Santa Cruz Warriors guard Jeremy Lin was inactive for Saturday’s G-League game against the Salt Lake City Stars with a back injury, marking the second time this week where the veteran guard did not play.
Lin’s play in the NBA G-League bubble had been strong enough to warrant looks from NBA teams, but his back injury — labeled by the team as “tightness” after he missed Wednesday’s game — is likely to derail his goal of returning to the world’s top league.
Related Articles
Kurtenbach: Four stats that help explain the Warriors’ up-and-down season
Jeremy Lin’s NBA comeback: Three reasons he’ll be called up
Kurtenbach: Steph Curry just served notice to the NBA — don’t bet against him or the Warriors
Jeremy Lin’s missed G League game is bad news in his NBA quest
Kurtenbach: The Warriors can be contenders this season, but only if they do this
Lin hasn’t played in the NBA since winning a title with the Toronto Raptors as a bench player in 2019. He played last season in China.
He wanted to return to the NBA this year, but found himself unable to land even a training camp invite this preseason. So Lin, 32, signed with the Golden State Warriors’ G-League affiliate, which is playing its season in a bubble in Orlando.
“The G League bubble was the next step, the next chance to be able to show people [I’m healthy],” said Lin before the start of the SeaDubs’ season.
An undrafted free agent from Palo Alto, who found fame for the New York Knicks in 2012, Lin has a long history of injuries but claimed in that preseason press conference that he has been healthy for the last two years.
When has been on the floor for Santa Cruz, Lin has looked worthy of NBA consideration, averaging 19.6 points and 7.2 assists in 31 minutes per game.
But if the No. 1 goal was, indeed, to prove that he is healthy enough to play in the NBA, missing two of seven SeaDubs games will be difficult, if not impossible, for NBA decision-makers to overlook.
Lin’s first missed game came Wednesday against the Canton Charge. That contest was the first of a back-to-back for Santa Cruz, and Lin was stellar in the second end, scoring 27 points.
But with the SeaDubs’ next game being Monday, “load management” doesn’t seem to be the cause of Lin’s absence Saturday.
Lin is on a one-year deal with Santa Cruz, but he is free to sign with an NBA team at any time. The G-League regular season ends the first weekend of March. Santa Cruz has eight games remaining after Saturday’s …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Latest News
Dustin Johnson highlights | Round 3 | Genesis | 2021
In the third round of The Genesis Invitational 2021, Dustin Johnson recorded three birdies against 3 bogeys to remain even through 13 holes before play was suspended due to darkness. Johnson is 7-under-par for the tournament. The PGA TOUR returns to iconic Riviera Country Club for The Genesis Invitational. Tournament host Tiger Woods will be in attendance but won’t play as he is still recovering from a back procedure last month. World No. 1 Dustin Johnson and defending champion Adam Scott are among the headliners. Notables in the invitation-only field include major champions Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, and Francesco Molinari, plus world No. 2 Jon Rahm. Two-time FedExCup winner Rory McIlroy looks to finally lift the trophy at Riviera after holding a piece of the lead Sunday a year ago only to fall to T5. In addition to reigning champ Johnson, FedExCup winners in the field include Justin Thomas, Brandt Snedeker, and Jim Furyk. Here you can find everything you need to stay up to date with the world’s foremost golf tour. Check in for highlights from every tournament plus player profiles, swing analysis and all the greatest shots and amazing moments. Teryn Gregson presents the craziest moments from around the world of golf in ‘Good, Bad & Unusual'.