Jeremy Lin may not be the starting point guard for the Houston Rockets.
Lin, who signed a lucrative contract with the team in 2012, could lose his starting spot to Patrick Beverley. Beverley isn’t necessarily the better player but he may be a better fit with the rest of the Rockets roster.
Head coach Kevin McHale said: “I have two starting point guards.”
McHale said that he isn’t too worried about the issue. If Jeremy lin does lost the starting position that doesn’t mean that he’ll be losing minutes.
McHale told ESPN : “As a player, I always found (starting) irrelevant. I came off the bench in a lot of games. What is the big difference in playing 27½ minutes off the bench and playing 26 minutes as a starter? I guess it is a big deal to some people.”
Lin seemed to agree. The Rockets point guard said that he has different strengths than Beverley and that the Rockets will use all of their offensive weapons to win.
Lin said: “We have different strengths… [Beverley] is such a good defender and shooter. I am better with the ball in my hands, attacking. I think that makes us tough to scout, and it gives us the opportunity to give a lot of different looks.”
Lin is pretty good with the ball in his hands but so is James Harden. With Harden in the lineup, the Rockets may decide to go with a stronger shooter, like Beverley, in the point guard position. Bleacher Reports notes that Lin only shot 33.9 percent from three-point land compared to Beverley’s 37.5%.
Lin’s abilities will also be hindered by a crowded lane. The Houston Rockets will have two big bodies in the paint, Dwight Howard and Omar Asik, and it may be hard to attack the basket.
Howard said: “It’s a good problem to have two guys that are capable of coming in and making plays and starting… I think they just shouldn’t worry about who starts.”
