Jeremy Lin may not be competing for the point guard spot in Charlotte as much as was originally thought when the Hornets acquired Lin this summer, in what Michael Jordan called the Hornets’ most significant off-season move. Charlotte’s starting point guard is Kemba Walker — and that’s likely to remain the case — Walker’s a legit star. Coach Steve Clifford will play Lin at backup, but also envisions Lin sharing court time with Walker — in a scenario Clifford likens to the backcourt duo Steph Curry and Klay Thompson on NBA champion Golden State.
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For now in practice, Lin and Walker often go head-to-head. In an interview in Shenzhen, China, where the Hornets are one of the teams playing NBA global ambassador for the NBA Global Games, Walker said “Jeremy’s a very good player so I’ve kind of learned some things from him. He’s a great pick-and-roll player, and I can definitely learn some things in that aspect from him.” It’s worth noting that the NBA is a pick-and-roll dominated league, with a greater concentration of high quality slashing point guards than at any time in its history. That means Lin’s expertise in this facet of the game is highly prized, especially late in games. If the Hornets become as successful as they hope, they can also learn something from Lin (and owner Michael Jordan) about how to handle world fame.
