Old-School Woodson working magic with Knicks!

If you’re an old-school kind of hoops guy, then you’ve got to love the way respected head coach Mike Woodson teaches the game. First and foremost, Woodson is a defense-first coach that learned much of what he knows from the legendary Larry Brown.

Woodson also knows that in order to win in the NBA, that he has to lean on his best players on offense. While Woodson was never able to get the Atlanta Hawks over the proverbial postseason hump, things could turn out much different for him in the Big Apple – if either Phil Jackson or John Calipari don’t come calling!

Eye On Sports NBA hoops fans speak on Jeremy Lin!

New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin.

Okay Eye On Sports hoops fans, I’ve got the results from last month’s poll on ‘How many teams could Jeremy Lin start for’ and needless to say, they were a bit eye-opening to say the least.

First, let’s take a look at the results.

Poll Results

1-5 teams (45) 40%

6-10 teams (26) 23%

11-15 teams (14) 12%

16-20 teams (8) 7%

21 or more teams (19) 16%

112 Total Votes

Okay NBA hardwood lovers, in 112 total votes, a whopping 45 respondents believe Lin could start for just 1-5 NBA teams while a solid 26 percent believe he could lead the way for 6-10 teams.

Now, while jut 14 voters picked the 11-15 teams category and a miniscule eight voters picked 16-20 teams, Eye On Sports was surprised to see 19 voters select 21 or more teams Lin could start for.

After careful consideration, I came up with a total of nine teams that Lin could very easily start for right now. Numerous teams either had veteran point guard that are just better than Lin, (CP3, D-Rose, D-Will) others had their own blossoming floor leaders I believe are just as good as Lin or will be in the very near future (Jrue Holiday, Ricky Rubio, Kyrie Erving).

Still, nine is a fair number, so count me in with the other 26 voters that picked 6-10 teams.

Thanks for voting everyone and be on the lookout for the next Eye On Sports poll!

Lin, Knicks in like Flynn again!

Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks 

are back to playing solid basketball since 

former head coach Mike D'Antonio resigned.

Jeremy Lin and the resurgent New York Knicks are back in the national spotlight after ripping off three consecutive wins since veteran head coach Mike Woodson replaced former leader Mike D’Antoni just over a week ago.

I know that a modest trio of wins isn’t saying much, but New York looks like a totally different team than the one that went belly up in D’Antoni’s final days – and Lin has responded as well.

I back-to-back games against Indiana, Lin scored 32 total points on 9-for-17 shooting from the field while dishing out 11 assists – and more importantly – committing just five turnovers

For the season, Lin is averaging a fine, 14.7 points and 6.3 assists per game while shooting an impressive 45.5 percent from the field. Whether you love Lin, like most everyone on the planet – or don’t care for him very much, like the idiotic Floyd Mayweather – one thing is now crystal clear NBA hoops fans … Jeremy Lin is undoubtedly legitimate – and has as much potential as any young floor leader in the game today. 

Federer weighs in on Lin

Career grand slam leader
Roger Federer likes Jeremy Lin.

Well, since every professional athlete on the face of the planet these days seems t have an opinion on New York’s Knicks overnight sensation, Jemery Lin, I guess no one should be shocked that all-time career grand slam leader Roger Federer, a huge hoops fan, has his own thoughts on the overlooked Lin.

The likable Lin has made fans worldwide.

On a conference call with reporters last Thursday to promote a March 5 exhibition against Andy Roddick at Madison Square Garden, Federer said he's "heard a bit about" Lin before adding these thoughts.

“It's quite an incredible story, actually, and I hope he can come to the exhibition,” Federer said. [Lin is] "why, I think, we all follow sports -- because of great stories like this," when "all of a sudden, someone breaks through that you didn't know or didn't expect."

Prime time players? Not just yet!

Jeremy Lin and the Knicks
have something to build on.

While the New York Knicks have some solid pieces to build on as they prepare for the second half of the regular season, it’s pretty clear from where I’m sitting that the still-evolving Knicks are not in the same elite class as the Miami heat and Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference. Yes, the Knicks will make a playoff appearance this season and they could very well pull off an upset or two. However, there is no way New York gets by either Chicago or Miami in the postseason. 

What are your thoughts on how the Knicks will fare for the remainder of the season? Sound off in the comments section.

ESPN’s Stephen Smith puts the ‘A’ in ass!

Stephen A. Smith voices his
opinion, but some say, too much.

I’ve never been the type of person – or writer – to hold back exactly how I feel on any particular subject and Lord knows I’ve got some absolutely unadulterated thoughts floating around in the old noggin’ this morning.

Let me start by saying that ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith is a s**t-talking, know-it-all jackass of epic proportions (even more than me).

While I do like Smith’s tell-it-like-it-is style, I often get tired of hearing the loudmouth’s often ‘holier than thou’ tones cascading down on whomever he puts in his crosshairs on any given day.

In the case of Jeremy Lin, Smith actually seemed to take some enjoyment out of the fact that the rookie struggled mightily in going 1-for-11 from the field against LeBron James and the Heat last week.

Smith’s often overly aggressive style is grating on the ears and generally makes him come off like know-it-all jackass! Then again, maybe I shouldn’t be ripping on my media colleague so hard, but hearing him defend a jerk like Allen Iverson for years – while quickly ripping on the young Lin just weeks into his new role as a starting NBA point guard, just makes me sick to my stomach.


What are your thoughts on Smith and his outspoken style? Sound off in the comments section.

Lin learns lesson

Knicks point guard
Jeremy Lin has a very bright future.

You know, I suspected a lot of haters (like the idiotic Stephen A. Smith) would come out and ‘hate’ on New York Knicks young point guard Jeremy Lin after his 1-for-11, eight-point, eight-turnover performance against the Miami Heat last Thursday, but the fact of the matter is that Lin has already established himself as one of the best young floor leaders in the game today – and one that many teams now wish they had as their own floor leader.

Yes, Lin got embarrassed on several occasions, but nevertheless, he can clearly play the game and has as bright a future as any young point guard in the game today. Just think about it … how many teams have starting point guards that you’d replace with Lin.

What are your thoughts on Jeremy Lin? Vote on how many teams Lin could start for right now. Sound off in the comments section and have a great sports-filled day!

Lin’s lovin’ the Lord too!

New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin.

From the late, great Reggie White and retired NFL superstar Kurt Warner to Denver Broncos polarizing quarterback Tim Tebow and now, New York Knicks impressive point guard Jeremy Lin, I’ve got to say, it’s a wonderful thing to see athletes profess their love of the Lord in front of millions of viewers.

While some sports fans don’t like to mix religion with their sports, I believe that only a fool can – and would – try to separate the two!

Why?

Because, first and foremost, the two have been, almost forever linked. Secondly, God is in everything we do – whether some folks agree with that fact or not.

Late, great NFL Hall
of Fame legend Reggie White.

Why else do you think prayer has always been a part of sports teams pre-game rituals, mostly, football, since the inception of the sport?

Having said that, I just want to say that it’s an awesome thing to know that Lin has joined Tebow and that young people all over the globe will want to become better people whether they practice Christianity or another religion of their choice.

To know that Tebow received a lot of backlash – and in some cases – outright hatred – because of his penchant for professing his love for the Lord, is a saddening fact of life today.

Former NFL
superstar Kurt Warner.

However, outnumbering Tebow’s detractors were a contingent of supporters like me, that praised him for living an exemplary lifestyle and being an upstanding role model for young people everywhere.

While Lin has now opened himself up to criticism from sports fans that like to keep religion and their beloved pastime separate, he’s also won over a huge following of like-minded Christians that are sick and tired of seeing today’s plethora of penitentiary-bound performers, no matter the sport.

After Lin lit up Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers with a career-high 38 points on Friday night' he told reporters after the game, "I just give all the praise to God."

At the start of the New Year, Lin’s facebook said that his resolution is to "love God more deeply and intimately by Dec 31 than I did on Jan 1."

On Twitter, Lin also said, "to know Him is to want to know Him more."

Last year, as a member of the Golden State Warriors Lin testified at River of Life Christian Church  that he considers everything in his life – including his coaches, his "tall" genes (6'3) and opportunities given to play – blessings from God.

"I look back and I realize these are His fingerprints all over my story," he said. "I realize I had to learn ... to stop chasing the perishable prizes of this earth ... and give my best effort unto God and trust Him with the results."

Say what you like about the sensational Jeremy Lin, but clearly this young man is being used to tell a story that only God could tell – and I’m enjoying the show as long as it’s running!

Lin and Notrious B.I.G. Forever ‘Lin-ked’ Together in Infamy!

The late, great Christopher Wallace, more widely knows as the Notorious B.I.G.

Okay Eye On Sports, I know you’re probably wondering what the hell Jeremy Lin and the late Christopher ‘Notorious B.I.G.’ Wallace have in common.

Well, for some strange reason, the more I thought about Lin’s fantastic play for the Knicks recently, the more I kept thinking about these famous lyrics from one of the greatest rap artists of all-time.

It was all a dream
I used to read Word Up magazine
Salt'n'Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine 

I'm blowin' up like you thought I would
Call the crib, same number same hood
It's all good 

 - Notorious B.I.G.

Okay, Jeremy Lin, Eye On Sports sees you've
got your Michael Jordan tongue-wag down cold!

Not only is Lin ‘blowin up’ like crazy these days, but he’s also got Twitter blowin’ up in a big way as everyone from NBA players to NFL players and celebrities weight in on the player that took the league by storm this season – and deservedly so.

"Jeremy 'Kobe Wuz Smokin'
But I Wasn't Joke-'Lin.
Tonight Was NO FLUKE. I Seen It Wit' My Own 4 EYES.
JLin Is LEGIT.NBA DEAL WITH IT.YA-DIG???" --
Filmmaker and Knicks fan Spike Lee
on Jeremy Lin, via Twitter

Here’s what people are saying about the league's first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent.

"I don't want to leave this game.....dude Jeremy Lin!! OMGGGGGGGG man I dnt wana go to shootaround" -- Sparks forward Candace Parker

  

"Incredibly special to sit courtside tonight and witness the emergence of a New York Knick star - Jeremy Lin." --  WWE Star and action star - Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

"I'm so blessed to be an athlete in this town. Man this is #LINsanity" -- Giants defensive end Justin Tuck

"OMG!!!!!! Jeremy Lin is putting on a show!!!!! This is a Great Story, the man was sleepin on his teammates couch! now MSG is chanting M-V-P!" -- Suns forward Jared Dudley

"Jeremy Lin is killing right now, I'm always rooting for the underdogs" -- Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay

"In a bar in Tarrytown, everyone cheering for Jeremy Lin. I've never seen anything like it. #Lin-tastic. -- NFL broadcaster Boomer Esiason

Steve Nash Agrees, Jeremy Lin Is Legit!

Two-time league MVP and future 

Hall of Famer, Steve Nash 

believes Jeremy Lin is legit - 

and Eye On Sports agrees.

Just a couple of days ago, I said New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin was very Steve Nash-like in his play before going on to say that he’s a legitimate starter.

Well, apparently, Nash himself aggress with yours truly Eye On Sports readers!

The Phoenix Suns’ two-time league MVP and future Hall of Famer, went on record on Wednesday to share his two cents on the league’s most surprising sensation, via Twitter.

Eye On Sports says
Jeremy Lin is one heady player!

"Every team in the league runs pick-and-rolls, so I don't see why you would discredit what he's done or qualify it," Nash said of Lin, who is averaging a whopping 26.8 points and eight assists during New York's five-game winning streak. "I think he's been outstanding regardless."

On Wednesday, Nash posted the following on Twitter.

"If you love sports, you have to love what Jeremy Lin is doing. Getting an opportunity and exploding!!"

It’s nice to hear an elite player not feel threatened or jealous by someone else’s success while going on record to actually give the young man some praise – but then again, that’s why he’s the beloved Steve Nash!

No Diggity, No Doubt! …Lin Is Legit!

No Diggity, No Doubt!
Eye On Sports says Jeremy Lin is for real!

Maybe it’s me, but I’m just about fed up with all of the Jeremy Lin haters just licking their chops in anticipation of a bad game or two by ‘overnight’ superstar Jeremy Lin, the team’s new starting point guard.

That’s right Eye On Sports readers, I can’t tell you how many people I’ve heard from that believe Lin will ultimately turn out to be nothing more than a flash in the pan. The saddest part though is that I swear most of the negativity directed towards Lin is mostly because of his Asian heritage.

I like Lin a lot and I believe he is legitimate after seeing him play in all four of New York’s games the last week. First of all, not only is he a solid 6-3 which is great height for a point guard, but he’s also a very good shooter with three-point capability.

Second – and most important – is the fact that Lin makes the game a lot easier for his teammates simply by being a heady player. I love the way he easily navigates into the lane and makes plays for others if the lane gets shut down – or himself – if no defender comes to help on his penetration.

Lin plays the game a lot like Steve Nash if you ask me, though he’s clearly got a long way to go if he ever wants to come close to duplicating what the future Hall of Famer has done on his marvelous career.

Like him or not, at this point, get used to the idea of seeing a lot of Jeremy Lin because I genuinely believe that he’s is going to be a starting point guard in the NBA for years to come. 

Lin the New Nash?

The New York Knicks
have apparently found a legitimate
floor leader in unsung reserve Jeremy Lin.

Okay, this Jermy Lin thing is getting a bit crazy NBA followers.

But guess what?

I think he’s for real … very for real!

Steve Nash ran Mike D'Antoni's
up-tempo system to perfection for  years.

In his first two career starts, Lin scored 25 and 28 points against the Nets and Jazz before dropping 23 on the road at Washington on Wednesday night. Lin, has shown an uncanny ability to make his Knicks teammates better in Mike D’Antoni’s up-tempo offense, much like another point guard that played for D’Antoni – Steve Nash.

Now, I’m certainly not going to say that Lin is in the same league as Nash – or that he will even come close to achieving the same level of superstardom that the former two-time MVP has in his illustrious career.

However, what I am saying is that Lin clearly has some special talents like Nash in the fact that he makes the game a lot easier for himself and his teammates – and in the end – isn’t that what a point guard is supposed to do?

In Like … Lin … Again?

Unsung point guard Jeremy Lin takes
center stage for the struggling Knicks!

Forget the old saying, ‘In like Flynn’. The age-old saying now goes like this … ‘In like Lin’ – as in Jeremy Lin!

I always say, one man’s trash is apparently another man’s treasure – in addition to my long-standing belief that many coaches in nearly every sport have hidden gems on their own respective rosters but are often too narrow-minded to give their reserves a legitimate chance to shine.

Take New York Knicks’ clearly gifted point guard Jeremy Lin for instance. The former Harvard star is clearly a bright guy off the court – and his on court play has been equally brilliant for the Knicks recently, but apparently it took flat-out desperation for the Knicks to give Lin a real chance – after the Golden State Warriors declined to bring back the ‘unearthed gem’ after having him on their roster for 29 games last season.

Lin sat on the bench all season long for the Knicks and even made a brief three-day stint with the team’s Development League affiliate, the Erie Bayhawks.

"At times it did cross my mind … maybe I might not get a chance," Lin recently told reporters.

Well, now that opportunity has knocked for Lin, the Knicks may find themselves as the seriously lucky recipient of a legitimate starting point guard.

The 23-year-old Californian got his chance after reportedly beating the hell out of New York’s point guard, including Baron Davis, in practice all season.

"He has been breaking down guys in practice for a while now," Tyson Chandler said. "We were saying at halftime he just needs to play more minutes." 

Knicks reserve point guard
Jeremy Lin  could see a lot more court time in the foreseeable future. 

On Saturday night, Lin led New York to a 99-92 win over New jersey by scoring a career-high 25 points and dishing out seven assists while outplaying Nets point guard Deron Williams for major stretches of the game.

On Monday night, Lin was back at work, setting another career mark in scoring a team high 28 points while dishing out eight assists to lead the Knicks to an impressive 99-88 win over the Utah Jazz.

You know what’s funny Eye On Sports NBA lovers, I’m wondering what the Knicks are going to do with Baron Davis once the veteran is ready to play, particularly seeing as how Lin has been beating him badly in practice recently.

"The biggest thing is, he's got a point guard mentality,” Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni said recently.

Hell, even the embattled head coach, is suddenly seeing the light when it comes to his young floor leader.

"Let me go home and digest this a little bit, but obviously we're going back to the well," D'Antoni said. "He can give us something that we can't do without."