Oh, The Lin-Sanity!

If Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin wanted to disappear right now, hop on the next flight to anywhere and never be heard from again, his sports legacy would still cast a mammoth shadow. Seriously, it can't get much better than this.


Lin is off to the best scoring start (109 points) to a career of any player since the 1976 NBA/ABA merger. Allen Iverson has the old mark of 101. He's fueled five straight wins for the Knicks, the last four as a member of the starting lineup. He's put together five straight performances that not only woke up the fan base, but five straight hair-raising showcases that rattled the basketball world to its foundation, if only because it proved that in this day and age of advanced statistics, where scouts have scorched the earth looking for the next big thing, Lin has turned out to be a genuine find. 

Jeremy Lin

The fact that he was mere hours away from being released by the Knicks (seriously, the coaching staff actually discussed it) before fate intervened and pushed him into the starting lineup, makes the story more Hollywood than Broadway.
How long the magic ride lasts is anyone's guess. Many presumed it would come crashing to an end Friday night with the Los Angeles Lakers in town and Kobe Bryant ready to stomp through the Lin parade. A career-high 38 points and seven assists later, it was clear that Lin is here to stay a little longer. Saturday it continued. Even on a brutal shooting night (1-12 after halftime), he found a way to outshine Timberwolves rookie phenom Ricky Rubio, sinking the game-clinching free throw with 4.6 seconds left.


Now, I realize the haters out there are going to pounce about his 4.6 turnovers per game and terrible 3 point shooting percentage (17%), but if you can't understand Lin's journey as the first Asian American player to ever play in the NBA and as a graduate from Harvard, you're not paying attention as to why his current tear is resonating so much.

The Surprising Sixers

The Philadelphia 76ers have been a joke around the NBA for a number of years now. Yes, they've made the playoffs a couple of times here and there, but since the departure of Allen Iverson in 2006, the team has been downright lousy and not considered much of a threat throughout the league. Heck, Allen Iverson was having issues with the team back in 2003 before he was eventually took his talents to Denver.

This season though, things have seemed to turn around at the Wells Fargo Arena. Where the team lacks a true superstar, they make up with youth and athleticism. A condensed 66 game schedule is like music to the ears of 76ers fans. For many older teams, such as Boston, San Antonio, and Dallas, this condensed schedule is going to result in a great deal of limping and groaning. The 76ers are one of the youngest teams in the NBA and their 14-6 record is showing it. Over a quarter of the way through the season, Philly is on top of the Atlantic Division (by far) and have yet to have any serious injuries to their team.