When Jeremy Lin returned to the lineup to start but played limited minutes in the Brooklyn Nets 126-98 win against the Phoenix Suns, his stat line read like this: 13 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds in 21 minutes. Lin has produced the same type of numbers all season even as he’s been in and out of the lineup, managing just 27 games so far due to injuries. It’s an amazing consistency for a player who isn’t on the court that much. Indeed, despite being a starter for the Nets this year (he’s started 24 of the 27 games he’s played in), Lin has averaged fewer minutes per game (22.8) than during his mainly reserve role years with the Hornets (26.3) and the Lakers (25.8) the past two seasons.
Lin’s consistency is remarkable not just this injury-plagued season, but over a long duration despite very different circumstances. Over the last last four years for four different teams, Lin has averaged 6.1, 6.5, 6.4, 6.2 two-point attempts respectively. His 13.7 ppg this year are better than his 11.7, 11.2, and 12.5 in those seasons, but in the same range, the uptick mainly due to a career-high eFG% of .520 in the limited action. (And this even though he has felt like he is “shooting footballs” at times.) Lin can chalk up another season of efficient consistency even if it’s one marred by missed games. And his 4.8 apg is the highest it’s been since he left the starting role in Houston.
