Some fans might not like the uncertainty, but Houston Rockets coach Kevin McHale says he has "two starting point guards" in Jeremy Lin and Patrick Beverley.
Each player has started two games in the preseason, and the coach hasn't said who will start the regular season and hasn't ruled out that they'll be on the floor at the same time.
"As a player, I always found it irrelevant," McHale said of starting, according to the Houston Chronicle. "I came off the bench in a lot of games. What is the big difference in playing 27½ minutes off the bench and playing 26 minutes as a starter? I guess it is a big deal to some people."
Lin appears to be on the same page as McHale.
"We have different strengths," Lin said, according to the newspaper. "[Beverley] is such a good defender and shooter. I am better with the ball in my hands, attacking. I think that makes us tough to scout, and it gives us the opportunity to give a lot of different looks."
Lin and Beverley were on different trajectories last season. After averaging 13.4 points, 6.1 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game in the regular season, Lin slumped to 4.0 points, 2.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds in the playoffs. Beverley went from 5.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists in the regular season to 11.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in the postseason.
They have posted numbers comparable to each other this preseason.
"It's a good problem to have two guys that are capable of coming in and making plays and starting," Dwight Howard said, according to the Chronicle. "I think they just shouldn't worry about who starts. They should keep focused on what they can do in the game because that is what will help us win. We are lucky to have them both."
Beverley says he's not the offensive threat that Lin is but can make a difference on defense.
"I watch him. He watches me," Lin said, according to the newspaper. "We feed off each other, learn from other. I think that comes really naturally for us."
