Has anybody here actually watched him a good bit? What can you tell us about him? Is he a legit 2nd string PF or is he a borderline d-league type player?
I haven't seen him all that much, but last season he seemed to have a bit of a coming out party for the Bucks. From the little I've seen, he could be a rotation player. Bit of a hustler, rebounds really well, plays a bit of D, good finisher around the hoop. With the Bucks he was 11ppg and 8rpg. In 12 games as a starter, he was 13 and 9 [but the Bucks didn't win much] You can check out his shot chart http://vorped.com/bball/index.php/player/shotchart/1045-Jeff-Adrien/season/2013-2014-REG And here is a video of a big game from him <iframe width="854" height="510" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/2-7eT51YJCM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I think the Adrien pickup is totally underrated. His rebounding rate has been consistent throughout his career regardless of minutes played. His CAREER rebounding percentage would have put him at around 20th in the league last season between Zach Randolph and Kenneth Faried.
With him and Dorsey we will at least have some competition for Dwight in the weight room. If you think about it the Rockets must have had one of the weakest teams in the NBA the past two years.
If he rebounds and plays defense, I'm happy. If nothing else, Adrian, Dorsey, Ariza, etc. will add a lot of toughness and defense to a team that was sorely lacking both of those things last season.
We finally have some goons to handle the scrapping against physical/dirty teams. The best part is that they don't bring much as far as skills go so when Dorsey power-bombs Chandler Parsons through the Toyota Center court it won't affect the Rockets' production for the rest of the game.
Jones will likely start for most if not all the season, but if he does not improve defensively, he is definitely at risk for losing his job to Adrien. Playing alongside Howard, Adrien will look even better than the solid, competent player that he is. After the initial shock of losing Parsons, I am really warming up to Morey's moves: he is turning this team into a top defensive, bad ass team, to-wit: Adrien, Dorsey, Johnson, Pap. Last year's team was pillow soft.
Jones will likely start for most if not all the season, but if he does not improve defensively, he is definitely at risk for losing his job to Adrien. Playing alongside Howard, Adrien will look even better than the solid, competent player that he is. After the initial shock of losing Parsons, I am really warming up to Morey's moves: he is turning this team into a top defensive, bad ass team, to-wit: Ariza, Adrien, Dorsey, Johnson, Pap. Last year's team was pillow soft by comparison.
It sounds like many of you haven't watched Adrien play. I still haven't seen solid evidence for people to state that: a) he's a serviceable backup, b) he's a good defensive player, c) he's tough or d) he's even big enough to box out power forwards for rebounds. The highlights of the 20 pt game seem filled with put backs or taking advantagewhen his defender commits to helping on another offensive player. I admit I don't know much about him after his brief period with the Rockets, and if you don't you should admit it too. Don't build unattainable expectations of a great defensive team and then crib about it all season long.
From the Bucks board after a Rockets' fan asked about Jeff Adrien: "As whichmae said, awesome motor. Always involved in the rebound battle despite often giving up 3-4 inches. Often at a disadvantage against length, prime target to get his shot blocked. Showed a decent midrange jumper, set physical screens & sometimes flexed after scoring around the hoop. In my mind he's an ideal 15-20 minute forward for a playoff team like Houston. Great value at the minimum." "He'd be a good bench guy on a good team behind a solid starting center. He'll fit your club nicely for the second line to keep the energy up." "Gives effort on D, struggles against length." "He's a junkyard dog type of bench role player. His best attribute is his relentless hustle. At times ull think "man this guy can really play" and at other times ull think "how did he make a NBA roster". I'd imagine him to be a great practice guy, someone who is gonna make T Jones and Donatas work hard during scrimmages and what not. I could be way off with the practice stuff though because I've never seen him actually practice but that's just the impression he gives. Maybe a good comparison might be an actual basketball skilled version of Jon Brockman." "The problem with his defense is his height. He rotates well, he's a smart defender, he's positionally and functionally strong. But he needs shoes to be 6'6", and even with his very solid standing reach (8'11.5") it's very easy for the opposition to shoot over him. One hell of a ferocious rebounder, and while he isn't Kevin Love with his outlets, his distribution off defensive rebounds is exceptionally under-the-radar. He's not a total Biyombo on the offensive end as he can help keep the ball moving and set a great pick, but he's not going to help space the floor. In short, if you don't need more than 18 minutes out of him a night, he's a fantastic. A great fourth-or-fifth big and an incredible locker room guy." "He actually is a good defender, but doesn't have length. An excellent and relentless rebounder. Good acquisition" "Actually a really nice player to put out there for 10 minutes on a contender. Sure you understand the great hustle already. It's not that he's a bad defender, he's just incredibly short for his position" "I think Adrien is a good signing for Houston, prototypical Morey signing. He'll hustle his ass off and get overpaid next year." "I think he is an energy guy too. He has the ability to garner a fan's attention with his effort. The intangibles are there, he just lacks the size to be more than just a guy. Personally, his play can sometimes change the momentum of game in small spurts. That alone makes him a valuable piece off of the bench for a contender." "Elite rebounder that doesn't have the lateral quickness to defend the perimeter or the size/length to defend the post. Made a decent amount of open jumpers as most defenses completely ignored him when he had the ball."
That was what I was thinking also, but he will never have Chuck's strength or lateral speed. Chuck was elite in that regard. I would settle for a slightly stronger Chucky Brown.
