Jeremy Lin Sparks Huge Win Over Knicks

Jeremy Lin’s 26 points spark a much-needed victory for the Charlotte Hornets.

It’s no secret that it’s been an up and down season for Jeremy Lin and the Charlotte Hornets. Coming into Saturday night’s game against the New York Knicks, Lin was averaging 12.1 points, three assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game on 42.9 percent shooting and an underwhelming 31.2 percent from three-point range.

Those numbers aren’t bad, and Lin has been a positive addition to the Hornets organization, but they’re not quite what he was hoping for during a season when he is attempting to raise his stock for the free agency bonanza next summer. Lin has been a fine player for Charlotte, but not a consistent difference maker.

However, that’s not all Lin’s fault. He’s suffered through his fair share of adversity this season. He’s had to deal with injury issues and, most importantly, fitting in with a new team.

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It’s been obvious to anyone that’s watched the Hornets a significant amount this season that Lin has been forced to play a large portion of his minutes at shooting guard rather than point guard where he is most comfortable. It’s also obvious that shooting guard is not his best position.

Lin is best when he has the ball in his hands and he is allowed to run the offense as he pleases. That means frequent pick and rolls that lead to looks at the rim for Lin and open shots for his teammates. When the Hornets signed Lin that seemed to be exactly what his role would be.

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Lin would come off the bench and lead the second unit when Kemba Walker would leave the game. Essentially he’d be the most over-qualified backup point guard in the NBA and give the Hornets an absolutely deadly bench rotation. Unfortunately, things haven’t always worked out like that this season.

Injuries to Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lamb have meant that Lin has had to play big minutes at shooting guard alongside of Walker.

Lin and Walker had shared the court for 643 minutes coming into Saturday’s game, the highest two-man combination on the Hornets roster. Two point guards and one ball isn’t always the best recipe for success and the pairing is only plus-0.5 points per 100 possessions this season.

Walker has had a career-best season and could even be an All-Star, but Lin hasn’t had the same type of success. Learning to play without the ball is not easy when you’re used to being a ball dominant playmaker.

Even with the inconsistent play Lin has stayed the consummate professional and high character person he’s always been. Effort has never been an issue, he never appears to be giving less than 100 percent on the court, and even when he is struggling, his support and enthusiasm for his teammates has never wavered.

Saturday night against the New York Knicks, Lin showed just how good he can be when he’s allowed to play his ball-dominant, rim-attacking style. With Walker (and most of the Hornets) struggling to shoot, Lin took hold of the Hornets offense leading them to a 97-84 over the Knicks.

Lin shot 7-for-17 from the field, finishing the game with 26 points, five rebounds, and five assists. His dribble penetration created open shots for Charlotte all night (they made nine three-pointers) and also got Lin to the free-throw line frequently.

Lin shot 10-for-10 from the line and finished with a plus/minus rating of plus-23, best on the team. Walker added 26 points to match Lin, but it came on 7-for-25 shooting. P.J. Hairston added 20 points of his own in the best game of his short career. The Hornets shot only 34.1 percent as team, so Lin’s efficiency and trips to the free-throw line were extremely important.

The win brings Charlotte to 21-23, inching ever closer to a .500 winning percentage. They’re still very much in the playoff hunt thanks to the bottom of the Eastern Conference falling back to earth in the last month.

Perhaps this is the performance that sparks Lin moving forward. Leading the Hornets to a win over the organization where he jump started his career has to be meaningful. Especially after how poorly things ended with New York.

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If the Hornets are going to start stringing together wins and make a push for the playoffs, Lin is going to have to be a huge part of that. With all the injuries plaguing the the team, Lin is clearly Charlotte’s second-best player at the moment. Until Batum returns, Lin’s role in the offense needs to mirror this performance against the Knicks.

He’s the type of scorer that can change the game when he gets hot and the type of passer that makes the game easier for his teammates. The only other players on the Hornets roster that can do that are Walker and the currently hobbled Batum.

Saturday night was a perfect example of how Walker and Lin should play together, taking turns as the primary ball-handler rather than forcing Lin to stand in the corner and watch Kemba do all the work. More time with Lin at the point will take some of the burden off of Walker’ he’s been Charlotte’s entire offense lately, posting games with 52 and 40 points in the last week.

Those type of performances are unsustainable in the long term; he needs help. Common sense suggests it will also lead to more catch and shoot opportunities for him, which can only be a good thing. Walker is shooting 45.4 percent on catch and shoots this season. Easy buckets are good buckets.

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Lin’s pick and roll brilliance is a nice counterbalance to Walker’s isolation heavy attack. It doesn’t have to be Lin vs. Walker for ball-handler supremacy if they can learn to coexist and share those duties. It looks like that’s starting to happen and the Hornets will be better for it.