With Lin's help, the Knicks turned into playoff-contenders once again. However, his season ended abruptly after it was announced he had a partial tear in his ACL, which forced him to have surgery and miss the rest of the season.
With the Knicks now out of the playoffs after their Game 5 loss to the Miami Heat, New York plans to improve for next season. It all starts with Mike Woodson signing a new contract, officially removing his interim coach label to head coach.
Woodson announced on Thursday that the Knicks will "absolutely re-sign Lin." However, him being a starter is still a question.
"Jeremy's a big part of our team, and will he start? Only time will tell. He's still got to recover from his knee and use this summer to really work on his game to put himself in the best position possible for our ballclub. He has started for our team and he has played well for our basketball team. But this summer will be very pivotal for him in terms of his improvement, and the future's very bright for him."
Lin played 35 games, averaging 14.6 points and 6.2 assists. Lin doesn't mind if he starts or comes off the bench. He'll get his minutes.
"It just depends on the team. Coming off the bench versus starting, that means something, but it doesn't mean that much. There are guys who play pivotal roles who come off the bench. ... I need to be a lot better. I need to make sure I'm a lot better, a lot healthier, and that's my focus for the offseason. And then once training camp starts, wherever I'm at, I'm all about trying to make that team better."
Lin will definitely be a big part of this team for the future.
The big question is not about Lin, however. It all comes down to Amare and Melo. Can they co-exist?
Josh Dhani is the founder of FootBasket. He also contributes at Hoops Authority and Eight Points Nine Seconds. You can read more about him at his website. Follow him on Twitter @joshdhani.
