How Bringing Back Jeremy Lin in the Playoffs Would Hurt New York Knicks

Jeremy Lin's potential return is not going to bring Amar'e Stoudemire back into the playoff picture, and it's not going to change anything about the New York Knicks' chances of beating the Miami Heat in the first round.

The focus shouldn't even be on Lin. It should be on figuring out a method to win games and extend a series that appears to be already over.

Allow this kid to heal properly; do not rush him back onto the floor. For as good as he was this season, he's not going to be some sort of "savior" in any sense of the word.

It's been a strange go of it for Lin since knee surgery.

After becoming the light of New York's eye following his unbelievable play, Lin has become an afterthought as his team attempts to find sustainable success on the floor.

Let's walk through Lin's timeline since going under the knife.

April 2: Lin undergoes arthroscopic knee surgery, and the Knicks announce that he'll be out approximately six weeks.

April 3: Just one day after knee surgery, Mike Woodson is "hopeful" that Lin can return "fairly quickly."

April 8: Lin reveals it's "unlikely" he returns for the first round of the playoffs, just six days removed from his surgery.

April 22: Lin jogs for the first time since undergoing surgery to repair a small chronic tear in his left meniscus, more than three full weeks after his procedure.

April 24: Lin experiences swelling in his surgically-repaired knee and is reportedly "at least three weeks away" from returning. This was just over one week ago.

April 29: After Iman Shumpert tore his ACL and with Baron Davis' back ailing, Lin's rehab schedule is "stepped up" by the team with the hope that he can return to the court as soon as possible.

Five days before the club decided to expedite Lin's rehab process, the point guard was viewed as at least three weeks away from returning to the court.

Something isn't right here.

Why would the Knicks do something to jeopardize Lin's long-term health? Why would the club look to bring him back if his knee is swelling up and not responding well to workouts?

It just doesn't make sense.

But there's another overriding factor that complicates the inconceivable thought of Lin rushing his return.

Frankly, what's the point?

The one guy Lin ran the pick-and-roll with well is Amar'e Stoudemire—he's likely out for the remainder of the series after losing his fight with a fire extinguisher following the Game 2 loss.

Lin has already been ruled out for Thursday's Game 3, and if the Knicks lose that one, New York will be in an 0-3 hole and would have to win four straight games in order to advance.

Is that really going to happen against the title-hopeful Heat? It's hard to imagine that scenario.

We're talking about a guy in Lin who is going to be less than 100 percent for some amount of time.

He still hasn't hit his six-week mark since undergoing surgery, and he hasn't even been cleared to take contact in practice yet.

Does that sound like a player who is going to be the difference-maker in this series?

The Knicks need far more than Lin to have a chance in this series, and if the team has any long-term vision of having the point guard in the fold in the future, it's time to put this issue to bed.

Don't bring Lin back. He's clearly not ready to return.