I am a witness.
I am a witness to the hype machine that is Jeremy Lin. I am a witness to the impossible passes, the confident way he directs his teammates around the court, and yes, witness to his impressive dunk.
I joined SB Nation Community Manager/Wizards season ticket holder Luke Zimmermann last night in the upper deck of the Verizon Center as Lin and the New York Knicks took on the Washington Wizards.
Even with classless Knicks fans behind me yelling obscenities about John Wall and the Wizards, I couldn't help but be impressed with the plucky point guard out of Harvard. His quickness and overall intelligence on the floor were quite the sight to see.
There are holes in his game. He needs to improve against trap defenses and his jump shot needs tweaking. These minor issues do not detract from the point, however: kid can ball, and he's really entertaining.
He does things that no one expected of him. He's like a younger, Asian-American version of Steve Nash. He drives the lane with authority and looks for the open man. He makes Steve Novak look like Matt Bonner. He has made the New York Knicks into a winner, and in the process defies all logic. He is the embodiment of the American dream, and the world will never be the same.
With that said, he's a really great story and I'd love to see him succeed in the league. He has a long way to go before he is deserving of the praise that has been heaped upon him, but his first three real NBA performances have impressed just about everyone. The real test will be once the adjustments have been made to exploit his weaknesses - can he make the necessary changes to remain viable?