Every year, when the major awards are announced, experts and media outlets inevitably weigh in. Opinions fly everywhere, praise and criticism mixed, and nobody ever seems fully satisfied.
For the 2011–12 season, Rookie of the Year ultimately went to Kyrie Irving, the number-one pick. Irving averaged 17.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. Combined with his smooth, eye-catching style of play, the award felt well deserved and hardly controversial.
Compared to what Lin Yi remembered, Kyrie scored a little less but handed out slightly more assists. Playing on a strong roster helped his efficiency as well—49.7% from the field, 41.5% from three, and 89.4% at the line. Those numbers were impressive by any standard.
It was a shame the 180 Club required a strict 50–40–90 split. Otherwise, Irving might have matched Lin Yi's rare feat of entering the club in his rookie season.
But the league has always thrived on unpredictability. Ironically, on the very night Irving received his Rookie of the Year trophy, he had little reason to celebrate.
In the Western Conference Semifinals, the Spurs beat the Mavericks 119–113 on their home floor. Old, slow, past their prime? The Spurs clearly hadn't gotten that memo.
Klay finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting, but that wasn't the most frustrating part. In the Sixth Man of the Year race, he finished second again.
That award went to James Harden of the Thunder. During the 2011–12 season, The Beard averaged 19.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. His efficiency was eye-opening, and the 6.5 free throws he earned per game already hinted at the future Harden—the one who could draw contact almost at will.
Yet even Harden couldn't bring himself to feel happy. In the Western Conference Semifinals, Oklahoma City had fallen to the Grizzlies.
Ibaka's wingspan couldn't contain the offense, and once Perkins got into foul trouble, the Thunder's interior defense collapsed completely.
After the loss, public opinion quickly turned its attention to Durant, criticizing the team's star for failing to take control.
"Five for twenty-two, and he still wants to compete with Lin for MVP?"
"The Thunder thought a couple of seasons of growing pains would be enough for Durant. Now it looks like they'll need to burn through a few more playoff runs before he really levels up."
"They should just let Westbrook take over as the main scorer. Sure, Russ isn't the most efficient, but at least he plays with heart."
Lin Yi couldn't help but wonder—would Durant in this lifetime end up crushed by all this pressure?
At least Westbrook stepped up afterward. In a post-game interview, he said calmly, "How do you reach the top without going through setbacks?"
At that moment, none of the Thunder's trio—each lost in his own thoughts—realized that someone else was quietly paying attention.
Later, while showering adjacent to Harden, Derek Fisher overheard The Beard venting about his limited number of shot attempts. As a firm supporter of Durant and Westbrook, Fisher felt it might be time to step in and say something.
...
Back in New York, Lin Yi was doing his own bit of damage control. He found Klay, who was still bothered by those two second-place finishes, and tried to cheer him up.
"Klay, look at it this way," Lin Yi said with a small smile. "You made the All-Rookie First Team. That's no small thing. Keep working, and next year there's a Most Improved Player trophy with your name on it."
Of course, Klay still felt wronged. Second place was still second place, no matter how you dressed it up. Somehow, he always seemed tied to that number—forever the strongest 'number two.'
As for the 2011–12 Most Improved Player award, it went to Ryan Anderson, the former backup to Yi Jianlian, quietly carving out his own place in the league.
Anderson put together what many called a career-defining season with the Magic. The big man could really shoot, and that skill eventually earned him a hefty contract. Reality once again proved a simple point: playing "soft" isn't scary at all. What's scary is insisting on playing tough, forcing things, and still ending up empty-handed.
After winning the award, Anderson made a point of mentioning Lin Yi during his speech.
"I think Lin's changed how people look at the game," Anderson said. "Big guys shooting from the perimeter shouldn't be something to laugh at. We set solid screens, fight for rebounds, and we still score efficiently. I think he changed the game for Bigs forever.'"
Anyone paying attention could tell Anderson wasn't just praising Lin Yi. He was taking a subtle jab at his own teammate, Superman Dwight Howard. After the Magic were knocked out by the Heat, Howard had publicly complained that his teammates were too soft.
The awkward part? In that series, Howard's scoring efficiency was actually worse than Anderson's.
So Lin Yi, completely innocent, somehow got dragged into the crossfire. For a moment, he couldn't help but feel that karma had a sense of humor. Back then, he was always being pulled into debates about Kobe. Now, sharpshooters around the league were using his name as ammunition.
Speaking of surprises, the 2011–12 Coach of the Year race delivered one. In Lin Yi's original memory, Popovich was supposed to win during the lockout-shortened season. But with the Knicks racking up 60 wins, the league made its choice and handed the award to D'Antoni.
Old Mike was visibly stunned when he heard the news. This was his second Coach of the Year award in three seasons, making him just the third head coach in NBA history to win it three times.
The other two? Don Nelson and Pat Riley.
Thankfully, Spurs fans were relatively level-headed. Otherwise, Lin Yi was sure the arguments would've gotten ugly fast.
At this point, D'Antoni had clearly reached the peak of his career. He still lagged far behind Popovich and other coaching legends in championships, but in terms of personal accolades, he'd already pulled ahead.
Public opinion followed suit, with many calling him the best coach in the league. Lin Yi knew there was probably some quiet influence from Stern behind the scenes. Offensive basketball was the league's preferred narrative, and the upbeat, high-scoring Knicks had become a magnet for fans.
In an interview, D'Antoni deflected all the praise onto his players.
"Honestly, even with a different coach, this Knicks team would still be the best in the league....well, maybe except Riley," he joked. "Lin is the greatest player I've ever coached. I truly believe we can win multiple championships together."
D'Antoni's words didn't sit well with everyone. Nash's fans, in particular, felt their hearts break a little.
Almost overnight, they unfollowed D'Antoni and flooded the internet with criticism, accusing him of being fickle—always chasing the next new star and forgetting the old ones.
D'Antoni initially wanted to clarify his remarks, but his brother, Dan, stopped him.
"Let it go, Mike," Dan said. "You'll only make it worse."
After a pause, he added dryly, "Besides… you've always been kind of fickle."
D'Antoni: "..."
The 2011–12 All-NBA Teams were announced as follows:
First Team: Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Lin Yi, Dwight Howard
Second Team: Russell Westbrook, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin, Tyson Chandler
Third Team: Tony Parker, Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki, Amar'e Stoudemire, Marc Gasol
The Knicks ended up with three players on the All-NBA teams—a massive haul. Stoudemire stayed healthy for the entire season, and Marc Gasol captured Defensive Player of the Year a year earlier than expected.
Because the Knicks dominated so many honors, the league had to "balance" things out. Howard's spot on the First Team this year was largely about optics—three First Team selections from a single team would've been too much.
If Howard kept going down his current path, Lin Yi believed he would soon follow the same trajectory he remembered—eventually struggling to even make the All-Star team.
With Coach of the Year already going to D'Antoni, Tyson Chandler became the odd man out. Marc Gasol claimed Defensive Player of the Year early, backed by the Grizzlies' second-ranked defensive efficiency. If not for the Knicks being such an outlier, Gasol's selection would've been universally praised.
On the All-Defensive Teams, Lin Yi was named to the Second Team.
First Team: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Tony Allen, Tyson Chandler, Marc Gasol
Second Team: Russell Westbrook, Luol Deng, Lin Yi, Serge Ibaka, Dwight Howard
Lin Yi's absence from the First Team wasn't because experts had suddenly exposed his defense.
It was because he'd just won back-to-back MVPs.
That's right.
The Knicks completely swept the individual honors. Compared to a nice-but-secondary award like All-Defensive Team, the entire city of New York was celebrating one thing above all else:
Their franchise star, Lin Yi, had been named NBA Regular Season MVP for the second straight year.
The winner of the 2011–12 NBA Regular Season MVP was—
Lin Yi.
...
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