Jeremy Lin: What Must Happen for Houston Rockets PG to Become a Complete Player

Jeremy Lin has been the catalyst for the Houston Rockets' strong play of late, and a huge reason why the Western Conference dark horse is surging up the standings. 

Lin gave his game a significant makeover during the month of December, and has been playing exceptional basketball over his last eight games in particular. The Rockets are 6-2 during that stretch, and have won eight of their last 11 games overall to move their way into sixth place out west.

Here we'll analyze his most recent eight-game stretch and break down what must happen in order for Lin to become a more complete player for the Houston Rockets.

3-Point Shooting

Jeremy Lin has been scorching from the field over his last eight games, but his struggles from beyond have been immense. 

Lin has hit less than 18 percent of his long-range shots over his last eight games, connecting on just five of his 28 three-point attempts during that time. In order to improve in this area and become a more complete scorer and offensive player, Lin must settle for deep shots far less often and also work tirelessly in the gym to improve his release and the consistency of his shooting stroke.

Confidence is also key in becoming a knock-down outside shooter and making more than you miss. Lin can gain confidence from beyond the arc by cutting back on his attempts and boosting his percentage. 

Turnovers

Lin plays with an aggressive style, which is part of what makes him so dangerous with the ball in his hands, but at the same time, protecting the ball and maximizing on possessions is critical to winning games.

Lin averaged just three turnovers per game during the month of December, but over his last eight-game stretch, he's averaged 3.6 per game, even giving the ball away seven times in a narrow win over Minnesota. It's not always the things you do that make you a great player, but the things you don't do, or in Lin's case, the mistakes you don't make.

He must improve in this area more so than anywhere else if he is to become a complete player and an elite floor general in the NBA.

Defense

They say that defense wins championships, and if that's true, the Rockets aren't going to win anything this season unless they can improve as a unit on that side of the ball. Although it isn't fair to put Houston's defensive failures on Lin's shoulders, he is certainly part of the problem.

Houston ranks dead last in the NBA in scoring defense this season, and is giving up nearly 104 points per night coming into 2013. 

Sure, Lin has been racking up steals in bunches, but in order for the Rockets' perimeter defense to improve and halt penetration by opposing guards, Lin must focus more of his attention to that side of the ball, and make it his mission to excel as a stopper first and an offensive weapon second.

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