Jeremy Lin: Why New York Knicks Star Must Return by 1st Round of Playoffs

Jeremy Lin underwent successful surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee on Monday, according to Ian Begley of ESPN New York.  

It was first reported that the emerging New York Knicks superstar would miss six weeks, likely ending his season, but the latest reports are refuting that.

HOOPSWORLD's Alex Kennedy reports that Lin is going to try to get back on the court within a month, cutting two weeks off of his initial recovery time. According to Kennedy:

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'I hope I’ll be back for the playoffs,' Lin said during a Facebook Q&A with fans. 'It’s killing me to watch the team without being able to play, but I need to make sure my knee is 100 percent before I get back on the court, so we will wait and see.'

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The postseason begins on April 28, and the Knicks—if they even make it—will more than likely have the No. 8 seed and a first-round matchup with either the Chicago Bulls or Miami Heat.

Both of those teams are outstanding, and New York would have no chance of winning a series, or even a game, without its starting PG.

The Knicks have not won a playoff contest since the 2001 season, and it’s extremely likely that streak continues if Lin is still sidelined come the end of April.

It’s going to be an uphill battle for the Knicks to even make the postseason, as they are just one game ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks with 12 games remaining for each team. Anything could happen in that time period.

If New York were to be eliminated, then Lin’s season would be over, which is something he simply cannot afford as a restricted free agent this summer.

Lin needs one more chance to show that he's capable of being an elite point guard in the NBA and earn himself some solid offer sheets from other franchises.

Helping to pull out a few improbable victories for a desperate franchise and city against one of the best teams in the NBA would be the perfect way to do that.