Do you feel better with Jones on LMA? Currently, Josh Smith is our x factor weapon weapon for such an occasion. Every team matches up differently so you need versatility and depth. DMO brings that.
YAO had a jumper, DMO post MOVES are elite but he will never be a COMPLETE ELITE post player until he has a jumper/fadaway teams will figure it out. im not knocking DMO at all, he's been great and is rare with his post moves, im just telling you guys the cold hard facts.
Smith has had a couple of good games and the rest have been bad. His defense can be good, but it can also be sloppy. Even when it is good it doesn't make up for the bad turnovers and bad shots on the nights where he isn't in the groove. If Smith doesn't get sorted out by the time TJones comes back, Jones should take his job.
I don't think any plan is set yet, but I wouldn't be at all upset if they just let Smith walk after this season. I believe in DMo and TJones.
Unless there is a Dwight happiness factor in play or Smith blows up between now and the end of the season, it's hard to imagine them keeping him. He's going to cost you the MLE to keep and while some nights he is worth it, most nights he isn't.
We need a stretch 4 type players who can shoot free throws and hit a decent % from beyond the arc. I believe Morey will be searching for one either at the trade deadline or in the off season. 2 of those 3 PF imo will not be on this team. I am hoping we keep Dmo, but his stock has risen and teams will be knocking at Morey ' s door. He might be gone by the trade deadline in a package for Dragic.
If I had to choose, I would keep D-Mo over Jones. We have enough of a sample size to say D-Mo's surge this year is not due to chance. Given enough minutes, D-Mo could be a 18-8 player. Having said that, I think most posters have forgotten how good Jones was for us in the regular season. Jones is more fluid than D-Mo, and not coincidentally, our offense looked more fluid with Jones in the starting lineup. After all, D12 and D-Mo are post players, however one may think about D- 12 ' s offensive production. In this age of spiraling NBA salary where even pretty boy Parsons gets paid superstar pay, chances are good both our young PF's will get paid $10M+. In short, I agree with OP, try to keep them both and harness their value.
The Rockets were REALLY high on DMO when they got him and they're probably in love with what they're getting from him now that he's developing and getting better. I doubt they trade him for a year of Dragic.
Finally, somebody brings this up!! TJones was embarrassing on D last year in the playoffs. I'm looking forward to how JS and DM handle these challenges.
Jones was better than D-Mo on the court last year. This year's D-Mo is the best talent going forth we have. Absolutely can't trade this guy.
Player egos are something to tread lightly on. Superstar egos are an even more delicate thing to approach. Asking Dwight to take a backseat on the post ups is something that is going to have to happen gradually, but I think we are already seeing this trickle in the offense. And kudos to Donatas. He's really doing a great job of not over demanding the ball, and he's really making an effort to make high/low passes to Dwight, and still get him some open looks/dunks at the rim when the extra defender comes across. A happy Dwight means something. It affects the way he approaches the game with energy and it means the world to your team defense. I would preach patience on handing the torch over to D-Mo to be your primary post up option right away. Reg OP's concern w/Josh Smith overtaking & casting out Jones & D-Mo: The Rockets have both D-Mo & Jones under contract next year on the last year of their rookie deals. I sincerely doubt that Morey will move either player just to move him (unless he's getting a Dragic type) because Morey's smart enough to know that Josh Smith is probably unlikely to return next season. Either Smith over-performs, and commands a much larger salary than the mid level that the Rockets can afford to give, or he royally sucks and you really don't want him back regardless. Josh Smith is really just a rental for the Rockets, and filling in for Jones while he's out. Also Jones will not be the same player right away when he comes back. It was a good cheap pickup despite his flaws and the national media perception that Morey somehow "Traded" & gave up a boatload of assets to get him (No TNT.... Morey didn't TRADE for him). Nothing to really worry about here guys IMO. D-Mo isn't going anywhere, and he's going to slowly become more important to their offense. Just give it time.
Everybody was horrible on defense in the playoffs against the Blazers. Matthews was destroying Harden in the 1st two games. Batum started killing Parsons when CP12 started popping off at the mouth on who' was better. Lillard torched Beverley and whoever guarded him. Williams came off the bench and lite our butts up. Lopez hit some clutch baskets on Dwight. So why do we always focus in on Jones defense in that series? Nobody could stop LMA in those 1st two games. Just no one on the Spurs roster could stop The Dream when he was lighting David Robinson up. Dmo is not that much better on defense than Jones. And last night did you see Smith lackadaisical effort on defense against the Knicks?
Everybody was horrible on defense in that playoffs against the Blazers. Matthews was destroying Harden in the 1st two games. Batum started killing Parsons when CP12 started popping off at the mouth on who' was better. Lillard torched Beverley and whoever guarded him. Williams came off the bench and lite our butts up. Lopez hit some clutch baskets on Dwight. So why do we always focus in on Jones defense in that series? Nobody could stop LMA in those 1st two games. Just no one on the Spurs roster could stop The Dream when he was lighting David Robinson up. Dmo is not that much better on defense than Jones. And last night did you see Smith lackadaisical effort on defense against the Knicks?
They were high on several players but yet they still traded them. It's business and if your name is not Howard or Harden, then you are trade bait.
TJ is a much better rebounder than Dmo. That is very important because Dmo can't seem to box out properly but hopefully he will. Dmo is an OK 4 but a superior 5. TJ is a superior 4. There should be no comparison between them as they really do plat different position.
DMo is much better at boxing out and therefore is a good team rebounder, leaving those rebounds for the guards usually. T-Jones is a much better individual rebounder/shot-blocker due to his athleticism and long reach.
