The Knicks are inching closer to the playoffs but they will have to continue to do it without Lin.
The Knicks are inching closer to the playoffs but they will have to continue to do it without Lin. The New York Knicks have looked like a team that has been on a mission to end the season the right way, by making the postseason. Carmelo Anthony has stepped up big lately which is a good sign since his normal all-star stats have been missed dearly these past couple weeks. It seems as if Anthony is starting to take things a bit more personally and he is really picking his game up. In the Knicks last game against the Bulls, Anthony had 43 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block including the game tying shot at the end of regulation and then the game winning 3 pointer at the end of overtime.
Besides Anthony’s stellar play of late, the biggest headline that might be coming out of New York is still centered around Jeremy Lin. The one who is responsible for bringing Linsanity to the world has been sidelined for the past few games because of a knee injury. He even went as far as to say that he will not be able to able to participate in the first round of the playoffs if the Knicks happen to qualify for it. Is this a crushing blow for the Knicks now that their point guard is out? Or does it just mean that someone else will have to step in once again for this Knicks team?
Jeremy Lin is no doubt the savior of the New York Knicks this season but is his absence really a big deal for the Knicks? Since Lin’s massive eruption to the NBA, he is averaged below 15 points a game and his assist numbers have been reduced to a mere 5 a game. He is still their floor general on the floor but there is another young gun who has taken some of the pressure off of the starting point guard role. His name is Iman Shumpert and he has been producing numbers across the board.
Iman Shumpert is a rookie who has had limited minutes throughout the season where he has shown signs of emergence every now and again but has not stayed consistent. With the injury to Lin, Shumpert has been able to get quality minutes and has worked that to his advantage. He has gotten his numbers up around 10 points a game with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and almost 3 steals a game. Now I know this may not seem like huge numbers, but the way he has worked his way back into the 8 man rotation has really provided a spark for this Knicks backcourt. As I said earlier, he is known to be inconsistent which isn’t necessarily a bad thing because for a back to back game stretch he erupted for 25 points.
The New York Knicks have found a solid two man rotation at the point guard spot but because of injuries there is a reason for Knicks fans to be weary. With the postseason approaching quickly and the Knicks only holding a half game lead for the 8th spot in the East, The Lin injury could be worse case scenario. If the Knicks hold onto their 8th spot in the East they will most likely be going up against the Chicago Bulls who have the league’s best point guard in Derrick Rose. Without a healthy Lin, the Knicks could find trouble slowing down Rose and the strong willed Bulls team. This means that Shumpert will have to take over and have to contain Rose to a reasonable amount of points. I have seen crazy things but you never know what can happen. That’s why they play the game, folks.
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