I have always appreciated how Linq's syntax sets the data context first, then the filtering/grouping, and FINALLY selecting what columns should be in the result

I have always appreciated how Linq's syntax sets the data context first, then the filtering/grouping, and FINALLY selecting what columns should be in the result set. Not only does this make IDE hinting much easier but it's also more logical: "From the set of all left-handed NBA players who are from Europe and shorter than 201 cm, give me their month of birth." I am surprised that SQL Server hasn't offered Linq syntax as an option for writing queries and stored procedures; could always start such queries with `Using Linq:` prefix so the query engine knows it's not using T-SQL...