Jeremy Lin excited about his teammates

With Jeremy Lin recommitted to the Nets for next year, he told SLAM he’s looking forward to playing with his young teammates (all of whom are between five and 10 years younger than him.)

In a conversation last weekend at the players union headquarters, Lin universally praised the five — Caris LeVert, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, D’Angelo Russell, Jarrett Allen and Spencer Dinwiddie. He offered particularly interesting insights on two of them, LeVert and Allen.

Of LeVert, Lin said, he’s “definitely a playmaker...

“He can affect the game in a variety of ways. He’s an extremely mobile and disruptive defender, gets in a lot of passing lanes. He was probably our best player during the summer in pickup, and he’s going to be really good—he’s going to grow and he’s super hungry. I think he can play pick and roll, off the ball, he can really do a lot. That’s my guy. I think he’s going to be big time for the franchise.”

Allen, too, evoked talk of future possibilities. Like a lot of Nets players, coaches and executives, he seemed like he didn’t want to suggest how far he really thinks the ‘Fro can go...

“I’m so excited about him, man. He’s grown a lot and has great footwork, great touch, lefty, righty, can shoot the free throw. He’s just really scratching the surface, so young and raw, but you see glimpses where you’re like, Man, who knows.”

Lin peppered his appraisals with words like “unorthodox,” “excited,” and “tremendous.”

As for his rehab, Lin said it’s on schedule, noting that he no longer has to wear a knee brace. “No knee brace, no issues. I’m moving really well, so everything’s going according to plan. I’ve been completely mobile for months now.”

Lin, of course, is rehabbing at Fortius Sport & Health in suburban Vancouver, hoping to do more than rehab and recovery, that is, improving his balance, enhancing his game, “a similar style, but in a safer way.”

• Jeremy Lin Talks Knee Rehab and Young Nets Core - Leo Sepkowitz - SLAM