Jeremy Lin and the Best Storylines of the 2012 NBA Season

There have been a ton of storylines to follow during this NBA season. The latest has been the performance of New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin.

Lin has become the latest buzz around the NBA, and with good reason, as he has captivated a city and given the Big Apple hope that things will turn around for the Knicks.

Here's a look at Lin and some of the better storylines of the season.

The Clippers Winning the Battle for LA

The Clippers had the buzz coming into the season after the Chris Paul trade. The Lakers got it back after Kobe Bryant's four consecutive 40-point games.

The Clippers have shown they are for real though and aren't going away anytime soon as they currently lead the Pacific Division by two games.

There's a long way to go, but the Clippers should be able to hang in there, even after the injury to Chauncey Billups.

Rash of Injuries

From Chauncey Billups to Dwyane Wade and everyone in between, the 2012 NBA season is starting to become the Year of the Injury.

Stars are falling like flies.

It could be that guys didn't come into camp in great shape after the lockout, or the compressed schedule could be a major factor.

Whatever the reason, though, players are getting hurt at an insane rate.

LeBron James and the Miami Heat

There have been several storylines so far involving LeBron and the Heat.

First of all, looking at the Heat, all eyes are on the postseason. They got off to a great start, but in reality no one cares. All they care about is if this will be the year LeBron finally gets a ring.

Looking at James in particular, the early storyline has been the continued fourth-quarter struggles that won't seem to go away anytime soon.

But I prefer to look at what I feel should be the main storyline involving James and that's the tremendous season he's putting together. He's been dominant and is on a good pace to win his third MVP award.

Jeremy Lin Rescues the Knicks

There's been no better underdog story in the NBA this season.

All we had talked about is how the Knicks have underachieved and how Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire can't play together.

Of course all of that has been true, but the Knicks have been waiting for Baron Davis to arrive as the savior. Little did they know that it would be Lin to the rescue.

Say what you want, but Lin has become the story of the NBA right now.

He's got them moving the ball and playing fun basketball.

Lin's going to be the Knicks point guard for the rest of the season. Now Anthony and Stoudemire have pressure to fit into this style of play and not the other way around.

Ricky Rubio, Kyrie Irving the Class of the Rookie Crop

It hasn't been a great rookie class so far, but Irving and Rubio have stood out and both look like future All-Stars.

It's been a season-long debate about which guy is better and who will have the better career, but there's no doubting that both guys are here to stay.

Dwight Howard Saga

Of course the never-ending Dwight Howard saga has dominated the news.

Instead of sitting back and letting the situation play out, Howard has to reassure everyone almost weekly that he still wants traded.

He's had a foot out the door since the lockout ended, but we will be surely hearing about this until the trade deadline comes, possibly even longer.

Philadelphia 76ers

Are the Sixers for real? Can they contend for a championship?

Who knows, but they keep winning.

An 18-8 start to the season, including a 13-4 start at home, have made the Sixers the surprise team in the NBA so far.

Dirk Nowitzki and the Defending NBA Champs

The Dallas Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki have had their struggles this season.

Nowitzki hasn't been healthy, or very good for that matter, and he's not the only one wearing a Mavericks jersey that has had their problems.

Who knows if this team can get themselves to the point where they become legitimate contenders, but their struggles have been something to follow.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The story surrounding Oklahoma City has been how they would handle the expectations.

No longer are the Thunder the NBA's darlings. They are expected to be the best team in the Western Conference, and sometimes teams can't handle the expectations.

That hasn't been a problem though for Kevin Durant and company though.

The Lakers' Struggles

Kobe Bryant gutted it out through a torn wrist ligament.

Bryant had four 40-plus-point games in a row and is the NBA's leading scorer.

It hasn't been enough though, as the Lakers haven't turned Bryant's success into wins.

If they could play all their games at the Staples Center, they would be contenders in the Western Conference. The Lakers sit at 14-11 on the season, but are only a 3-9 team on the road.

There's been plenty of issues that include point guard play, perimeter shooting and the lack of a quality wing player.

All eyes will be on general manager Mitch Kupchak the rest of the season.