Jeremy Lin, who rose to fame from being a 12th man to a bonafide star in New York, said he is happy with the lower profile he now has in Houston following the acquisition of Dwight Howard and the emergence of James Harden as a superstar.
The Rockets point guard told ESPN.com that he failed to live up to the expectations placed on him last year and expressed hope that the lower profile he now has with the star-studded Rockets will help him play better.
"Learning to manage and deal with expectations and which voices to tune out takes time," Lin said at Rockets media day Friday. "You have to fail at it to get to where you want to get to."
Lin is entering his second season with the Rockets, who signed him away from the New York Knicks following an unforgettable 2011-2012 season where he was bouncing around the NBA until the Knicks signed him and played him at point following injuries to key personnel.
"From a personal standpoint, there's a lot less pressure this season," Lin said. "I've had such a wide spectrum of literally no expectations to having every expectation. Now it's kind of going back down to some lower expectations."
With the signing of all-NBA center Howard to pair with All-Star swingman Harden, the Rockets have one of the best inside-outside duo in the league. It is expected to contend for the NBA title and give Western Conference powerhouses Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs a run for their money.
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