Jeremy Lin to Rockets: What Impact Linsanity Will Have on Houston Offense

According to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, it appears that New York City's love affair with Jeremy Lin is coming to an abrupt end. As reported by Smith's sources, New York Knicks GM Glen Grunwald is not going to match the Houston Rockets' offer sheet. As a result, Lin will go to Houston on a three-year contract worth north of $25 million. In the third year of the deal, he will make $14.8 million.

In just 35 games with New York last year, Lin went from being a body buried on the bench to an overnight sensation who took the city by storm and was instrumental in the Knicks' success down the road. From clutch scoring to pretty passing to tight defense, he flourished in the team's system and his future immediately looked bright.

Yet, Houston coach Kevin McHale's offense is quite different from Mike D'Antoni's pick-and-roll reliant system and Mike Woodson's "who's my guy" approach. Simply put, though Lin is definitely talented, he's going to have to make some major adjustments entering next season with Houston. Let's have a look at each aspect of his offensive game and see just how it could fare in the new season.

Scoring:

Last year, particularly when D'Antoni was still coach, Lin made his bones as a point guard who put up tons of points on the board and also dished out assists with ease. He settled into that role and though his scoring numbers dropped once Woodson took over, he still fit into the system nicely.

However, in Houston, it's unclear as to how much scoring Lin will be doing. He'd be filling the shoes left over by Kyle Lowry, a true point guard who was a pass-first man that played great defense. In terms of putting up points, he wasn't exactly what one would call consistent.

That said, should Lin be expected by Coach McHale to be just like Lowry, he shouldn't really have a problem doing so. If he can limit his turnovers and get the ball to other scorers like Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and maybe even Dwight Howard (if a deal is made), then Linsanity could be in full force in the Lone Star State.

Distribution:

Lin is definitely a team-first player and as a result, is a great passer. The Harvard grad is just a fast learner and regardless of the type of offense he's in, he'll be able to balance his distribution with the rest of his game as well. The fact that he averaged 6.2 assists per game last year on an injury-riddled team is testament to his basketball IQ.

Seeing as how he'll have talented players like Kevin Martin, Chandler Parsons and plenty of rookies to work with in Houston, I'm anticipating that he'll help the franchise take a big step towards getting back into contention down the stretch.

Turnovers:

There's no other way to say this. Jeremy Lin did not do a good job of taking care of the ball last year and while his 3.6 turnovers per game don't seem like much, it should be noted that he averaged a whopping five per contest throughout the month of February.

That being said, McHale runs a tight ship and won't tolerate that at any point in the season. Lin is in Houston to run an offense, not give away possessions. Unless this department can get under control, Linsanity could just turn into plain insanity and frustration.

Final Verdict:

Though he still has a lot to learn, Lin is just what the Rockets need at this point. He is a young upstart point guard who can help bring about a new era of basketball in Houston and with his potential and versatility, the fans could potentially roar at what he does with his teammates.

Yes, he is still raw, but his performance last year speaks for itself. This is a man with the potential to be a great leader of a franchise and seeing as how Houston has been without that positive presence for years, it is time for Lin to step into the spotlight and assume that role.

Let the Linsanity begin, Houston fans!