By Dan Ferrara, NBA International
35 games – that’s all Jeremy Lin played during his time in New York – but he was a star in the Big Apple within the first week.
The undrafted point guard from Harvard who had been glanced over and cut by so many other teams found a home in the city that never sleeps and shook Madison Square Garden for the first time in nearly a decade.
Lin will always be a legend of New York sports, regardless of how his tenure with the Brooklyn Nets goes. What he did back in the 2011-12 season was just so incredible, reinvigorating a franchise which had languished for so long.
Then just 23 years old, Lin became the first player in NBA history to score 20 points and tally 7 assists in his first four starts. His averages of 14.6 points and 6.2 assists per game during that magical season are still career-highs.
It’s no secret that Lin hasn’t experienced the same success or been the same magnitude of star since leaving New York but … he’s back.
After signing a three-year free agent deal with Brooklyn, Lin is back in the city where it all began, albeit in a different borough. He’s projected to open the season as the team’s starting point guard and will likely be a full-time starter for the first time since he played and started all 82 games for the Houston Rockets in 2012-13.
Lin actually finds himself in a situation where he can thrive – while the Nets aren’t expected to compete for a playoff spot this season, Lin will earn big minutes and dominate the ball, giving him a real opportunity to shine after taking a back seat to Kemba Walker last season in Charlotte. He’s still only 28 years old and hasn’t lost a step – Lin attacked the rim as hard as ever last season, averaging 6.7 drives per game in just over 26 minutes.
There’s probably a certain level of comfort with being back in New York and the expectations won’t be to recreate “Linsanity 2.0,” therefore Lin can just play his game and relish the opportunity. If he does get off to a hot start, however, the Nets fan base which has failed to really assemble and take flight since making the move to Brooklyn could come to life.
In a season in which the bar is being set so low in a clear rebuilding process under new GM Sean Marks, Lin gives Nets fans a reason to watch. He’s a lightning rod, a pillar of popularity who has to ability to explode for 20 points on any given night. In fact, Lin scored 15 or more points off the bench 15 times for the Hornets last season, so doing it regularly as a starter on the Nets this season isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
It will be interesting to see how Lin responds in his first year back in New York since setting the city ablaze with his antics. Weighing his free agent options, Lin felt that this was his best opportunity and he’ll look to make the most of it this season for Brooklyn.
