agency market this coming NBA offseason, some fans speculate that a return to either might be in store for the star. The epic Linsanity era, which placed the Harvard alum side by side the likes of Kobe Bryant, started when he was in this big teams. Hence, fans feel that this kind of spectacular performance in the hardwood court could happen again.
