Lin What World Does This Happen?

Let me start off this blog by stating my everlasting affection and dedication to the Miami Heat. The Heat are the team I grew up watching as a South Florida resident and I have been a die hard fan for not one, two, three…but 20 plus years. Long before LeBron took his talents to the city of my birth, I was rooting for the likes of Rony Seikaly, Bimbo Coles, Glen Rice and Harold “Baby Jordan” Minor. For all you haters out there, the real Heat fans endured MANY thin years and now we get to enjoy our embarrassment of riches that is the Heatles (some prefer the “Big Three” but not me). Now, the Heat are not what this blog is about. While they just happen to be the best team in the NBA at the moment, they are not the biggest show or story in the NBA this season (a fact that would have been incomprehensible at the beginning of the year). Unless you have been in a coma, you have undoubtedly heard of Jeremy Lin at this point (if you are not in a coma and still do not know who Jeremy Lin is please stop reading and go back to making letter bombs). “Linsanity” has caught the basketball loving nation and the city that never sleeps by storm, and is the epitome of a great sports story.

Three weeks ago, Jeremy Lin was a journey man roster filler that was about to be released from his third (and probably last) NBA team. Even the most ardent basketball fans would be hard pressed to know who this guy was, and many Knicks fans did not even realize he was on their team. Why would you realize it? He was an undrafted Harvard graduate who did not receive a single scholarship offer to play coming out of high school. He had to earn his way onto to Harvard’s basketball team as a walk-on. He had a stellar four year career playing in the Ivy League, but professional sports is perhaps the only profession where having graduated from Harvard is detrimental to one’s chances of earning a living. Yet, here we are. Three weeks later. Watching in utter amazement at what this Ivy Leaguer is doing to some of the best athletes in the world on a nightly basis.

While the personal story about Jeremy Lin’s journey to basketball star is nothing short of incredible, his performance on the court is even more impressive. Since he became the Knicks’ starting point guard, he has scored more points than ANY other player in the NBA. More points than Kobe, Durant, LeBron, Dirk and ALL OTHER PLAYERS. He tied a New York Knicks record by scoring more than 20 points and dishing out at least 7 assists in 6 straight games. The Knicks were an original member of the NBA and Jeremy Lin tied a franchise record in the first 6 games he played meaningful minutes! Some of his critics have stated that his great stats are coming against some of the poorer competition in the league. That could not be any further from the truth. He had his two best games against the Lakers (38 points and 7 assists) and the defending World Champion Mavericks (28 points, 14 assists and 5 steals). Throw in a game winning shot at the buzzer against the Raptors in Toronto, and the majority of his points coming in the 4^th quarter of games, and you have what Dickie Vitale calls a “P.T.P’er” (Prime Time Player).

If you play in a semi-competitive fantasy basketball league, Jeremy Lin is long gone from the waiver wire. But his performance this season has more to do with next year’s fantasy draft. Let’s assume for argument’s sake that Lin continues his current level of performance over the remainder of the season (there is nothing to suggest at this point he won’t, in fact he may only get better with experience). We would be talking about a player who averaged 24.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 9.2 assists per game. Those stats would make him the most productive fantasy player in the NBA besides LeBron James! He would be a legitimate option as the number one pick in next season’s draft.

Stories like this just don’t happen. Harvard graduates do not just take over the NBA after spending two seasons at the end of the bench. The U.S. Hockey team doesn’t beat the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympic Games. Joe Namath and the Jets don’t beat Johnny Unitas and the Colts in the first Super Bowl. And die hard Miami Heat fans don’t find themselves rooting for their hated rival New York Knicks...

…perhaps Lin this world these things can happen…

Check out this great article by Brett David Roberts, of yahoosports.com, on gauging Jeremy Lin’s trade value (click here).

Also, follow my useless ramblings on twitter @joshuabrier.

Pitchers and Catchers With Lots to Prove in Spring Training

It was a great Super Bowl win on Sunday for the Giants. And, after watching the game, I am not sure who the Super Bowl win by the Giants was worse for. So, I’ve decided that the most impacted person is Rex Ryan. I’m sure there won’t be many tears of sympathy for Rex, who is now clearly the opening act in New York City, but with all of his loud mouth prognostications he has no one to blame but himself for being in this spot. Here’s to Rex shutting his big mouth in 2012 (looks like he already started because it was AWFULLY quiet out of the Jets camp leading up to the Super Bowl)...I love New Year’s resolutions that are adopted by force!

Now, the best thing about the Super Bowl being over is that it semi-officially begins the countdown for baseball season. We are t-minus two weeks for pitchers and catchers reporting to their respective camps. Only a matter of days before the crack of the bat is heard again and players awkwardly jog around the warning track in the middle of Spring Training games (still baffles me to this day). Lots of attention is going to be paid to the big names who have switched teams. Most notably a King in Los Angeles of Anaheim near Mission Viejo of San Bernardino right next to the Pacific Ocean and quasi near San Diego (you get my point on the ridiculousness of the Angels “official” home city), a Prince in the Motor City and a now dreadlock-less shortstop taking the place of a disgruntled third-baseman in Miami. Great story lines to be sure, but it will be these under-the-radar pitchers and catchers for one reason or another with the most to prove during Spring Training. Their performance in those “meaningless” March games will go a long way to determining where they are drafted in upcoming fantasy leagues, and perhaps determining this year’s champions.

Spring Training 2012’s “Lots To Prove List”:

Buster Posey San Francisco Giants (.284 AVG, 4 HR and 21 RBI)

Posey came out like a gang-Buster (pun totally intended) during his rookie campaign. His bat was a major component in helping the Giants to their World Series title in 2010. What a difference a year, and a major collision at the plate, makes! With only 45 games played in 2011, Posey’s ankle and leg were severely injured when Scott Cousins of the Marlins barreled into him during a close play at the plate. Now Posey has to show he is healthy and can regain his potentially MVP-caliber form. As he goes so will the Giants 2012 season, and Bruce Bochy is going to help him out by playing him at first base at least once a week.

Josh Johnson Miami Marlins (3-1, 1.64 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 3:1 K’s per BB):

JJ, as he is affectionately known by Marlin fans, was off to one of the most dominating starts to a season in recent memory. Through 9 starts last year he had only allowed 11 earned runs and was showing that he was a legitimate horse in the Cy Young race. Then some shoulder discomfort was followed by shoulder inflammation, and that ultimately led to him being shut down for the rest of the season before May was complete. Apparently he is in the best shape of his life and was recently quoted as saying he wants to make 35 starts this year. If he can make those 35 starts the Miami Marlins should break in their new park with a playoff game, and JJ will be in the Cy Young discussion at season’s end.

Joe Mauer Minnesota Twins (.287 AVG, 3 HR and 30 RBI)

The 2011 season did not get off to a great start for Mauer. He missed the first couple of months with bi-lateral leg weakness and never really gained his form upon returning to the lineup. Playing in only 82 games last season, he is coming off his second disappointing season in a row. He was most likely the first catcher to come off the board in the last two drafts, but that will hardly be the case this year after burning fantasy owners the past two seasons. If he can remain healthy this season, and regain any of his 2009 MVP-form (remember that he hit .365 with 28 bombs), Joe could provide some very nice value as the fourth or fifth catcher taken.

Adam Wainwright St. Louis Cardinals (missed entire 2011 season after having Tommy John surgery)

While last season ended very well for Cardinal Nation with birdmen bringing home the World Series title, it certainly did not start out as well. Before Spring Training of 2011 ended, Wainwright was undergoing elbow reconstruction surgery. Coming off his best season as a professional in 2010 (20-11, 230.1 INN, 2.42 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 213 K’s), Wainwright was a preseason favorite for the 2011 Cy Young. Now he has to build back his arm strength and accuracy for this season and demonstrate that he can regain his prior form. Expect him to have his innings limited, especially early in the season, but there is no reason if he is truly healthy that he cannot help fantasy teams this season.

Check out this great article by Al Melchior, of CBSSports.com, on how there could be a new number one pick for this upcoming fantasy baseball season (click here).

Also, follow my useless ramblings on twitter @joshuabrier.