Stop the Lin-sanity, Lin is not Tebow

While passively watching Marquette defeat Connecticut over the weekend, every time announcers Dave Pasch and Doris Burke uttered the name of UCONN shooting guard Jeremy Lamb, I would’ve sworn they were saying Jeremy Lin. Coverage of the NBA’s out-of-nowhere star is everywhere, so much so that my over-ESPNed brain has been tricked into thinking Lin is being talked about even when he isn’t.

In an age when everything is sensationalized (cough, cough, Whitney Houston), the ascendance of the thrice-cut Lin has led several media outlets to begin referring to the Asian-American sensation as basketball’s Tim Tebow.

It’s true that Lin and Tebow are professional athletes and men of faith.  Both helped desperate teams to wins in seven of their first eight starts.

And that’s about where the similarities end.

Tebow was a five-star recruit coming out of Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. He won two national championships at the University of Florida, a Heisman Trophy as the nation’s most outstanding player and was taken in the first round of the NFL Draft by Denver. When the Gators finished his senior season ranked third in the national polls, it was actually considered a disappointment.

On the other hand, Lin received nary a college scholarship offer despite helping his high school team to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division II state title. He went on to play at Harvard, an institution where student-athletes are more apt to decipher what environmental factors affect the ball going into the basket than they are to put it in there themselves. The last time the Crimson churned out an NBAer was in 1953, a year before the 24-second clock was invented.

Tebow is also a physical specimen, blessed with the stoutness of a linebacker and the speed of a running back. His body type allows him to play an unorthodox, run-first style of quarterbacking without major fear of injury.

At 6-3, 200 lbs., Lin rests on the smallish side for a combo guard, giving him the length to defend opponents like Deron Williams and Dwyane Wade, and just enough bounce to rise to the rim over the big boys.

Lin plays methodically, works the angles and is fundamentally sound. He is an excellent passer, a perfect fit for Coach Mike D’Antoni’s offense, but takes a lot of chances (six turnovers per game in nine starts through Feb. 20). Meanwhile, Tebow, the so-called “Pigskin Lin,” was meticulous in taking care of the football for the Broncos last season, accounting for only 13 total turnovers in 13 games.

What cannot be understated is how important Lin’s rise has been to the NBA. Whereas it seems that the NFL cannot do anything to subvert its enormous television ratings and allegiant fan support (despite what seems to be its best efforts, at times), casual hoops fans have been searching for a player that they could rally around for years.

Lin is that player, the underdog who came out of nowhere to spark one of sports’ most storied franchises back to relevancy.  In fact, although MSG and Time Warner Cable will never admit it, “Lin-sanity” is what ended the 48-day stalemate between MSG and Time Warner Cable. Not surprisingly, stock shares rose for the station that carries that Knicks games and the cable provider that services most of New York immediately following the announcement.

Perhaps most interesting in the Lin-Tebow debate is that Lin, the undrafted Ivy Leaguer, may have more staying power in the national spotlight than the purebred Tebow.

New England’s 45-10 playoff rout of the Broncos is likely to be used as a blueprint for how to slow down Tebowmania in 2012. Load the box, rush four on passing plays (keeping linebackers accountable for Tebow breaking the pocket) and make him fit the ball into tight windows.  As big of a Tebow fan as I am, I hope I’m wrong but fear I’m not.

With Lin, there is virtually no threat to his starting position, unless you’re excited about Baron Davis and Mike Bibby – and realize that this isn’t the year 2000. If Lin can cut down his penchant for turnovers while retaining his confidence and creativity, he could be, dare I say it, a future all-star.