[ClutchFans] Frustrated Motiejunas just wants to play

People keep talking about him getting pushed around on D, but I haven't seen that this year, and I watch every game either in person or on my big screen tv, I only spent one year watching games on the computer. I haven't seen big pushing Dmo around on D, his D hasn't been bad for the most part. He does have some miscues but so does Jones. There are many nights where Jones is out there trying to guard a 5 that Dmo could guard better.

This could all be settled if the Rockets would just give him some consistent minutes and then we would see how he improves. He does more than Garcia when he is in the game. Move Casspi to the sf position some and play Dmo.

 

He's a weak defender and an inconsistent shooter who at times looks lost. For people calling for 5, 12 minutes a game -- which part of the game do we need an additional defensive hole? Look at TJones -- he capitalized on limited minutes in the beginning of the season and performed in a manner that demanded playing time. If D-Mo wants those kind of minutes, he needs that kind of game. He'll be showcased more now that he's on the trading block, but the breakout ain't coming.

 

He is the 11th or 12th man right now and frustrated with that role... Is this letting the coach develop him. Is he better than two years ago or is just more of the same? The limited time we see looks like more of the same. If not then how is he better than his rookie year?

 

Check out his numbers. As a rookie he shot better

 

I haven't seen much from D-Mo that would lead me to believe that he's worthy of more minutes. Your mileage may vary.

 

Why he keep jacking 3's is beyond me. At this point you can only blame the coaching staff. Is McHale even letting him know what he wants from him out there? Does coaching staff knows hes much more effective in post-ups than shooting 3's?

 

I wonder if some people have actually basketball before. It's not easy to do well in the last 6 minutes of a game, or some minutes here, some minutes there. That's what I liked it when my coach played me the 1st / 2nd and the 3rd / 4th quarter, even though I wasn't very good. That way I could get some rhythm, learn to play with my fellow teammates and develop.

 

Maybe they want DMo to shoot 3's. They told TJones to stop shooting 3's, and he did it even when he's open. Same could be with DMo, but no one probably told him.

 

Do not worry, Morey will convince Kupchak DMo is the second coming of Kareem Abdul Jabbar. DMo plus something for Pau. Makes us an instant contender.

 

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He needs to play in Europe for a couple of years and get more experience. No NBA team is going to give him the minutes he needs to develop his game. For D-Mo, it's either 1. ride the bench, 2. D League, or 3. play over seas. That's it. Morey will be lucky to get a utility player for him. He still has the potential to be a solid bench player down the road, but not now and not here. Hope I'm wrong, because he would make a great asset if he were simply half as good as we hoped he would be.

 

He turned a 10 foot open jumper into a 12 foot contested hook shot with his off hand (he could have made that a 7-8 foot if not closer post shot simply by stepping in and turning his back when he received the ball), while it's great he made it, there's just something counter intuitive with doing that. Perhaps he really is trying do too much, but that's some serious JR Smith running through the head there.

 

Kaman is actually a pretty good man-on-man defender and has a really good length. DMo's shot may have been easily blocked there. I think he knew that, and opted to drive past Kaman, which opened him with an opportunity to either find an open man, someone cutting to the basket, or just make a hook. It looks like a tough shot, but at this point it's really no surprise he made it. He seems to have mastered all those unconventional shots by now - running hooks, baby hooks, tear-drops etc.

 

I just have to say that I see DMo's point because you don't get better on the bench and I think he's earned some minutes based on the way he's played when given limited opportunity. That said, I hate whiners and pouters who think they are entitled to play, and pitch a fit asking for a trade when they don't get their way. I'm not ready to declare DMo an Omer or anything, but it does suck that his discontent was made public (which only undermines our leverage and makes it more difficult to trade him).

But we all need to remember that DMo is a very talented 7footer who has improved since last year (and no I'm not overrating him). He's not just the 22nd pick in a weak draft or whatever people keep referring to him as. I keep seeing hypothetical trade proposals that would give away DMo for virtually nothing, or just a role player. That is really scary. At least I have confidence that Morey won't trade him for a bag of chips like many other posters on this board are suggesting.

 

I think DMo is different from Omer in the sense that even if he wants to be traded, he's not quitting on the team and will give his 100% every remaining second he's still a Rocket.

 

By all accounts, Dmo has taken a lot of this in stride. I don't think he's the next Nowitzki or anything---there's only one Blond Jesus---but he clearly has some talent that (Hall-of-Fame player and now Hall-of-Shame "Coach") McHale will not cultivate.

Dmo's discontent was going to come out inevitably, especially since Asik doesn't even travel with the team while recovering from a "thigh contusion" and "mystery knee swelling" and "vaginal soreness", yet Dmo is so horrific that he can't even spell Dwight 10 mpg?

We can say Dmo hasn't always played well in the stretches he's in the game, but the problem is he can't develop a rhythm at all in 3 or 4 minutes; and in the meantime, he's often taking enough abuse that the Mchale yanks him from the game faster than you say "I hate you even worse than Jeremy Lin". Because McHale has zero coaching acumen and is in fear of losing his job, so he keeps in the game his Sure Things.

Keeps them in 38 minutes per game, as a matter of fact.

So watch us flush Dmo like this morning's turd. Then that turd sits in the sun somewhere and sprouts beautiful flowers. You watch. Another Jordan Hill. Mediocre in Rockets red, later, purty darned good.

 

Dominating European basketball is always a good sign (ex Jonas Valanciunas), but I think going back there isn't going to help. He already plays a style too suited to European basketball. He shows too hard off picks, and he's too soft in the paint. I remember watching a few of his games from Eurobasket this summer and thinking the style is just too different.

 

Agree with all of that, especially how hard he shows on picks - but the only way to fix that is playing time.

DD

 

It was a good play, because even if he didn't make the hook shot, it could 1) Draw a shooting foul on Chris Kaman and 2) Get Kaman out of position so someone, possibly a Rocket player can grab the rebound.

 

I think they should just start playing him. He showed last night that if motivated he can play some defense. All in all, he had yet another promising game. I really don't get what the organization has a problem with. His shooting woes would correct themselves a lot quicker if they would just play him more. They have the minutes to spare.