Jeremy Lin sidelined for final 3 regular-season games for Lakers

LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Lakers point guard Jeremy Lin will miss his team's final three regular-season games with a sore left knee, Lakers coach Byron Scott announced Sunday before his team faced the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center. Lin's future with the Lakers is unclear at best, though.

He arrived last summer in a trade with the Houston Rockets, made $14.9 million this season but had, according to Scott, an "up-and-down" campaign, one filled with criticism from Scott and Kobe Bryant. "He's obviously gotten better," Scott said of Lin. "I think when he first got here, his mind of what a point guard is was totally different than mine. As we've gone along, he's started to understand what I wanted from him on a day-to-day basis."

In 74 games, including 30 starts, Lin averaged 11.2 points, his lowest total since his rookie season, on 42 percent shooting from the field, also his lowest since his rookie season. He started the team's first 19 games before being moved to the bench.

"The one thing about him: The kid takes criticism," Scott said. "You can jump on him about things, and he takes it with a grain of salt and he tries to get better. That's the one thing I do love about him. He doesn't pout about it. He doesn't cry. He just goes out there and tries to implement the things that you give him and become a better basketball player."

Lin has declined to address his future with the Lakers until after this season, but given how rocky his relationship with Scott has been, it's unclear if the Lakers will try to keep him around. Scott has likewise declined to address any long-term plans until after the season.