Can I get a td;dr of what has been happening or is supposed to happen? I would but this page is longer than the dictionary
Am I the only one left on this board who still thinks Jones can be a serviceable PF? It was ONE bad matchup, guys - one very bad matchup for a few games when Aldridge happened to be playing at the best he will ever play in his entire life. Jones could have been 7ft and Aldridge would have still been raining step back jumpers with a hand in his face(see Asik/Howard).
Still not sold on Jones, Pelicans pick, and some fillers netting us not only a huge PG upgrade, but also a power forward in return as well. I'd love to be wrong, though.
I go back and forth about whether I'd would rather invest in getting a star PG or a star PF. I almost feel like our one thru five is better if you add a PF vs a PG. If we were to add a all star caliber PF, we have pretty much what we need out of the PG position. With Bev and Ariza we have two players who focus on defense to support our hypothetical three stars. But if we were to add a star PG we would still be weak at the four spot.
You ever seen him play against the clippers? Blake dominates him just as much if not more than Aldridge did. Same thing with z-bo. Terrance issue is a physical issue. There's no reason to think he can't be a solid defender based on ability but he's not big enough to bang with the best pf's in the west. I'd hate to see him go because I love his game but facts are facts.
It's crazy that he's considered physically incapable of defending PF's when he's 6'9.5 tall, 252 pounds, has a 7'2.25 wingspan and a vertical of 34.5 inches. To me that's at very least average for the PF position. He's actually got more weight and a higher vertical then most, his height and wingspan are average to above average as well.
Who's the bigger/better athlete? Terrence Jones 6'8.25 height without shoes - 252 weight - 7'2.25 wingspan - 8'11 standing reach - 34.5 max vert Spoiler Blake Griffen 6'8.5 height without shoes - 248 weight - 6'11.25 wingspan - 8'9 standing reach - 35.5 max vert
Chuck Hayes is also a prime example that size isn't the biggest factor on defense too. Foot work, positioning and strength goes a long way, Jones has tons of room to grow on the defensive end. Not that I care if we trade Jones or not, I would give him up for one of the 4 PG's named here without a doubt.
I'm almost hoping that the Bledsoe/Dragic situation will drag on until around the trade deadline, so that the cost for getting one of them (including Rondo) will falter. The team as constructed is good enough to hold the fort until then. I'm absolutely conviced that one of DMo/TJones will make great strides this year, and we should have known by then what we really got in Johnson/Canaan. Better feel then for which combination to put in a less costly trade. Very Nice of you Plowman to keep feeding us, amid all this unwarranted negativity. Thanks.
BG saw his vertical and explosiveness increase considerably (according to him, at least) after a year of NBA strength and conditioning while rehabbing his broken patella. I don't think it's unfair to say that predraft measurements aside, Jones isn't in the same class as Blake athletically.
I think what's being misunderstood is that it would be Jones, pels pick, extra assets, filler for a huge pg upgrade. Than trading using the TPE and maybe 2nds for a serviceable pf like ilyasova or bass etc... It would likely take all assets of significance to acquire the pg and what's left to acquire a serviceable pf. And I'm thinking we will lose both dmo and Jones.
Ricky Rubio talks publicly about how much he wants to come back to Minnesota= CF thinking he's coming to Houston. Typical. Look, I know that Rubio is probably a better player, with still some upside left to un-tap, and I know he will end up getting a bigger contract, but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if more teams actually pursue Patrick Beverley than Ricky Rubio next Summer. I actually think he's a more desirable player to more teams. Yes, its probably for a supporting role, and for a smaller deal, but don't be shocked if he's heavily recruited. I think Beverley is really going to be a hot commodity and will have teams trying like hell to get them on their team. I'm not sure if he's overrated outside of Houston, but I definitely know he's underrated here in Houston. Rubio will be a little bit harder to peg because any team going after him really has to sell him on a starting PG gig to get him to leave Minny, and he's really not a top half of the league starting PG (if even top 3/4th) who has major holes in his game. Beverley will fit in anywhere, and you know what he's going to do for your team either starting or coming off the bench, and you know what he brings off the court. ................... Honestly though, I'm down for whatever upgrades the team, but I'm hoping the Rockets are trying to be halfway smart about the PG position potential upgrades. If its not highway robbery in a trade scenario, and the PG isn't a clear all-star level upgrade, than I don't do it. The team is probably going to have SOME type of free agency cash to play around with next year, will have PB in restricted free agency, and they need to keep themselves open to trades for a more impactful upgrade. Like I mentioned before, how would you feel if you blew your wad on trading for Rubio, and than find out 3 weeks later someone like Al Horford comes available? Hopefully Morey is using his head a little more than half the people in the GARM.