Jeremy Lin News: Linsanity in the Running for Sixth Man of the Year?

Houston Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin is unquestionably dealing with less significant of a frenzy that once surrounded him during "Linsanity" when he was a member of the NY Knicks two years ago.

Lin is in the race for Sixth Man of the Year honors this season, as the Rockets have preferred Patrick Beverley as their starting point guard for the majority of the year. However, both guards are usually around to close games, especially the close games, and the two for all intents and purposes average the same minutes. Lin plays at least 30.9 minutes per game, while Beverley is at 31.8 minutes per game.

The Rockets' best lineup on the court is when Lin, Beverley, Terrence Jones, Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons are playing together. In addition, the lineup has .875 winning percentage, ranked ninth in the NBA.

Most notably, the Rockets have come to depend quite profoundly on Lin's clutch scoring ability. Lin supplies his squad with additional firepower just when the opponents' defense believes they are preventing the Rockets from scoring. 

With Lin, the Rockets are more powerful on offense. Lin's scoring is comparable to his superstar teammate James Harden because both men constantly give defenses problems.

This is not the only reason why Lin will may one day obtain the award. There are several NBA bench players that offer similar productions to their teams, including J.R. Smith, Jarrett Jack, Reggie Jackson, Mo Williams, Marco Belinelli, and the rejuvenated D.J. Augustin.

The Sixth Man award is chosen by reporters who look for a story of an athlete overcoming obstacles on and off the court. Lin seems to be a very probable candidate because he has an awe-inspiring NBA journey that first started with him as an undrafted rookie right out of Harvard University before becoming an unlikely superstar in New York City with the Knicks. Now, Lin is currently an essential athlete for the Houston Rockets and he may be the next recipient of the Sixth Man award.