"It might be a little early to say this out loud, but Charles," Kenny Smith began, as the Knicks-Hawks postgame show went live, "I really think we're witnessing the rise of a future legend."
Charles Barkley nodded, grinning. "I agree, Kenny. I just hope Lin stays healthy—he's still so early in his career. The kid's special, and I want to see what else he can bring. If tonight's any indication, we're in for a hell of a ride."
The Knicks had just thrashed the Atlanta Hawks 119-94 in an away game that also happened to fall on Lin Yi's birthday—and what a gift he gave himself.
On his birthday night, Lin Yi finally seemed to find his rhythm in this young season. In just 34 minutes of play, he went 16-for-24 from the field, 5-for-9 from three—including two from Steph-like deep range—and nailed all 4 of his free throws. His final line: 41 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 steal.
Lin wasn't surprised by the numbers—he knew he was in a zone all night. The rhythm was there. But he also realized something else: if he wanted to put up these kinds of stats consistently, he'd have to keep going head-to-head with every team's top schemes.
The league had taken notice. The scouting reports were getting thicker, more detailed. The Anti-Lin Basketball, as the Knicks had jokingly started calling it, was real—and relentless.
...
Two nights later, on the 29th, the Knicks headed to Detroit and demolished the Pistons 121-85. No fluke cold streak this time. Just pure domination.
Lin Yi logged 31 minutes and was surgical: 14-of-18 from the floor, 4-of-6 from three (again with two bombs from deep), and a perfect 5-for-5 at the stripe. His line this time? 37 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 blocks.
Pistons head coach John Kuester admitted it postgame:
"Look, we prepared for Lin, no doubt. But his court IQ is just off the charts. He played off the ball more tonight, came off screens, moved without it... We'd need a 6'9" guy with elite lateral movement to even slow him down. And, well, we don't have that guy."
Back in his rookie season, Lin had taken time to get used to the NBA's physicality. But by year two? His shot was smoother, more stable.
Opponents knew he was the Knicks' offensive engine, but his length made even tough shots look easy. So... how do you stop a seven-footer who shoots like a guard?
Short answer: You can't.
Still, the media wasn't short on takes. On ESPN, Jeff Van Gundy Jr. (The younger brother) offered his thoughts:
"I don't think Kuester's plan was bad per se," he said on air. "But you can't defend a guy like Lin Yi with just one player. That's not how you stop a superstar. What Boston did last year—that was smart basketball."
He went on to say that teams had to make it hard for Lin just to receive the ball. "It's not about stopping him from scoring entirely—that's impossible. But if you can make him inefficient, force some bad shots, limit his touches, and keep him under his usual assists? That's a win."
Van Gundy Jr. wrapped it up by pointing out how underrated the Knicks were on the defensive end:
"They're holding teams to under 95 points a game, and that's with a fast-paced offense. When you break down the advanced stats, the Knicks have the highest defensive efficiency per 100 possessions in the league right now."
When Lin saw the segment later that night, he chuckled. "Maybe Coach D'Antoni should hire this guy as an assistant," he joked, before muttering to himself, "This guy's out here drawing up plays on TV..."
He knew what was coming next. Every team in the league was going to adjust to his evolution. So he had to keep changing, keep evolving. If they came at him with tanks, he'd switch to guerrilla tactics. If they tried snipers, he'd come in with heavy artillery.
It's all part of the game, he thought. And honestly? He loved it.
Back when he used to grind MyCareer mode in 2K, he'd make a 72-rated rookie and still put up All-Star numbers. This was no different—except the lights were real, the defenders were out for blood, and the consequences mattered.
By the time the Pistons game ended, the Knicks had closed out their November schedule.
On December 1st, the NBA officially dropped the season's first monthly awards.
Rookie of the Month (East): John Wall.
Wall averaged 17.4 points and 8.5 assists while shooting 42.7% from the floor and 31.2% from deep. The effort was there. The jumper? Still a work in progress.
Rookie of the Month (West): Blake Griffin.
Griffin put up 24.1 points and 11.4 boards per game, shooting 48.5% overall and 32.9% from deep. The he might be a bust whispers vanished fast. Lob City was on the horizon.
Player of the Month (West): Deron Williams.
The Jazz started hot at 14-5, and Deron put up 21.9 points and 9.9 assists per game.
And in the East? No surprise—Player of the Month went to Lin Yi.
Lin led the league in scoring for November with 36.1 points per game, third in rebounds at 13.4, and added 5.9 assists (17th), 3.1 blocks (1st), and 1.5 steals (12th). He shot 46.4% from the field, 40.1% from deep, and 91.2% from the line.
The media dubbed him Stat Machine.
...
Please do leave a review, helps with the book's exposure.
Feel like joining a Patreon for free and subscribing to advanced chapters?
Visit the link:
p@treon.com/GRANDMAESTA_30
Change @ to a