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New York Knicks: Jeremy Lin The Ideal Backup To Derrick Rose

By Maxwell Ogden

Nov 13, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) dribbles the ball against Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin (7) during the second quarter at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 13, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) dribbles the ball against Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin (7) during the second quarter at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 29, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin (7) defends Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) during the first half in game six of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 29, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin (7) defends Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) during the first half in game six of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Team Defense

During his tenure with the New York Knicks, one of the primary knocks on Jeremy Lin was that he was inconsistent defensively. He wasn’t a turnstile, per se, but he wasn’t much better than one during the stretch of Linsanity.

In 2015-16, Lin established himself as one of the better team defenders at his position.

The Charlotte Hornets finished the 2015-16 regular season with a defensive rating of 100.4 when Lin was on the court. That number plummeted to 103.3 when Lin came off the floor, which made for a difference of 2.9 points allowed per 100 possessions.

That above-average defensive value would be of great aid to a Knicks team that needs to improve its perimeter defense..

Individually, Lin held opponents to 41.7 percent shooting from the field. He fared especially well against slashing scorers, as he forced a drop-off of 4.2 percent from the opposition’s average field goal percentage on shots from six feet and within.

Lin may never make an All-Defensive Team in his NBA career, but he’s a genuine asset—and nowhere near a defensive liability.

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