HOUSTON — During his five-week absence, injured Nets point guard Jeremy Lin has been limited to being a mentor, teacher and cheerleader from the bench. Now he’s on the verge of reclaiming his position as team leader, surprisingly listed as probable for Monday’s game against the Rockets.

“When I come back, I want to bring a lot of leadership,’’ Lin said before Saturday’s game against Spurs. “I understand better how I think certain units and certain players work together, and what plays and sets to be in primarily with that lineup. I just want to bring stability more than anything — stability and leadership.”

Lin returned to practice Friday, and the Nets essentially cancelled practice Sunday in San Antonio before flying to Houston. Still, the team estimates he has a 75 percent chance of facing his former team.

“It’s been hard, more than hard at times,” Lin said.

“Jeremy, he wants to play 40 minutes the first game, he’s already told me. But I don’t think that’s happening,” coach Kenny Atkinson said.

The Nets have struggled without that leadership on the court, 2-3 with their starting point guard in the lineup but just 4-13 without him. The Nets are 10.3 points better per 100 possessions with Lin on the floor.

Lin has been out since Nov. 2, limited to giving pointers from the bench or tips at practice to rookie Isaiah Whitehead and off-guard Sean Kilpatrick.

“Sean and Isaiah did a great job filling in, and they’ll continue to do a great job,’’ Lin said. “It was really big for them stepping up to the plate and getting that experience and constancy. So for me just talking to them, it depends. Each player is a little different.

“With Isaiah, just trying to teach him how to manage a game, and trying to teach him to find the balance of being a point guard and facilitating, but also being yourself. And with Sean, I’m going to try to help him with Xs and Os of the game. We were putting him in point guard position-ish at times, and that’s not always what he’s played in the past, so talking through what that means, helping him late-game situations, how do you manipulate the defense.”

Lin also has taken rookie combo guard Caris LeVert under his wing — “He’s a really talented player,’’ Lin said. “I think he’s going to be big for us” — and tried to help newly acquired point guard Spencer Dinwiddie get up to speed.

“Jeremy, obviously I’ve only been around him for two days, but he’s great leader,’’ said Dinwiddie, 23, who arrived Friday. “He’s doing everything he can to put bugs in guys’ ears and really try to tell them what he sees from the bench.”

Lin likely didn’t anticipate being on that bench for so long. But his rehab wasn’t just about getting his strained hamstring back to where it was, but better, stronger than before. It was about building his core and glutes and hips, so he won’t get injured again.

“It was just trying to get the hamstring to the level where we needed to, in terms of getting it to be significantly stronger than where it was before,” Lin said. “But of course there are other things you want to make sure are healthy and moving properly, build up the glutes and the core. That’s stuff that’s very important. We’re taking a healthier approach in terms of just making sure that this won’t bother me again.” Sometimes that takes a little longer to correct some movement patterns or other things, overall my whole body, not necessarily just focused on that one specific spot. I appreciate the staff and what they’ve done in trying to help me with everything.”

Praise for the performance team is likely music to general manager Sean Marks’ ears.

“Well, we hope that’s reflected in what our players feel. Really, it’s all about those 15 guys. Those are the ones that matter, and we want to put everything out there that will help them to succeed and help them to build and grow and develop,’’ Marks said. “If that’s the case, they’ll be the ones to say, ‘I like what’s happening here in Brooklyn. I want to play here.’ And that’s important to use.”