Whether he's ready or not, Jeremy Lin's big moment has come.

Make or break, sink or swim, the hopes of the Houston Rockets' NBA title dreams this season may rest in part on the shoulders of the 25-year-old Harvard grad's shoulders. And it comes down to the fact that Rockets starting point guard Patrick Beverley may not be 100 percent as Houston finds itself in what is sure to be a grueling series with the Portland Trail Blazers in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs.

According to the latest reports from ESPN and CBS Sports, Beverley, who suffered an injury to his right knee Sunday in Game 1 of the series, is expected to play Game 2 on Wednesday in a critical game for the Rockets, who are already down 0-1 in the series and look to avoid sinking into an 0-2 hole that would push them halfway to the exit. Assuming Beverley, who is a better defender than he is an offensive player, can't be up to par for Wednesday's Game 2 or for the rest of the series -- which is critical as the Rockets have to find a way of containing the ever-dangerous All-Star Damian Lillard of Portland-the burden falls on Lin to step up on both ends of the floor.

One way or another, we may be about to see what Jeremy Lin can bring to the table -- and what that means as to whether or not he'll remain in the Houston Rockets' future plans.

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Lin had a decent showing in Game 1, scoring 14 points off 45.5 percent shooting with 4 assists. However, Lilliard, last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, torched the Rockets for 31 points in the Blazers' 122-120 win. Clearly, Lin, who has never had a great reputation as a solid defensive player despite his knack for steals, would have a lot of work to do in order to contain Lillard. But the extent of his responsibilities now go beyond that. From a team standpoint, the Rockets are going to need good production from Lin to backup James Harden, Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons as they try and outgun Portland's deadly trio of Lillard, All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge and the deadly Wesley Matthews.

From a more selfish standpoint, however, Lin has a lot more than just his team to worry about. It's been no secret that Lin is not one of Houston coach Kevin McHale's favorites, as he ended up losing his starting job this season to Beverley. In a high-octane offense that is second in the NBA in scoring (107.7 points, second to only the L.A. Clippers), Lin has struggled to carve out a niche for himself on this roster; he started to find it as a capable sixth man until injuries and inconsistent shooting began throwing off his momentum.

Coming into a contract year where he's due $14.9 million -- tied for third-highest on the Rockets roster -- Houston would love to get rid of Lin and clear up that space up for another big superstar to join their ranks. That means they can ship Lin off in midseason next year, or simply wait out the year and let him walk once his contract ends. Lin may be a fan favorite, especially among a growing Asian hoops fan base, but on a team this saturated on offense, there just might not be any room for him and his attack-the-basket, possession-dependent style of play. If Lin wants to stay in Houston, which may be only a year or two away from becoming a major title contender, then this might be his last chance to audition for a spot on this young, talented, up-and-coming squad.

Depending on how you view Lin, be it as an underrated performer or a disaster waiting to happen, Lin playing a larger role in this playoff series may or may not be a good thing. But more importantly for Lin than perhaps even his first real chance at an NBA title since his legendary emergence in the winter of 2012, this may be his last real chance to prove his worth to the Rockets as he enters his walk-year next season.

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