CBA News: Jeremy Lin To Sit Out Beijing Ducks’ Games For A Month

KEY POINTS

Jeremy Lin is receiving more than nine fouls per game this CBA season
He will be playing at the All-Star game on January
Projected return will be on February 1

Beijing Ducks’ main gun Jeremy Lin won’t be playing in any Beijing Ducks games in the entire month in January, but the move won’t be affecting his first CBA All-Star appearance next month.

Reports from the Chinese Basketball League’s site said that the Beijing Ducks approved the foreign players' swap. Lin’s spot in the line-up will be taken by American center Justin Hamilton, who played the first 12 games for the Ducks alongside the 31-year old Lin.

Per Jonathan White of South China Morning Post, the move by the Ducks is to manage the former Toronto Raptors’ guard’s playing time “because of fatigue and injuries”. Lin has been averaging 24.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 21 games for the Yannis Christopoulos’ squad but it is no secret that he is always a marked man on all of their games.

Beijing Ducks confirm that Jeremy Lin is swapped out for Justin Hamilton for next game. Lin's planned month break in January moved up because of fatigue and injuries. Will still play CBA All-Star Game (Jan 11-12). Expected to return to CBA on Feb 1. pic.twitter.com/Zkc3lEcHC3
— Jonathan White (@jmawhite) December 29, 2019

Lin gets tagged by an average of 9.6 times this season, fifth overall in the league. Those fouls allowed the former Harvard star to take 9.5 free throws per game, ranked ninth in the league while making 8.05 of his freebies per night.

Listed as a foreign player despite having Chinese roots, Lin scored 33 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals in their 101-101 heartbreaker loss to Nanjing. The loss was their second consecutive defeat – both are of one-point difference.

Despite the changes in the line-up, Lin will still be suiting up for the CBA All-Star game as a starter after he garnered the most number of votes in the North division – the second-highest number of votes overall behind Guangdong’s Yi Jianlian. Lin will also take part in CBA’s inaugural one-on-one battles, a new platform in their All-Star activities where he will be matched up against Yi’s teammate Zhao Rui.

The 29-year old Hamilton averaged 20.7 points, 11 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game for the Ducks before Ekpe Udoh took his spot. The two will now share the floor as they give the last season’s NBA champ a month-long leave.