Against taller opponents : DMo Against quicker opponents:T.J Have't we seen enough games to tell.against LMA,Dirk etc TJ is as effective as Dorsey
A reasonable take. However I would expect that it has more to do with D-Mo's discipline on defense than quickness or height. If a NBA player almost always stays in front of his man and almost always makes the correct rotation, that player will be a very good at defense. I actually credit Asik for most of D-Mo's improvement on defense. If you look at D-Mo and Asik side to side they play very similar styles of defense. Asik is bulkier and D-Mo is quicker. It should be interesting.
Let's see how D-Mo does defending Blake tomorrow. I don't think he's had too many real tough defensive matchups since he's been starting - am I right? I don't think he guarded Cousins too much. Heck, I'd really like to see D-Mo on LMA. Reason I view TJones as inadequate is how poorly he defended LMA in the playoffs last year. Can't have that weak sh......!
We will see. I believe that McHale was using Dorsey and Black as foul sponges guarding Cousins. For the last 9 minutes of the game D-Mo was guarding Cousins. He did just fine. LMA is about the worst match up possible for Jones. LMA is crafty, really big, can hit mid-range shot with the best of them, and is an outright handful for the defensive player. D-Mo can perhaps do better against LMA because he is so fundamentally sound on defense. We will see.
The reason for this thread was to gauge how much if any this board had changed on its general feeling about these two players. It hasn't. This is not a hate Terrence thread. Not do I hate Terrence. I wish him health and much success. I just don't view him as a difference maker on this team. Frankly, before this last few games I felt the same way about DMo. My feelings about DMO have floated between total disgust to what they are now. Once again (for about the 15th time) hopeful that he has turned the corner. But I remain very cautious in regards to him. I sure hope he has moved to another level. In my opinion Terrence's game hasn't changed or grown since he's been here. He's simply received extended minutes playing alongside the starters. Something DMO has not received up until now and really isn't getting even now with Dwight and Bev dinged. Once again I don't hate Terrence. I simply view him as just another player that could be replaced by any number of players in the starting lineup without changing the team results. But this thread isn't about that. It is about checking this board to see if opinions have changed in regards to these two players.
Reasonable, but a simplistic view. Fan impressions are fickle, subject to wild swings colored by the results of the last game played. Coaches, thank god, do not take such a ephemeral view of the game. If you want to start a great thread, do a comprehensive analysis of the Rockets defense last season compared to this season. Look at basic stats and advanced stats. Grab the SportsVU analysis for each player and compare them. It would take some work, perhaps a few hours, but such an analysis would yield strong insight into the Rockets this season. And might reveal some interesting facts about last season.
Yeah, I'm not just a fickle fan. I've followed this game very close for over 35 years. I've studied all those things and have come to the same conclusion about Terrence multiple times. That is very simply if he doesn't learn to shoot a jump shot efficiently or become a defensive stopper then he will be just another player whose contributions to an NBA team can be replicated by several dozen other guys.
Offensively TJones. But defensively D-Mo seems a lot more physical this year which is T Jones biggest weakness. Can we just put the two together lol. T Jones offense/blocked shots with D-Mo's passing and physical strength
Cancel. DudeWah just started a thread covering much of what I requested. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=260300
I gotta give basketballholic credit. In the offseason he was pumping DMo up every time he got. I was skeptical to say the least. And FIBA tournament only reinforced my belief that DMo will unlikely ever amount to much. But he’s definitely shown a lot this season. Most of it on defense. His offense is still off and on, but his defense has been really good. Kudos to DMo and the Rockets development staff on helping him become such a good defender. I like both DMo and Jones now, but if I had to trade one of them in order to complete a trade, I still prefer to trade DMo and keep Jones. In the playoffs, I believe Jones will be the better option next to Dwight.
I believe that you sell Jones somewhat short. He has many flaws in his game, but he depends on top 15% athleticism. That can make up for a lot. And he is young. If his light defensively turns on like D-Mo's did he could be a very very good PF. We shall see. You know I am a huge D-Mo supporter. He is developing slowly, but that is not unusual for a 7 footer. With his passing ability he might resemble a Noah. With his defense and post game he could resemble a Marc Gasol. Can he continue to improve? I do not have the answer to that question. But I expect in the summer of 2016, he will be considering a number 7 figure contract offers. That summer is going to be insane if the cap goes up by $20M+. All in all the career paths of Jones and D-Mo are still evolving. At this point where they will peak is anyone's guess.
Trust me he was not the only one pumping D-Mo. So much sheer potential. How much will be realized? On the defensive side he is comparable to Asik. On the offensive side? Perhaps one of the best post up players in the NBA, if he can get that 4 foot shot to go. Perhaps the slickest passing big in the league. But he stalls in his development for extended periods. Jones could be out for months more. How long will Howard be out? No clue.
I like them both too, but the way I see it, if you have to trade one of them, you make it Jones because he's a lot less rare than a 7 foot PF with what DMo brings to the table. With Jones, he's a 6'9 guy who relies almost entirely on freak athleticism...that's a lot easier to find and it tends to not age as well. I still think Jones will be a pretty good player, but he needs to develop a shot, and learn how to play proper defense before I'll think that he has a long term future in the league once his athleticism starts to fail.
I just couldn't vote against Jones given he's been a proven starter for over a season. I think there's more long term upside to DMo given his size and improvement in such a short space of consistent game time. But you know what? It's great having these sorts of problems (once Jones returns) rather than the dilemma we thought we had. (Still need to do something about Dorsey and Black though).
Hopefully when Jones and Howard return Dorsey and Black only see time on the court when the game is already decided. D-Mo, Jones and Howard. Two positions (4 & 5). 96 minutes. So 32 apiece.
I don't remember really pumping DMo beyond feeling that he was the player with the better potential than Terrence. Of course I've felt that way from day 1 to now. I still maintain for DMo to be more than a backup center he's got to hit the 3-ball consistently for us. Whomever the guy is that gets the bulk of the minutes alongside Dwight has got to be able to shoot the 3 consistently. Morey ain't going to quit flipping PFs until we find that guy. Defensively it sure appears to me that DMo has walked away from Terrence recently. Cousins went off for a lot of points last night. But they weren't efficient. He had a pile of turnovers to go with them and gave up a very efficient offensive game on the other end to DMo. However the test for DMo continues. How will he do against the Twin Towers of the Clippers? Dunno. But the old DMo that I have come to know and get frustrated with would follow up a performance like the one he just had with 2 fouls in the first 45 seconds against the Clippers, thus being sent to the bench and brought back in with 5 minutes to go in the half where he would promptly pick up his third foul before the half ended. So, still a lot to prove in my mind. But his potential ...... makes me sick but has me salivating.
The team benefits more with D-Mo being out there while Dwight is out. With Dwight healthy the team benefits more from having Jones start at the 4 and bringing D-Mo in off the bench.
