Jeremy Lin: Carmelo Anthony Injury Makes PG Even More Important for Knicks

The New York Knicks are in the midst of their first winning streak since early January. They now have 10 wins and are only half-a-game out of the playoffs.

This ball club isn't much of a playoff team, though. They can't sustain success, they don't play defense and they had no guard play until two games ago.

Jeremy Lin has fixed one of those three issues for the time being.

It has only been two games, but Lin is averaging 26.5 points and 7.5 assists with starter minutes.

But now the Knicks' best player, Carmelo Anthony, is on the shelf for one-to-two weeks with an injury.

In his absence, coach Mike D'Antoni has to hope his new starting point guard can keep up his elite play because the Knicks don't have anyone else they can trust with the basketball.

They gambled on Baron Davis' health and he's yet to be able to make it on the court. They gambled on Iman Shumpert and he's proven to be a great athlete (as expected), but not a true point guard. He's averaging a dismal 26 percent from beyond the arc, 36 percent from the field and 3.7 assists per game.

The Knicks simply don't have anybody else to put on the ball and that is why Lin has become so important.

This shortened season leaves the Knicks in danger should they fall behind. The Eastern Conference is so bad that they can survive with decent enough play, but they've only been able to manage that a handful of times this season.

With their most proven scorer now injured and their veteran point guard presence as much of a question mark as an answer, the Knicks are in trouble.

They'll lean on Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler, but they desperately need a man to handle the basketball and dump it into them.

That all falls on Jeremy Lin now.