The regular season hadn't even started yet, and already the New York Knicks—and especially Lin Yi—were dominating headlines and fan chatter.
In their second preseason game, the Knicks went up against the Philadelphia 76ers. Lin Yi played 27 minutes and posted a solid line: 12 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, plus 3 blocks and a steal. The Knicks took the W, 111–95.
The 76ers had been hanging around the playoff bubble the last few years, so this win turned some heads. People were starting to believe: maybe the Knicks were different this year.
New York's playstyle was hitting all the right notes with fans—fast-paced, no dragging the clock, lots of fast breaks, dunks, and threes. Lin Yi? He had a knack for pulling off highlights every game.
The buzz now was whether Lin could pull a Yao Ming and make the All-Star starting lineup as a rookie. Back then, the All-Star voting still had a dedicated spot for centers, which meant if Lin got in, someone like Dwight Howard was getting bumped.
Dwight, trying not to ruffle feathers, said in an interview, "I believe the fans will make their own choices."
The preseason in general was drawing more eyes than usual. Lin wasn't the only rookie making noise—Steph Curry was lighting it up, averaging over 20 a game and knocking down threes at a 46% clip. Harden, coming off the bench for the Thunder, put down a nasty one-arm slam in their opener. People were buzzing about the Thunder's future with Durant, Westbrook, and Harden.
Jonny Flynn, DeRozan, Jrue Holiday, and Ty Lawson—all were holding their own, too.
Only downer? Blake Griffin. Poor guy couldn't escape the injury bug. Before preseason even tipped off, he'd fractured his left knee. The Clippers said he'd be back by January, but Lin Yi knew the truth—Griffin was done for the season. Sure enough, they later officially ruled him out for the year.
Clippers fans were pissed. Lin had originally been projected to go to L.A., and now Knicks fans were clowning them every day.
Clippers brass was in full regret mode. They'd cleared space by shipping off Zach Randolph, banking on Griffin being the future. Now, their frontcourt was in shambles.
Assistant GM Neil Olshey was beating himself up for not being more aggressive during the draft. GM Mike Dunleavy was catching heat from owner Donald Sterling, who tore into him for being indecisive.
Worst part? The Clippers were terrified Griffin might never return to form. Meanwhile, Lin Yi was becoming a star in New York, and people were starting to call the Clippers' front office a bunch of clowns.
Lin Yi didn't think their fears were justified. Griffin was still a beast—those dunks, the highlight reels, the top plays every week? The dude equally deserved that No. 1 pick. L.A. even became "Lob City" because of him. No, the real problem was that the Clippers didn't have the patience. And with that racist owner and front office? Yeah, good luck.
Griffin himself was down bad. In the 2009 Rookie Group chat, he posted a sad face looking for comfort—and got roasted instead.
Steph Curry: "(smug) Haha, one less rookie in the ROTY race."
Jonny Flynn: "(puffing smoke) Blake, James is probably jealous you get paid to chill."
James Harden: "(groaning) No, I'm not! I'm dying out here, man."
DeRozan: "(curious) What's up, James? I saw you playing big minutes."
Harden: "(facepalm) Bro, I'm playing, but I never touch the ball. Just running cardio out there."
Lin Yi: "Don't worry, James. We've got your back! Our motto is: steal minutes, seize the throne."
Curry: "(with flair) Damn right! Coup d'état, baby."
Griffin just stared at his phone, sighed, and closed the chat. He was done.
October 5 rolled around, and it was time for the Knicks' third preseason game—this time against the Toronto Raptors, led by Chris Bosh.
The Knicks came out swinging. They drew 12 and-ones in the game, with Lin Yi dishing 4 of those assists and grabbing 5 of his own.
Final score: Knicks 123, Raptors 115.
Lin Yi? 20 points, 10 boards, 7 dimes, 2 blocks. He went 7-for-9 on twos, 2-for-4 from three, and didn't shoot any free throws.
In this one, Lin played kind of like a proto-Anthony Davis—cutting, moving without the ball, eating off air-cuts. The Raptors stuck Bosh on him, which slowed Lin's drives but opened up his off-ball game.
Bosh was quick, but the Raptors hadn't game-planned much—it was preseason, and they were mostly scouting Lin. He made them pay.
Even with point guard Chris Duhon's basic passing skills, Lin still found ways to feast. When Bosh hit the bench, Lin started stacking points.
D'Antoni adjusted the offense in the second half, and the Raptors' bench couldn't keep up. Lin led the second unit and brought home another W for New York.
People were starting to believe the Knicks might make the playoffs.
After the game, Lin Yi told reporters, "Y'all better keep an eye on us this season. We got something special."
The media loved it. Dolan, the Knicks' owner, was hyped. Hell yeah. Although he cared about making the playoffs, he didn't mind not making it this year since there was a lot to fix- as long as the fans were showing up and the buzz was strong, he was happy.
Dolan even picked up the phone and told GM Donnie Walsh and assistant GM Javier Stanford, "If we've got a shot at the playoffs, go for it. Don't be stingy with the money."
He also told them, "If there is anything Lin needs as long as it is not outrageous, make it happen."
Donnie and Javier just looked at each other and nodded. The boss was thrilled. They'd struck gold with Lin Yi. New York was all in.
...
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