Better free agent signing: Jeremy Lin or Omer Asik?

Of course it's too early for this argument but there's just so much to sort through with this Rockets team. There's not a lot of players with more than three years experience on the squad so realistic expectations have to start out low. The rookies are talented, but there's the delicate Royce White situation, which no one really knows what to make of.

And the major offseason acquisitions - Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik - that's certainly a duo to be reasonably skeptical of. I'm saying, though: did you ever consider Asik would be the better grab? No way.

Lin didn't play particularly well in Sunday's loss to the Spurs, and he's been pedestrian at best in three preseason games so far. Just check B-Mac's early progress report for the young point guard.

But Asik? A pleasant surprise, I have to say. Perhaps it's because the Rockets went from trying to put together packages to get Dwight Howard or Andrew Bynum, to signing Asik. Easy to see how that could take a fan from high to low.

When you really evaluate Asik, though, the dude can guard at his position, and may even be a potentially elite defender. Even if Lin figures out his offensive struggles, which I'm confident he will, he's not locking down too many point guards that are at least as good as he is.

If Asik can consistently put up 13 and 10 on offense, pass the ball the way he has, and defend like his league reputation says he can, we might be looking at the real gem right there.