Jeremy Lin: 5 Reasons He Is the Point Guard of the Future for New York Knicks

Jeremy Lin's spectacular play in the last two games is no fluke, and the second-year man is the New York Knicks' long-term solution at point guard.

The former Harvard standout scored 25 points against the New Jersey Nets on Saturday night, and then followed up his breakout performance with a 28-point game in his first career start.

Lin has massive appeal because he is the first American-born NBA player of Taiwanese/Chinese descent.

His ethnicity is not the only reason he has received so much attention, and Lin has showed in the last two games that he is a force to be reckoned with.

Here are five reasons why Lin will be in the Knicks' starting lineup for years to come.

5. Defense

Jeremy Lin has received 35 or more minutes only twice this season, and had two steals in each of those games.

Lin has received substantial playing time in the last two games and has brought renewed energy to the struggling team.

Mike D'Antoni has never been known as a defensive coach, and Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire have never been known as defensive players.

New York has been disappointing this season, and the team's 10-15 record is partially due to lackluster defense.

Creating a couple turnovers a game is nothing new for Lin, who averaged two steals a game during his four years at Harvard. 

Lin is fundamentally sound and hustles through every minute. He will provide a much-needed boost on defense for the Knicks.

4. Leadership

On Monday night, Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire were both unavailable, so Jeremy Lin stepped up and led the Knicks to victory.

Stoudemire took a leave of absence after the death of his older brother, and Anthony left the game after injuring his groin in the first quarter.

With both of the team's superstars unavailable against the Utah Jazz, Lin took control of the offense and scored 28 points while dishing out eight assists.

New York seemed to be doomed without the two players that have accounted for 44 percent of its scoring, but Lin was never worried.

The second-year player showed remarkable courage and maturity by leading his team to victory—while having a career night.

3. Perseverance

Jeremy Lin led his high school team to the California state championship, but was not offered a Division I scholarship. He then went on to dominate the Ivy League while playing for Harvard, but went undrafted in 2010.

Lin has been passed over by scouts and coaches for his whole life, but has continually pushed himself to prove them all wrong.

The point guard dreamed of being a UCLA Bruin, but the school showed no interest despite Lin averaging over 15 points and seven assists a game. Lin was named to the first-team All-State roster in his senior season at Palo Alto High, but Cal and Stanford also passed on him. 

After college, he went undrafted and signed with the Golden State Warriors. His hometown team never gave him an opportunity to prove his worth and cut him before this season.

The Houston Rockets claimed him off waivers, but he was cut once again less than two weeks later.

The Knicks picked Lin up as a free agent and had him bounce between the bench and the D-League for a couple of months.

Lin has spent his entire NBA career being discarded and overlooked. Over the last two games, he has been silencing all of his critics and doubters.

2. Scoring

Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire are both elite scorers, but the Knicks need a third scoring option, and Jeremy Lin is the player to fill that void.

If the Knicks hope to start climbing up the Eastern Conference standings, they will need Lin to put the ball in the basket.

The guard proved that he is a capable scorer by putting up more than 25 points in his last two games.

Lin picks his spots on the floor wisely, and has an effective mid-range game. He is also fearless when going towards the basket. He can put pressure on teams when they do not have a solid post defender on the floor.

New York has been lacking consistent production at the point guard position, and Lin can be the Big Apple's savior with his offensive prowess.

1. Unselfishness

In the last two games, Jeremy Lin has tallied 15 assists.

The Knicks are 23rd in the NBA in assists per game, averaging just 19 per game.

Iman Shumpert, Toney Douglas and Mike Bibby have all played point guard for New York this season and are all culpable for the lack of fluidity in the Knicks offense.

The team has had to rely on Carmelo Anthony as a distributor and the forward is leading the team in assists (4.3). 

The dismal point guard play had New York fans praying that Baron Davis would be interested and in shape when he returned from injury, but now the team has another option.

Lin has proved that he can play the point guard position effectively and was able to get all of his teammates involved in his last two games.

He has earned the confidence of Mike D'Antoni, who bluntly discussed his decision to play the guard for extended minutes.

"I'm riding him like freakin' Secretariat," D'Antoni said.

New York has been in desperate need of a dynamic point guard, and one just fell into its lap. The Knicks' fortunes may finally be turning around due to the rise of Jeremy Lin.