Rip City Project
Fansided

Portland Trail Blazers: Five perfect point guards to sign in Free Agency

By Stevie Cozens

This photo taken on August 4, 2020 shows Beijing Ducks' Jeremy Lin driving the ball during the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) match between Beijing Ducks and Guangdong Southern Tigers in Qingdao in China's eastern Shandong province. (Photo by STR / AFP) / China OUT (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)
This photo taken on August 4, 2020 shows Beijing Ducks' Jeremy Lin driving the ball during the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) match between Beijing Ducks and Guangdong Southern Tigers in Qingdao in China's eastern Shandong province. (Photo by STR / AFP) / China OUT (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
(Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)
(Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images) /

Portland Trail Blazers backup point guard #1 – Jeremy Lin

This one is out of left field, but hear me out. The Blazers need an experienced backup point guard to guide the team around the floor and knock down shots. They haven’t had one since the days of Shabazz Napier, and it has shown in the way that they have struggled in the non-CJ and Dame minutes.

In Jeremy Lin, who is currently playing in China, they could sign a backup who is a great team guy and a multi-faceted scorer.

Lin has dealt with some tough breaks in his NBA career, but at 32, he has won a ring while also being part of playoff teams.

What sticks out most when breaking down Lin’s game is his ability to get to the rim and draw fouls. Getting to the line is consistently a struggle for this Blazer team outside of Lillard. Lin is quick while also having a robust six-foot-three frame. His three-point shooting sits a touch over 34 percent for his NBA career, good enough for around league average.

He is a good defender who can guard his man while also helping around the rim on defense. In his eight completed seasons in the NBA, he always finished in the top 25 percent in blocked shots for his position.

Lin is also a nice passer who can change the way the Blazers attack by playing fast in the bench unit. The Blazers don’t play a lot in transition, but they could make this a priority with different personnel.

As a backup point guard isn’t as high on the priority list as forward help, this deal would be at the minimum. But it would get Lin back into the league – while giving the Blazers an experienced backup guard.

I would offer a two-year veteran minimum with a team option for the second year.