Report: Lin's defensive issues turned Knicks away from possible reunion

The New York Knicks could have pushed for a repeat of Linsanity, but Phil Jackson couldn't get past Jeremy Lin's defensive shortcomings.

New York had a massive hole at point guard coming into the offseason, and Lin could have possibly addressed that need, but the Knicks were reportedly turned off by Lin's defense, sources told Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

Instead, Jackson traded for beleaguered point guard Derrick Rose and signed Brandon Jennings after a down year. Although both those players are more accomplished than Lin, neither Rose nor Jennings are particularly known for their defensive acumen.

That left Lin free to join New York's crosstown rivals in the Brooklyn Nets on a lavish three-year, $36-million contract.

Lin, a Harvard graduate, struck instant superstardom back in 2012 when a rash of injuries rocked the Knicks. That left Lin to run the show for two exhilarating months, and he treated Madison Square Garden to performances like dropping 37 points against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.

That run, however, was short-lived. Lin became a free agent that summer and was pried away by the Houston Rockets.