We need to be honest — the three defenses that Jeremy Lin has carved up as the starting point guard for the Knicks are three terrible defenses. All three are in the bottom 10 in the league in defensive efficiency, and the best one (Utah) has slow bigs who are awful against quick guards — the pick-and-roll ball handler has burned them all season (29th in the league).
But so what?
You have to beat the team in front of you and Lin has done just that. He exploited his opponents’ weaknesses — that is how you win games in the NBA. The fact is Lin has gotten the Knicks three victories in a season where the Knicks drop these kinds of games by playing without passion.
Lin has passion, and that has made him fun to watch. Linsanity has ignited New York.
If you love the game, it’s hard not to have a smile on your face when you watch him play.
He is a cold beer on a hot day to Knicks fans — it doesn’t matter that he’s not a finely brewed, artisanal craft beer; he’s what the Knicks needed right now. He’s the first point guard they have that fits the Mike D’Antoni system. He plays smart and aggressively off the strong high pick that Tyson Chandler sets — Lin has a little Chris Paul-like hesitation off the pick then changes speeds as he gets to the elbow or into the lane. He reads the play incredibly well, and roll guys like Chandler are benefiting. Spot up guys are getting the ball with space and in rhythm.
In basketball circles, people keep expecting teams to figure Lin out soon. Check out this note from Michael Lee of the Washington Post talking about Wizards coach Randy Wittman.After Lin finished with 23 points and a career-high 10 assists, Wizards Coach Randy Wittman had to absorb an equally painful text message from his son, Ryan, who played against Lin for four years in the Ivy League at Cornell.
“He told me that they did a much better job guarding him than we did tonight,” Wittman said with an uncomfortable chuckle. “Makes Dad feel good.”
Lin has been entertaining, but the book on him is growing and he is going to have to grow himself to keep this going. Pretty soon teams are going to go under those picks and give him an outside shot — he is shooting 9 percent from three this season and is not steady outside 16 feat. Lin doesn’t finish well with his left hand, smart teams will force him that way (although how long have we said Lamar Odom and Corey Maggette are one handed and they stuck).
It’s about adjustments and improvements. You see this in baseball — a young pitcher comes up from the minors midseason and has a handful of great games, until hitters have seen him a few times and they adjust and start smacking him around. Then it’s on the pitcher to adjust again.
Soon that will be on Lin. Defenses will adjust. What’s more, he’s going to have to adjust with the team on the floor when Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony return and start taking up possessions and shots.
Friday night against the Lakers is going to be fun — Derek Fisher isn’t going to stop him (or anyone else), but under Mike Brown the Lakers big men have been very aggressive showing out on pick-and-roll ball handlers. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are long and athletic (Gasol is a particularly good big in that situation) so this will be by far Lin’s biggest test.
That’s not to say that the ride is over (after Los Angeles it’s Minnesota then three more teams under .500), just that the road is about to get a lot bumpier.
Fasten your seatbelts Knicks fans, it’s going to be a bumpy night. And those can be the best rides of all.