Jeremy Lin's Magical Season in Doubt: Where Does That Leave New York Knicks?

Back in February, Jeremy Lin took the NBA and the world by storm. The Harvard product bounced around several teams in a short amount of time before finding a home with the New York Knicks.

It was with the Knicks where he would become the most popular figure on the face of the planet for nearly a month. Practically overnight, he went from just hours away from being cut by his third team in three months to a worldwide icon.

But it appears that the season of "Linsanity" may be over. ESPN is reporting that the second-year point guard will need surgery to repair a small, chronic meniscus tear. Recovery and rehab time is estimated at six weeks, meaning that Lin will miss the rest of the regular season, and most likely the postseason as well.

When the Knicks were 8-15, Lin single-handedly saved the Knicks season. While dealing with injuries to Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire, Lin emerged out of nowhere to lead the Knicks back to .500 in just seven games.

But with Lin now out for the foreseeable future, and the Knicks in general decimated by injuries, it doesn't appear likely that the Knicks will being playing basketball long enough to see Lin return to action this season.

All-Star forward Amar'e Stoudemire, who was finally showing glimpses of his former self, will also most likely miss the rest of the regular season with a bulging disk in his back.

While I still believe the Knicks can make the playoffs without Lin and Stoudemire, I'm not sure if they have enough to win the Atlantic Division in order to create a more favorable first-round matchup. If the Knicks fail to win the division, they will likely finish as the seventh or eighth seed, which means a first-round matchup with the Miami Heat or Chicago Bulls.

Lin is projected to return for the second round of the playoffs, while Stoudemire is expected back by Game 1 of the first round. However, both knee and back injuries tend to be tricky, and even if they do come back on time, players normally don't get back to speed right away.

In the playoffs, you need to be playing your absolute best. It's not necessarily the time to start working your way back into the rotation. Unless Lin and Stoudemire heal quickly and are able to reduce their estimated timetables, the Knicks are going to have a very difficult time pursuing a division title and winning a first-round playoff series.

At full strength, I think the Knicks are one of the deepest, most dangerous and versatile teams in the league, and could seriously give Chicago or Miami a tough series. But with nagging injuries to Anthony (groin), Jeffries (knee inflammation), Davis (hamstring), Chandler (groin) and now Lin and Stoudemire for the season, I just don't think it's realistic to think that they will be able to compete with the likes of the Bulls or Heat.

I seriously question Baron Davis' ability when he has to play more than 30 minutes a game. He's most effective in a role where he plays 20 minutes a night. Anything longer than that and his poor conditioning becomes exposed.

Without another true point guard on the roster (forget Bibby), the Knicks will have to rely heavily on rookie combo-guard Iman Shumpert, and perhaps even bring Toney Douglas out of the doghouse.

Even through all of that, there is still hope for the Knicks.

It appears that Carmelo Anthony has been saving his best ball for the back end of the season. If he can maintain this pace and keep himself on the court, he will keep the Knicks alive. While during the Woodson era, even though Anthony's numbers in 11 games aren't overly impressive, averaging just 18.7 points per game, 6.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, he is playing much better basketball.

He's shooting 43 percent from the field under Woodson, several percentages higher than it was during the D'Antoni era, and he just looks much more active on both sides of the ball. He has been playing suffocating defense, forcing opposing offenses into tough situations and is effectively creating turnovers.

Defense in general is definitely a solid for the Knicks right now as well. Woodson has them playing their best defense in over a decade, and that alone should speak volumes. Woodson is holding them accountable for their commitment to defense and they are responding. The Knicks should be able to stay in most games going forward purely as a result of their defensive effort.

The season is about to become make or break time. The Knicks are banged up badly, but they're far from quitting. Whether or not they still have enough to compete for playoff seeding remains to be seen, but Woodson will for sure keep them fighting.

It's a shame that Lin's magical season could possibly end due to the knee injury. His story truly is incredible, and because of his emergence with the Knicks, it manifested into a worldwide sensation. Now, Lin must put faith in his teammates, in hopes that they are able to prolong the season for an eventual return.