Don’t call me linsane or anything, but I love the steady production of phenom Jeremy Lin.
It might be the soft spot in my heart for small guards who get overlooked (see: Nash, Steve) or it might just because I like watching good basketball.
But I can not get enough of Lin in my life.
His elegant cuts to the hoops through multiple defenders that culminate with a crafty lay-up or a pass to an open teammate are a godsend for a New York franchise, which has been downtrodden as of late.
After Knicks fans have suffered through watching the likes of Toney Douglas and Nate Robinson, Lin has essentially been a godsend.
People highlight his race more than anything, as he is the first American player to be of Chinese or Taiwanese decent, but it’s more than just that.
He’s such a crafty player, but not in the sense of what we are used to. Superstars in this league have a plethora of moves that can go to and string together to attack the hoop.
Lin, on the other hand, has only a handful of moves but uses just one or two per possession to create open space for himself and his teammates.
He’s not a good shooter in any sense of the word, but he uses his jumpshot effectively enough that teams have to respect it, unlike some other point guards in the NBA (see: Rondo, Rajon).
However, the days of his steady production may be short-lived with the returns of both Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire on the horizon.
Nonetheless, I think Lin can flourish with the return of Stoudemire as both of them can effectively use the pick-and-roll to get open looks.
Lin does turn the ball over more than Knicks fans would like, but what he did to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers should more than cement his place in New York folklore.
In case you missed it, he dropped 38 points and seven assists on 13-23 shooting. I don’t know how you can’t love a guy who went from sleeping on a couch to tearing up Madison Square Garden on the daily.
Lin has single handedly made basketball in New York relevant again and I applaud what he has accomplished in a short span of time.
He has seemingly broken color lines with the weight of an entire nation on his shoulders and I could not be happier for him.
But seriously, can Lin keep up this level of play?
Some of you may remember Ronald Murray (better known as “Flip”) who played for the Sonics from 2002-2005.
He reminds me a whole lot of Lin.
Murray came in after Ray Allen got injured and flourished for 10 games, the dude seriously could not be slowed down by anyone in the league.
He rolled off nine games with at least 20 points during that stretch and then faded right back to mediocrity after Allen returned to the line-up.
I hope all the best for Lin, because he has been nothing short of Lincredible. But, I also know how basketball works and all of this could be a figment of our imagination.
Linception, anyone?