 On December 27 , after an injury to guard Iman Shumpert , the New York Knicks claimed Lin off of waivers to be a backup behind Toney Douglas and Mike Bibby . Recently signed guard Baron Davis had also been injured , and was weeks away from being able to play . Because of the lockout , coaches had had little opportunity to see Lin 's play , and placed him fourth on the point guard depth chart . Lin stated that he was " competing for a backup spot " , and people saw him " as the 12th to 15th guy on the roster . It 's a numbers game , " yet he continued to arrive first at practice , and leave last , intensely studying game film , and working with coaches to improve his footwork and judgment . He made his season debut with the Knicks on the road against the Warriors , where he was warmly cheered in his return to Oracle Arena . In January , Lin was assigned to the Erie BayHawks of the D @-@ League , and on January 20 , he scored a triple @-@ double with 28 points , 11 rebounds , and 12 assists in the BayHawks ' 122 – 113 victory over the Maine Red Claws . Three days later , Lin was recalled by the Knicks , but was so fearful of being cut again that he asked a chaplain at a pregame prayer service to pray for him . If he were to be released again , Lin would consider playing in Europe , returning to the D @-@ League , or taking a non @-@ basketball job . 
