Jeremy Lin is the Next….
Remember when we’re being force fed updates on whether or not Brett Favre was going to come out of retirement every offseason for about three years in a row?!? First, thank God that’s no longer the case, but more importantly Favre was its own topic on the ticker of ESPN. We were updated on what Wranglers he was wearing. What high school football field he was using to test out his arm. Helicopter aerial footage of the pickup truck he was in on his way to a private jet flying him to an undisclosed location to have a meeting with a team about his potential interest in un-retiring for the umpteenth time! Brett Favre got such attention because of his 16 legendary years in Green Bay. Well, in just a little more than a week, Jeremy Lin is getting his Favre attention! Yes, he’s even become his own topic on the ticker on ESPN!
HoopSmack has caught its fair share of Linsanity. Big China has been campaigning for Jeremy Lin to get his chance since before the start of LAST season. HoopSmack Episode 43 was titled after him since we gave our Lin-put on his play. Tae depicted the secret behind this new Linsanitycraze…. It seems that he’s the talk of every town! There’s even a website dedicated to searching for new “Lin Words” to add to your vocabulary! Don’t think for a second this article will be deprived of its dose of Lin-isms. That would be Lin-sane! Here is some Lin-depth Lin-sight on this profound Lin-derella story!
This shock wave in New York couldn’t have come at a better time for so many reasons! Basketball in general has been terrible in this shortened, compressed season. Perennial stars have struggled to be elite to begin the season (i.e. Dirk Nowitzki, Deron Williams and Amar’e Stoudemire to name a few). Aside from Kobe Bryant’s scoring explosion to begin the season, the Lakers are no longer the daily topic of NBA discussions. What Blake Griffin did to Kendrick Perkins was unbelievable, shoulda been illegal in all 50 states and is the greatest in-game dunk of all-time! But other than that, the 2011-12 season overall has been a snoozer. Then Jeremy Lin got off the couch and now the NBA is sizz-Lin again! I have to admit, the 25pts, seven assist explosion against the Nets on February 4th didn’t move me. I thought to myself, “Carlton Banks… I mean John Lucas III went for 25pts, 8reb & 8ast so what’s the big deal?!?” But since he has been Lin-strumental in bringing people back to the league to see this, for lack of a better term, freak-show! NBA Lin-tellectuals will question how long before Jeremy stops dazz-Lin the crowds. How will this Lin-sation’s new fame be changed once Carmelo Anthony is Lin-corporated back into the line-up! Is he forreal?!? I say, “Yes!”
Lin is emerging in just enough time to be passed the Steve Nash torch. That’s right! I said it! No, I don’t believe that Lin will become a 2-time league MVP… for what it’s worth, I don’t think we’ll see league MVPs with Nash ingredients (20+ ppg & 10+ apg) for a while. But we all know that Nash is very near the end of his career. Phoenix doesn’t like to even talk about it but it’s true. And although there are a plethora of great PGs in this league, there would be a significant void in the flavors of PGs we have in the league. I group them into three major categories: Torpedoes, Enforcers & Maestros.
Torpedoes are the attacking point guards (i.e. Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrooks, etc). They have been around for decades. We saw Isiah Thomas attack in the ‘80s, Kevin Johnson in the ‘90s and Tony Parker in the ‘00s. Now they are even more popular than ever with the recent drafting of John Wall & Kyrie Irving. These point guards excel when they put pressure on the defense by their dribble drive. These guards will always be athletic or at the very least, lightning quick!
Enforcers are the physical point guards (i.e. Deron Williams, Baron Davis, Chauncey Billups, etc). These guards get gritty buckets with their size and strength. Tyreke Evans is built to be an Enforcer but since his rookie season he’s avoided the role. He’s trying too hard to be a Torpedo while the Kings organization is surrounding him with pieces suitable for a Maestro. The emergence of Kyle Lowry this season is a prime example of an up & coming Enforcer. Andre Miller even has the Enforcer trait.
Maestros are the floor generals (i.e. Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, etc). These are the rarest of all the PGs. These guards are able to create…. PERIOD! Their dominance isn’t derived mainly from their athleticism, size or speed. It’s all based on their IQ of the game. Dissecting situations with the ability to adjust on the fly…. Truly gifted mentally as much (if not more) than they are physically. They play off their natural Lin-stincts. Sidenote: Jason Kidd is a Maestro trapped inside an Enforcer’s body.
Lin, like Nash, is a Maestro. I’m sure to many, I’m speaking way too prematurely and I’m being totally disrespectful to the Hall of Famer by even making the comparison. I get it. So let’s put some things into the proper perspective. DIFFERENCES: Nash was a 1st Round pick while Lin went undrafted. Nash has 16 years of NBA experience while Lin in his second season (1st week of real quality NBA experience). Lin is a better defender on & off the ball than Nash ever is, was or will be. Nash has two MVPs and eight All-Star selections under his belt. Lin has the greatest start of any NBA career in the history of the game! Nash will see $11.69M this season while Lin’s salary is merely $762K. SIMILARITIES: They’re both 6’3” guards who are not ultra-athletic. Neither guard hails from a powerhouse collegiate basketball program. Neither guard made a huge splash in their rookie seasons. They both are most dangerous off the dribble, especially off a pick-and-roll with exceptional vision. They’re a scoring threat whether it be shooting or slashing and they both are fearless with dribbling (under complete control) into the paint. They have the same style of play. Check out these highlights!
Who knows?!? Maybe I’m way off base. Maybe I’m completely wrong and have completely bought into the social media adrena-Lin like millions across the globe. It could be just another fad but regardless Jeremy Lin has made a stamp on more than just the game of basketball. He’s Lin-pacted many to believe the unbelievable. He’s given people permission to dream again. His story provides hope for all with ambition. This is starting to sound like a 2012 Presidential campaign…. This kid is a student of the game so I’m fully confident he’ll stick around for a while in this league. Jeremy, thank you for Lin-ergizing the dead New York Knicks! All the attention you’re getting but shunning it well deserved! Ha, I got in 15 Lin-isms in one article…. BEAT THAT SHAQ!!!
