How could the Knicks let the Breakthrough Player of Year walk? The answer might be more simple than you think
Jeremy Lin can play basketball well. That became obvious during 2012, especially when he poured in 38 points against the Los Angeles Lakers and even more so when he brought the Knicks out of the Eastern Conference cellar and pushed them back above the .500 mark. It is for this reason that many basketball fans are up in arms over the fact that NYK will probably let Jeremy Lin go to the Houston Rockets.
“How could you let a player who means so much to our franchise just walk away,” says Angry Fan X.
“James Dolan is an arrogant asshole who has no idea how to run an NBA franchise,” says Analyst Y.
Let me just go on record and say that this is a smart basketball move for the Knicks. That is not to say that I trust James Dolan or that the Knicks are organizational masterminds, but I will say that I agree with this decision. » Read more..
YES! Vince Young signs with the Buffalo Bills. According to sources the quarterback has agreed to terms to play in Buffalo.
I hope he plays so badly. I am one of the biggest doubters of the Bills offense. I think every player worth naming is overrated and Ryan Fitzpatrick takes the cake on it. The guy was hot for 5 weeks and gets signed for 5 years. It’s the Jeremy Lin fiasco, yet in the NFL. Lin was hot for a few weeks and caught the world’s attention. Fitzy was hot for a few weeks and caught Buffalo’s attention.
I guess I still see Fitz being the day 1 starter and most likely the starter through the season. Vince Young has had too much drama to go along with his decent 31-19 record as a starter to just come in and cause a ruckus. I hope Vince candidate do some things to be recognized and at some point, given a shot. I’ll probably be jumping on the Vince Young bandwagon.
Excited to have a little more to root about this year. Patriots are still taking to AFC East.
I know the second half of the season got underway tonight, but I want to share my midseason awards for the NBA. I’ll give my midseason MVP, ROY, 6th man, Coach of the year, as well as my biggest surprise and disappointing player and team. Agree or disagree with my decisions, I hope you leave a comment on what you think I got wrong.
MVP: Chris Paul
I know I know, LeBron James is unreal. LeBron James is averaging 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists per game. LeBron James and the Miami Heat are in first place in the east and are tied for the best record in the league with a 27-7 start. However James does not get my vote. Chris Paul took over a team that was 32-50 last year, and now has the Clips at 20-11 and in first place in the Pacific division. Paul is averaging 19 points per game to go along with 8.6 assists. Chris Paul has made Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan better players and will take the Clippers far in the playoffs.
This a no brainer. Irving who attended Duke last year and sat out almost all season due to a foot injury, has the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 9th spot in the Eastern conference. Irving is averaging 18 points and 5 assists per game in his rookie season and those numbers will only increase. Eight years ago, the Cavaliers had the number 1 overall pick and we all know who they took. The Cavaliers once again had the first pick in the 2011 NBA draft and they chose someone who they can build around for a long time.
Runners up: Ricky Rubio, Kemba Walker
6th man: James Harden
When you think of the Oklahoma City Thunder you automatically think of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Well every team that has been successful in the NBA has had three horses. The third star for the Thunder is James Harden. Harden is averaging 17 points per game and 4 rebounds to go along with 4 assists. The former Arizona State Sun Devil is shooting 47% from the field and 37% from beyond the arc. Harden will play a major role if the Thunder have any hopes of winning an NBA championship.
Runner’s up: Lou Williams, Thaddeus Young
Coach of the Year: Greg Popovich
The Spurs are old and they are all past their prime. Don’t tell that to Pops. The Spurs coach has his team in second place in the West and are 13-1 at home. Manu Ginobli has been out for a long period and players like Gary Neal and Daniel Green have stepped up tremendously. As long as Popovich is at the helm in San Antonio, the Spurs will always be a contender for a championship.
Runners up: Doug Collins, Tom Thibodeau
Biggest Surprise (player): Jeremy Lin
This decision was easier than Rookie of the Year. Jeremy Lin has put a fire under the New York Knicks and currently has them as the 7th seed with a 17-18 record. Lin had a special two weeks before the All-Star break and will look to continue it the rest of the year. In his last ten games, Lin is averaging 22 points per game to go along with 9 assists and 4 rebounds. Lin definitely has to clean up on his turnovers, and if he was to retire tomorrow morning, he would still be the biggest surprise of the 2011-2012 NBA season.
Just when people thought the Portland Trail Blazers would be contenders out West, Brandon Roy is forced to retire due to knee problems, and Greg Oden, well pulled a Greg Oden. Oden is the biggest bust all time. During his 5 year NBA career, the former Buckeye has only played in 82 regular season games, the total amount of one NBA season. It was sad to see Roy retire, but was a huge disappointment to those die hard Partland fans.
Runner’s up: Andrea Bargnani, JaVale, McGee
Biggest Surprise (team): Philadelphia 76ers
You could say the Clippers because of how well they are doing, but when you add a superstar like Chris Paul to a team with Blake and Deandre, you expect that team to win. The 76ers on the other hands are led by a new AI, Andre Igoudala. The 76ers had the best start in the league 13 games in with a 10-3 record and remain in the top 4 in the Eastern conference with a record of 21-14. Doug Collins has done a great job coaching this young group of players, and they will be an interesting team to watch come playoff time.
Runner’s up: Indiana Pacers, Houston Rockets
Biggest Disappointment (team): Boston Celtics
I do not know if I should consider this a surprise or just a reality check. The Boston Celtics are old. Kevin Garnett is way past his prime, Paul Pierce is on the downside of his career, and Ray Allen can’t throw down like he used to, although he can still shoot lights out. Rajon Rondo is the face of this franchise, and he just does not have all of the tools to lead the Celtics to another championship. I guess we could have all seen this coming when the Celtics traded Kendrick Perkins to the Thunder last year. Oh well, the Celtics have been a storied franchise for decades. They can suck for a couple of years.
From couch to castle, Jeremy Lin has taken the New York Knicks from a team with no heart to a team loved all across the globe, especially in Taiwan. We all know the story, four year graduate from Harvard, zero athletic scholarships out of high school, cut by the Golden State Warriors, went to the D-League, then to play basketball in China, and now is shining for a team that so desperately needed a point guard, and so desperately needed to win.
When the Knicks signed Lin, and me being a Knicks fan, I thought he was just going to take up a seat on the bench and play a couple of minutes every night. I thought Toney Douglas, Iman Shumpert, and Mike Bibby were all going to platoon the point guard position, until Baron Davis comes back from injury. Well Douglas stunk, Bibby is probably looking at some retirement homes, and Iman Shumpert belongs at shooting guard.
Febuary 4th, 2012, the New York Knicks take on their cross state rival, the New Jersey Nets. It’s the third quarter at MSG, 54-52 New Jersey, and some bench player came in to give Iman Shumpert a break, what was his name? Oh right, Jeremy Lin. Lin plays the rest of the entire game with 25 points and 7 assists. The Knicks have found their future.
You know what happens next, 38 on the Lakers, go-ahead free throw late against the T’Wolves, buzzer beater against the Raptors, blah, blah, blah. Now the thing that gets me a little annoyed is the comparisons to Denver Broncos QB, Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin.
I love Tebow, I liked him in college and cheered for him while he was in Denver. I also love Jeremy Lin and the Knicks, and let me tell you why this comparison annoys me…
1. Jeremy Lin went to Harvard, an academic power house. Tim Tebow went to Florida, a football powerhouse.
2. Out of high school, Lin recieved zero athletic scholarships, Tebow could have gone to almost any college he wished for free, due to football.
3. Lin puts up numbers…and wins games. Tebow does not put up numbers but manages to magically win games. Check out this stat, when Lin and the Knicks took on the Sacremento Kings, Lin had more passes that resulted in a score (13), than Tebow did all last year (12).
4. Jeremy Lin had to work for where he is now. Tebow had a top selling jersey when he was playing behind Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn.
5. Again, Jeremy Lin had to work for everything he has today. Tebow started over Cam Newton in college, and only found himself starting in the NFL because of Broncos fan’s billboards and chants of “We Want Tebow”
Lin has something special, he is smart on and off the court. Lin will make the Knicks better, and he will have no problem when Carmelo Anthony returns. The Knicks can make a run with Jeremy Lin leading the way.
If you consider yourself a Knicks fan, list’LIN up. If you don’t consider yourself a Knicks fan, and hate on the Knicks & Jeremy Lin, you can list’LIN up too.
First off, do not hate on Jeremy Lin and say he is not good, or he sucks, or hes gettLIN lucky, or any of that. I’ve had numerous debates with friends and their only defense – he’s a lucky nobody, got cut from the GoldLIN State Warriors and HoustLIN Rockets, he wasn’t drafted; he can’t be that good or he wouldn’t of gotten over looked by so many team front office’s. Well ladies and gentLINmen, he may not be able to produce what he has the last 5 games for a career average, but do not look away from the obvious.
Daryl Morey (@dmorey) , GM of the HoustLIN Rockets tweeted, “We should have kept @jlin7. Did not know he was this good. Anyone who says they knew misleading U. RT @trane711 Just accept the @jlin7 mistake.” A team that once cut Lin, already in regret? You don’t see public statements in the news everyday of teams showing remorse for a player they once cut – unless they were completely LINfatuated with this player’s style of play the last 5 games.
The last 5 games, he IS withLIN the best top 3 point guards in the NBA. Was he THE best, thats debatable. You can only judge the man on what he’s proven as an everyday starter. I don’t care his past stories, who cut him, how many times he’s been the last man on the bench, or his ethLINicity – he has started the last 5 games and has produced more efficient numbers than ANY OTHER athlete in their first five games in NBA history. Is he going to be an all-star, a MVP, a hall of famer… who knows – nobody does. But don’t sit here and say how bad he is or how he is overhyped, when all he’s done is produce, produce, produce. What more do you want Jeremy Lin to do before you give him credit? There’s not much more he can do. So to all the haters, stop being LINgorant.
Do not get me misunderstood – I am not saying this man is going to be a top tier PG at the end of the year, because I nor can anyone else predict the future, but do not shy away from what he’s done and don’t be ignorant to say he LINs’t a valuable asset right now or a top tier PG right now.
Let’s look at stats just from the past 5 games – since thats all we can judge Lin on, and see whos stats we think match up with who’s.
Now you tell me who you think is who. The first is (1) Rondo, second (2) Chris Paul, third (3) Jeremy Lin, and fourth (4) Deron Williams. Has Jeremy Lin provLIN he is as good as these players for longevity? Absolutely not. Has he proveLIN that since he has been an everyday starter he deserves to atleast be mentioned with theses players until he otherwise does not perform like them? Absolutely. You can’t deny something that he has done… and thats put up LINsane numbers.
Now with that being said, will his numbers decrease when Melo and Amare come back – probability says yes ofcourse. Will his assists and team productivity lack? Nobody knows. Time will tell. Until then, why panic or why deny this man any ‘props’?
He could be a star in the making, he could be the next big overhyped bust, nobody knows. He brings Madison Sqaure GarLIN to their feet and instills hope in them just like Patrick EwLINg once did. Since he’s been in a Knicks uniform as a starter, all he’s done is LIN,LIN, LIN.
As a Knicks fan, don’t stop beLINning and do not give up hope for a championship run this year. We have the talent, it’s obvious and now we have that spark in Jeremy Lin that may just be able to save this team and bring back their “swag” and instill belief back LIN their play after dropping 11 of their last 13 before he entered the lineup. The Knicks fans in ManhattLIN are now back and once again excited about Knicks games. WE BACK AND EVERYDAY WE HUST’LIN!
Floyd Mayweather is an ignorant idiot. In a recent tweet, the jailbird boxer says, “Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he’s Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don’t get the same praise.”
Is this not the most asinine comment we have seen this year from an athlete? It has to be right up there with Ndamukong Suh saying he was just trying to get out of the way when he stomped one of the Packers offensive linemen. This is a disgrace and an embarrassment for the sport of boxing.
I’m one of the people who do not like to drink the cool aid until a player proves me wrong with his play for a significant amount of time. Jeremy Line has done just that. He’s played lights out for the knicker boxers since he came off the bench and sparked the Garden as well as the slumping Knicks.
Here are some stats to back up his play Floyd. Lin is the first player in league history to have at least 20 points in each of his four career starts. He’s scored 109 points in his first four career starts. Those numbers are mind-boggling.
Hey Floyd, do you remember that guy named Jordan? He was the best to ever play the game of basketball. He did not even put up the numbers that Lin has in his first few starts. I am by no means saying Lin will be better than Jordan. I’m simply pointing out facts that prove Lin is straight balling right now.
Mayweather has absolutely no credit what so ever. He may be one of the best boxers on the planet but as far as brains are concerned I think he’s had one to many shots to the head.
The rise to fame and credit Lin has received over the past week has been well deserved. He is not getting all the hype because he’s “Asian” as Mayweather would say. He’s getting all the hype because he’s putting up numbers that few players in the history of the league have done in his first four starts.
Lets also point out that Lin is a Harvard graduate. Did you every think about that Floyd? When do we ever see players from Harvard prosper and star in the NBA? Never. The hype has been created because Lin is playing flat out superior basketball and he deserves all of the accreditation.
Floyd Mayweather needs to get in the ring in May, fight, shut up and go to jail. This comment about Lin just proves that Floyd is still an ignorant idiot.
Move over Yao Ming because Jeremy Lin is taking over the NBA by storm. The second year man out of Harvard played for the Golden State Warriors last year, and was picked up by the Rockets before the 2011-2012 season began but was waived in order for the Rockets to sign center Samuel Dalembert to a two year deal. Did both the Warriors and Rockets know what Lin could do? Apparently not. Do both teams regret dropping him? Probably not.
Jeremy Shu-How Lin graduated from Palo Alto High School in California, and then took his talents to Harvard where he played all four years. Lin then made his debut on October 29, 2010 with the Warriors against the Los Angeles Clippers. Lin saw two minutes and thirty two seconds of playing time. Lin did not attempt a shot,nor did he pull down a rebound, dish out an assist, or turn the ball over. He did cause one turnover. Solid night. Lin played in 29 games last year and averaged 2.6 pointer per game.
Oh how things have changed. Lin signed a 10 day contract with the New York Knicks on December 27th. Jeremy made his debut the next night for the Knicks against his former team in the Warriors. Lin only saw one minute of play and was 0-1 from the field. On January 17th, the Knicks assigned Lin to their D league affilitate, the Erie Bayhawks. In Lin’s one game, he posted a triple double with 28 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds. On January 23rd, Lin returned to the Knicks, which also happened to be the same day Baron Davis returned to practice. Lin saw some garbage time between January 24th and February 3rd, and then on the 4th Lin stole the show and sent Madison Square Garden into a frenzy. Lin saw 36 minutes of playing time, scoring 25 points, dishing out 7 assists and grabbing 5 rebounds.
Lin has started the last four games for the Knicks since and the Knicks are undefeated since then. In his last 5 games, Lin is averaging 26.8 points, 8 assists, and 4.2 rebounds a game. Jeremy Lin is the 1st player with 20 points and 8 assists in his first two career starts since LeBron James in ’03-04 season. Not bad company. Lin also scored the most points for any starter in their first three starts since the NBA ABA merger in 1976-77. Oh wait, that’s not it. Lin join Flip Murray, Grant Hill, and Dominique Wilkins as the only players to score 20 points in each of their first four starts in their career.
Is Jeremy Lin the real deal? Can he sustain this play all year long, and for the rest of his career? Let me remind you, Lin has done all of this without Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony. I think the trade rumors for Dwight Howard have calmed down and the Knicks have found their missing piece. Give me Lin, Landry Fields/Iman Shumpter, Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemine, and Tyson Chandler is not a bad starting five. Who needs Baron Davis when you have Linsanity. Will Lin’s success continue? I hope so. He is a fun player to watch and he excited those that pay to watch the Knicks play. That is all you can ask for. Landry Field’s tweeted that this is the most fun he has ever had playing basketball, and a lot of that falls on the shoulders of Jeremy Lin.
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