The Knicks likely will have to use their full $5 million mid-level exception to keep point-guard phenomenon Jeremy Lin this summer.
Yes, it may be premature to speculate after his five-game spree, but Lin is a restricted free agent in July and because he was a waiver pickup, the Knicks don’t have his early Bird contract rights. That means they can’t sign him beyond their $5 million mid-level exception because they are over the NBA salary cap.
The Knicks have targeted 2012 free-agent point guards Steve Nash, Raymond Felton and Jameer Nelson with their $5 million mid-level exception, which carries more weight with the new labor rules. You may want to add Lin to the list if his good play continues and he proves he can be durable enough to be a starting point guard.
Under the Gilbert Arenas Rule, teams cannot go beyond the average salary to sign a player of Lin’s status who doesn’t have Bird rights. So the Knicks couldn’t bid higher than the mid-level, which is usually in the range of an average salary.
Lin could be a player designed only for a Mike D’Antoni-like system which gives the point guard complete freedom to make decisions attacking the basket at will and reading the defense.
Most systems contain point guards into very structured sets that may not suit Lin, whose speedy ways and decision-making have done wonders turning D’Antoni into “an absolute offensive genius’’ again, as Lin referred to him this weekend..
“The biggest thing not being talked about is you’re really seeing coach’s offense really work for us,’’ 3-point specialist Steve Novak said. “We’re trusting it. Everyone’s buying into it, and we’re seeing it come together. For people experiencing it for the first time, we’re seeing the value in it.’’
* Center Tyson Chandler said of the Knicks’ comeback win from seven points down Saturday night in Minnesota on the second night of a back-to-back, “This is one of those games that can change a season around.’’
The Knicks’ schedule and the five-game winning streak could grow. The Knicks (12-15) have a shot to be at least .500 by the Feb. 24 All-Star break. Their next three games are against Toronto, Sacramento and New Orleans.
* Red-hot Novak knows his minutes could go down with forwards Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire back this week. Injured rookie forward Josh Harrellson also is expected back in a couple of weeks.
“When you’re in and out, like I had been, it’s tough to get into a rhythm,” Novak said of his renaissance. “I don’t think I played terrible, but when you’re in rhythm, you’re a different player. You let the game come to you a little more.’’