Jeremy Lin's New York City return already has him being looked upon as the Brooklyn Nets' savior.

Rookie coach Kenny Atkinson has wasted little time in branding Lin the one player who may finally be able to elevate veteran center Brooks Lopez to heights he's never reached before.

Lin and Lopez both excel at the same things, namely the pick and roll offense, and the hope in Brooklyn is they can now find a way to make their magic work together, even if Lin never again plays to the kind of Broadway reviews he once did.

No Need for Linsanity?

"We're so far removed from that," Atkinson's said of the 2012 quarter of a season stretch where Lin averaged 18 points and eight assists to usher in a time so riveting it came to be known as the era of Linsanity.

"Different program, different team, different style," Atkinson added. "Expecting that, I don't think it's fair to him, fair to our team."

But clearly, much is expected from Lin, especially with the more than capable Lopez now at his side.

When Lin was previously at his New York best, Atkinson insists it's the way he always seemed to make his teammates better that most stands out to him. That kind of jumpstart could be just the kind of assist that puts Lopez over the top.

Though he reigned as the league's fourth best scorer in points registered in the pick and roll last season, his offensive output was far from efficient.

Lin Gets Monster Deal

That's where the Nets are hoping Lin will prove to be a game changer. What moved management to ink him to a three-year, $36 million pact.

"If you talk about Jeremy Lin's strength, the pick-and-roll is his strength," said Atkinson. "I know when I talked to him he was excited about playing with Brook. I said, 'Wow, two great pick-and-roll partners.' Brook is a great passer. Lopez was the sell to him."

Lin settled on Brooklyn from among his pick of Charlotte, Houston, San Antonio and Chicago. At one point, he was wildly thought to be leaning toward Houston and reuniting with former Knicks' coach Mike D'Antoni.

From Day 1, Lin insisted money wasn't his only consideration and stressed that after six NBA seasons and five teams feeling a sense of belonging would be a major factor for him.

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