Houston Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin has been slowly making his case to becoming an All-Star for the first time in his career with the kind of production he has been putting in as of late.

Lin is having a superb season so far, despite being demoted from starting point guard to the Rockets sixth-man. Coming off the bench for the first time post-Linsanity era, Lin put up better numbers by averaging 16 points and 5 assists per game.

Setting aside his one-point performance against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, Lin is shooting nearly 50 percent from the field over the last five games. His long distance shooting accuracy has been sharper than ever, with a .400 three-point percentage.

Becoming an All-Star

Though bench players are not often given a slot in NBA's midseason classic, Lin could be one of those special sixth men eligible to become an All-Star.

Few years ago, San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili came off the bench and put up huge numbers to get his second All-Star nod of his career. Apparently, Ginobili's numbers that year are very much comparable to Lin's stats early this season.

Ginobili, who is arguably the most dominant sixth man in the last decade, kept his team afloat to offset the injuries of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker that year.

On the other hand, Lin proved that he can fill in for shooting guard James Harden capably after exploding for at least 30 points in two consecutive games, one of which was a 34-point and 12-assist performance in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Though there won't be a second version of Linsanity in Houston anytime soon, Lin showed that he can produce big numbers when given enough playing time, and more control of the ball.

The arrival of Harden may have stalled the development of Lin with the bearded All-Star taking a lot of possessions per game. However, Lin's willingness to play off Harden is starting to pay off - a good indication for the team.

Most analysts annoint an All-Star by breaking down his stats and determining his importance to his squad. In Lin's case, his numbers and the value he has to the Rockets are noteworthy...and perhaps All-Star worthy.