Jeremy "Linsanity' Lin will have to step up his game for the Charlotte Hornets in the upcoming 2015-2016 NBA Season following the injury Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Kidd-Gilchrist's is definitely a big blow to the Hornets' campaign so Lin is expected to be given longer playing time to keep the team's hopes up, reported Sportige.
The Hornets were supposed to use the same lineup they used during its 106-100 preseason game victory against the Orlando Magic, with Kemba Walker at point guard, Nicolas Batum at shooting guard, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist as the small forward. It turned out Steve Clifford might realign his current lineup as Kidd-Gilchrist is still unsure if he will be out until March or will have to sit it out for the rest of the season.
The change in plan now calls for Batum to play a small forward role. This means the shooting guard position is open. Lin, who averaged 13.5 points in 26 minutes over the two games is being considered to fill that post, as well as Jeremy Lamb who scored 16 points in the team's first preseason game.
However, Lamb played badly against the Miami Heat, shooting just 2-of-11 from the field in a game won by the Hornets, 90-77. Lamb's awful performance shows his lack of consistency and could mean less playing time for him.
Clifford could be looking at Lin as the most acceptable man to fill the shooting guard role as he is capable of creating more opportunities for him and his teammates. Clifford must also use more of Lin and Walker and try to make their combination work for the team. Overall, Lin is a better player than Lamb.
"Brian Roberts is the only other point guard the Hornets have, and although he's not a bad player, it's something of a desperate move giving him serious time on the floor. He shot just 38.9% from the field last season for the Hornets while averaging 6.7 points per game. Often, he does more harm than good when playing," Sportige reported.
Meanwhile, Lin is set to appear as guest on ABC's Fresh Off the Boat, EW reported. Lin will be the guest-star in the Oct. 13 episode of the family comedy. Shaquille O'Neal has appeared himself during the Oct. 6 episode as the owner of a car dealership. While Lin will play the character as "Chau," a factory worker who "frustrates Louis (Randall Park) with his opinions on the Pretty in Pink."
The Wrap reported, "The series, set in 1995, revolves around 11-year-old, hip-hop-loving Eddie Huang (Hudson Yang) whose family has just moved from Washington, D.C.'s Chinatown to suburban Orlando, Fla., so that the family patriarch Louis (Park) can follow his American dream of opening a Western-themed restaurant."
ABC signed the sitcom for a second season ahead of its Upfront presentation in May, along with fellow freshman comedies "black-ish" and "Galavant."
Chicago Bulls Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen made a cameo in a Fresh Off the Boat episode in its inaugural season.
