The Houston Rockets are still licking their wounds after succumbing to the firepower of the Golden State Warriors in five games of their Western Conference finals series. Although it's quite an accomplishment compared to their previous postseason results, James Harden and company will be looking for more next year.
However for the Rockets to take another step towards competing for a title, the Bearded One believes they need to enlist the service of another point guard capable of alleviating some of the playmaking duties off him, a role Jeremy Lin once assumed during his two-year stint in Clutch city.
According to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Harden raised some suggestion during a conversation with Rockets GM Daryl Morey as to how to improve a team that won 56 games and go all the way to the West finals. After setting a record 13 turnovers in Game 5, the MVP runner-up stressed the need to acquire another playmaker this offseason.
"Yet, when Rockets general manager Daryl Morey puts together his shopping list, Harden had a suggestion. He said he "definitely" would like to see the Rockets add another playmaker to take some of that responsibility out of his hands."
"That's one of the conversations me and Daryl are going to have (and) the coaches," Harden said. "That's one of the pieces to add, but that's later conversations. We'll be all right. We're very confident in the group we have. This summer we have to work hard and be ready for next year."
The summer of 2015 will be loaded with top notch playmakers, starting off with former Rocket Goran Dragic. Rajon Rondo, Reggie Jackson and even Patrick Beverley, who was unable to return from a wrist injury, are also viable options at the PG spot.
Then again, there's a reason to believe the Rockets aren't going to use a large piece of their cap space for a max player point guard. After all, Josh Smith, who played a big role in the Rockets playoff campaign, would demand a raise in his next contract, and Morey would not risk losing a do-it-all big man like him.
Lin, who averaged at least 13 points and 5 assists in two seasons in Houston, has emerged as a potential free-agent target for the Rockets. While he had a rough year with the Los Angeles Lakers, the 26-year old Lin somehow evolved into a fine ball handler. According to Adam Fromal of Bleacher Report, the former Harvard hot-shot actually did well in keeping the ball glued in his hands as he finished the season with just 2.2 turnovers per game - the lowest in his career.
Moreover, despite being traded by the Rockets to Los Angeles for salary-saving purposes last summer, most of the scouts and analytics experts agreed that Lin's run-and-gun playing style is a perfect fit to the Rockets high-octane offense that runs on pick-and-rolls and a lot of three-point plays.
In an article by veteran NBA writer and Bleacher Report's Howard Beck last December, he mentioned that the Rockets remained high on Lin and are set to become one of the chief suitors this summer.
Perhaps, Lin's playmaking skills is what Harden and Rockets were missing during this year's postseason run. Yes, Lin had some hiccups over his two year stint with the Rockets, even losing his starting job to Beverley at the end of year 1. However, Lin proved that his pick-and-roll brilliance and slashing ability did make wonders for the team. It's a fact that might lead him back to the Rockets and become an important lynchpin in next year's campaign.