With the NBA trade deadline looming, rumors have been floating around about the Houston Rockets possibly trading Jeremy Lin. One source states the possibility of Lin being traded to the Toronto Raptors alongside Omer Asik for Kyle Lowry. However, with the Rockets struggling to keep their core players healthy, one writer pointed out that the Rockets' issue is not the point guard position, but chemistry.
The key rotation of Dwight Howard, Terrence Jones, Chandler Parsons, Patrick Beverley, James Harden, and Jeremy Lin has only played together 12 times this season. Although Lin has struggled in the starting role, with some experts citing his inability to play alongside James Harden, he has found considerable success as the sixth man after Patrick Beverley returned to the starting lineup from his injury.
On Feb. 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lin had his first career triple-double. In 29 minutes of play off the bench, Lin scored 15 points, dished 10 assists, and grabbed 11 rebounds to help his team to a 106-92 victory. In the last three games, Lin has averaged 17 PPG, 8.3 APG, and 7 RPG, embracing his role as a sparkplug off the bench and a spot starter for the day-to-day injured James Harden.
With the Rockets' record sitting at 32-17 and placing fifth in the Western Conference, the team only hopes to keep their core healthy in the second half of the season.
On Chinese New Years, Jeremy Lin uploaded a new video on his Youtube account, detailing his trip to Taipei, Shanghai, Beijing, and Chengdu during the NBA preseason. The short video features him greeting his legion of adoring fans at every venue possible, speaking at a Christian conference, eating at the night market in Taiwan, running a basketball camp with his Rockets teammates, sharing a dinner with Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons, and shooting around with former teammate Steve Novak. Lin even had a chance to hug a baby panda.
At the end of the montage of his trip, the video closes with the verse "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord," from Philippians 3:7-8a.
