Memo To Jeremy Lin -- Don't Mess With The Knicks' Point Guard Curse

Will Jeremy Lin play for the New York Knicks in Game 5 of their NBA Playoff series on Wednesday night against the New York Knicks, or won't he? Most reports have indicated that the point guard, who has not played since March 24 after injuring a knee and undergoing surgery, is unlikely to play. ESPN Insider Ric Bucher, however, is insisting that Lin is "95 percent" certain to play, adding that the Knicks are "putting a tremendous amount of pressure on him."

The Knicks, of course,are one game from elimination -- trailing the Miami Heat 3-1 in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. They have watched Iman Shumpert and Baron Davis fall to ugly, season-ending knee injuries during the series against the Heat. They have only the ancient Mike Bibby and the incompetent Toney Douglas left at the position.

Of course, the Knicks would LOVE for Lin to play Wednesday night. So would the screen writers. Think of it. Lin once again rises off the end of the Knicks' bench to reprise 'Linsanity,' leading the depleted, down-trodden, seemingly beaten Knicks to a come-from-behind series victory over the Heat -- accomplishing a comeback from a garguantuan 3-0 deficit. What a chapter in the book of 'Linsanity' that would make, or movie segment.

I little advice for Lin, from the peanut gallery. Don't do it! Stay over there on the corner of the Knicks' bench in your boring suit and your Peter Parker glasses. Don't take 'em off and don the uniform, because the Knicks -- and the fans -- will be looking for a superhero. Which, to be brutally honest, is way, way beyond being fair.

Then there is the small matter of The Curse. What Curse, you ask? Well, think about it. It's the Curse of the Knicks' Point Guards. Or, the isiah Thomas Curse, since this is all his fault anyway.

Thomas, of course, is the former great point guard who the Knicks foolishly put in charge of their franchise way back in 2003. Really, has anything good happened to the Knicks at the point guard position since Thomas was hired?

• A trade for Stephon Marbury? Weird guy, scored a lot of points, said a lot of crazy things, really did zilch to help the franchise. Nothing good there.
• Suffering through the days of watching Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson pretend they were point guards? Nothing good there.
• Raymond Felton came along as a free agent and actually played the best half-season of his NBA career before the Knicks shuffled him off to Denver for Carmelo Anthony. Felton has since been shuffled to Portland, which is pretty much basketball purgatory these days. Felton is not exactly a premier player for Portland, either. So, being touched by the Knicks has not exactly helped Felton.
• Chauncey Billups? Came to the Knicks along with 'Melo in the trade that shipped Felton out of town. Got unceremoniousy dumped so the Knicks could spend money on Tyson Chandler, signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, and tore his Achilles Tendon. Again, cursed by his connection to the Knicks. The Knicks? They wound up with the broken-down Davis.
• Davis and Shumpert? We have seen what happened to them. Not pretty.

Aside from his brief 'Linsanity' moment in the sun Lin has not escaped, either. He had seen the coach who gave him his chance fired and already suffered his own knee injury. He also had 'Linsanity' derailed by Anthony.

If Lin is, indeed, getting pressure from Knicks management to play on Wednesday then shame on the organization. That is stupid and short-sighted, and let's hope the Knicks come to their senses before Wednesday.

If Lin does don the No. 17 superhero outfit don't pray for miracles. If you're a Knicks fan just pray that he survives in one piece.