Jeremy Lin News: Could Houston Rockets Guard's Inconsistency Hurt His Playing Time During NBA Playoffs?
Opportunity has landed in Jeremy Lin's lap as of late due to Patrick Beverley's recent injury, but despite the increased playing time, the Houston Rockets' popular sub's production hasn't been all it's cracked up to be lately.
It's been a little more than a week since Beverley went down, possibly for the season, thanks to a meniscus injury, one almost similar to the one that ended Lin's magical 2012 NBA season in New York, which led to Lin getting a dramatic increase in playing time. Prior to that, Lin's minutes were largely fluctuating coming off the bench for Houston, with the inconsistency in playing time and some nagging injuries causing his numbers to slip after the All-Star break, his scoring average dipping from 13.3 points prior to the All-Star break to 11.1 points afterwards and his shooting dropping from 46.6 percent to 40 percent during that period.
After Beverley's ill-timed injury, Lin was expected to get a boost in his offensive categories thanks to more playing time and, by default, more shooting opportunities. So far, Lin's scoring opportunities have definitely increased over his last five games, his field goal attempts climbing from 9.1 in his last 23 games to 12.8 shots per game within the last week. Yet, that increase in shots has only translated into marginal gains, at best, in key offensive areas.
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While Lin has scored 16 points or higher in three of his last five games, he's also thrown up a few forgettable performances, such as his 10-point, 1-for-9 night against the L.A. Clippers on March 29 and his 8-point, 3-for-11 stinker against OKC in an April 4 111-107 Rockets loss. Over that stretch, Lin is scoring only 13.8 points while shooting a meager 35.9 percent from the field - that's only 4.6 out of 12.8 shots made per game, including 33.3 percent from three-point territory.
Overall, not the offensive explosion that Lin fans were likely hoping for.
But never mind hope for a second; it's about need. With only a handful of games left before the NBA season concludes, the Rockets don't really have much to play for. Their push in becoming a serious contender in the West is developing quite nicely. Sure, they could try and catch the L.A. Clippers for the third seed in the Western Conference playoff picture, but barring a late-season push from Houston, chances are they'll face Damian Lillard and the young, dangerous and hungry Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. But while the Rockets don't have a lot to prove as the season winds down, Lin does.
Despite a hot start this season as he adjusted himself to a new role as the sixth man coming off the Rockets bench, Lin has been plagued by the same issues that have marred much of his time in Houston; turnovers (2.5 turnovers this season), inconsistent minutes, fluctuating performances and ill-timed injuries (back). Without the injury to Beverley, it's very likely that the former Harvard standout would have likely spent the rest of this season waning on the bench, privy to whatever limited time he would be allowed platooning at the point guard position. The injury opened up a chance for Lin to audition for a bigger role not only in the playoffs, but in the grander scheme of things next season, when his contract expires. However, to achieve those goals, excellence and consistency are the keys that may unlock success for him.
Instead, Lin has delivered sometimes good, but not really great, and a few weak, performances down the stretch. It's a stark contrast from the success Lin enjoyed last season around the same time. When the injury bug bit Houston and gave Lin more playing time, the Asian-American fan favorite delivered with a big April, notching 17.3 points and 6.9 assists to finish off the month. This time around, even with his improved shooting, he's suddenly gone cold from the field and it looks like that could cost him when it comes to earning more time and shots as the playoffs draw near. Whether or not he can turn it around may be an indicator of whether the Master of "Linsanity" has a future in Houston's playoff schemes this spring...and maybe whether he has a future with the Rockets beyond that.