LOS ANGELES – Jeremy Lin didn’t get frustrated when he lost his spot last season to Patrick Beverley, or spew venom 140 characters at a time on social media.

The point guard stayed positive, even when the Houston Rockets tried to woo Carmelo Anthony by showing the Knicks star wearing Lin’s jersey number. Lin knew then he wasn’t wanted in Houston any longer. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t missed.

At least Houston coach Kevin McHale was sorry to see the mild-mannered point guard leave. He called Lin a “tough guy” whose attacking style of play would be missed in the Rockets’ lineup.

“Jeremy played the same way all the time,” McHale said. “He goes into attack mode and he goes and goes. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.”

Lin’s aggressive style didn’t work well in the first half of Lakers’ season-opening, 108-90 loss to the Rockets, but was successful in breaking down the Rockets defense off the dribble in the third quarter. He didn’t have his best night, finishing with seven points, six assists and four turnovers against his former team, but neither did his Rockets replacement.

Beverley had nine points and five assists.

Still, McHale had nothing but praise for Lin, who started at point guard for the Lakers.

“He’s a wonderful kid to coach, a wonderful person to be around,” McHale said. “I have nothing but good things to say about him. We’ll miss him because of the way he plays because we go up and down the floor and attack.

“There are some guys that go 90 and he goes 95. He’s fast. … He’s such a good kid and he plays really hard. That’s all you can ask.”

NO SIGN OF NASH

Scott said he hasn’t seen Steve Nash since the veteran point guard was sidelined for the season because of his back issues. The Lakers coach isn’t going to go looking for him, either.

“I think any time as a player and as a competitor like Steve, when you take sort of a leave of absence because you know you can’t play and you know you’re pretty much out for the season, you need some space and some time,” Scott said. “I’m sure right now he’s spending that with his family.”

Scott said he hasn’t yet reached out to Nash and probably would wait another few days to check on him. Then perhaps offer him a semi-coaching gig.

“(I would) ask if he would love to be around because I would love for him to be around, especially with some of the young guys that we have on this team,” Scott said. “But that’s something that Steve has to want to do.”

OVERCOMING A LOSS

McHale was on the Boston Celtics when Larry Bird missed all but six games of the 1988-89 season because of bone spurs in his heels, so he knows how hard it is for a star player such as Kobe Bryant to come back after sitting out.

Bird returned the following season but never regained his mid-1980s form because of back problems, although he continued to be a premier player.

McHale didn’t know how Bryant would respond in his first regular-season game in 10 months, but said the following game would be telling. The Lakers play the second game of a back-to-back Wednesday in Phoenix.

“It’s the grind,” McHale said. “I know he’s done everything to come back and be ready to go, but you don’t know if Father Time has put the brakes on or not. He does it to everybody at some point.”

Contact the writer: boram@ocregister.com