Lakers Roster News: Jeremy Lin Should be a Starter, Says Magic Johnson

Lakers Hall of Famer Earvin "Magic" Johnson believes that Jeremy Lin should start for the Lakers for the 2014-15 NBA season that begins next week.

LA Times reported that Jeremy Lin turned out to be one of the most consistent and also one of the best players of the Lakers during the team's four preseason games.

Averaging 10.8 points and six assists through four games, Lin's 13-point and five-assist output was instrumental in the Lakers victory over the Portland Trailblazers, 94-86, while coming off the bench, the LA Times noted.

During the Lakers game with Portland, Magic tweeted from his Twitter account @MagicJohnson: "Jeremy Lin is going to be a good starting point guard for the Lakers with his ability to get in the lane and create shots for himself and his teammates."

Magic's endorsement drew various reactions from his Twitter followers but generally seconded the idea given Lin's latest preseason numbers and a recent news that Steve Nash will be out for the entire season due to injury.

Bleacher Report got word from league sources that the Lakers starting point guard and future Hall of Famer Steve Nash will miss the full 2014-15 NBA season as a result of nerve damage on his back.

With Nash out in the sideline, Lin would indeed have a big chance of starting as point guard for the Lakers as he would compete for the spot with the defensive-minded Ronnie Price, notes the Bleacher Report.

Second Stringer No More?

During the preseason games for the upcoming NBA season, Lin has been coming off the bench for Steve Nash and Ronnie Price but this time it would be different.

Given the team's current situation, Bleacher Report thinks that Lin would likely get a playing time of 30 minutes or more whether he starts or comes off the bench.

The LA Times also thinks that Magic's tweet is an indirect way of telling Lakers coach Byron Scott, his former backcourt partner during his Showtime days, to put Lin in the team's starting lineup.

In addition to Nash being out, high-scoring Lakers forward/guard Nick Young will also be missing 15 to 20 games due to a thumb injury. While rookie Julius Randle appears to have the potential to compensate for Young's absence, he is inconsistent in games, notes LA Times.

Thus, opening up a slot for someone who can cover for the team's scoring punch which Lin showed during the four preseason games.

Kobe Bryant, also shared Magic's observations on Lin.

The Black Mamba was quoted by Orange County Register, after the Lakers lost an overtime pre-season game with the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, 114-108, as saying: "Jeremy makes a huge difference. He was creating shots for others. We've got somebody else who can penetrate, make plays for others and puts pressure on the defense. It's a really big diference."

In concluding its report, the LA Times actually posed an even bigger challenge to the Lakers when it said: "While Johnson (may not) be wrong about Lin being the second-best player this coming NBA season, what's of greater concern than starting is who closes out games in the fourth quarter."