This is what I feared back in August when Jeremy Lin was being called a superstar and was offered a ridiculous contract to play for the Houston Rockets.
Lin was never a superstar in my eyes despite all the hype surrounding the player. Popular, yes, but it was too early to categorize him as an NBA star.
He had an excellent story and was a phenomenon for the New York Knicks, but it was all just a great run as he lit up Madison Square Garden in his 25 appearances.
Where are the Jeremy Lin supporters now? The fans pleading for the Knicks to pay the money to retain their "superstar?"
They forgot about Lin because the Knicks are off to a red-hot 5-0 start. Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd have combined to run the offense in New York.
More importantly, Felton is averaging 2011 Lin-like numbers, 14 points and dishing out six assists per game for the cheaper price. Felton is also shooting 40 percent from the floor. Kidd is chipping in with about seven points off the bench and just over three assists per game. He is hitting 57 percent of his shots from the floor.
How much do they cost?
Felton and Kidd are combining a sum of just a little over $6.5 million a year. Kidd is mentoring Felton who has improved on his 2010 and 2011 campaigns as many around the NBA felt that the point guard's career was over while playing for the Denver Nuggets and Portland Blazers.
Jeremy Lin's Production in 2012
Lin is averaging just under 12 points per game and a little over six assists. He is shooting 37 percent from the floor and has reduced his turnover ratio to under three per game.
Lin is making around $5 million this season, but on average he is set to get paid under $8.4 million dollars for the next three years.
The Knicks look like geniuses while the Rockets look overzealous.
Of course, the season is just starting, so let's hope Lin could kick it up a notch.
I do not dislike Lin whatsoever, what I dislike is fans giving titles and over-praising a player who has yet to prove himself fully in the NBA. Teams will always make adjustments and the NBA has adjusted to Lin's style of play.
The question is can Lin transform his game as we know he possesses the skills and talents to be as good as the player we saw in early 2012?
Here we leave you with a list of point guards who are averaging around the same minutes as Lin, are more productive than Lin and getting paid less than the player many considered a superstar talent without letting him even play a full season at the professional level.
Here's a reminder just to break it down fairly for the eyes.
Lin= $5 million, 34.6 MPG, 11.9 PPG, 6.4 APG, 37% FG, 2.6 TOPG. The Rockets are 4-5.
Brandon Jennings Milwaukee Bucks (4-2)
>$3.2 million= 35.5 MPG, 17 PPG, 8.4 APG, 42% FG, 3 TOPG
Damian Lilliard Portland Trail Blazers (3-5)
<$3 million= 37.6 MPG, 18.4 PPG, 6.6 APG, 43% FG, 3.4 TOPG
Ty Lawson Denver Nuggets (4-4)
<$2.5 million= 38.1 MPG 13.5 PPG, 7.8 APG, 40% FG, 3 TOPG
Darren Collison Dallas Mavericks (4-4)
<$2.3 million= 33.5 MPG, 15 PPG, 6.9 APG 50% FG, 2.1 TOPG
