Fansided

Winners and losers from Los Angeles Lakers/Brooklyn Nets trade

By John Buhler

Dec 17, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Timofey Mozgov (20) with his championship ring before the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 17, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Timofey Mozgov (20) with his championship ring before the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 10, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin (7) reacts during the third quarter against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. The Celtics won 114-105. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin (7) reacts during the third quarter against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. The Celtics won 114-105. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /

Loser: Jeremy Lin

There is no hairstyle in the world that Nets starting point guard Jeremy Lin can get tonight to magically make himself feel better. When he signed with the Nets, he thought that he would be the starting point guard for his former assistant coach Kenny Atkinson. Too bad Lin spent most of the 2016-17 NBA season hurt. He has been replaced on the Nets depth chart by Russell.

Keep in mind that Atkinson is keen on player development. He was terrific at it when he was working for the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks. Atkinson specializes particularly in bringing point guards along. He did it with Lin in New York and three guys in Atlanta: Jeff Teague, Dennis Schroder and Shelvin Mack.

Russell might have been broken goods to the Lakers, but he is certainly salvageable now that Atkinson has him under his wing. Lin will still be an important player for the Nets, but Atkinson knows that Lin has reached his finite ceiling as a player. Russell has plenty of room to grow in his early 20s.

While Lin will likely start over Russell early in the season, it’s debatable that they can play alongside each other. When Russell earns Atkinson’s trust, it would only be a matter of time before Lin’s man bun, liberty spikes or whatever are on the next flight out of LaGuardia to another NBA city. Linsanity, Part Deux is pretty much done-zo.

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