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Jeremy Lin: The Road to Brooklyn

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The Road to Brooklyn: Part III (Golden State Warrior, NBA Lockout)

After penning his deal with the Golden State Warriors, Lin was predictably overjoyed. He had offers from three other NBA teams – more lucrative than the Golden State one – but this was something else. The Warriors were his hometown favorite, the team he grew up cheering for.

His signing quickly became a big news story. Lin already had a small fan base back in high school, and his fan base only grew larger after he became the first American player of Taiwanese or Chinese descent in the NBA. His jersey was on sale before he had played his first game. Every time he stepped onto the floor of the Oracle Arena, the crowd’s ovation would grow louder. The entire story seemed like the beginning of a fairy tale.

Of course, the reality is never quite that simple. Lin ended up playing only 29 games for the Warriors that season, averaging 2.6 points over 9.8 minutes per game. He was allocated to the Reno Bighorns three times during the season. Though he fared better there (18 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 4.4 APG in 20 games), he couldn’t manage to carve out his place in the Warriors’ rotation. It didn’t help his situation that playing time with the Warriors was at a premium even then. Behind the imposing backcourt of Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis, there simply wasn’t enough space for everyone else. The limited minutes did nothing to dull his determination, though. He was still the first player to show up for training every day, sometimes hours before practice would officially start.

Though Lin was initially disappointed to have to play in the D-League, he soon realized it was for the best. The reason was simple: he didn’t have what it took to shine on the big stage yet. Though he could get into the paint with ease, many other elements of his offensive game were lacking. He often missed the open man. He neglected the other side of the floor in the pick-and-roll. He had trouble reading defensive double-teams. And, most importantly, he was terribly inconsistent from the perimeter. He worked on all of those things during his D-League assignments, becoming a better player in the process. By the end of the season, the Warriors had high hopes for Lin and his chances of securing the backup point guard spot.

Unfortunately for them, the 2011 lockout changed everything. Though this was a tumultuous time for NBA players, many of them looked at it as an opportunity to broaden their horizons. Lin joined more than 90 of his colleagues in going overseas. During the lockout, Lin played three games for the Dongguan Leopards of China. He quickly made his mark and he was voted the MVP of the ABA Club Championship held in Guangzhou. Given the nature of his uncertain situation in the NBA, Lin could have easily decided not to return. According to reports, he had numerous offers from Europe.

But Lin persevered. Even more importantly, he realized that he needed to improve if he wanted to stay in the NBA. During the next three months, he added fifteen pounds of muscle and increased his vertical jump by 3.5 inches. He worked on his jumper with Doc Scheppler, who helped him revamp his shooting form. Scheppler also told Lin about an unusual shooting drill known as “beat the ghost”. The rules were simple: Lin would get one point for each shot made from the top of the key, while the ghost would get three points for every miss. Slowly but surely, Lin would come to trounce the ghost every time. By the end of those three months, he was a man transformed. His two biggest weaknesses – the slender physique and the inconsistent jumper – were effectively dealt with.

Alas, the Warriors never got the chance to see the new and improved Lin. Due to the nature of the lockout, Lin was prevented from working with the team’s new coach, Mark Jackson. In a desperate attempt to sign DeAndre Jordan, the Warriors waived Lin on the first day of training camp. He later played some preseason games with the Houston Rockets, but he never had a real chance of making the roster, as they already had three point guards with guaranteed contracts. By this point, Lin was understandably worried that he would not get another shot in the league. But – as they say – it’s always darkest before the dawn. Only three days after the Rockets cut him, Lin had another NBA offer on the table. New York was calling.


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