Troy Taormina – USA Today Sports Images
Fresh off of “Linsanity” in the 2011-2012 NBA season, the Houston Rockets signed point guard Jeremy Lin and the hype train that was coasting from his phenomenal rise to fame kicked back into fifth gear. However, in his first season with the Rockets, Lin fell upon some rough times and failed to live up to all of the hype.
In 82 games last season, Lin averaged 13.4 points, 6.1 assists, 1.6 steals and three rebounds per game while shooting 44.1 percent from the floor, but also shot just 33.9 percent from the floor and averaged 2.9 turnovers per game. He struggled even further in the postseason, though, while playing through some injuries through part of it. In four playoff games he averaged just four points, two assists and 0.5 steals in 21 minutes per game, but shot only 25 percent from the floor and averaged two turnovers per game.
Coming into his second season with the Rockets, though, Lin is ready to put last season and all of the hype behind him. Evan Leong, the director of a documentary that Lin was the subject of, talked in an interview with ESPN about how Lin is heading into this season looking to keep a “lower profile.”
One thing working in Lin’s favor in terms of keeping the expectations lower is the fact that Dwight Howard will surely be drawing a ton of attention in his first season with the Rockets, which should detract from the attention around Lin. More than that, Lin will also benefit from playing alongside Howard, which should help him have a bit more success this season.
Ultimately, Lin seems like he’s in a better situation to succeed this year than he was last year. He has more talent and, if he has his way, lowered expectations for what he can contribute. He may not be on the level that he was during his “Linsanity” run this season, but there is a good possibility that he will look better.
Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20, add him on Google and like his Facebook page.
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