Anyone else jumpin' on the Jeremy Lin bandwagon ???

[Marcus Kibbe]

I've been catching Lin highlights on SportsCenter over the past week and watched my first game last night. It was after this play that I officially became a fan. According to Wikipedia, he's a devout Chrisitian with aspirations to become a pastor:

Lin grew up in a devout Christian family and would one day like to be a pastor who can head up non-profit organizations, either home or abroad. He has also talked of working in inner-city communities to help with underprivileged children. - Wikipedia

He has an interesting story - didn't receive an athletic scholarship out of high school, attended Harvard where he tore it up, and then went undrafted in the NBA draft. He's no doubt a budding star ...



He started getting his first significant minutes 3 games ago and Knicks are now riding a 3 game win streak... granted, the opponents were pretty weak. His stat line is impressive - HoF caliber:
Wed 2/8 @ WSH W 107-93 MIN 36 FG% .643 REB 4 AST 10 STL 1 PTS 23
Mon 2/6 vs UTAH W 99-88 MIN 45 FG% .588 REB 2 AST 8 STL 2 PTS 28
Sat 2/4 vs NJ W 99-92 36 MIN 36 FG% .526 REB 5 AST 7 STL 2 PTS 25

[Marcus Kibbe]

LINsanity continues... incredible !!! Any sports fan has gotta love what he's doing. Knicks win 4th straight. Stat line: 38 pts, 7 ast, 4 reb, 2 stl, fg% .565

[Scott Sherwood]

The Lakers beat the Celtics the night before they played New York. After the Celtics game, a reporter mentioned the upcoming Knicks matchup to Kobe and asked for his thoughts on Lin. Kobe said something to the effect of "Who's that?"

He knows now.

You can't help but like the kid. He has been staying on his brother's couch near NYU, because his contract was still week to week until very recently. In typical New York fashion, the fans are overreacting and chanting MVP. Those same fans will demand his head on a platter as soon as he misses a big shot at the wrong time. Once other teams make adjustments to his game, the next move will be his. That will tell the story. But even if somehow the story ends soon, it is the most amazingly sudden rise to prominence I've ever heard in the NBA.

[Ryan Scott]

I helped build the bandwagon when he was at Harvard.

[Jim Franklin]

Lin has been quoted as saying that one of his inspirations is Tim Tebow. Will there be a Linbow?

[Benjamin Burch]

It's a shame that New York has gone the direction that they have with their roster. How will Lin play when he is teamed up with a terribly inefficient volume-scorer who commands 25 shots a night in Carmelo Anthony? How will the Knicks defense play with Stat slacking off on rotations and pick-n-rolls instead of Jeffrey's crisp defense?

Lin has been phenomenal. All of the comparisons to Tebow are silly. Tebow is terribly inefficient, while Lin currently is one of the most efficient players in the NBA.

I'm excited for the guy, but that roster is very questionable and it will make it difficult for him to continue to succeed when the two stars come back.

P.S. I just now saw your post, Jim! This was not in response to you! While Tebow is a horrible comparison (that others have been making), he is certainly a good inspiration!

[David Lyons]

The Lakers beat the Celtics the night before they played New York. After the Celtics game, a reporter mentioned the upcoming Knicks matchup to Kobe and asked for his thoughts on Lin. Kobe said something to the effect of "Who's that?"

He knows now.

Kobe is now on the bandwagon for Lin! In this article http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baske...?csp=obnetwork , Kobe is quoted as saying: "He has been phenomenal," Bryant said. "We have watched some tape on him. We came up with a strategy that we thought would be effective, but he was knocking down his jump shot, penetrating and he got around our guards. …

"Players don't usually come out of nowhere. If you can go back and take a look, his skill level was probably there from the beginning, but no one ever noticed. … It is a great story. It is a testament to perseverance and hard work. It is a good example to kids everywhere."

If Kobe was impressed, then everyone ought to be.

[Jim Poteet]

Lin has been quoted as saying that one of his inspirations is Tim Tebow. Will there be a Linbow?

I hope not. Jeremy Lin just needs to play and be who he is. He is fun to watch and also articulate in expressing himself.

[Jim Franklin]

Just reporting what i read. It seems to have been connected with his open expression of faith and life goals and not his playing capabilities.

[Jim Poteet]

Just reporting what i read. It seems to have been connected with his open expression of faith and life goals and not his playing capabilities.

I like his approach to sharing his faith. That is why we don't need a Linbow.

[Marcus Kibbe]

It's a shame that New York has gone the direction that they have with their roster. How will Lin play when he is teamed up with a terribly inefficient volume-scorer who commands 25 shots a night in Carmelo Anthony? How will the Knicks defense play with Stat slacking off on rotations and pick-n-rolls instead of Jeffrey's crisp defense?

Lin has been phenomenal. All of the comparisons to Tebow are silly. Tebow is terribly inefficient, while Lin currently is one of the most efficient players in the NBA.

I'm excited for the guy, but that roster is very questionable and it will make it difficult for him to continue to succeed when the two stars come back.

P.S. I just now saw your post, Jim! This was not in response to you! While Tebow is a horrible comparison (that others have been making), he is certainly a good inspiration!

All the pressure is on Carmelo adapting to Lin, not Lin to Carmelo. The Knicks are the toast of the town not only because of Lin but because they're winning. If Carmelo comes back and messes up the chemistry and Knicks start losing, it won't be pretty for him. He'll be more hated than Isaiah Thomas and Stephon Marbury combined. This is a crucial moment in shaping his legacy.

[Benjamin Burch]

All the pressure is on Carmelo adapting to Lin, not Lin to Carmelo. The Knicks are the toast of the town not only because of Lin but because they're winning. If Carmelo comes back and messes up the chemistry and Knicks start losing, it won't be pretty for him. He'll be more hated than Isaiah Thomas and Stephon Marbury combined. This is a crucial moment in shaping his legacy.

I agree with you 100% in theory. However, money talks, and they're invested in Carmelo. Plus, they believe that Melo is the star (he isn't, he's an over-rated chucker). You'd have to convince me D'antoni is a good/smart enough coach to do the right thing here.

I'm not sure you can convince me of that.

[Ryan Scott]

I posted this on Facebook, but I'd be interested in your responses. I think that being Asian is the only reason Jeremy Lin has come out of nowhere.

I've been following his career since he finished High School. I really believe if he were black (or white for that matter) he would have gone to UCLA and been a lottery pick in the draft.

He was the captain of a 32-1 California State Championship team that upset perennial national power Mater Dei in the finals. He was a near unanimous player of the year choice, winning multiple awards that season.

He received a couple of walk-on invites, but no real offers, except from Harvard, where they don't give athletic scholarships.

He was a very good player all four years at Harvard, leading to the recruiting success they've enjoyed in recent years. He played some of his best games against major college opponents, very nearly knocking off UCONN one season.

There's just no reason for him not to have been on the national radar from the beginning - besides the fact that he doesn't look like every other basketball star.

He's not small (6'3"), he wasn't at a small HS or in a non-basketball state. He didn't come from nowhere.

[Jim Franklin]

Local paper states that Lin played for the Reno D league team here against the Idaho Stampede D league team about a year ago.

[Jim Poteet]

Local paper states that Lin played for the Reno D league team here against the Idaho Stampede D league team about a year ago.

He probably scored a hundred on the Idaho Stampede.

[Scott Moseley]

His is a fantastic story! Just what the NBA needed.

[David Morris]

I'll agree, he is a great story.

However, people are so in love with it that statistics are getting exaggerated. I was listening to K-Love yesterday while I was in the car, and the host mentioned the Jeremy Lin story, and commented that he was averaging 25-30pts a game. Not sure where he got that stat from, it's actually 14. Lin is also #9 in the league in turnovers per game (or #4 in TO per 48min), despite averaging only 23 minutes per game. It's a great story, but he isn't an All-Star.

[Ryan Pugh]

I'll agree, he is a great story.

However, people are so in love with it that statistics are getting exaggerated. I was listening to K-Love yesterday while I was in the car, and the host mentioned the Jeremy Lin story, and commented that he was averaging 25-30pts a game. Not sure where he got that stat from, it's actually 14. Lin is also #9 in the league in turnovers per game (or #4 in TO per 48min), despite averaging only 23 minutes per game. It's a great story, but he isn't an All-Star.

They're talking about his stats as a starter. In his last 10 games, he's averaging 24.6 points in 38.6 minutes per game.

He will learn to cut down his turnovers as he plays more point guard in the NBA. Playing in D'Antoni's system doesn't help a point guard have low turnovers.

[Jim Poteet]

I'll agree, he is a great story.

However, people are so in love with it that statistics are getting exaggerated. I was listening to K-Love yesterday while I was in the car, and the host mentioned the Jeremy Lin story, and commented that he was averaging 25-30pts a game. Not sure where he got that stat from, it's actually 14. Lin is also #9 in the league in turnovers per game (or #4 in TO per 48min), despite averaging only 23 minutes per game. It's a great story, but he isn't an All-Star.

You need to recheck your stats.

[David Morris]

You need to recheck your stats.

Can you tell me which ones are wrong?

[Ryan Pugh]

You need to recheck your stats.

The stats he posted are correct if we're talking about Lin's season stats. K-Love's host was wrong, but was probably referring to Lin's stats as a starter, because he was largely unknown until he started.

His stats are a starter in 9 games: 24.6 points, 9.4 assists, and 6.6 turnovers.

[David Morris]

6 turnovers on 1 for 6 shooting in the first half against the Heat. I'm guessing they aren't jumping on the bandwagon.

[Benjamin Burch]

Miami is too good defensively.

[Scott Moseley]

well Lin had no problem with the statistically best defense in the Mavs?? Could it be good defense combined with poor chemistry with Mellos return and a flat out off night?

[Benjamin Burch]

well Lin had no problem with the statistically best defense in the Mavs?? Could it be good defense combined with poor chemistry with Mellos return and a flat out off night?

1) Dallas is the 3rd best defense statistically. #1-Philly #2-Chicago

2) Lin said himself it was the best defense he's faced so far.

3) I think Miami has proven over the past 2 years that when they put their mind to it, no one is better defensively

[Scott Moseley]

1) Dallas is the 3rd best defense statistically. #1-Philly #2-Chicago

2) Lin said himself it was the best defense he's faced so far.

3) I think Miami has proven over the past 2 years that when they put their mind to it, no one is better defensively

LOL Ben Statistically speaking both Chicago and PHilly both have enjoyed extremely easy schedules. Their respective strength of schedule rating to date are 0.460 & 0.483 as compared to Dallas' much tougher schedule at 0.521. So yeah it could be argued Dallas has the best defense statistically. Heat opponents to date fared a only little stronger at 0.490.

To bring this back to LIN. His win streak came against a really soft patch in the knicks schedule however he did handle the NBA's defensively superior Mavs (now that sounds really weird -thanks coach Carlisle) but surprisingly was throttled by the notoriously hit n miss Heat defense. Miami went into a shock and Awe strategy to shake up Lin ..and it worked. Things look much tougher in the 2nd half for Lin and Mello. It will be a real test of the teams grit and chemistry to pull together for another spate of Linsanity.