Jeremy Lin displayed shades of "Linsanity" in Charlotte giving the Hornets an overtime win. He had to take over the scorer's role from Nicolas Batum who could not play that night.
Watch the full highlights here (h/t Free Dawkins):
Jeremy Lin, probably the most underrated signing of the offseason. Lin scored 35 points in the Hornets big victory over Conference rival Toronto Raptors. SB Nation recalled "Linsanity" but points out that Lin is now a better overall player in Charlotte.
"Lin is no longer just a pick-and-roll point guard with a turnover problem," SB Nation stated. "He has become a well-rounded player in Charlotte, someone who can hold his own on defense and offer versatility on offense."
As some of the powerhouses in the NBA's Western Conference turned out to be disappointments (Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans), some teams from the East were much better than expected.
The Hornets were practically written off when one of their rising stars, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist got injured early and was ruled out of the season. There were tanking predictions and Michael Jordan's team was expected to trade off their stars.
That could not be far from the truth. The Charlotte Observer noted that the team benefitted from trades they made in the offseason, reflecting the underrated ability of GM Rich Cho. Three key players Cho acquired had resurgent careers this season: Nic Batum, Spencer Hawes and Jeremy Lamb.
"We made a concerted effort to improve offensively, improve our versatility and find more skilled players," Cho said. "I knew Nic from (working in) Portland; we knew Spencer had tremendous basketball IQ and could shoot the ball and spread the floor."
He adds: "Jeremy(Lamb) was someone we pursued for a long time. We liked him in college and saw him play a lot of games in the NBA and the D-League."
Along with Lin, these players have made the Hornets a serious playoff contender in the East.