By the way, if you go to Basketball Reference, Jones had a better TS% in the past two years than LaMarcus Aldridge has ever had in his career. That doesn't make Jones a better player but for someone getting his minutes, it does tell me has potential. Jones is also the more efficient player as he takes the majority of his shots where he does best on the floor where as Aldridge takes the majority of his shots where he shoots less than .400. Maybe just maybe, Jones is coachable and starting to grasp how to play at the NBA level. At the end of the day, unless the Rockets decide to tank a season, Jones/DMo/hopefully Capella is the best value the Rockets are going to be able to get at the F/C position anytime soon. Instead of the hand-wringing, why not focus on the potential these players have versus constantly ripping them for not being one of the premier power forwards in the game when they weren't drafted as such. Best Power Forwards in the NBA and where they were drafted: Tim Duncan: #1 Overall Blake Griffin: #1 Overall LaMarcus Aldridge: #2 Overall Zach Randolph: #19 Overall and didn't reach All-Star level until his 9th in the league Dirk Nowitzki: #9 Overall and undervalued because he was drafted during an era when Euros were largely viewed as being too soft to play in the NBA Kevin Love: #5 Overall Anthony Davis: #1 Overall Chris Bosh: #4 Overall Outside of Zach Randolph and Dirk, everyone else was drafted with a top 5 pick. The return and growth the Rockets are getting out of their current power forwards is great for where they were drafted.
I'm not implying that Jones will come back with a good jumper. I am hinting at the fact that in the vast majority of cases, when someone works hard at something, they tend to get better at it. Shooting and defense are two skills that NBA players seem to acquire with experience. Bad can become average, and average can become good. I do not believe Jones will ever become Channing Frye from 3, but he doesn't need to be. Millsap, Draymond Green, and Ibaka all shoot around league average from 3 on 3 attempts per game.....yet it is enough to open up the floor for their respective teams. I'm not looking for Jones to be a sniper.....defenders just need to take one or two steps more toward him than they do now. That will make his ball fake more effective, and open the paint for Harden to drive.
Jones is an NBA rotation player and possibly more. He is a solid rebounder and a very good shot blocker. I am not buying the Koolade that Jones will be an all star or even top 10 starter at his position. For one thing, he is not right in the head and he lacks the motor needed to over achieve. Having said that, Jones shoots over 50% from the floor, with over half of his shots being withing 3 feet of the basket. Some of that is a byproduct of the Rockets having Howard and Harden. The PF spot is a place to shine in the Rockets system. However some of that is that Jones is very good inside and can get baskets inside. In a Morey system, everyone focuses on 3's and FT's, but easy baskets are the first priority and Jones gets that. I will not argue that Jones is a good outsider shooter. Everyone assumed he would become one after leaving Kentucky, but thus far it hasn't happened. He has good handles, his court vision has improved but his shoot has lagged. It may very well always lag. However, I would point out that as a rookie Jones shot 29% on 3 to 10 footers and the next year made a major jump to 40%. This year he is at 36%, but under unusual circumstances, injuries, etc. A 10% increase in the 6-10 foot range is certainly possible (if not likely). Hell, DMO has done that this year on shots over 6 feet from the basket. I would deal DMO or/and Jones for a borderline all star with a decent contract (Lawson). I would have even dealt DMO and the Pelicans pick for Dragic and then offered Dragic the max and dared him to leave. Still, the lack of shooting % by Jones outside of 3 feet is not optimal, but it is somewhat off set by the high number of shots inside of 3 feet he takes, and his rebounding and shot blocking.
Very reasonable. Frankly, I'd be satisfied if Jones was simply a 35% 3-point shooter on 3 3-point shots per game. Very satisfied. I think that would open up his game and open up our floor spacing tremendously. But let's look at Draymond's case: 3 years in the league YR 1: 21% on 2.3 attempts per 36 minutes YR 2: 33% on 3.3 attempts per 36 minutes YR 3: 34.5% on 4.8 attempts per 36 minutes Here's Terrence: YR 1: 26.3% on 2.5 attempts per 36 minutes YR 2: 30.7% on 1.7 attempts per 36 minutes YR 3: 31.8% on 1.4 attempts per 36 minutes Now, be realistic. Which is these players worked on their 3-point shot successfully the last 2 off seasons? Once you answer that question, be realistic again. Which of these players is most likely to come back with an even better 3-point shooting percentage next season?
Hi, I'm a different person than the one you responded to, but I'd like to add my take nonetheless. He obviously worked on his jumper between year 1 and year 2, and that showed on the court as well as in the box score. Maybe he worked on it in between year 2 and year 3 as well, but we aren't seeing those results, because he only played a couple games before being sidelined for a few months. He couldn't work on his shooting mechanics when he was out with that nerve injury in his leg, so he worked on bulking up his upper body. That much is visible on the court, for sure. Surely you know where I'm going with this, but after adding all of that bulk while he was out with the nerve injury, he destroyed any shooting mechanic-related muscle memory he may have acquired in the offseason. So basically, I'd give him a pass for not increasing his 3 point percentage between year 2 and year 3, since there were extenuating circumstances involved. If he doesn't make some significant improvement over the course of this next offseason, it might be time to consider that he'll never be a good shooter.
Reasonable on the leg injury. Not saying I agree that's what happened. But it's possible I suppose. However, you're implying Terrence did improve from YR 1 to YR 2. I don't see that. Look at his attempts. He simply became more selective in the shots that he took and improved his percentages a few meaningless points. That's what I see there. His attempts fell off by almost 1/3. The reason why I say that is because if you pull video of Terrence shooting 3's from his rookie season and his second season there is no discernible difference in his mechanics. It's the same shot. (Now, if I'm wrong on that, somebody can throw up the videos here and show me. I'll gladly read your analysis on how his shooting mechanics changed between YR1 and YR 2.)
I do believe TJones has been practicing his jumper, but it's a little simplistic to think that it's made up the majority of practice time or development. Jones' first priority is to get and stay on the court. As a young player, he can do that by giving good energy, playing disciplined defense, and scoring around the basket. He's added to that this year by playing solid perimeter D and improving as a rebounder. For arguments sake, let's compare TJones to Marcus Morris. Morris has developed into a very good shooter as a PF, no doubt because 1) he's good at it and 2) that's likely where he's focused his efforts. He's done that because that's how he can get playing time. It's a needs vs. wants thing. I'm sure TJones wants to be a good shooter, but he NEEDS to play to his skillset to get on the court. With time, I think TJones will develop enough as a shooter to at least be called "average". Let's not forget that he just turned 23 y/o, and has only played in 1 full NBA season. I agree that his shot is flawed, but the biggest thing holding him back as a shooter is confidence, and that can only grow with time. I agree that DMo's shooting mechanics have always been better than TJones, but until two months ago, that didn't matter. DMo is a year older and has been playing pro ball for significantly longer, and his shot is just now clicking. DMo probably won't get to significant volume (3 per) until next year. Jones is probably 2 years away from significant volume.
Amen. Not to mention that Rockets are legit top 5 team in NBA and have been successful without a true stretch 4 that Jopat insists is necessary for TJ to be considered a success. Would TJ be more of a threat with a better 3 ball, of course. But both D-Mo and Smoove have been better than advertised outside of the arc, its not necessary for TJ to force the 3 ball at this time. And collectively these 3 have manned both the 4 and 5 with surprisingly good results with Howard out. Their ability to rebound, protect the rim as well as defend multiple positions is very undervalued and many posters rather highlight what they cannot do. Having Smoove/D-Mo/TJ at the 4/5 has worked for the Rockets. Would not trade these 3 for any of the PF listed above this season, even Kevin Love. Take it back, would trade - but only for Davis. :grin:
2 years away from significant volume means he's trade bait in my opinion. I can't see Morey paying a guy significant dollars at the 4-spot that hasn't honed his 3-point shot to a good efficiency. Unless somehow we acquire our third superstar before then.
He and DMo are similar. Both are role players who may end up getting overpaid like Parsons. If so, bye.
I think it's very realistic that both could be gone and most likely that at least one will be gone by the trade deadline next year if not earlier.
You could say that Draymond Green worked a lot on his shot and showed improved shooting on higher volume. You could also say Terrence Jones "cut the fat" out of his shooting, focused on what he was good at, and will build his shot with far better finishing around the rim than Green could ever hope for. Paint Points per Shot (2013-2014) TJones: 1.28 Green: 1.09 3 Point Points per Shot (2013-2014) TJones: 0.86 Green: 1.01 Whose to say who the better scorer is? The Rockets are building TJones from the inside-out, and GSW is building Green from the outside-in. TJones is great at cleaning up Harden and Howard's misses, and Green is great for hitting the catch and shoot 3 when Curry is doubled. On the defensive end, TJones is to defense as DMo is to a jumper. All the tools are there for him to be a VERY good defender. He has the lateral quickness and length to bother 3s, 4s, and some 5s. If he can get his base squared away (pun not intended), he will be a monster defensively.
So Rubio is definitely helpless, because he has been in the league one year longer (you corrected me on that) and still has no jump shot. Rubio should be working on his jump shot too and it should be improving. He's got other things going for him, as does TJones. But everyone here is under the clear (maybe mistaken, maybe not) impression that you think Rubio is hot stuff and TJones is trash (keep in mind, if EVERYONE thinks you think Jones is trash even if you think you're being fair, maybe you're being tougher in your criticism then you intended)?
Blake Griffin couldn't shoot jumpers either but after working so hard in the off-season he has improved tremendously. B. Diaw a player that you were bragging on couldn't shoot a jumper consistently until he got to the Spurs. So yes T Jones jumper can improve if he continues to put in the necessary work. Don't really understand why you don't think so or have to question everybody that believes he will improve in that department.
Perhaps. Just depends on where he is in development. The Rockets won't give either DMo or TJones extensions in order to keep space open for 2016. Both will have huge incentives to improve next year. Personally, I think DMo is on his way out. TJones is the better fit with Dwight, and DMo will be highly coveted around the league this summer. Maybe package him with the NOP 1st to move up in the draft, or see if we can talk Cleveland into a "decline player option and trade" Kevin Love deal.
To be fair, TJones averages .375 as a starter shooting 3's. Those games he came off the bench after his injury were like preseason for him after he had been out all but 4 games. So the number I'm going with is .375 since that is what he was shooting prior to his injury and thats the number he is at overall as a starter. But at the end of the day, both Draymond and Terrence are roll players. Both very good roll players. Draymond shoots more 3s but Terrence is clearly a better scorer, regardless of how he gets his points.
I'm normally not one to bicker over sample size, but you're talking about a total of 17 shots. Add one make and TJones is an elite shooter in the 40% range, take one away and he's far below average.
If Terrence were a top 5 defender at his position and top 5 playmaker at his position and the top rebounder at his position in the NBA you could then justifiably compare Rubio's shooting to Terrence's shooting. But Terrence is none of those things that Rubio is.
The point is that we can not criticize TJ's 3 point shot this season. He is hitting them at a good rate so far. Your right, the sample size is not an indicator of future performance but until he starts missing his 3's it's seems ludicrous for Jopot/BBhaulic to claim TJ did not work on his 3pt shot this past off season.
