Put Him Lin, Coach

A Harvard-educated Asian-American has been making an impact for an NBA franchise - not as an executive, but as a player. Undrafted second-year guard Jeremy Lin, plucked off of waivers from Houston has become a big deal in the Big Apple, navigating the nicked-up Knicks to three straight wins, two without Carmelo and Amare. He's put the 'lin' in "linchpin," holding the team together in a turbulent time, while providing jaded Knicks fans something to be jubilant about. 25 points and 7 assists off the bench against the Nets was enough to earn him a start and Lin responded with an even better effort: 28 and 8. Since third time's the charm, Lin then went toe-to-toe with last year's number one overall pick, John Wall, and posted a double-double, with 23 and 10. Lin's shot selection was savvier than Wall's (9-14, compared to 12-21), so maybe he deserves his own dance - although he does have a special, scholarly handshake with Landry Fields.

Mike D'Antoni, who admitted he was "afraid" to play Lin, is on the hot seat, so he might as well stick with the hot hand, making sure to shake it as thanks, should it save his job. "I'm riding him like Secretariat," D'Antoni said after Lin's first start. There you have it, straight from the horse's mouth. Lin's already joined the lofty likes of LeBron, in becoming the lone player since King James in 2003 to score 20-plus points and dish out 8 or more assists in his first two starts.
In a word, he's been Lincredible.

It's been a wild, wonderful week for Lin and it'll be capped by a prime time national showcase at home against the Lakers. His highest scoring game as a rookie (13 points) with Golden State came against the Lakers and his matchup is favorable, as should have no trouble flying by the fossil known as Derek Fisher or breaking down backup Steve Blake. So, "Linsanity," as his ascent has been dubbed, should Lin-ger.

Lin is living out his dream - except the whole crashing on his brother's couch part - and in case your dream is to attend his alma mater, he's helpfully produced a guide to gaining acceptance. We always suspected our small spectacles were holding us back. Thanks for reminding us the path to success isn't always a Lin-ear one.