[2016-2017] Donatas Motiejunas as a New Orleans Pelican

Terrible quality, but a compilation of his makes, some misses, some rebounds. I think it's basically every play he was involved in.

 

Another pretty good game tonight.

He is currently shooting 53% FG overall, and 42% from 3pt range.

And he is looking more and more comfortable out there - but man New Orleans guards are terrible.

Still think Houston could have used him - dang it.

DD

 

Nothing is stopping Morey from offering him a contract in the offseason when Nene is off the books.

 

Given what happened, no way thats happening

 

Why no way? I think it's definitely a possibility.

 

DMo also went 5/5 on hook shots in this game, they should utilize him there more, instead of posting up Jones while both are on the floor together.

 

Because it was very clear he didn't want to play here and that bridge has been burned? Why wouldn't we just match what he was requesting earlier if we didn't think he was worth it? And he was clearly having nothing with us. He is going to command a decent amount in free agency, and I would personally be shocked if the Rockets prove to be one of the bidders

 

Only happens when he fires his agent or they got no other way out.

 

I think it's more like daywalker02 is saying. The bridge is probably burnt between Morey and BJ Armstrong. But I wouldn't be shocked if DMo didn't mind to come back here (and likewise Morey wouldn't mind to have him here if he was represented by a different agent). Obviously it's not a very likely scenario given that the Rockets won't be able to offer him much if they want to sign a max player, but it's not impossible either (if they happen to miss out on a big FA).

 

He will always be welcome, knows the organization, knows the players.

 

I don't think DMo would come back, he was clearly hurt when he was traded last year. I think he will want a fresh start somewhere, probably Brooklyn.

DD

 

He wouldn't be able to sign with Brooklyn until December. He's not going to wait that long again if there's a market for him out there.

 

Oh, is it a whole year, yeah, you are probably right then. Either way it won't be here......still pissed that he or Morey couldn't come to a deal....

Hell if Dmo signed the QO like I said all along he would be making 4m more this year and still be an UFA - and he would be fitting in very well with this current team and style of play.

He lost out here big time.

And we as fans lost out by letting him go for nothing - because we are super thin in the front court....sucks all around, IMHO.

DD

 

I agreed with this for long while. I don't think about it anymore, as I'm convinced he still doesn't pass his physical and we void all contracts in any event....I mean, Morey voided probably the most team-friendly contract in the history of the NBA (essentially, three Team Options). One would have to believe $4m difference between the two contracts (the QO and the Rockets final one) would make a difference. I don't think $4m v $8.3m makes enough of a difference for Morey to still not void on physical, regardless to when he takes it.

Hell, maybe DMo doesn't even show up for the physical after signing the QO. And it gets voided for failure to show up. That's not unprecedented

Anyhoot, I don't beat myself up anymore thinking about whether we could have gotten DMo for the QO. Right or wrong, I gotta believe Morey still voids the contract.

 

I think it got personal HP, I don't believe the physical stuff - to me that is a smoke screen and something no one in the organization has ever said, it is all conjecture - everything - physical, no physical.....all of it is guessing at this point.

All I know is that he would have fit in perfectly, and been a valuable member of this rotation, and that is all I ever care about making the Rockets TEAM better, by letting him walk (still staggered by this, TBH) we let a complimentary piece go for nothing, and in a place in which we have major holes.....

Still does not make sense to me in anyway to keep Bobby Brown, or Tyler Enis over Dmo.....just doesn't.

His defensive rotation is better than any big on the team, his 3pt shooting to date is as well, his post game is a major weapon when the 3s aren't falling (like they haven't been lately) - it frustrates me that Morey and Dmo could not find common ground at least for this year.

DD

 

I don't think he'd ever accept a contract from Morey again after the way he blundered his deal this off-season. Like others have said, that bridge is burnt. It really sucks because if Morey doesn't screw that up we'd have another person to help keep the ball moving and create some offense. D'Antoni's system loves big men that can pass and that's one thing DMo is very good at.

That said, it doesn't matter anymore, the Rockets are stuck with what they have and if they can turn the season around and get back to playing like they did early then it won't be a problem.

 

Great analysis; this is 100% on DM the GM? Hmm, as in hmm, hell.

 

Nah, DMo took it personally, starting with the Detroit trade, and culminated in exercising "his rights" to not show up for the physical for the Nets matching offer. Morey doesn't get into that type of stuff. That's a huge stretch to think Morey took anything personally regarding an RFA holding out.

That said, you could be right that DMo took it so personally that Morey/Les decided to drop the contract and let him go.

And don't forget, at the end, Rockets were in the midst of two winning streaks and 17-2 record.

 

I think it was always a fragile negotiation after the trade that killed his value and instead of handling the negotiations like Morey really wanted him to play here, he handled it like he didn't care one way or the other. When you don't feel like people care one way or the other about you, it doesn't make you want to play for them....if you are getting that vibe from them and then they ruin your chance to play elsewhere while stripping away all of the incentives you would have had, it can REALLY piss you off. IMO that's what happened. Too many cheapskate moves, too many games to keep a player that was already feeling a bit disrespected. In the end, it's on the GM to get players on the roster and when they take the wrong approach and end up failing, it's 100% on them. A better approach would have improved the Rockets roster.