Photo of the Day: They Might (or Might Not) Be Giants

When I first snapped this shot of a Times Square billboard nearly two weeks ago, I was thinking of titling it “The Biggest Losers.” It feels eons ago now, but at the time the New York Knicks’ lineup looked stripped-down, they were terrified at the prospect of injuries to stars Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire, and coach Mike D’Antoni was uneasily laughing off inquiries about his employment prospects. The team seeemed to have no chance of making the playoffs--and, worse still, Isaiah Thomas was still circling around in owner Jim Dolan’s orbit, maybe unable to coach the team but casting a baleful shadow once again.

You’ll notice, I’m sure, one face missing from this billboard, the one who has rescued the Knicks from the dead and put a genuine smile back on D’Antoni’s face. Tonight against Sacramento, Jeremy Lin led the team to its seventh straight win.

How long can he keep this up? Will Carmelo and/or Amar’e demand the ball and disrupt the web of Jeremy’s game? Will opponents figure out his faults and stop him cold? Will injuries restrict his future?

Who cares? Right now, the Knicks are playing the most joyful basketball in years. If he’s not putting the ball in the basket himself, Lin is making a terrific pass to someone who is. (Tonight against Sacramento, 13 assists!)

So the Knicks, I’m sure, are now trying to figure out how to put together another billboard that will capitalize on the unexpected Linsanity phenomenon. In the meantime, however, may I suggest that they please resolve the dispute between MSG and Time Warner Cable, my local provider, that is keeping me from watching Knick games on anything other than post-game news highlights?