The first two preseason games has come and gone. Jeremy Lin and the Charlotte Hornets are in the process of preparing for the beginning of the 2015-2016 NBA season.

Preseason games are all about learning and experimenting with the team, preparing them the best they can for the start of the new season. From the two games we’ve seen against the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat we have learned a lot already.

Continued where he left off

The first preseason game against the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center, Lin was instrumental in the Charlotte Hornets 106-100 victory. He led with a team high of 17 points and chipping in with 7 assists, 2 rebounds and 1 steal in 25 minutes. Not a bad first outing for Lin to say the least.

The second game was on a back to back after the Orlando match up and surprisingly or not they came out with a 90-77 victory over the Miami Heat. Lin finished with 10 points 3 rebounds and 1 assist in 27 minutes.

The game against the Orlando Magic there were glimpses of what Lin is capable of when he is empowered in running the offence. In previous seasons Lin had trouble fitting into his team’s system for one reason or another. At Charlotte this does not seem to be the case as the offence from the second unit is very much relied on Lin. Whether it may be from his scoring abilities or creating plays for his teammates.

After the Magic game, Magic’s head coach Scott Skiles had high praise on Lin saying “he was everywhere on the court”. This just showed what a strong performance he had.

After the all-star break last season Jeremy Lin was playing at a different level. His game looked so much more fluid and simple, it almost seemed effortless. Lin is now playing with added confidence and it is clear to see. He is more composed and does not feel the need to make something happen every time he gets the ball.

From the first two preseason games against the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat Jeremy Lin has continued from where he left off. He didn’t have to force anything, everything just came to him and he took what was given to him.

Action speaks louder than words

During the off-season Coach Clifford has been very high on Jeremy Lin right from the start. He said previously, Lin is a “very good addition to his roster and he has the ability to knock down and create the 3 pointer”. He has also mentioned that the offence he will be playing will be faster paced and compared Kemba Walker and Lin to Golden States duo Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. All this said by his head coach will be music to Lin’s ears.

From the two preseason games the Charlotte Hornets offence is very much focused on the point guard to create plays and distributing the ball to the right players in the right spots. This is a contrast to when Jeremy Lin played point guard for his previous two teams. The Hornets offence is much different to the one fans remember from last campaign; there will be more 3 point attempts, shooting and passing which Coach Clifford mentioned before preseason got under way.

Lin was paired with Walker in the third quarter of Miami game and they played well together helping the Hornets go on a nice run and stretch the lead. Them two are an exciting pairing who both possess speed and vision.

Lin at shooting guard

For much of the Miami Heat game, Lin played the majority of his minutes as a shooting guard with Brian Roberts as the point guard.

We all know Lin can play there but this is not his strongest position on the floor. He looked at home playing as the shooting guard and Coach Clifford and his staff will be satisfied with Lin’s performance.

Lin hustled on the defensive end, guarding an elite shooting guard in Dwayne Wade and a freak of an athlete in Gerald Green. He did a decent job guarding both of them, I would say he held his own which is a testament to his defensive ability.

Overall Lin had a solid but unspectacular performance against the Miami Heat. He did a job for the team and his coaches would have learned a lot from that game. This situation is different to when he played at the 2 previously. Unlike playing off the ball when he was with the Lakers and the Rockets, Lin will still be able to get his touches.

This is preseason after all, we should not get too high or too low after each game. We can nonetheless learn a lot from these games. It has been a strong start for Lin and the Hornets and I like what I’ve seen so far.

The next preseason game is in China against the Clippers. This will be a huge game for Lin and the fans over there.