DMo is basically 1 year behind Jones in terms of development. Watch, DMo will tear up the league next year. Just needs to bulk up more.
I hope he can get tougher down low but he appears to be a big finesse player who just can't hang with the big boys down low. He may be tired and wearing down a little from from playing more this season then he probably has ever played in one season but it just appears he just can't hang down low which is why once Howard comes back he should be coming off the bench. Maybe this is also why he didn't see the floor in the playoffs last year. Dmo has definitely grown this year but still is too soft against strong front lines.
He needs to hustle more. Scrap more. Go up stronger. I'm sick of watching him just standing around with his arms by his sides instead of fighting for rebounds and loose balls. I don't know when this started again -- and it has ZERO to do with him playing out of position, because I posted this same exact thing about him early in the season before Dwight went out. I don't understand why that habit is returning, but his lack of fight lately is really very frustrating.
Ball gets poked out at least 50% of his rebounds or loose balls he picks up. Just as costly as turnovers.
Not to make an argument here, but it is a funny kind of 'first season as a starter'. He's kind of been the 'fill in' starter for Jones and Dwight hasn't he? I won't be surprised at all if he plays very few minutes when Dwight returns... I LIKE DMo, but he has just regressed so much over the season - this year has been a great experience for him, but every game it is looking more and more like it is time to put the cue in the rack, use him for spot minutes, and work on him over the summer. If Frank Kaminsky fell to us in the draft, I wouldn't be opposed to trading Motie for value [that's a whole other topic I suppose]
He's just not ready. He is a back up in the West and possibly a starter in the East. He will fill a gortat role nicely. He is just no way the main guy you want holding the post until he learns toughness.
That's what they did in the last two seasons. He was so bad playing spot minutes almost everybody on this board gave up hope that he could be a serviceable, let alone good, NBA player. He broke out (kind of) after Jones went down and got consistent starter minutes. DMo is one of those players who are greatly affected by their confidence level. When he is confident and playing loose, he does great. When his confidence is shaken and playing timid, for whatever reasons, he wilts. Playing DMo inconsistent spot minutes will never help him improve. I am not saying that he deserves minutes when he is not playing well. I am just saying that if you play him spot minutes, you might just as well throw him back to the D Leauge and give the spot minutes to Dorsey because DMo is not going to contribute anything in that kind of role.
Well, we're not lottery bound, so developing him isn't the prime concern. It's possible he's just going through a bad slump, could bust out next game?
DMo is our best (and only legitimate) floor spreader at the 4 spot around Dwight. He's now up to over 36% from 3. It's obvious he's turning the corner with that shot and mixing it up well with his other offensive post moves. DMo is also our best offensive post presence, with apologies to the other 4 bigs. But there's simply no comparison in their post games when DMo is rested. IF McHale moves DMo to spot minutes when Dwight returns he will be making a huge mistake. Won't happen.
LAWL. Just quoting it so we can find yet another jpotmac/ balcoholic/ bobbythegreat howler!!! As of right now, it will happen, and it is a no-brainer. You need to learn that spreading the floor is about far more than simply shooting the ball. It's about halfcourt movement. Stats show that whether DMo is on, or off, the court, the Rockets shoot at 51% eFG. With Jones on court, the Rockets are at 56.8 eFG%, and just 50.5 eFG% with him off. www.82games.com Once again, this mirrors last years statistics. Jones opens up the offence for his teammates, you don't understand why. Learn basketball. Learn cuts, spacing, and finishing. Learn about driving to the hoop. Learn how shooting 'just well enough' keeps the defence honest (see his drive to the hoop vs Gasol today).
He has good post moves in spot minutes only. It's evident when he can't play well for more than 1-2 quarters. Btw he is behind jones and smith as far as finishing in the paint especially from passes from others.
Yes, he's not quite as good a finisher as Terrence and Smith. But he is superior to both players in the paint area. And the playoffs are coming. That 70% finishing percentage is fixing to take a dive. And the lack of spacing is fixing to be magnified. We're back to last season's discussions all over again. For us to win a championship we have to win 16 playoff games. That's 12 wins we have to generate against the likes of Gasol/Randolph, Chandler/Dirk, Duncan/Splitter, Lopez/Aldridge, Jordan/Griffin, Adams/Ibaka, and Bogut/Draymond plus another 4 against God knows who coming out of the East. The only one of those players that Terrence has a chance of checking is Draymond. And I think it's likely that Draymond torches him anyways. But we won't be facing them until the 2nd round or WC Finals. One of those other big pairings is who we're going to get in the first round. And we're not even talking about their backups. The only chance we have of neutralizing those other teams double big lineups is by countering with our own double bigs OR by putting shooters on the floor that can burn those lineups and force our opponent to play a single big lineup. Terrence's shooting hasn't improved. He has gotten a little bit stronger. But he's coming off injury. He's not long enough nor big enough now even after getting bigger to handle those guys. Sorry.
But that is crap. Just because you think, or say something, does NOT make it true. You THINK DMo spaces the floor. I just proved you wrong. Jones spaces the floor better. You THINK DMo is better defensively, but you are wrong, Jones is better defensively (this season). Heck, he was probably better defensively last season? Might be why he earned the privilege of being abused by Aldrige? Either way, TJo has improved his defence by more than 10 percentage points, and has just crushed against 2 elite frontcourts. Of course there are variables, but being wrong does not make you right, no matter how many times you say it.
Man, so much overreaction here. It's a little ridiculous. And it's too early to judge TJones on anything. 34% DFG% - yeah, that's going to stay that low. 58% eFG% for the team with him on the floor? No chance it stays that high. Researching out these numbers is a waste of time.
