Reeves Wiedeman on the small, smart decisions the New York Knicks made in the wake of Jeremy Lin’s departure: http://nyr.kr/U88uDC

Photograph by Aaron Vincent Elkaim/Canadian Press/AP.

Jeremy Lin started twenty-five games for the New York Knicks last winter, rising from fourth-stringer to local folk hero. And like the best folk heroes, he has departed the scene early, before the shine came off, leaving New Yorkers to tell tales and wonder what might have been.

Ian Crouch on Jeremy Lin leaving the New York Knicks: http://nyr.kr/NvDGJo

Lin Between the Lines

Last night against the Cavaliers: 19-13-5 and only one turnover.

For this week’s issue, Barry Blitt drew Knicks guard Jeremy Lin in a series of heroic scenarios. For more of our coverage of Lin, and the rest of the slide show: http://nyr.kr/ynqsY6

For this week’s issue, Barry Blitt drew Knicks guard Jeremy Lin in a series of heroic scenarios. We’ll highlight these illustrations in some photosets over the next couple of days. If you can’t wait for the rest, visit: http://nyr.kr/ynqsY6

In This Week’s Issue

Hendrik Hertzberg on the Romney-Santorum showdown; James Surowiecki on Jeremy Lin, Mitt Romney, and the advantage of good looks; Nick Paumgarten covers the World Economic Forum at Davos; Emily Nussbaum reviews “The Good Wife”; and more

Everybody But Jeremy Lin

This moment is still Lin’s for as long as he can manage it, but there is an elephant set to rampage through the Garden again soon in the form of Carmelo Anthony. It perhaps says as much about Knicks fans as it does about Anthony that returning one of the five best scorers in the N.B.A. has become something to fear. But there is some reason for concern. The Knicks were also without Amare Stoudamire for four games, and in two games since his return, Stoudamire has taken more shots than any other Knick, and had the worst shooting percentage of any starter. Fans fear that Anthony, who could return from injury tonight, or during Sunday’s nationally televised game against the Mavericks, will only add to the problem. The Knicks are also adding J. R. Smith, a pure scorer who had been exiled to China for the season. The fear is that they will somehow screw up the team’s mojo. But note well: of these six Lin-led wins, only one, against the Lakers, has come against a team with a winning record. Eleven of the Knicks’ next fourteen games are against probable playoff teams. You don’t beat Miami and Chicago and San Antonio with Steve Novak and Jared Jeffries—even with Jeremy Lin. The Knicks need Carmelo, for better and worse.

An Edward Koren cartoon from 2002. For both of these competitions, we’re going with the team that has Jeremy Lin.