Did Knicks Make the Right Choice by Letting Lin Walk?

It’s official. As of 12:00pm Eastern Time, Jeremy Lin is a Houston Rocket. The Knicks refused to match the Rockets’ big-time offer which will pay Lin $25million over 3 years. Signs were pointing to the end of Linsanity in New York when the Knicks reacquired point guard Raymond Felton from the Portland Trail Blazers. Felton, who played with the Knicks before being shipped to Denver as part of the Carmelo Anthony trade, was having a career year while playing under Mike D’Antoni’s high-paced system. He did struggle however, since the trade. Many people believe the Knicks should have matched the Rockets offer sheet but I believe the Knicks made the better of the two choices in letting Lin walk. No one should be awarded such a massive contract based solely off a 25 game performance. Let’s not forget that prior to blowing up with the Knicks, Lin hardly managed to claim a spot on an NBA roster. The media-hotbed that is New York is known to overhype things (Steve Novak, anyone?) and if Lin had his streak anywhere else, he wouldn’t get half the coverage. Another big issue is his turnover rate. Lin’s season average for TO’s per game is 3.6. That’s a lot for someone who is supposed to be running a team. For every two assists, he had nearly just as many turnovers. Felton, as a Knick, also had better season averages than Lin, showing that while he wasn’t capable of blowing up like Lin, he was more consistent. Lin however, was a media darling and sold everything from jerseys to shoes to, most importantly, tickets. He also raised MSG’s stock and made them some significant revenue during Linsanity. MSG’s stock value inversely took a sharp drop shortly after Lin received Houston’s offer. Felton, however, might not flourish under Mike Woodson as he did with Mike D’Antoni, whose run-and-gun system is known to largely benefit point guards. Lin’s departure also makes the signing of Jason Kidd slightly irrelevant as he was signed in order to mentor Jeremy Lin. Felton, who is heading into his 8th season, might benefit from some pointers from a future Hall of Famer but has already come into his own and doesn’t have the same amount of potential as he did when he was drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats. On a slightly smaller note for the Knicks, Lin’s departure solidifies Deron Williams of the Brooklyn Nets as the top guard in New York. Most, if not all, of these issues will be resolved next season as the Knicks and Rockets will both find out whether their choice was the right one.