Despite having an excellent opportunity this season, Jeremy Lin has struggled with consistency this season. Even though he is now coming off the bench, Lin enjoyed an excellent outing against the Memphis Grizzlies with 20 points and five assists.
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Lin can be very hard on himself and Kobe Bryant spoke on that, saying Lin needs to relax according to ESPN’s Arash Markazi:
Kobe on Lin: "He just needs to relax. Sometimes smart people take themselves too seriously."
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) January 3, 2015
Bryant also noted that he has told Lin this before, but won’t be telling him again:
Has Kobe told Lin that? "Yeah but I'm not telling him anymore. You have to live it and do it."
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) January 3, 2015
Lin posted on his website that this has been a disappointing season so far in his eyes, and most would agree. Byron Scott has spoken about Lin’s inconsistency and Lin’s confidence has seemed to waver on numerous occasions.
In this game against the Grizzlies, Lin looked confident and comfortable and it showed in his final stat line. Even though the Lakers couldn’t pick up the victory, it was a performance to build upon.
Much of the focus after the game was spent on Lin’s failure to foul Mike Conley late in the game, but his performance throughout was a bright spot for the Lakers. If he is able to relax and keep his confidence high, he will be a major contributor for the Lakers going forward.
[divide]VIDEO: Lakers Vs. Grizzlies Post-Game Report