5 Things New York Knicks Fans Can Look Forward to in Absence of Jeremy Lin

New York Knicks fans can't look forward to Linsanity continuing in Madison Square Garden any longer now that Jeremy Lin has hopped aboard the Houston Rockets' roster. 

However, there's still plenty to like in the Big Apple. 

From Lin's replacement to Carmelo Anthony's greatness (and more, of course), here's what Knicks fans can look forward to next season. 

More Offensive Beauty from Carmelo Anthony

Without Jeremy Lin running the show and dominating the ball, Carmelo Anthony is going to have compete control of the offense once more. 

When Melo goes to work on the more glamorous side of the court, he's one of the most fun players to watch in all of the NBA. His offensive dominance is nearly unmatched. 

Whether he's making an athletic play, pulling up for a jumper or just taking his defender to school in a one-on-one situation, Melo is an offensive powerhouse and a genuine joy to watch. 

Just like Mike Woodson let Joe Johnson run isolation play after isolation play with the Atlanta Hawks, he'll allow Melo to do the same in Madison Square Garden. 

Quality Point-Guard Play

This isn't to say that Jeremy Lin wasn't a quality point guard for the New York Knicks, because Linsanity really did exist for a reason. 

Knicks fans out there can still look forward to quality point-guard play now that Lin has been replaced by Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd. 

Felton was a fan favorite during his first stint in blue and orange, and will take up that role once more if he can stay in shape and resume his high level of play.

He may have a bad reputation now, but that's largely (pun intended) due to the fact that he was thrust into a backup role with the Denver Nuggets and then a system that he didn't fit into (pun intended) with the Portland Trail Blazers.

As the starter for New York, Felton will thrive once more, especially with the veteran presence of Jason Kidd helping him out from the bench. 

Rivalry with Brooklyn Nets

A lot of Knicks fans might not want to accept this, but they should embrace it instead. 

With the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks now sharing the confines of The City That Never Sleeps, there's bound to be a rivalry developing. 

Knicks fans may have dominated Nets fans while the newly relocated franchise was still in New Jersey, but that may not be the case any longer. 

This is going to be a great battle between two geographically connected teams, one that will begin during the Nets home opener when the Knicks visit the Barclays Center. 

Trying to Win Multiple Playoff Games

During the 2001 NBA playoffs, the Knicks won two games before allowing the Toronto Raptors to advance to the next round. 

It took them another three years to return to the playoffs, where they were swept by the Nets.

After six years of futility, the Knicks made it back to the postseason in 2011, where they were swept once more, this time by the Boston Celtics. 

This past season, New York made it back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time since 2001 and actually won a game against the Miami Heat, ending their decade-long losing tradition in the playoffs. 

After the 2012-2013 campaign, can the Knicks manage to win more than one playoff game? Can they—gasp—win a series? 

That's the primary question going into this next season. 

J.R. Smith Highlights

If I were a Knicks fan, I'd just want to see J.R. Smith do crazy things. 

The shooting guard is very much a mercurial player, capable of going into Michael Jordan mode for a string of plays and then following it up with missed shot after missed shot. 

When Smith is on, though, his athleticism and creativity are just off the charts. You can't blink when he's on the court, or else you risk missing a highlight. 

Instead of writing anything else in this article, I'm going to point you here.