Jeremy Lin Says He Has A Way To Go, But Has Seen "Flashes" Of Greatness

Jeremy Lin knows he has a long way to go, and in his latest interview, he didn't hesitate to say as much.

When Lin was in New York on Friday--the city that gave birth to "Linsanity"--Lin summed up the first half of his NBA 2012-13 season with the Houston Rockets as a period where he knows he has to make progress, but also as a time where he's shown glimpses of the potential to play at a higher level.

"I think I've proven I'm a young player who has talent and yet has a long way to go," Lin told ESPNNewYork.com after Houston's 106-96 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. "That's the way I see myself. I've shown I can do some stuff. I've shown flashes of being a great player. But I've also shown the reverse as well, so it just takes some time."

The win, in which Lin scored nine points and six assists, marked Lin's 82nd consecutive start since he came off the bench on Feb. 4, 2012 and scored 25 points in a 99-92 Knicks win over the Nets to kick off a remarkable February of play for Lin.

However, he didn't reproduce the same sensational start he had in New York in his first half of the season with the Rockets, who he signed with for three years and $25 million. No longer the primary option on a team that features All-Star James Harden, Lin has had to make some adjustments.

"It's a different system, and I'm in a different role," he said in comparing this season's Rockets to the one he played under the Knicks and Mike D'Antoni. "I'm playing alongside a huge, elite playmaker in James Harden and learning to mesh with him. We're getting there, and I'm really happy with where we're at right now."

And there has been progress. The Rockets finished at a lowly 34-32 record and missed making the playoffs. This year, they are at 31-27 and fighting for playoff positioning. And thanks in part to their new backcourt of Lin and Harden, Houston's new run and gun, pick-and-roll offense is one of the highest scoring offenses in the league, averaging 106.3 points per game.

And opponents are taking notice.

"They have a one, two and three that can all bring it up," Nets coach P.J. Carlesimo told the New York Times. "They can all run pick-and-rolls, they can all shoot the ball from deep also."

Rockets teammate Chandler Parsons noted that Lin initially struggled to learn to play off the ball, but has played a critical role in keeping Houston's high octane offense rolling.

"He's done a lot better job keeping us in our offense," Parsons told the Times. "He's keeping us in our sets and doing all those little things that Coach was emphasizing."

Harden had nothing but praise to give Lin when he was asked what Lin brought to the team."Talent, which is what we need. He's doing a good job of leading, definitely by example ... He's making shots, making plays. He's doing everything," he said.

Looking to the future, while Lin is glad that his team is having success on the court, for himself, he seeks new ways to grow and develop into a better all-around player.

"It might not be 29 points every night," he said, "but I just need to be more consistent.

"I think I've had to grow in terms of being a different player off the ball obviously, and learning to be effective every single night of an NBA game. Tonight I didn't really play my best game at all, but I learned a lot."