Jeremy Lin could get a chance to shine for the Los Angeles Lakers again as coach Byron Scott revealed "Linsanity" could start for the team again next week.
According to Mark Medina of InsideSoCal, Scott was impressed with the way Lin played off the bench in their recent games, but he wants to see how the 26-year-old playmaker will respond once he starts for the Lakers again.
"He's responded better off the bench," Scott said of Lin. "But I just want to see how that goes because he hasn't started in a while."
Lin, who was acquired by the Lakers in a trade with the Houston Rockets in the offseason, was named as a starter before the season started after veteran point guard Steve Nash went down with a season-ending injury.
However, Lin lost his starting spot to Ronnie Price due to his inconsistencies.
"It's been so up and down with the consistency," Scott said, expressing frustration over Lin's failure to provide consistent numbers. "Every single night, you're getting something different."
Scott also prefers the defensive-minded Price to start alongside Kobe Bryant, while Lin will facilitate the offense for the second unit, which also features Nick Young and Carlos Boozer.
Price eventually lost his starting spot as well when Bryant went down with a season-ending shoulder injury. Rookie Jordan Clarkson got the starting nod, and the 22-year-old responded well as he averaged 13.6 points to go along with 3.7 assists and 3.2 rebounds.
Clarkson, the 46th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, will likely keep his spot and Lin will play shooting guard for the Lakers moving forward. Scott said that he wants to see how effective Lin is when playing off the ball.
Lin, who is averaging 10.6 points to go along with 4.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game last season, admitted that he wants to handle the ball a lot, but is ready to adjust to his new role in the starting lineup.
"A little more ball handling than the 2," Lin said of his preferred role. "But I definitely prefer to have both roles. It just gives the defense different looks and me different opportunities to get out and make plays in different ways. I'm a tough player to close out to, and I feel like I can make plays in the pick and roll."
