Brooklyn Nets never experienced the best of Jeremy Lin

The Brooklyn Nets had a backcourt that included Jeremy Lin a few seasons ago, but due to injuries never got the best version of the talented player.

As the NBA season draws near the Brooklyn Nets are putting the finishing touches on their roster that is expected to compete for another playoff spot. A player not part of this year’s team is Jeremy Lin as the former Nets guard has decided to take his talents overseas to the CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) to continue his professional basketball career.

Lin was emotional weeks ago when a video of him surfaced being interviewed about not being able to latch on with a new team during free agency.

"“Every year it gets harder, In English there’s a saying, it says, ‘Once you hit rock bottom, the only way is up,’ but rock bottom just seems to keep getting more and more rock bottom for me, And so free agency has been tough because I feel like the NBA has kind of given up on me. And I always knew that if I gave anybody a reason to doubt, that they would.”"

The 31-year old guard was forced with the reality of the NBA moving on without him especially after contributing to a championship playing sparingly for the Toronto Raptors. It was less than two seasons ago Lin was part of the initial Nets rebuilding plan along with D’Angelo Russell. The issue for Lin in Brooklyn was his ability to stay healthy and available to contribute on the court.

Lin’s signing was met with plenty of optimism and newfound hope for the Nets who relied on his ability to change the franchise culture. The culture did change with Lin but not often on the court as he only appeared in 37 games total in his two seasons with Brooklyn. Always looked upon as a locker room leader and positive voice for the franchise Lin showed his talent when given a chance to be in the lineup.

A notable game that Lin had with the Nets was the season opener in 2017-18 against the Indiana Pacers. Lin scored 18 points in 25 minutes but had his season end prematurely due to a knee injury. The game offered just a glimpse of what could’ve been with Lin and Russell in the backcourt but instead expressed more frustration for the franchise and player.

Lin was traded the following offseason but made an impact on the Nets that is seen to this day. The offense designed by Kenny Atkinson for Lin and Russell was later used with Spencer Dinwiddie in his place and helped propel his career forward. He may be known as “Linsanity” for his brief New York Knicks tenure, but his arrival sparked change in Brooklyn.