Would Jeremy Lin Regain Star Status by Rejoining New York Knicks? Reasons Why it Could Work

Can you really go home again if you're Jeremy Lin?

The headlines were blaring with rumors as the midseason NBA trade deadline passed last week, and Lin found himself in the center of attention once again as late buzz indicated that his old team, the New York Knicks, were thinking about bringing the fan favorite point guard back to the place where it all began for the creator of "Linsanity."

Of course, that did not happen, as Lin still remains in Rockets Red while the Knicks stood pat at the trade deadline. But that does not mean that a trade scenario bringing Lin back to New York can't be revisited this offseason.

By now, every hoops fan around the world knows the legendary tale of Lin's overnight explosion into stardom after the journeyman point guard came off the bench on Feb. 4, 2012 and dropped 25 points, leading the Knicks to victory over the then-New Jersey Nets. That victory snowballed into an impressive month-long stretch for Lin that gave birth to a new NBA star that generated buzz among the highly-sought-after Asian market by introducing overseas fans to the likeable Taiwanese-American hoops star while making Lin a rich man when the Rockets pried him away from New York with a three-year, $25 million backloaded contract.

However, Lin's tenure with the Rockets has not been nearly as successful or explosive as his time in New York, with Lin struggling in his first season in Houston last year. And despite improving his shooting this season, the emergence of defensive specialist Patrick Beverley during the playoffs last spring caused Houston head coach Kevin McHale to demote Lin, who started at point guard last season, to the sixth man's role off the bench. While Lin has responded to the challenge by becoming one of the better NBA sixth men this season, the title-hungry Rockets, looking to perhaps acquire a third superstar to accompany James Harden and Dwight Howard, have been looking to take Lin's contract off their books, preferably by this summer with the NBA's free agent class featuring megastars like Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and more.

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If one goes by Lin's modest stats, it sure looks like he could use a change of scenery if he's not going to get enough decent playing time or scoring opportunities to showcase his improved shooting skills. However, returning to New York post-Mike D'Antoni may not be the most ideal situation for either Lin or the Knicks for several reasons.

But for now, let's take a look at the pros for Lin returning to New York:

Pros

1) Loyal Fanbase Return Means More Money for the Knicks
Whether you're sold on Lin's worth as a player or not, there's no denying his popularity. One needs look no further than the NBA All-Star Game's fan voting this year, when Lin, even as a sub, drew the fourth-highest fan voting total of all the guards in the West. That's more votes than Harden, Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, and Tony Parker, all elite-level players.

Want more proof? During the Linsanity era in New York, Lin's jersey was the second-highest NBA jersey sold, based on the online sales and NBA Store data. Only Derrick Rose sold more jerseys. Last year, Lin sold the fourth-highest total of jerseys in the NBA. His Asian background brings in a growing and coveted demographic that will flock to games to see him play as well as pay for his merchandise--Knicks-embroidered merchandise. Bringing those fans back to The Garden would earn the franchise much more money. And in the end, with basketball ultimately being a business; it would be hard to ignore a potential financial windfall if you're Knicks owner James Dolan.

2) Leaving Behind Limited Opportunities in Houston
When Lin signed on with the Rockets in July 2012, he came onboard with the promise of a lot of money and a chance to become a central part of the offense. While he's gotten the money so far, the opportunities to become a serious threat on offense have dwindled, especially after the Rockets acquired and built around All-Star-caliber talents James Harden and Dwight Howard--which, by the way, was the smart thing to do. But in the process of building a serious NBA title contender, Lin's role has diminished from star player to starting point guard to his current station as the sixth man off the bench. And with Patrick Beverley still Kevin McHale's favorite among point guards, that situation isn't likely to change anytime soon. Perhaps a change of scenery back to the birth place of Linsanity is the booster shot that Lin's career needs.

3) Knicks Need a Point Guard
Injury-prone, out of shape and struggling, Raymond Felton just isn't getting the job done as the floor general for the Knicks anymore. The proof is in the pudding that in his last 10 games, Felton is averaging a mere 9.2 points to go with a dim 36.7 shooting percentage, and 6.8 assists. Beno Udrih and Toure Murry haven't been much help, either. The Knicks just aren't moving the ball, and with New York ranking among the ten worst teams in team scoring (97.7 points, ranked 21 out of 30) and team assists (20.4, ranked 25 out of 30), they are in dire need of some improvement at the point.

Lin is capable of both scoring and moving the ball well in New York. During his run with the Knicks in 2012, Lin was dishing 8.4 assists during the "Linsanity" month of February and 6.3 assists in March before he tore his meniscus that month. He's gotten the rep as a player who can make an impact on offense but also likes to involve his teammates. And he worked well with Amar'e Stoudemire, who had rave reviews for Lin during his time in New York two seasons ago. Plus, he's been with the Knicks before. Unlike some players, Lin seemed to thrive in the demanding spotlight of the Big Apple. Perhaps the Knicks could use Lin's boldness once more. At this point, they've really got little to lose by at least trying it.

Part 2, which focuses on why Jeremy Lin would not benefit from a return to the New York Knicks, will be posted Tuesday on Latino Post.