Is Jeremy Lin Better Coming Off the Houston Rockets' Bench or Starting? Breaking Down the Pros & Cons

Armed to the teeth and with great expectations, the new-look Houston Rockets kicked off their NBA season on Wednesday, sporting All-Stars Dwight Howard and James Harden, an explosive bench against the Charlotte Bobcats, who have dwelled in the NBA's cellars in the last few seasons.

A noticeable difference, for most fans, was the starting point guard for the Rockets. Instead of fan favorite Jeremy Lin, who became a media darling in New York two seasons ago, Rockets head coach Kevin McHale opted to go with the athletic Patrick Beverley, while Lin sat on the bench.

However, the Rockets found that the Bobcats weren't quite as easy an opponent as they likely should have been. In the second quarter of the game, Beverley suffered injuries to his ribs that forced him to leave the game after only 10 minutes of action. That left Lin with an unexpected, increased amount of playing time—and he made those minutes count.

Going 5-of-7 from the floor, including a 2-for-2 night from the three-point range, Lin scored 16 points with 2 assists in 31 minutes of play Wednesday, helping the Rockets stave off a surprising challenge from the Bobcats, winning 96-83 to start the season off with a 1-0 record.

Despite coming off the bench for the first time since before taking the sports world by storm in February, 2012 by going on a month-long streak of scintillating play for the Knicks—the often-dubbed "Linsanity" frenzy—Lin held his own among fellow stars Howard (17 points, 26 rebounds) and Harden (21 points, 5 assists), shook off a nasty cut on his chin that required stitches and had a solid night in his first official NBA game of the season. Lin even helped Houston fight off a 7-2 Bobcats rally in the third quarter, cutting Houston's lead to one point when he nailed a three-point shot to extend the Rockets' lead to 60-56.

All in all, it was a pretty good night considering Lin just lost his starter's role, and will likely be platooning with Beverley for much of the season. Coming off the bench is never an ideal situation for guys who want to be stars—and Lin has made it known that he wants to be an NBA All-Star someday—but in this case, the former Harvard alum came through on a big night when his team needed someone to step up. Aside from Beverley's injured ribs, Harden—who helped turn the Rockets from a lottery team into a playoff surprise last season—was dealing with a sore wrist and back. Howard had a monster night on both ends of the floor, but was in need of help as four of Charlotte's starting five finished in double-digit scoring numbers. Lin's spark off the bench provided Houston with enough offense to guarantee victory.

But with Beverley slated to come back on Friday, that poses an interesting question: where is Lin better off playing? Is it starting alongside the Rockets' deadly H's, Howard and Harden, or is it coming off the bench and providing an added boost to the secondary unit for Houston?

Let's take a look at the pros and cons for the beloved, but polarizing player in the NBA, Lin, either starting or subbing on the Houston Rockets.

Pros and Cons for Lin Being the Starting Point Guard

Pros: He has the experience. Both professionally and on the Rockets. For the majority of last season, Lin started with the team, and while his results were mixed, the time he spent with the Rockets building chemistry, learning his role and immersing himself in the experience of playing in Kevin McHale's fast-paced, run-and-gun offense while adapting to playing off the ball was invaluable. Over the summer, Lin also began working out with Howard, the Rockets' latest, and perhaps greatest, free agent acquisition to build on-court chemistry between themselves. Training under the watchful eye of NBA Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Finals MVP Hakeem Olajuwon, the two apparently began building some pretty good chemistry, according to "The Dream." When a talented point guard and a dangerous center build chemistry, the results can be devastating if you're an opposing team. Adding Lin into the equation makes the Rockets' starting five look incredibly dangerous. Opposing defenses now face an un-envious task: matching up against four offensive threats in Howard, Harden, Parson and Lin.

Cons: Lin has shown that he can be an offensive firecracker, but he also showed last season that he clearly struggles in an offense when the ball isn't in his hands. Houston signed Lin after he flourished under Mike D'Antoni's fast-paced "seven-seconds-or-less" system, largely hoping he could live up to the hype that preceded him. That changed when Harden came to Houston, and the eventual All-Star became the primary ballhandler on the squad. The fewer touches Lin got, the more he struggled. In addition, while Lin developed a talent for steals, often ranking in the league's top five in picks, he has long been considered a defensive liability. With another superstar in the lineup now in Howard, Lin's possession time of the ball could drop even further, which has the potential of amplifying a situation where the Palo Alto, Calif., native Lin floundered at times last season. In addition, Beverley showed a rare confidence last season when he stepped up under the bright lights of the playoffs and surprised the former NBA Finalist OKC Thunder. Athletic, defensively sound and with solid shooting accuracy, Beverley could be the Rockets' secret weapon in the way that the often-unheralded Mario Chalmers is for the reigning world champs the Miami Heat. It's a question of Lin's offensive potential vs. the untold upside of Beverley. Which one will win? That's anyone's guess. 

Pros and Cons for Coming off the Bench

Pros: Exhibit A—the Rockets' Opening Night. Dwight Howard was Dwight Howard. A nightmare on defense, a terror on offense, and an absolute beast on the glass with 26 rebounds. And former Sixth Man of the Year Harden was in his usual All-Star form...but he was playing with a bad wrist and ailing back. And once Beverley was knocked out of the game with rib issues, the Rockets found themselves engaged in a serious duel with a very game Bobcats.

Enter Lin.

Behind his timely 16 points combined with 19 from Francisco Garcia, Houston's bench provided 39 points when they needed it to help the Rockets close the book on their first win of the season. A strong second unit is invaluable, more ways, in some aspects, than even the starting five. Championship teams usually have strong benches, as was the case with Jordan's Bulls dynasty, Kobe's and Shaq's Lakers, and Isaiah Thomas' Pistons. And make no mistake, with perennial All-Star Howard in town joining with one of the league's highest-scoring offenses in the 2012-13 season, a championship is the goal for Houston—something that they haven't been able to realistically say since Olajuwon donned red-and-white for the Rockets. With sharpshooting Carlos Delfino having split for Milwaukee during the offseason, a lot of question marks surround Houston's second unit, with no clear sixth man ready to enter the game and lead the charge on offense. That is where Lin could possibly thrive.

Depending on who he shares the floor with, Lin could be given more leeway to do what he does best off the bench—attack the basket without mercy. When Lin penetrates and drives, he can wreak havoc on defenses. His first step is explosive, he gets his teammates involved, and he has plenty of young, athletic legs around him to run defenses ragged in the up-tempo style he flourishes in. And as for making the All-Star team, that is still doable. At the halfway point last season, Lin was struggling on offense, but still finished a narrow second to eventual All-Star Game MVP Chris Paul in the fan voting for the Western Conference starting point guard position in the NBA's midseason gala event. With higher numbers, Lin might have had the boost he needed to make his first All-Star game. But with more possibilities open to him on the floor off the bench and the pressure of the spotlight removed from him and focused on Howard and Harden, Lin could see his offensive numbers go up, especially if he turns into the kind of offensive catalyst off the bench that the Knicks' J.R. Smith has become for New York. And Lin certainly has shown in the past that he can do just that.

Cons: It's the bench.

Subs don't get a lot of glory in the league. It's not the sexiest position, but it is a crucial one. But is that enough of a reason for Lin—whose likeable personality and Chinese background make him an endorsement bonanza waiting to happen—to relegate himself to the bench? Is it going back to basics, or to paraphrase rap star Drake, did Lin start from the bottom, then make it to the top and go back to the bottom? Working one's way up from journeyman to bench sub to starter to overnight star is one heck of a journey, and that's the story Lin lived out that has captivated a loyal legion of fans worldwide. But if he is permanently relegated to being a sixth man for Houston, will that mess with his confidence, and in turn, his game? Streaky as he is, Lin has shown in the last two seasons that he has gifts on the offensive end. When called upon, he can string together high-scoring games on a consecutive basis. But is McHale letting those talents go to waste by having Lin toil away on the bench instead of suiting up with the Rockets' starting five? Beverley showed great poise and defensively-savvy capabilities during the first round of the playoffs last season, but opposing teams realize that Patrick Beverley isn't going to be a major threat offensively. With Lin, defenses have to at least keep him in mind, such was the reputation that he built for himself during "Linsanity," and it's not the kind of thing players or coaches forget. If that at least gives opposing teams something to worry about on defense with the Rockets' starters, maybe the bench might not be the best place for Houston to use Lin.