Jeremy Lin and the Biggest Surprises of 2012 NBA Season

There have been some serious surprises during the 2011-12 NBA regular season, and it'll be very interesting to see if the candidates on this list can keep it up all year long.

Ivan Johnson is racking up the fans in Atlanta, Andrew Goudelock's "mini-mamba" nickname has some taking a careful look at him and Lavoy Allen remembers what ESPN thought about his game this summer.

The season statistics of most of these guys won't pop out off the page, but they're really all contributing in greater fashion than almost anyone thought they would before the campaign began.

Ivan Johnson, C Atlanta Hawks

Stats: 6.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.4 blocks, 44.7 percent shooting

A product of the D-League, this 27-year-old rookie has certainly made the most of his opportunity.

Johnson has stepped up in a big way for the Hawks since the team lost Al Horford (torn pectoral), and he's really been impressive with his play beneath the basket.

He regularly gives hilarious quotes in interviews, and it's hard not to like the energy he brings off the bench for Atlanta.

Bismack Biyombo, F/C Charlotte Bobcats

Stats: 3.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 0.2 assists, 0.3 steals, 1.4 blocks, 50 percent shooting

Biyombo hasn't received a lot of playing time for the Bobcats this season, but that's about to change with Charlotte quickly going nowhere in the standings.

He was advertised as extraordinarily raw, but he's got more polish to his game than many are giving him credit for at this stage of his career.

Biyombo sacrificed an unbelievable amount of money just in order to play in the league this season, and he's already posting a ridiculous 3.8 blocks per 36 minutes of action at age 19.

Ian Mahinmi, C Dallas Mavericks

Stats: 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 0.2 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.6 blocks, 58.9 percent shooting

Brendan Haywood has started the majority of games for Dallas this season, but Mahinmi's play has been welcome for a Mavericks team that lost Tyson Chandler in free agency.

He's benefiting from improved confidence and a consistent role in the rotation, and Mahinmi is finally starting to show why he was a first-round pick in 2005.

Still just 25-years-old, Mahinmi has asserted himself impressively on the offensive glass this year.

Andrew Goudelock, G Los Angeles Lakers

Stats: 4.8 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.1 steals, 44.3 percent shooting

Goudelock's surge for the Lakers has just been recent, but what Los Angeles has received from the 2011 second-round pick thus far has been impressive.

He's shooting above 40 percent from behind the three-point line, and his ability to space the floor in the second unit has been a welcome sight for a team struggling to garner production from its reserves.

He's not afraid to take any shot he sees fit, and Goudelock has a chance to turn into a very nice scorer off the bench for the Lakers going forward.

Greivis Vasquez, G New Orleans Hornets

Stats: 7.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.2 blocks, 42.8 percent shooting

Vasquez was traded away by a Grizzlies team that needed another wing player, but Memphis might be having second thoughts about the transaction right now.

He has been playing out of his mind for a Hornets team that needs all of the offensive help it an get, and his ability to distribute the basketball is fairly understated.

He can score from a variety of spots on the floor and doesn't sacrifice finding his teammates in open spots just to get his own.

Brandon Rush, G/F Golden State Warriors

Stats: 9.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.8 blocks, 50.4 percent shooting

Rush was an unwanted commodity in Indiana, but one team's trash is proving to be another team's treasure this season.

The swingman played very well while the team was without Stephen Curry (ankle), and he's shooting lights out from beyond the arc at above 55 percent.

Rush has played any role asked of him and hasn't complained about the volatility of his playing time as the season has progressed.

Lavoy Allen, F/C Philadelphia

Stats: 5.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.2 blocks, 56.4 percent shooting

Allen was ranked No. 500 (out of 500) in ESPN's #NBARank project from the summer, but he's proving just how ridiculous that seeding was with his play.

The No. 20 pick of the second round in the summer of 2011, Allen has taken a step forward for the Sixers long before anyone expected him to do so.

He's showing that he isn't afraid of the game and just goes about his business regardless of the opposition.

Jeremy Lin, PG New York Knicks

Stats: 7.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.1 blocks, 50 percent shooting

The season stats don't reflect the Lin-sanity currently going on in and around New York, but Lin's small sample size has Knicks fans hopeful that the team finally has a point guard.

He had 28 points and eight assists in his first career start in the NBA, but the real question is whether or not Lin is capable of sustaining his current level of success throughout the course of an entire season.

What Lin can do well is penetrate to the rim with aggression and play a solid brand of defense, both of which will be critical in carving out a long-term future.

Paul George, G/F Indiana Pacers

Stats: 12.4 points, 5.5 rebounds 2.2 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.7 blocks, 46.7 percent shooting

George is finding success in getting his shots to fall from a variety of spots on the floor, and his notable leap in three-point shooting efficiency has many impressed with his evolution on offense.

An absolute freak athletically and a real matchup nightmare at his position, George's game has exploded through the roof this season at just 21 years old.

The Pacers really have something special in this kid, and he seems to be growing into a more complete player with each passing day.

Watch out.

Kyrie Irving, PG Cleveland Cavaliers

Stats: 18.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.4 blocks, 50 percent shooting

Some might argue that Irving doesn't belong on this list considering he was the first overall pick this season, but he was the least hyped top selection in recent memory and is wildly outplaying all expectations.

Doing everything he has as a 19-year-old rookie with no benefit of summer league or a proper training camp is downright insane, and he's currently on pace to join the 50-40-80 club in his first season.

The fact that he's rising up with such emphasis this early speaks to how much talent he has, but what is most impressive is the fact that he's already carrying his team.