Jeremy Lin News: J-Lin Losing Sixth Man Role With the Houston Rockets

Houston Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin has been playing his most efficient stretch of the season, but the limited minutes being allotted to him by head coach Kevin McHale only suggest that he's losing his position as the team's premier player off the bench.

After a rough February run that saw him shooting below 30 percent from the field, the 25-year-old Lin is once again providing quality minutes for the Rockets this past few weeks. Lin is averaging 11.3 points and 3.3 assists per game in 22.9 minutes per game this month. However, many have also noticed the decrease in his playing time as of late.

Lin was averaging 32.9 minutes per game back in January, and he was an integral part of the rotation back then. Unfortunately, a bothersome back injury and shooting inconsistency have forced the Rockets coaching staff to place a hard cap on his playing time.

With Lin trying to rediscover his stroke last February, the Rockets sensed the need to add more firepower on their bench, so they traded point guard Aaron Brooks to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for seldom-used Jordan Hamilton.

From that point, Lin rarely clocked beyond the 30-minute mark, with Patrick Beverley enjoying the minutes he used to have. Instead, Lin received the same minutes Omer Asik and Donatas Motiejunas logged on the court.

A report from Bleacher Report writer John Wilmes indicated a high possibility that Lin could be playing his final games with the Rockets. For Wilmes, Lin's playoff performance in what should be a very tough Western Conference playoffs will serve as a barometer if he will stay in Houston.

The Rockets have set their sights on another splashy free agency period this offseason, and Lin certainly tops the list as one of the most viable trade chips on their roster.

"Whether it's for Carmelo Anthony or another player, the Rockets have shown a willingness to trade Lin," Bleacher Report reported.

Regardless of whether or not Lin continues to play around 20 minutes per game towards the end of the season, it is unknown if McHale will try to find the right lineup that Lin can thrive in during the postseason.