No joking about it anymore, I believe Lin will keep up his pace and will win MVP and work his way on to an all-NBA team... Here's why:
* While I don't think the Knicks will win at the 7-1 pace, I think the Knicks are poised to finish the season strong. I believe they can go on a run from this point on (let's say 24-10, ~70% winning %), finishing with a record of 40-26
* Lin's biggest challenges for MVP are Lebron and Durant. While both will benefit with full season's worth of work, Lin will get votes simply because of his (projected) 31-11 record as the Knicks main PG. (yeah, this is the hardest part) He'll also have done it in spite of all of the hype around him... and essentially prove them all correct.
* Lin's stats will stay strong despite his more established teammates' returning. I wouldn't be surprised if he approached 20ppg/10apg. We've already seen a little of this, but Lin will consistently score in spite of his more established teammates. He's not deferential. He makes the smart play, even if it means he's doing a lot of the scoring. If he's got single coverage, no reason for him to hand it off to anymore.
* Lin may very well be the first in the NBA to record a quintuple double (scoring, assists, rebounds, steals, and TOs!), which is pretty notable in itself
* Lin has already performed well against some of the league's top guards: Deron, Kobe, Kidd, and some young guns in Rubio, Wall, & Tyreke. Heck, there has yet to be a team that has really shut him down for a whole game.
At the least, he's nearly a lock to win most improved player. :)