After helping Paul get his first assist of the game, Lin Yi patted him on the back as they moved back on defense. "I'll use my off-ball movement to stretch their defense. Keep an eye out and pass to the open guys."
If it had been any other night, Paul might have snapped at someone telling him how to pass. But tonight, he knew Lin just wanted to help him.
He nodded, clenching his fist.
Truth was, after arguing with Rondo, Paul's real anger wasn't at anyone else—it was that he felt stupid.
NBA stars can be easily provoked.
Kobe, for example. Someone says he's too selfish, and the next game, he'll practically turn off his shot just to prove the team can't survive without him.
Or take the future Rockets-Warriors series in Lin's past life. After Green's mom said Durant only knew isolation basketball, Durant looked like he couldn't even function in the next game.
Even these athletes are human. Opinions hit them.
Lin Yi didn't think Rondo was wrong. In this league, being low-key doesn't last. Rondo nearly got traded last season just to sweeten a Ray Allen deal. For him, a little diss is just a reminder to the Celtics: "I'm strong."
Lin Yi, however, felt a twinge of regret. Nobody ever disses him anymore. Even Durant doesn't mention him this season.
He wanted chances to slap faces, to show off.
On the court, the Nets opened with a smooth possession. Deron, the little tank of a guard, drove through the lane after a screen and scored a layup, 2-2.
On the Knicks' return, Lin Yi came up high for a pick-and-roll with Paul. The Nets rotated fast. Lin Yi saw no path to roll and reversed, moving to the wing while screening Joe Johnson for Danny Green.
Paul delivered a sharp pass. The Knicks' shooters had been trained to shoot immediately after catching the ball—helping the big men rack up assists was part of daily practice.
Swish!
2-5. Green's three-pointer landed cleanly, Paul's second assist.
On TNT, Barkley, despite his bet with O'Neal, couldn't hide his praise. "Chris's court vision is on fire this season."
Kenny Smith added, "It's partly the Knicks' tactics. Last season, Chris didn't organize; he just isolated."
O'Neal watched them with a smirk.
That kid Lin Yi is insane tonight, feeding Paul assists.All according to plan.
Nets coach Avery Johnson reminded his players to stick to their men. After a missed possession, Tyson Chandler and Markieff Morris boxed out for Paul.
Meanwhile, Lin Yi was already on the fast break.
Paul fired a long pass. Reggie Evans, retreating on defense and known for dirty plays, got elbowed out of the way.
Lin Yi finished easily, 2-7.
Against a villain like Evans, Lin Yi wasn't careless. Evans had a reputation: pinching, grabbing jerseys, even using the infamous monkey steals the peaches move. Kaman's privates were once his target during a rebound. Lin Yi didn't give Evans a chance.
Evans yelled at the ref, claiming Lin Yi elbowed him. Tonight, though, it was the Knicks' home court. Lin Yi was a protected player. Superstar and home whistles ensured Evans' complaints were ignored.
If he didn't elbow now, when would he?
Midway through the first quarter, the Knicks were already up by ten at home.
The Nets had prepared multiple defensive looks for the Knicks tonight, but none of them worked against Lin Yi. He was simply a step ahead every time.
After watching Blatche get beaten possession after possession, Nets head coach Johnson quickly sent in the high-energy Humphries.
Unfortunately, Humphries did not look like the same player who had given Lin Yi so much trouble last season. His legs looked heavy the moment he checked in.
People joke that nothing drains an NBA player faster than the Kardashians, and tonight Humphries looked like living proof. The double-double machine, who averaged 13 points and 11 rebounds last year looked completely worn out.
On this night, Lin Yi stayed locked in on one goal: pushing the pace and piling up assists for his team. He gave the Nets no chance to slow the game down into half-court battles. The faster the game moved, the more possessions there were. More possessi,ons meant more assists.
So Lin Yi gladly let his teammates grab the rebounds and took off running.
On paper, the Nets were solid. They had a star guard, a go-to scorer late in games, and a reliable center in Lopez. But their high standing in the East had more to do with how thin the conference was at the time.
Put this roster in the West, and a playoff spot would be far from guaranteed, especially with the Southwest Division in the way.
Still, the Nets' owner was dreaming big. He was already imagining next season, bringing in Kirilenko, pairing him with a loud-mouthed veteran presence, and talking about building a contender in Brooklyn.
The Knicks were fast. Very fast. Not long into the quarter, Coach Mike subbed out Markieff Morris and sent in Klay Thompson. With Lin Yi pushing the tempo, Klay and Green filled the lanes, clearing a perfect path for Chris Paul to stack assists.
By the end of the first quarter, Paul already had nine.
Lin Yi alone had set five clean screens, the kind that felt like free pancakes. A new-generation pancake king.
The beauty of it was how invisible the plan looked. Fans saw Paul throwing beautiful passes and the Knicks scoring at will. Almost no one noticed that the entire system was quietly boosting Paul's assist numbers.
When Lin Yi came back to the bench late in the first quarter, he leaned over to Paul.
"Chris, don't be afraid to try a few flashy passes," he said calmly. "Even if you mess up seven or eight times against the Nets, it's fine. Fancy passes don't always help the play, but they help your image. Fans love them."
Paul stared at him for a second, nodding.
Lin was one of the very few players in the league, aside from Duncan and LeBron, who could get away with it.
"Chris, if something ever bothers you, just say it," he added. "Don't hold it in."
Paul felt his eyes sting. If they were not in front of a packed arena, he might have lost it right there.
"Because if you're unhappy," Lin Yi continued, "we'll find a way to enjoy it anyway."
Paul froze.
The moment passed. His emotion vanished instantly.
Around them, Knicks players exchanged looks and quietly remembered what it had been like playing with O'Neal back in the day.
Shaq, please come back and play with us more this season.
Right now, nobody on this team could handle Lin Yi.
. . .
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