That's the thing with Terrence Jones that confounds minds. He's a brilliant offensive force one game, and then the next two you're scratching your head wondering where his remarkable shot went. His achilles heel is that he tends to let the defense off the hook at times by taking too many jumpers. I've seen him man jam(dunking with authority over traffic while right around the hoop) over too many people at this point. The problem is D12 will be doing most of the work around the basket this year, and I question just how many mid range jumpers he can consistently knock down. Back to your question. His defense on the other hand is fairly impressive. So impressive that there is no question in my mind that without T. Jones UK never wins the title. As much pub as Kidd Gilly got, Jones was by far the better rim protector and offensive force. During his two years he was up around 2 blocks per which vastly surpassed Ppatt. Another thing to note is that Ppatt was nowhere near the shooter he eventually became here in Houston. In fact Jones definitely seemed to possess a more natural and more reliable shot so there's definitely hope. Also, as you mentioned, Jones lit up D league and was an All Star(which in my mind an NBA 1st rounder should easily be) in the D-League where he avg around 19 and 9 or somewhere thereabouts. The ability is there and I totally get why people are excited, but in my mind I have a hard time saying he is our PF of the future as D-Mo seems just as nice at times. It should be noted that Scola wasn't the greatest mid range jump shooter when he first landed in Houston, buy by the end he was money in the bank.
Thanks for another good one. I knew he is a good help defender and shot-blocker, I'm wondering how he did man-to-man? Or what their team does is very different from the NBA?
T-jones will have a breakout year. Watch him put it on the floor this year to add to his defense. Also look for him to add consistency to his outside shot.
I like Jones a lot. I'm beginning to think that Morey drafted Jones (and possibly DMo) with this system in mind. Both fit the system to a tee. I could see Jones's ceiling as being a Josh Smith-with better decision making-tyoe player. Kind of that do it all guy, who should be on the all-star team, but never makes it. But yeah, I think between him and DMo, we could have our long-term answers at the 4. I think Morey thinks so, too, or else Asik would be gone by now. This is all, as said before, unless Morey decides to build team Super-Super Friends on us.
I hope we can keep both & let them develop. The reasons I prefer Dmo over TJ are Dmo's BBIQ and you can't teach height.
Its amazing how we all turn away from the Count. I like the idea of having two 7 footers in the starting line-up. Howard is a force inside, dominating boards and the paint, while Motiejunas can go to down from mid-range/three while also using his post-moves inside. I REALLY like the idea of having Jones come off the bench. He is looking like a tweener, but in a good way. He has the handles and quickness of a SF, but the power and strength of a 4. I'd like having that mismatch off the bench to disrupt the oppositon. Lin/Bev Harden/Garcia Parsons/Casspi Motie/Jones Howard/Asik Not bad at all. Especially if our two young PFs ascend to that next level. I think Motiejunas could be a Bargnani-esque player, except with an actual post-game and some spine. I hope he's worked on his three-point shot. Jones is compared to Marvin Williams (Wtf?) but I think he'll be WAY WAY better. To have such a versatile big off the bench is going to be so sweet.
I like Tjones;he has a lot of upside, hustles, and is pretty athletic. However, I think we still an upgrade at the four to be really considered a threat in the western conference. Lets look at the other power forwards that he will face: 1. Duncan 2. Gasol 3. Randolph 4. Ibaka 5. Griffin 6. Dirk I realize that Tjones and company could hold their own in spurts, but how will he do in a seven game series? Lastly, I know it is just summer league, but he seems to have an inconsistent 3pt shot.
TJones in 21 years old. It looks like he still trying to figure everything out on the court, which I think should be expected for someone his age. Don't know what he will be in another two or three years, but he has all the physical tools to be a good PF in this league. I think he could make a big leap forward this year, but you never know. But I think he looks terrific for a 21 year old.
To think that one of the 2 will blossom into a very good, near all star level PF is a fair bet. But we need it to come in the next 2 years!
If the first sentence in your thread starting post reads, "I guess I need to clarify a bit" - you're gonna have a hard time selling people on your argument. But yes, I do think he has a shot to be the long term solution at PF. I liked him a whole lot as a sophomore and have followed him a bit since then. I don't know what his ceiling is, but he'll be in the NBA a long time.
I fully expect Morey to start one of Jones/DMo, whoever looks best at camp, and give said player limit roles to space the floor, run on fast breaks, and generally take shots within the flow of the offense. While I was for a hypothetical Josh Smith trade, in retrospect I feel Morey's plan of letting the kids play is better. If Jones/DMo turn out to be busts, THEN you can trade Asik for that quality PF for the playoff run. If one of them turn out to be good, then the Rockets solve their PF problem without giving up their most prized asset in Asik. Who knows, if Jones or DMo REALLY impress, we just might see a LMA/Love trade at the deadline.
I think he's got the tools at his disposal and has that (here comes the dreaded word)...potential. I really like his attack mentality as it would open up second chance points. I want to see how this season goes first before I make any leaps of faith.
All I know is you are going to have 3 really strong prospects with WAYY different skillsets all competing their A$%'s off this summer to win that starting PF spot. -D-Mo- exteremly skilled 7-footer. Has good range from 3, but struggles to make shots. Very skilled post player. -Jones- Extremely athletic & strong with classic PF build. Great handles, and attacking ability. however struggles with consistency in his shot & sometimes makes bone-headed plays. -Smith- Just pure muscle. Can finish at the rim about as good as anyone on the team. However, has a limited offensive game away from the basket, and isn't quite the dominant rebounder you would hope he would be. Of these three prospects I think its pretty much a toss up. The only question is whether or not they will develop quick enough for Morey & McHale to feel confident enough to not make another deal to round out the rotation with a proven starting PF. -Im rooting for all of these guys to really have a breakout Summer. So far I've really liked what I've seen in Summer League from Jones. Smith looks good for what he does, but I haven't seen much development beyond what he already was good at.
i think Jones is still a ways from being a consistent starter at the 4, but i think he can eventually be. I expect him to take a big step this year, but he'll only be able to do that if he gets the time on the court he needs. the question is, will the organization allow him the time he needs to develop by giving him sustained minutes, or are we in win-now mode and feel more comfortable signing a vet to play a fairly large role next to Dwight?
I like T Jones a whole lot. He has a long wing span, is very athletic, and it seems to me that he plays with a bit of a mean streak (like he has a chip on his shoulder). He wants to dunk it over you, play physical ball, and swat shots away, and I want my power forward to have a bit of hard edge like he does. I personally prefer him to DMo for his defensive prowess. If he could develop his outside shooting like PPat did while he was here, I think his athleticism and help defense would pair very nicely along side of Dwight Howard. Having said this, I believe he and/or DMo are most likely to be moved in our win now mode for a seasoned vet at the 4 (since McHale doesn't appear to have confidence in either of them). It is my hope that we hang on to T Jones as I really like his ceiling.
I remember praying he fell to us before his last year in college. Then MKG took over and he didn't seem so great. I think he can be a solid if he develops his game a bit. Only time will tell...........
