No regrets about Jeremy Lin, just joy

No regrets about Jeremy Lin, just joy
He has flair, he's a rising star, he's the talk of the NBA and, yes, he was a Warrior. But it's time to cancel all regrets about Jeremy Lin. Better to celebrate the young man's remarkably good fortune.

For one thing, if the Warriors or their fans are suddenly all ticked off about a backup point guard, they've lost all sense of reason. The Warriors' top three needs, in no particular order, are known as big, nasty and intimidating. When Stephen Curry hits the bench, they have a perfectly fine, explosive backup in Nate Robinson.

Just as Robinson views Curry and Monta Ellis as penthouse-level talents, Lin wasn't ever going to shine on the Warriors' practice court. Chance of him starting: zero. And if the Warriors ever traded one of their starters, elevating Lin into the spotlight, the pressure would be excruciating.

What the 23-year-old Lin needed was a wild card, something crazy, a no-risk proposition. The Knicks had been floundering with three ridiculous options at the point - Mike Bibby, Toney Douglas and Iman Shumpert - before turning to Lin, whose court vision and creativity make him a natural at the position.

What has Lin done so far? Well, aside from averaging 25 points and eight assists in his past three games, he has saved his coach's job - at least for the moment. The beleaguered Mike D'Antoni, who despised everything about the Carmelo Anthony trade with Denver, finally feels as if he can coach again. Lin is no Steve Nash, but he orchestrates the pick-and-roll plays that made the Nash-D'Antoni combination such a hit in Phoenix.

Even without the injured Anthony and the grieving Amar'e Stoudemire (death in the family), the Knicks' forwards have feasted on Lin's generosity this week. "They know they're gonna get something, knowing Lin will give it up," said an admiring Walt Frazier on the Knicks-Utah telecast Monday night.

No one can forecast the Knicks' plight when Baron Davis is finally healthy enough to play, or when Anthony returns to hog the ball and kill any notion of an offensive set. For now, Lin has fans carrying signs and chanting his name - home and away. He's exactly where he is supposed to be.