Jeremy Lin lost his starting spot for the Lakers last night as coach Byron Scott made some key lineup changes trying to resuscitate his woebegone team. Is Lin destined to keep dropping like some once darling Internet stock? Was Jeremy Lin–and Linsanity–mostly a bubble?
There was no place to go but down, of course. Three years ago Jeremy Lin reached a sports pinnacle few athletes ever summit. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated two issues in a row. He was lighting up a moribund Madison Square Garden nightly. And he was also swiftly changing the perceptions of both basketball people about Asian players and Asian fans about basketball. Lin’s subsequent stint in Houston, while in many ways successful, didn’t match that former glory. Then a new start in Los Angeles this year had so much promise. Yet Lin has struggled, like the entire Lakers team. It’s important to note that this latest demotion only puts Lin where he expected to be at the start of the season anyway–when Steve Nash was supposed to start at point guard. Lin came to LA to work his way up from the spot he now finds himself in. Counting him out would be unwise: he’s worked his way up before–from more unlikely places than the Lakers bench. And the change proved the Lakers losing doesn’t have too much to do with Lin’s troubles. The lineup change didn’t help as the Lakers lost to the Pelicans 104-87.