Oregon Ducks' Solution to Jackson Shelstad Injury Revealed in First Exhibition Game

New Chemistry Being Built

Four senior center Nate Bittle, his strongest bond on the floor is with Sheltstad, but due to his injury, he's had to form a new connection with Lin, but It has been easier than expected.

"Wei is definitely someone that is really fun to play with," Bittle said postgame. "Since he's been here, his English has gotten a lot better, so we can communicate a bit more, but he's always understanding and asking questions."

Lin's professional experience has been a big factor in the on-court connection he's created with Bittle and the rest of the teammates.

"Wei has a really high IQ of driving, and when to hit people, some of the passes he made today were great," Bittle said. "The lob to me, and the pass to Zeke [Ege Demir] when he dropped two people and threw it behind his head. He's a really good point guard."

New Back Court Is In The Works

The return of Shelstad is imminent, and it could lead to an entirely new system for the Ducks as Lin has proved to be a spark in the starting lineup.

"I think with him and Jackson on the floor would be a deadly combo," Bittle continued. "Both can shoot coming off the ball screen, making plays for each other there, instead of not just for the bigs."

For coach Dana Altman, having both Lin and Shelstad on the floor together will ultimately be decided on the defensive performance they can foster.

"A lot of it will be dictated defensively, you know how well those guys can get after people defensively," Altman said postgame. "A lot of it will depend on how Wei comes along here, but he did a better job defensively than what he's been showing in practice."

Lin finished the night with two steals that were crucial in turning the momentum during scoring runs, but one of his weaknesses was taking a shot quicker than Altman would like. He shot 4-11 from the field and 1-3 from behind the arc.

"You don't want to take his aggressiveness [away] because he can score buckets, but his best quality is just getting that ball moving, making plays and finding guys," Altman continued. "The shots will be a lot more open when they're worried about distributing rather than taking quick ones."

Team Still Finding It's Groove

Lin and the rest of the Oregon transfers are still adjusting to Altmans' systems and schemes, but have more than enough time to grow.

Along with Lin, the Ducks had a pair of Turkish big men transfer into the program with three years of college eligibility remaining. 6-10 forward Efe Vatan and 6-11 center Ege Demir both played in leagues in Turkey before joining the program.

Oregon also welcomed transfers from mid-major programs to Power Five conferences. Senior guard TK Simpkins arrived from Elon, along with junior forwards Devon Pryor (Texas Longhorns), Sean Stewart (Ohio State Buckeyes), and redshirt senior forward Miles Stewart from Howard.

Lin and the Ducks will have another opportunity to build team chemistry and adjust to Altman's scheme during their next exhibition game in Palo Alto, California, against the Stanford Cardinal on Thursday, Oct. 30.