Last season, choosing the best games Jeremy Lin had was difficult: There were quite a lot of them. This season, his first with the Brooklyn Nets, with only 36 to choose from and many of them with minute restrictions, it was a different kind of difficulty. But overall, Lin played well when he was healthy and not limited by minute caps and offensive schemes. When you go by per minute and per possession numbers, he’s never played any better.
One thing worth mentioning about the list: We only included games in which Lin and the Nets ended up winning. He had bigger individual efforts this season than the ones on this list, but we preferred this list to consist of happy endings.
7. Vs Chicago Bulls, April 8
In Brooklyn’s final home game of the season, Lin finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. He didn’t shoot all that well (4-for-14 from the field, 2-for-4 from three), but finished with a +15 and had a good overall game, that included some solid defense in a season that had very little of that for the Nets. The Nets won 107-106, which could have kept the Bulls out of the playoffs.
6. Vs Charlotte Hornets, December 26
Lin’s second hamstring injury of the season occurred in this game, followed by missing two months of basketball. However, it was one of his more impressive scoring performances this season, finishing with 17 points in just 22 minutes, adding 4 assists and 2 steals, making 6-of-11 from the field. The Nets won that game 120-118, back when the Hornets looked like they’d make the postseason.
5. @ New York Knicks, March 16
Lin was three weeks into his return from injury, having an uncharacteristic shooting night (only 5-for-16), but made up for it in other ways, helping the Nets pull off an impressive second half come back that included outscoring the Knicks 67-49 en route to a 121-110 win. Lin finished with 15 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals.
4. @ Philadelphia 76ers, April 4
Maybe Lin’s most efficient game of the season, coming against an opponent that seemed completely overwhelmed. The Nets won their 19th game of the season, beating the Sixers 141-118. Lin needed only 23 minutes to finish with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals while shooting 6-for-10 from the field and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc.
3. @ Memphis Grizzlies, March 6
Lin played only 23 minutes in the surprising 122-109 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, but he made all of them count, especially the final 6, as he scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, quite enjoying his role that night, to finish with 18 points and 4 rebounds while knocking down 3 three pointers.
2. @ Atlanta Hawks, March 26
While this wasn’t Lin’s best game of the season, it provided the best demonstration of what a Lin-Brook Lopez pick n’ roll can do, as Lin’s 8 assists helped the big man reach 23 points. Lin himself finished with 19 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists, along with 2 steals and 1 block. The Nets won (on the road) 107-92; surprisingly comfortable.
1. Vs Indiana Pacers, October 28
Lin’s best game of the season came in Brooklyn’s first win of the year, back when optimism was a part of the season. Lin looked terrific against a good Pacers team and made Jeff Teague look terrible, as Lin finished with 21 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists, including 7-for-8 from the line. The Nets won 103-94. When you look back at that game you can’t help but wonder how this season would have went with Lin remaining healthy for more than 36 games, and what would it have meant for some of the players no longer on the team like Bojan Bogdanovic and Luis Scola.
This was last year’s Lin’s highlight compilation, that included his performances in the playoffs.
