New York Knicks: Is Jeremy Lin for Real or Is He Getting Lucky?
The New York Knicks entered the season with high hopes. It was Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony‘s first full season together, Landry Fields was coming off a very impressive rookie season, and NBA champion Tyson Chandler was brought into the Big Apple to help solidify the front court.
So far, things have not been working out so well for the Knicks. They lost a veteran and key player in Chauncey Billups when they amnestied him, and then brought in Baron Davis to replace him, but Davis has been injured the whole season.
The two young guards, Iman Shumpert and Toney Douglas, have not been playing that well, but Shumpert has been very good on the defensive side of the ball. Both youngsters have been shooting bad from the field and have not met expectations.
Jeremy Lin was another offseason acquisition by the New York Knicks, as the Golden State Warriors did not seem to want him. For most of the season, Lin saw either hardly any playing time or no playing time at all. That was, until the game against New Jersey.
Against New Jersey, Lin shot 10-of-17 from the field and added seven assists along with the impressive 25 points he scored, a career high until the game against the Jazz.
Now, one-game wonders usually happen, but the Knicks management thought he could do it again, as they put him in the starting lineup for the game against the Jazz. Lin proved to be useful again, as he dropped 28 points this time along with two steals and eight assists. The problem with this game, though, was the eight turnovers Lin had.
If it were not for Lin, the Knicks most probably would have lost those two games and had a very bad record of 8-17. He has been helpful in the past couple outings and has saved the Knicks twice already, but now it is time for the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and the rest of the team to show up as well to play some basketball.
Lin has had two great games, and many Knicks fans are hoping there is more left in him, but the big question is: Can he keep it up, or is this all just a fluke?
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Knicks win as Lin picks up ailing ‘Melo (AP)
Mike D’Antoni shook his fists in the air as Jeremy Lin’s clutch shot fell through the net. It wasn’t just the basket that had D’Antoni giddy. It’s the feeling that he’s found the point guard who can get his offense running. “It’s fun, you can actually draw a play up and (say), this might work,” D’Antoni said.
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Knicks’ Stoudemire leaves team after brother’s fatal crash
Officials say the brother of New York Knicks player Amar’e Stoudemire has died in a car crash.
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PG Lin may be new starter for Knicks
The New York Knicks may have a new point guard.
Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said he was leaning toward started second-year player Jeremy Lin after his breakout performance Saturday night.
Lin came off the bench to score a career-high 25 points to go with seven assists and five rebounds to lift the slumping Knicks to a 99-92 victory over the New Jersey Nets.
“Let me watch the Super Bowl and then we’ll figure it out,” D’Antoni said of sorting out the point guard dilemma.
The Knicks have struggled at the point all season. They signed veteran Baron Davis a week before the season, but he is dealing with a bulging disk and is expected back sometime this month.
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Jeremy Lin An Unlikely Hero as Knicks Take Down Nets
When the season began, the Knicks were expected by many to contend at a higher level, potentially chasing a championship.The problem with that expectation is that it may prove difficult for a team (especially any coached by Mike D’Antoni) to chase a title with no true efficient point guard on the roster.The Knicks have tried desperately to find their floor general, with Toney Douglas and Iman Shumpert sharing the most minutes. Douglas, to the dismay of fans everywhere, struggled mightily as a starter, and the jury is still out on whether point guard will be Shumpert’s ideal NBA position.Mike Bibby has also failed to play with any heavy level of consistency, and the bad back of Baron Davis has left the Knicks living on the prayer that he returns soon all season long. Following heartbreaking losses to Bulls and Celtics, it was clear the reeling Knicks sorely needed a pick-me-up victory. Who knew that Coach D’Antoni was going to have to look all the way down his bench to fi…
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NBA Rumors: Firing Mike D’Antoni Is Wrong Move for New York Knicks
The fast-moving NBA season may be passing the New York Knicks by, but firing head coach Mike D’Antoni is not the answer to the team’s issues.
Who two No. 1 players in Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire, D’Antoni has played match maker all season instead of running this basketball team. That’s why they sit at 8-15 right now.
Many people are claiming that the lack of team success is the fault of the coach, but unless he can get on the court himself to spread the ball around or come off the bench to support their lack of depth, he is doing the best he can.
Marc Berman from The New York Post is reporting on the Knicks’ plans for their head coach:
According to NBA sources, D’Antoni will not be fired today despite back-to-back, last-second losses to Chicago and Boston, disputing a report earlier this week. But with the club at 8-15, his job security is in heavy question, and D’Antoni may not be able to afford losing to the Nets tonight in the last game of their back-to-back-to-back set.
Instead of punishing the head coach for not being able to corral both of the egos on his team, New York should be looking to add another piece to make the combination work. They need a facilitator.
Maybe Steve Nash?
There are always talks that the Phoenix Suns may be considering a trade for Nash, but I understand the Knicks have little to nothing to give. If they could pull this move off somehow, though, problem solved.
With D’Antoni, Stoudemire and Nash all working together before, the offense would run without a glitch while fitting in Carmelo Anthony wherever he wants to be. With a passer like Nash, ‘Melo and Amar’e would be able to have 25 points each game.
The bottom line is that without more pieces, it doesn’t matter who is coaching the Kicks because they will lose. It’s rather simple.
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New York Knicks: Is Jeremy Lin the Answer for the Knicks at Point Guard?
When the New York Knicks signed Jeremy Lin this season, it was thought he would just be filling out their bench as one of the minimum salary players New York was forced to sign. But after last night, Lin proved he might be more than just a seat-warmer in the Knicks’ 99-92 win over the New Jersey Nets.
Lin ran the show effectively for New York, posting career highs with 25 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals. He gave the Knicks what they haven’t had all season: a point guard who can dictate the pace of their offense and keep it organized as well.
And he did all that against one of the premier point guards in the league: Deron Williams.
The Harvard grad is getting his chance to play in recent nights because of the three games in a row the Knicks have had to play. Coach Mike D’Antoni is trying not to over-exert his players with the compressed schedule and his bench is becoming more and more necessary as the season goes on.
But while New York waits for the return and eventual debut of Baron Davis, can we possibly consider Lin as the answer at point guard?
At this point, no.
One career day against the Nets and their top point guard isn’t enough to crown the Lin a starting NBA point guard, but it will certainly be enough to open people’s eyes to the fact that Lin has the potential to be one.
That type of thought process could be helped along greatly if he can perform like this against one of the NBA’s elite teams.
With this win over the Nets, he’s gained credibility as a guy who deserves to be here. Lin has earned the right to get more looks in the future considering the Knicks have yet to find the solution at point guard any place else. It’s a “wait and see” approach at this point, but it’s one that coach D’Antoni will be willing to take.
With his back against the wall, D’Antoni’s job might have been saved with the win last night. With all the talent and superstar power New York has on it’s roster, I find it incredible to see that it was Lin who might have saved his job and not one of his more famous teammates, Carmelo Anthony or Amar’e Stoudemire, amongst others.
Lin is quickly becoming a fan favorite because of his small stature and underdog persona that is naturally connected to one of the players who sit at the end of a NBA team’s bench. He will have the support of the Madison Square Garden faithful moving forward.
It just remains to be seen what Lin will actually do with this golden opportunity he’s created for himself. For the sake of the Knicks and their fans, let’s just hope he’s the diamond in the rough New York has been waiting for.
Just stay cautiously optimistic, Knicks fans.
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Nets vs. Knicks: 3 Things We Learned from New Jersey’s 99-92 Loss to New York
In my eyes, this was the battle for New York. The New Jersey Nets had a shot to come out and win tonight. The New York Knicks were reeling and this would be a signature win for New Jersey.
But only some dreams can become realities and this one fell short like an Anthony Morrow shot. I’m bitter. It’s okay. The Nets were neck and neck the whole game and had many chances to ride the bus home with happiness.
They never made use of those chances and watched the game slip away.
But one must always learn from their mistakes and this is what we learned in this 99-92 loss to the New York Knicks.
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Nets vs. Knicks: Jermy Lin Leads Desperate New York to Win over New Jersey
“Je-re-my! Je-re-my! Je-re-my!”
The relentless chants of the jam-packed Madison Square Garden crowd resonated throughout the arena, as the disgruntled fans finally had a reason to cheer.
Coming into Saturday night, the New York Knicks were desperate for a win.
Coach Mike D’Antoni’s job security was shaky, Carmelo Anthony‘s jumper’s been raggedy and Amar’e Stoudemire’s been the focal point of several trade rumors.
But things were bound to change, and from an unlikely source.
Harvard graduate and second-year PG, Jeremy Lin, had career-highs all across the board, putting up 25 points (10-19, 5-7 FT), seven assists, five rebounds and two steals in 36 minutes of play, leading the Knicks to a 99-92 home victory in the third game of a back-to-back-to-back, Saturday night.
Lin entered the game with just over eight minutes remaining in the third quarter and never saw the bench again.
Anthony, who played with a wrist injury, shot a poor 3-of-15 from the field for 11 points, and Stoudemire got into early foul trouble, but it was Lin’s ability to penetrate the lane and finish at the basket that helped the Knicks get a desperately needed victory.
With Lin on the floor, the N.Y. Knicks looked like a completely different basketball team. No longer were they pushing the tempo and taking early, ill-advised shots.
Lin ran the Knicks offense beautifully. He moved the ball around, sliced and diced to get into the lane and even ran the extremely rare pick-and-roll with STAT and Tyson Chandler…successfully!
Even more importantly, Lin only turned the ball over once and held Deron Williams scoreless in the fourth quarter, limiting him to 21 points on 7-of-19 shooting from the field, along with 11 assists.
Jared Jeffries also had his best game of the season, dropping nine points and 11 rebounds, as well as playing physical defense and taking charges when his team needed them.
The New York Knicks (9-15) are still searching for answers, but this kind of production from a bench player is a ray of sunlight on a cloudy day.
While anything done to the Nets defense should be taken with a grain of salt, seeing someone finally step into the limelight that is New York City is a breath of fresh air for Knick fans.
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NBA Trade Deadline: Why the New York Knicks Should Trade for Ramon Sessions
What ails the New York Knicks? They are missing an elite distributor.
Earlier this week, I wrote that New York should trade for Steve Nash. But Nash would be difficult to acquire for two reasons: It would be nearly impossible to match contracts and the Phoenix Suns are still reluctant to deal their franchise icon.
Ramon Sessions would a surprisingly effective second option for New York. Trading for him would be very easy: He costs only $4 million and the Cleveland Cavaliers would likely part with him for only a future pick and cash.
The Knicks are a pitiful 8-15. They have elite offensive weapons in Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire and a star defensive center in Tyson Chandler. But they have no elite distributor, so there is currently no one on the roster who can take the keys to the car and drive New York to the playoffs.
Few NBA fans know of Ramon Sessions, but he is a young, surprisingly effective point guard.
Many die-hard fans consider him the most underrated guard in basketball. Sessions broke out with Cleveland last year and posted an average of 13.3 points, 5.2 assists and three rebounds per game, with an excellent assist-to-turnover ratio while starting only 38 of 81 games.
In those he did start, Sessions was impressive offensively and showed a knack for both penetration and particularly distribution.
He is exactly what the Knicks need: a gifted young passer who can orchestrate Mike D’Antoni’s offensive system and get the ball to Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire.
Sessions is not perfect. Despite his evident offensive skills, teams remain reluctant to commit because he is an atrocious defender.
But in this case, the positives far outweigh the potential problems.
Sessions is large enough to play both guard positions, which means he can play alongside a healthy Baron Davis and make sure the Knicks have an offensive orchestrator when Davis is (inevitably) injured.
The Knicks have plenty of talent but little on-court direction. Acquiring Sessions will give them an offensively gifted point guard who can solve their distribution issues.
At this point, what do they have to lose?
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