Yeah, he showed flashes of it this season, but as the year has gone on it feels like he has regressed in that matter. I'm hoping when Dwight comes back and he doesn't have to deal with the giants he's currently dealing with it will be less of an issue. He busted his ass yesterday though. He was giving up a lot of length to Jordan, but he was really physical and kept Jordan from getting those offensive rebounds and easy finishes that he has been doing so well over the last month. That was pivotal in that win yesterday.
Why exactly did they wait until March to release the scouting report on him? You don't think it could have anything to do with the fact that he's playing heavy minutes for the first time in his career and it's well into the last part of the season? Or perhaps that he's playing out of position while Dwight is out?
The truth is once a guy goes around the league a few times, teams do make adjustments. It happens to everybody. Now it's his turn to counteract what teams are doing to him. It appears to me that DMo is certainly having to work harder to get his shots off and get to the spots on the floor that he wants to be in. He isn't getting into the same rhythm and establishing the same level of comfort that he enjoyed before. Then he is missing the easy/wide open shots in the paint that he should and would normally knock down on top of that which is compounding the issue. That could be fatigue from having to work so hard or maybe he is just pressing. He just has to be mentally tough and play through it though. It happens to the best of them. I'm not so much concerned about his offense though. I totally see that coming back around. I'd like to see his defense pick back up and although I don't think he'll ever be a good rebounder, I think that is where his game could improve the most.
I think this long season is beginning to wear on Dmo, his shots in the paint are short and he has no fight in the post/paint for D or rebounds. He's legit 7 ft tall and refuses to jump and go get the ball on the boards. He needs Dwight to reduce his minutes to 25 or under.
He's 7 feet tall... but has narrow shoulders, a really small wing-span, and a weaker core/lower body combined with a poor vertical leap. Like Yao, he can get rebounds simply by "being there"... but he's far from a good rebounder.
D-mo made adjustments and came into the starting lineup with an improved low-post game from last year... it was inevitable that teams would start game planning on how to stop that (given that before T-Jones came back, he was literally the only other potential scoring option for the Rockets on offense). Eventually, teams will adjust to Terrence Jones also... although his athleticism and "hustle" points are really almost adjustment-proof.
You should probably remember that Daryl Morey is the GM, DMo's not going anywhere, he's the starting PF for the foreseeable future.
Maybe you should remember that Morey is the GM lol. That fact alone makes me fearful for any player's longevity on this team not named James Harden and maybe Dwight Howard. I wouldn't buy a jersey for any of these guys unless there is a 12 or 13 on it with the only exception being that the guy is just one of my favorite players and I feel like I have to have it. I'd make the purchase eyes wide open to the fact that I may only get a few good months of use out of it before said player is on a different roster in a completely different jersey.
Yao averaged just under 10 rebounds for his career. That's pretty good for just "being there". D-mo will not get close to that career average.
Yao is also 6 inches taller with a wider base... but their "weaknesses" are similar. Both with slower-twitch muscles that make reaction time impaired. Yao definitely got more rebounds due to being "tall" than simply being a great rebounder.
BTG what on gods green earth are you going to do "if"your beloved DMO moves back to the bench and the rockets go with with their regular lineup starting TJ?
It would be a bad idea, but it's McHale's choice to make. If he wants to bench Howard for Dorsey or bench Harden for Terry he could do that too. I certainly hope none of that happens though because it would hurt the team.
But you're using fallacious arguments jpot... Why would it be a bad idea to keep the more productive PF as the starter? To keep the one on the court who enables the offence to score at a better clip? To keep the guy who opens the court for Harden to drive? To keep the guy who defends in a far superior fashion? Explain please sir lunatic?
I agree with every point you just said. I do think however that teams had him scouted back in dec-feb when he was doing really well too. You are right though. It's on him alone to adjust again.