It's no secret by now that Houston Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin has had his struggles 11 games into the NBA 2012-13 season.
Shooting wise, his numbers are dropping and he's not making the few shots that he is willing to take.And questions regarding his recovery from leg surgery are still murmured in the background.
But despite those struggles, the athletic Asian-American point guard that captivated fans around the globe last year in his breakout season with the New York Knicks believes that he can still rise to shine with the league's elite players and become an NBA All-Star.
In a Tuesday interview with ESPN New York, when Lin was asked about whether he still believed that he could become an All-Star, he answered, "At some point, for sure. Right now I have a ways to go, but at some point, yes. I try to get better every year, and if I do that and work on the things that are problems for me right now, I definitely think I'll have that chance."
That statement comes with just over two days left before Lin plays host with the Houston Rockets Friday to take on his former team, the Knicks, in Lin's first game against New York since he opted to sign with Houston in free agency this past summer.
The game will provide a challenge for both Lin and the struggling Rockets (4-7) who will be taking on a Carmelo Anthony-led Knicks team (8-1) that has been arguably the league's best team in the first month of the regular season.
"I think they're definitely a championship-contending team," Lin said of the Knicks. "They have the defense, Coach Woodson's specialty. They're really deep, they have a lot of explosive players, and right now they're trusting each other and trusting the system."
Lin talked about the perception he's had to fight regarding his epic "Linsanity" run in new York, during which he was averaging 22.5 points and 8.7 assists per game at one point. Though he has touched on the topic before, he says that much of the doubts regarding his ability and athleticism since then have been inspired because of his Asian background.
"It definitely had a part in it," Lin said. "I don't know how big, and that's something we'll never know. But being Asian American definitely had a part, and I can say that with confidence.
However, he added, there were other factors involved as for why critics still doubt him.
"There's also the flip side, which is that I am young and inexperienced ... and I did struggle last year before I got hurt," he said.
The status of his leg has been one question that has hounded him since he tore his meniscus late last season, causing him to miss the Knicks best-of-seven first round playoff series against the eventual world champion Miami Heat, who eliminated them in five games.
With some speculating during the series, despite the injury, that the then-lethargic Knicks offense could use his offensive bursts with their season on the line, Lin said he was 85 percent of the way back to full strength but sat out the entire series-causing many to question his toughness.
And there are those who wonder if Lin's leg is fully healed yet as his shooting maladies continue this season.
"Is [the leg] 100 percent healthy?" Lin said before pausing again. "It's fine, I guess. There's a little bit more I can still get back as far as jumping and explosiveness. ... But I'm closer than I've ever been and I'm really excited."
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