By JOSH NEWMAN
Special to ZAGSBLOG
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Once the Knicks staved off a playoff sweep at the hands of the Miami Heat in Game 4 on Sunday and forced the series back to South Beach for Game 5 on Wednesday, speculation ensued immediately on whether or not Jeremy Lin would play.
Out since March 24 with a slightly torn left meniscus for which he had surgery April 2, it seemed like a long shot from the moment it was mentioned after the final buzzer on Sunday. Lin did not play in Game 5, the Knicks were eliminated and Lin was left to talk about exactly where his health is, as well as his future, on Thursday afternoon at the MSG Training Facility.
“I wasn’t 100 percent, meaning I wasn’t 100 percent able to play 5-on-5. That’s my biggest concern right now. I still can’t jump and touch the rim, I still can’t defend, I have yet to play 5-on-5 or 4-on-4,” Lin said. “So the next two or three weeks I want to rest, get my stuff, get my soreness in my knee, get it all out and hopefully I can jump again and move.”
It seems pretty clear Lin would have been of little help in Game 5, especially given the fact he had no answer for the Heat on two good legs right before the All-Star break when he went 1-for-11 from the field while finishing with eight points and eight turnovers.
All of this is a moot point however. The season is over for the Knicks and Lin, who is about to embark on easily the most important summer of his basketball life.
Lin will be a restricted free agent this summer, and after his strong play while healthy turned him into a worldwide phenomenon, he is in prime position to cash in from the Knicks or another suitor. Salary cap space for the Knicks is a problem, but they do have the full $5 million mid-level exception at their disposal.
Point guard is the biggest hole General Manager Glen Grunwald needs to fill and Lin would obviously fill it. The question is, is he worth the full mid-level exception coming off injury with a small number of starts on his resume? Furthermore, can he be an 82-game starter at the point?
“It’s all up in the air. In my short time in the league, I’ve had tougher things to deal with. So this is my biggest fear, is coming back to whatever team I play for next season and being as good,” Lin said. “I need to be a lot better. I need to make sure I’m a lot better, a lot healthier, and that’s my focus for the offseason. Once training camp starts, wherever I’m at, I’m all about trying to make that team better.”
Lin left the door wide open in terms of where he’ll play next season, but his interim head coach sang a very different tune on Thursday. Interim coach Mike Woodson said Lin would absolutely be back, but would not commit to Lin as his starter for next season.
With that, the Knicks have been linked to Phoenix Suns free agent-to-be Steve Nash, but the two-time league MVP would likely be leaving a lot of money on the table to come to the Knicks. In addition, if Nash is willing to leave money on the table, the Heat will also be in the market for a point guard. Nash, who spends part of his summer in SoHo, will be looking for a multi-year commitment and proved this season he can still play at an elite level as he turned 38 years old.
“It’s up to management who they bring back for the New York Knicks and it’s up to me to become as great a player as I can be,” Lin said.
If Lin gets healthy sooner than later, it’s possible that he could be asked to play for the Team USA select team that will scrimmage with the Olympic team this summer. The Team USA select squad is made up of NBA and college players not included in the Olympic player pool. John Wall is already confirmed for the select team, while presumptive Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving and DeMarcus Cousins are expected to play as well.
Team USA select generally acts as a springboard for players in terms of future USA Basketball consideration for the Olympics and World Championships
“If they ask me, I’d definitely love to do it,” Lin said.
The USA National Team, which needs to be trimmed to 12 players by July 8, opens training camp on July 6 at UNLV.
