Rebounding is the key with anybody we keep or trade or acquire. If we acquire a stretch 4 he needs to be able to hit the glass (love). Because Dwight looks helpless trying to get a rebound fighting off DJ and Blake. That is the main thing I have taken away from this series is the rebounding. During the regular season and first round series I would see harden hitting the glass Ariza hitting the glass and we all know TJ can get boards but now it's only Dwight trying and its wearing him out.
You make a good point about rebounding .... & Jones has been at the center of that discrepancy. The one game they win , they total more rebounds & Jones has a respectable amount. Game 1 - LA 42 , Hou. 35 - Jones 3. Game 2 - LA 40 , Hou. 54 - Jones 8. Game 3 - LA 50 , Hou. 43 - Jones 2. Game 4 - LA 51 , Hou. 47 - Jones 6.
That's why I said that I see that, and think that's why you are suggesting upgrading other spots that are attainable to do so. Maybe Jones just is who he is, and maybe that's not all that bad again... if we are viewing him with the appropriate lens of objectiveness. "lack of acquired skill". Again.. I don't really understand what that means. His skill is that he's ok to good at pretty much everything. If you him to be a specialist, what would that be? If you want a shooter, do you not think you are giving up other things to get that shooter (going small/defense, more money for a Ryan Anderson type, etc.)? If you want size, don't you think you might be giving up something else (whose a truly big defensive PF who can shut down these guys, available, and doesn't hurt you on the other end?) At what the Rockets can afford at that level of salary, you are weighing having multiple "specialists" to cover every percieved need, and paying their cost vs. relying on someone that can just be "ok to good" at everything, but will be outclassed against the elite of the elite. Yes, it would be nice if Jones would have developed a 40% three point stroke, or developed Chuck Hayes like lower body defensive skills, but there is a reason why those guys are called specialists, and why they cost alot of salary. As I said before, the 1/8 odds thing was coming from Morey so obviously you take it in that context. There is something to it, but even if he's off slightly on those odds, the point is clear. IMO its not as easy as folks here think to find that "Ideal Replacement Player" in the draft. Even then you are finding an "Ideal Replacement Player" to replace an "Ideal Replacement Player". Its just sort of nonsense to really talk about further. Talking about upgrading the PG spot, or making a play for that superstar PF, that's probably more relevant than debating Jones' replacement player because... HE IS THE REPLACEMENT PLAYER.
Jones is a high level back up on a good team this so getting shown time and time again not only this series but last. He didn't play well in Dallas, that's why we saw so much of smith. He's a poor rebounder and defender which is unacceptable considering he's 6'9 250 with 7'2 wingspan not to mention highly athletic. I'd love to keep him but only in a backup roll. If he would just slide over and put a body on Jordan when Howard steps up to guard griffin we wouldn't be seeing all these ally oops and dunks. The team needs to set some damn screens when harden has the ball he will find he cutters and throw the ally oop pass if it's there. But the last two games the guys just stand still leaving harden with nothing else to do but ISO.
This. You guys debating over Pfs that need to be replaced, smh. Considering the time frame Howard may be limited to due to injury. A legit PF option is a must right NOW!
I know the online forum technique of creating an argument that you can win because you just want to argue and win. Some of us lived through 2012 DD around here. You can't live up to that high skill level of argument creation if you wanted to. Its an art. You want me to say a skill like shot blocking, or assists so then you can find a player on basketball reference and say how wrong I am. This whole "Jones doesn't have a skill" argument is something you are manufacturing in order to win arguments. It has nothing to do with what Jones is good at or not good at. Its about your Jones argument that you want to win. I can see that from a mile away, and that's why I'm not giving you the please of playing into your manufactured argument.
Making plans on JS' leaving, or contingencies for any outgoing uh, assets, is the only way a good FO has to operate. And make no mistake, the Rox' FO is a good one.
You're reading too much into it. I'm not manufacturing an argument, I'm asking you to defend your argument. For example, if someone asked me what skills DMo had that were hard to replace I'd point out his skill in the post along with his defensive positioning and his size and versatility.....I wouldn't think someone was trying to "back me into a corner" because it would be a very easily answerable question. I understand why you want to keep the emphasis on the buckets Jones scores on open dunks and layups that others created for him and away from what he brings that is difficult to replace, but if you can't do that just stop suggesting it would be difficult to do. When you have an athletic tweener that can't create his own shot, can't space the floor with 3's, isn't a skilled defender, can't create shots for others.....I mean, what do you really have? You have a guy that can get dunks or layups if someone else sets him up for them and someone who can occasionally get you a block if he accidentally is in the right place at the right time.....why would that be hard to replace in your mind? There's a lot of athletic tweener forwards who can score on open dunks and layups and will give you the occasional dunk.
Pretty much any replacement level backup PF in the league and probably at least 5 or 6 different PF's in the draft. Again, I'm not coming up with specific names to be a replacement level backup. Finding someone that can make open dunks and layups isn't something that is difficult to do....most players can. Again, this would be a legitimate question if Jones possessed some type of hard to replace skill but there's tons of athletic 6'9 guys out there.
"Maybe Jones is just who he is" that's the problem. At just 23 years old and only 3 years in the league..If more teams/GMs believe in this then his trade value around the league will be worse than I expect. But I think it's too soon to close the door. We can scratch this year because of the serious injury but I hope he works very hard in the offseason. I don't follow the Rockets as closely as most here so I ask again, any info on his work ethic? Acquired skills : like post moves, better drives, improved 3point percentage etc etc. Even more importantly : defensive awareness. I don't propose or expect the Rockets to trade him to find a replacement player only, I only expect it because one of his biggest positives since now- his price tag, is about to dissappear. Will he get a contract extension this summer or will he enter RFA? Another extremely important question. What we can only be sure of is that the Rockets will look to find a star PF or SF next summer in Free agency at a 20+ per max contract. They also will have to deal with Dmo's and Jones's new contracts. Neither of those will be particularly cheap. Dmo IF healthy and showing the same and more that he showed this year can expect a 12+ per contract at least. Suddendly the idea of finding a young CHEAP pf on a rookie contract is ideal. Also there's Dwight and his player option. They will have to either pay him as well or lose him and having a hole in center.
You have someone who: 1. is athletic (yes, that's a skill) 2. is a decent shotblocker 3. has good handles for his position (he played point guard for a time) 4. is shooting decent from 3 (not a stretch 4 but improving - 35% regular season) 5. can score even though he doesn't get plays run for him 6. is good in transition 7. can pass 8. gets his hands on a lot of loose balls Does he miss a lot of skills? Of course. Is he elite at anything? No. But he's got them in enough abundance that when you put them together you have a pretty good product who doesn't eat up possession. Here are his per36 stats for the regular season (even with the no show post season he's actually producing the same post season): 15.6(pts)/7.9(rbs)/2.5(blks)/.67blks on 35% 3p and 52% field goal. And he's had only 2 full seasons in the NBA (1st spent in D league) and is under contract for 2.5M for another year and was the 18th pick. To think he won't improve is just wrong. I would argue he's actually much better than a good replacement PF player. He's a starting PF (it's just he'd get eaten up by the elite West PFs). He's got a ton of weaknesses
Could he start in the East? Yes he could in some of the bad teams of the East. That doesn't say a lot. Maybe he could start at Indiana as well. ( What I hope happens is Indy gets interested in Jones and trade the 11th pick for Jones +18. The 11th pick + NY 2nd will get Lawson.) This list of skills you posted is not as much skills as "not weakness". I want any starter player in my team to offer one elite skill at least. I don't expect stars in every position of course. It's incredibly unfair and laughable to judge and condemn Jones by comparing him to Griffin and Aldridge and how he did against them. Anyway I, not knowing his work ethic and his attitude, haven't closed the door on him, whether he leaves the Rockets or not. I think that he has more upside.
What Jones does isn't nearly as easy as you make it sound. If you think all Jones does all game is sit there like a bump on a log and only has to make an occasional layup/dunk then your seriously undermining how difficult NBA basketball is. Jones' skill is that he's versatile, and pretty good at pretty much everything. He doesn't have the deficiencies that a "Specialist" would have in certain areas where you would need more salary and more players on the roster to make up for those deficiencies. If his deficiency is not being able to guard Blake Griffin or LaMarcus Aldridge then he has the same deficiency as every other NBA PF that isn't otherworldly on that end. Jones can do alot of different things at a decent level. I'm not going to list those things out A. Because its obvious, and B. because you are going to argue that someone else is better at that one particular skill when your argument has nothing to do with the point I'm talking about. Its would be FANTASTIC if Jones could develop an elite skill and also retain adequate levels of production in other areas. However having an elite skill and then also retaining adequate production usually ends up in that player being a max contract star level player. Terrence is already what you want ideally in an "Adequate Replacement Player". That's the point. There is literally no point in trading him just to get him off the roster. He's worth more to this team on the roster as that replacement player in case of need than he is converted to a late 2nd round pick. I'm not sure how I could be any clearer about that. His specialty or "skill" is just that. He's your replacement player if you don't have a star at the PF spot.
For as smart and shrewd as Morey is.... he has known for 3 seasons that the Rockets had massive holes at the 1 and 4; and has not really done anything to address the problem and now, in the playoffs, we are seeing that smoke and mirrors can only work for so long. I am still stunned that Morey balked at dealing DMO for Dragic and balked at paying two firsts for Lawson. Sometimes you can over play your hand and that is what Morey appears to have done. We are only going to have a handful for seasons with Dwight and Harden in their prime, and we have wasted one because we didn't want to over pay for a player that would have solved the PG issue and the shooting/creator issue. I agree the Rockets need 1 very good volume three point shooter, preferably at the point guard position.
