Jeremy Lin: How New York Knicks PG Can Take Next Step in His Career

If Jeremy Lin doesn't improve, Linsanity will die off faster than it started.

The point guard took the world by storm, but in the NBA, you have to constantly improve. Right now, Lin is a good player. Linsanity only lasted 26 games, so he is still pretty unproven.

If Lin wants to become an elite player for years to come and not just 26 games, here are some things he can do to take the next step.

Turn Left

Jeremy Lin has one move: Go right. He'll set up at the top of the key, stare down his defender, fake left and go right.

It was very effective.

But it won't be effective if he doesn't develop another move. Think of it this way: If the defender knows he's going right, he's going to cheat a bit. He'll open up his hips so that he can stay with Lin better. 

If Lin can go left, he'll keep the defender honest. That way, his drives to the right will be even more effective. If Lin can develop a better crossover, he'll be even more dangerous. Lin was getting to the lane based off one move, which is impressive.

If he adds a few more, watch out. 

Hold on to the Ball

Lin averaged 4.4 turnovers per game during Linsanity. That is a lot for a point guard. By comparison, Chris Paul averaged 2.1 turnovers. 

Why is Lin coughing it up so much? There's a few reasons.

For one, he's just not careful with the ball. He had games of eight and nine turnovers; that is unacceptable for a point guard.

Two, Lin drives to the hoop a lot, and he's liable to give it up on his way there. 

Lin will need to work on taking better care of the basketball. That means making better and smarter decisions and not always forcing a play that isn't there. 

Twenty-one percent of his possessions ended up in turnovers. That is far too many for a point guard that likes to hold onto the ball. This offseason, Lin really needs to focus on improving how he handles the ball and what he does with it. 

Vary the Shot

At the rim, Lin shot at a remarkable 52.9 percent. At three to nine feet, however, Lin shot 41.4 percent.

As a comparison, Chris Paul shoots 49.7 percent from three to nine feet.

Lin loves to drive, and there is nothing wrong with that, but he won't always get to the rim. He took almost four attempts at the rim per game last year. As he gets further away from the hoop, the shots decrease.

Instead, he should pull up to shoot. 

Lin shot a very good 48.3 percent from 10 to 18 feet last year. Yet, that only accounted for .8 shots per game. If Lin can even out the number of shots from 10 to 18 feet with the number of shots from the rim, he'll be a better scorer.

Varying the shot makes it tougher for defenses. If they know you're not going to shoot, they can afford to give themselves a cushion. When you shoot, that cushion disappears and makes driving to the hoop easier. 

Lin's three-to-nine-footer doesn't need to improve dramatically; just a few percentage points would make it a little more dangerous. 

Final Word

Lin is a good player, but he needs to improve if he wants to keep Linsanity alive and well. He's not far off. If he can vary his moves off the bounce, secure the ball more and vary his shot, Lin will keep Linsanity going for a long time.