2016 NBA Playoffs: Jeremy Lin Likes Charlotte Hornets’ Chances in Postseason

The Charlotte Hornets are having one of the best seasons in franchise history, and playmaker Jeremy Lin believes they can make noise in the 2016 NBA Playoffs.

Lin, who is playing in his first season in Charlotte, knows that most NBA analysts are already counting them out because of their lack of a proven superstar, but he thinks they have what it takes to silence their critics.

“We don’t have like a LeBron James or a Steph Curry or like an elite shot-blocker or whatever, like a DeAndre Jordan or something like that,” Lin said via Solar Entertainment. “But we feel like, if we do it all together and if we all chip in, and we’re detailed in what we do and we play the right way, we feel like we have a chance to make some noise.”

The Hornets finished with a 48-34 record in the regular season — their best since returning to the league in 2004. They ended up sixth in the Eastern Conference and will go up against the third-seeded Miami Heat in the opening round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs.

The Heat, who also posted a 48-34 record during the regular season, will have homecourt advantage and will be favored to win over the Hornets. However, Lin is confident that they could pull off an upset if they will continue playing unselfish basketball in the playoffs, which was their recipe for success during the regular season.

“I feel like for us, the thing that has kind of gotten us to this point is just unselfishness, team chemistry, and then I think playing off of our intelligence,” added Lin, who averaged 11.7 points to go along with 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game this season. “I also think we have versatility and we have depth.”

The first-round series between the Hornets and the Heat will kick off on Sunday, 5:30 p.m. ET at the American Airlines Arena.