Social networking and sports news sites alike have created hundreds of nicknames for the New York Knicks' new sensation Jeremy Lin since he was added to their starting lineup Feb. 6. Tonight his newly discovered talent will be tested against the Miami Heat.
The Jeremy Lin underdog story has graced headlines across national, local, and sports news. Grantland, the holy grail of sports blog websites, posted about Lin as a person of interest. The "Linsanity" trend is on the rise after stunning performances by the point guard to bring the Knicks to a 9-2 record since Feb. 4.
The season had a rough start for the Knicks, finding a starting point guard in Baron Davis who is only averaging 3.5 assists and two points per game this season. The team is starting to recover thanks to Lin. In a stark contrast to Davis, Lin is averaging 5.9 assists and 14.8 points per game. It's truly astounding that those stats are including the 21 games in which he played less than ten minutes, 13 of which he had zero minutes on the court.
When you adjust the numbers to only include the past 11 games, Lin is averaging 38 minutes, 4.1 rebounds, 9.2 assists, only 5.5 turnovers and an astounding 23.9 points per game. The real challenge Lin faces is going up against Miami Heat small forward Lebron James, the number one rated NBA player in efficiency. This season James is averaging 8.1 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 3.7 turnovers and 27.6 points per game and shooting 55% from field goal range and 41% from beyond the arc.
The battle on the court tonight will be one to keep fans on the edge of their seat. The game is shaping up to be reminiscent of the fierce days of the Heat-Knicks rivalry. To give an idea of the heightened anticipation, the average ticket price for the game tonight is $612.23 compared to $43 for the average ticket to the Jan. 7 match-up. If there's one thing that can't be countered, it's that Linsanity is good for business.
We can't forget about the other stars who are sure to show up strong tonight. Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh will be rounding out the Big 3 for Miami, as always. They also have developed depth at the point guard position with Mario Chalmers and rookie Norris Cole. This is depth that Lin may have trouble keeping up with.
The pressure is also on Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire to bring their best tonight, especially after such poor performance in the beginning of the season and both only having recently returned from leaves of absence.
The final word is that the Heat will have an edge in the game. The Big 3 haven't missed a beat. The team is like a well-oiled machine while the Knicks are still adjusting to the Stoudemire-Anthony-Lin dynamic. The Heat will pull it out not necessarily due to a talent advantage but rather a rehearsed cohesive style of play.
Baron Davis stats
Jeremy Lin stats
Lebron James stats
Quantifying Knicks vs. Heat
Person of Interest: Jeremy Lin
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