Lin Victorious in Debut With Rockets By ANDREW KEH Published: November 1, 2012
<<(Source: The NBA's most fascinating backcourt is not in Miami, where Dwyane Wade is joined by pedestrian point guard Mario Chalmers. It's not in Brooklyn, despite the billboards throughout New York featuring Deron Williams and Joe Johnson. It's not even in Los Angeles, where Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant have five NBA titles and three MVPs between them (but have played a combined 2,315 games and more than 78,000 minutes).No, the backcourt tandem to watch this year is in Houston, where Jeremy Lin and James Harden enter the season with a lot to prove.)>>
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — For the immensity of his profile, Jeremy Lin’s ascent to stardom occurred within a notably short time frame. It is the reason his professional identity feels so incomplete, the reason his rebirth this season will draw such scrutiny.
On Wednesday night, less than one year after he exploded into global consciousness, Lin made his debut for the , who had signed him to a three-year deal in July. It was only the 26th start of his N.B.A. career, and his first for a team other than the . It represented, in a sense, the start of Linsanity: Volume 2.
“It’s a brand-new chapter in my life, and so I’m excited to get this thing going,” Lin said after the Rockets defeated the , 105-96. “And hopefully, if we keep this up, it’s going to be a really fun season.”
Lin played 35 minutes, finishing with 12 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds. He made 4 steals and committed 4 turnovers. When asked about his performance, Lin focused on his health, in particular the left knee that forced a premature end to his previous season.
“This was the best my body has felt in a while, a few months,” he said. “I’m glad I got that first one out of the way. I know what to expect, and how my body’s going to respond.”
For a while, no one knew what to expect, as the string of events that brought Lin to this point moved like a whiplash.
He emerged late last season from the far end of the Knicks’ bench, earning international renown during two months of pun-inducing merriment. His Taiwanese heritage and Harvard degree made him an oddity. His performance at point guard eluded comprehension. From Feb. 4 to March 24, before his injury, Lin averaged 18.5 points and 7.7 assists per game, jolting the stagnant Knicks to life, charming their jaded fans.
And then, it was over.
Lin was a restricted free agent, and the Rockets swooped, offering him a large, quirky contract that unsheathed a sudden frugal impulse from the generally free-spending Knicks. Backcourt retooled, the Knicks now employ the oldest roster in the league. The Rockets, with only four players returning from last season, have the youngest.
In the eyes of Coach Kevin McHale, Lin, despite his fame, is just one of the Rockets’ many unfinished players. Lin misfired for most of the preseason, shooting 28.3 percent from the field. McHale attributed that to rust accumulated during the rehabilitation of his knee.
“He’s only now getting healthy,” McHale said. “For him, it’s just about getting comfortable with a new system, new teammates, new coach, new everything. The best of Jeremy is yet to come.”
The best of Lin appeared Wednesday in spurts, particularly during a minute-long sequence midway through the first quarter. He recorded his first points by slipping to the basket off a pump fake and completing a left-handed scoop. The next possession, he drove inside again before kicking out to Chandler Parsons, who hit a 3-pointer. After that, he stole the ball at midcourt and finished a fast break with a dunk.
The Palace of Auburn Hills swelled with applause after each of those plays, just as it had when Lin’s name was announced during pregame introductions. The stands, which seemed only two-thirds full, were dotted with people wearing his jersey — both his No. 17 shirt from last season and his new No. 7 Rockets jersey. He was targeted with jeers, too, another indicator of his celebrity.
“He’s a fantastic young man and fun to coach,” McHale said.
This week, Lin was supplanted as the young team’s biggest star after James Harden arrived in a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Before the game, the Rockets announced they had signed Harden, a shooting guard, to a contract extension that would keep him in Houston for the next six seasons.
Harden, with two practices under his belt, exploded for 37 points, 12 assists and 6 rebounds. Four of Lin’s assists went to Harden, and the two accounted for all of the team’s points during a 10-0 run to open the second half.
“Similar to me, he can create and score the ball, so I’m excited to have him as a backcourt partner,” Harden said. “We’re going to make our team better.”
The Pistons took an 81-72 lead into the final quarter, but the Rockets roared back, following the lead of Carlos Delfino, who hit four 3-pointers.
“We’re trying to develop a team identity, so this helps for sure,” Lin said of the victory.
He might say the same for himself.
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