Jeremy Lin: 4 Reasons He and Carmelo Anthony Can Play Together

Jeremy Lin has officially taken over New York. But with Carmelo Anthony returning to the lineup, one has to wonder how long Linsanity will last.  

Anthony is due to return to the New York Knicks' lineup by the end of the week. Since he's been out with a groin injury, the Knicks are undefeated. Lin has been the spark that the Knicks have desperately needed. His emergence has been a godsend to Mike D'Antoni, who appeared to be on the hot seat because of the Knicks' early disappointments. 

Lin has risen from out of nowhere to lead the Knicks in Anthony's absence. The Knicks are finally playing like a playoff team. 

With Anthony set to return from injury, some fans wonder if he can play nice with Lin.

Here are four reasons Anthony and Lin can play together:  

Lin's Energy Will Fire Up Carmelo

If you've watched any of the Knicks' recent games, then you've seen how excited Anthony looks on the bench. He can't wait to return and join the Linsanity. 

It's crazy to think that Anthony will be jealous of Lin once he returns. As he said, it's "a dream come true." He's been waiting to play with a good point guard all season.   

New York City is fired up about the Knicks. They're back in playoff contention and are one of the hottest teams in the league. It'd be foolish to believe that Anthony's return would mess it all up. He's one of the top 10 players in the NBA. What fan base wouldn't be excited to get their all-star starter back from injury?

Anthony also knows he has critics out there. He's aware that he can't return to the court and play ball dominator or else the fans will boo him. Once Anthony returns, he will be determined to prove the critics wrong.   

Lin Will Make Life Easier for Carmelo

Anthony hasn't played with a good point guard all season. Because of the Knicks' poor play at point guard, Anthony was forced to play a lot of point forward. Unlike LeBron James, who excels at passing the ball, Anthony is a pure scorer. He struggled to distribute the ball and ended up being a black hole. 

Lin's emergence will allow Anthony to settle down and play comfortably. 

Anthony said earlier this week, "It takes some pressure off of me. I don't have to play point guard. I don't have to try to get Amare 20 points, try to get this guy 20 points, me try to go out there and get 25-30 points a night, play defense, rebound do the whole thing."

Once Anthony and Lin become comfortable with each other, it'll make life much easier for Anthony in the Big Apple. 

Carmelo Will Make Lin a Better Player

Anthony will make Lin a better point guard. Lin's scoring average may go down once Anthony returns, but his assist average should skyrocket.

Lin has one of the best front courts in the league to work with. The best news for Lin is that Anthony is willing to make their partnership work. Anthony recently told ESPN that once he returns "Jeremy will have the ball in his hands and I'm playing off of that." 

That's great news for Lin, who has great vision and should be able to find Anthony often. Anthony has struggled to find open looks all season because the Knicks haven't had a point guard who could give him the ball in good spots. He's largely had to rely on his one-on-one game.

Basketball is a team sport, and playing one-on-one every time down the floor usually results in losses.  

Lin and Anthony will both make each other better players. Lin will allow Anthony to play in his natural small forward position, instead of handling the point. Anthony will make Lin better because opposing teams still have to focus on slowing Anthony down. Anthony's return will also open the floor up for Lin, which should improve the Knicks as a team overall.  

The Knicks Will Be a Better Team

Lin and Anthony will both make each other better players. Their improved play will make the Knicks a dangerous playoff team. Anthony is just another scoring option for Lin to dish the ball to. 

Chandler is a great pick-and-roll player, as is Stoudemire. Because of Lin, all of a sudden the Knicks' big three becomes much harder to defend. Since the Knicks' point guards played so poorly early in the season, the team struggled to get the most out of their three best players.  

Lin solves this issue. He makes all three of them better because he can give them the ball where they can be most successful.

The Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat may have a new team to worry about. The Knicks could be party crashers in the Eastern Conference playoffs.