Do two months of pretty impressive basketball mean that any kind of criticism isn’t warranted? Jeremy Lin thinks he’ll always have doubters. He’s right, because there isn’t a player on this planet with a brigade of critics to push him, including LeBron James and Kobe Bryant and because he just isn’t as good as the media hype around him.

There’s no way getting around it – Linsanity has a lot to with the fact that Lin came from Harvard and is of Asian descent, the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA. He was extremely impressive for 25 starts during February and March, but two months don’t make him a solid NBA star for years to come.

Lin got too much flack for leaving the Knicks. It’s not like he had a choice. The Houston Rockets made the offer they made because they knew the Knicks, probably, weren’t going to match it. Lin found his reasons to leave New York as the whole saga unfolded, feeling a bit under-appreciated because the Knicks stalled with their action and the whole theory claiming that James Dolan never wanted to match the contract.

Bottom line – Lin is a rather modest bloke. He didn’t lose his mind during the hectic Linsanity phase that won’t be repeated in Houston. Not saying he isn’t going to play that well. He might, and maybe even better. There’s plenty of room to move up from 14.6 points and 6.2 assists per game, but any kind of media craze is always magnified when you’re playing for the Knicks and maybe from now on the Nets. Maybe that’ll be even better for him.

I will always, always have doubters. But I really want to reach my potential to bring glory to God. That is more motivation than haters and doubters. I want to work just as hard, give just as much, whether or not I have haters.

Forbes came out with a pretty bombastic tag line – Jeremy Lin May Be The Dumbest Harvard Grad Ever. Again, just showing more ignorance. Sure, it’s more lucrative to stay in New York and cash in on Linsanity and all the endorsement possibilities. Again, so people fully understand – Jeremy Lin didn’t have a choice. He only got one offer, and that was from the Houston Rockets. The situation of a restricted free agent made it so that the Knicks would be way over the luxury tax if they would have matches the back-loaded offer from the Rockets, promising Lin $14.8 million on his third year of the contract.

Did he leave because of money? Yes, but because of the money the Knicks didn’t want to pay him, not the money he thinks he deserves and wanted to get. Lin is still quite far from being considered an elite point guard in this league, especially in this generation. Derrick Rose’s injury probably pushes him a step higher on the ladder, but there are plenty of steps before he’s even close to the top.

Is Lin worth the hype, the money? An 8-figure salary for a point guard with less than half a season of impressive basketball? The Rockets take a big gamble, although the financial kick Lin brings with him soothes the risk taking aspect of signing him. Lin has doubters for all the right reasons and for a few of the wrong ones. I’m not sure he’ll prove many of them wrong next season.

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