No he wasn't. He wasn't ready last year. In the nba nor the WC. He didn't have the same timing, shooting touch, footwork, balance, and variety of moves this year compared to last. He was also a could machine last year.
Lol my bad. That's not my intent at all. DMo has more room to grow as a player. We've clearly been searching for our PF for the last handful of years and I think DMo's role was mismanaged. As a result most people around here were ready to throw him away. That's all I'm pointing out.
I don't even think it's that. Most people here were ready to throw him away because most people in general are very fickle and don't have the patience to reap rewards from an investment. They just want instant results. But not everything leads to instant gratification. D-Mo showed promise during the second half of last year in the minutes he got. But then he was benched during the playoffs. I don't blame McHale for that totally because more or less, Jones was benched too. D-Mo just needed time and he finally got it.
The scouting report on DMo was that he had a good post game but that he needed to build bulk. If he didn't have enough bulk that's why he wasn't thrown in the post immediately.
You maybe right that he wasn't ready last year. But If not for injuries it's possible that DMo would have never received an opportunity to play to his strengths here in Houston. Think about that. My biggest fear with Morey trades was that DMo would be packaged to another team like Phoenix with a need for interior scoring / big man help and he would blow up. Thankfully Tjones and Howard went down because I don't think Mcfail had the foresight.
What did he do to you?! 'McFail' is extremely disrespectful, something that my first grade students will come up with. And are you saying he doesn't deserve any credit for his players improvement?
Agreed with what you said but I'm more critical of Mchale because I felt they were setting him up to fail by asking a young guy to do things outside his wheelhouse.
Come on man. It's all in good fun. I think the nickname is humorous. It's simple I understand but it fits.
There is truth too this. I'm not saying he's not improving and getting stronger. I agree that's an important part of it.
Maybe McHale could have played him more last year. No one is perfect and I'm sure mistakes were made. At the end of the day we should be happy he's playing very well at only 24 years old. People who saw his potential deserve credit. (I didn't think he'd be this good but I didn't want to throw him away either).
Without reading this thread, couldn't anyone else besides me see that all he needed was to be forced down in the post? We were making him a jump shooter for most of his career here. He should've gotten the Sophomore Yao treatment- get down low and don't come out. Great pick, Morey.
