Always so much to learn, every day, every year

"Linsanity a Memory, Nets Offering Second Act for Jeremy Lin and Kenny Atkinson" -- Howard Beck

An excerpt: "Lin arrived with the athleticism and agility to make it as an NBA point guard. His jump shot was a little mechanical, but workable. What he lacked, Atkinson noted, were the subtleties: patience, how to change speeds, freeze the big man, draw in defenders, probe for openings.

"He was kind of wild going to the rim," Atkinson said. "There wasn't a plan."

Atkinson cited the evolution of Nash, who said he learned to become a great player when he started finding solutions in the paint.

In the dreary days of late December and January, when Lin was the Knicks' 15th man, these were the lessons they discussed.

What Atkinson found in Lin was a pupil both eager and headstrong, open-minded and inquisitive.

"There are guys that accept development," Atkinson said, "and there are guys that own their development. And he, like, owned it. So it wouldn't be just, 'Lets do the drill.' There might be a question behind it: 'What if he does this?' Or, 'If he does this, do I do this?'"