He'll continue to look good in pre-season games and garbage time when he's running with 2nd and 3rd unit guys, but his strength is his post game and I just don't see Harden or Howard ever giving the ball up and letting DMo go to work in the post while they're on the floor together.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Another chance to earn that starting Power Forward position. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gameday?src=hash">#Gameday</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rockets?src=hash">#Rockets</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rednation?src=hash">#Rednation</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pursuit?src=hash">#Pursuit</a></p>— D. Motiejunas (@D_Motiejunas_20) <a href="https://twitter.com/D_Motiejunas_20/status/523808941562929153">October 19, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
He's never lacked confidence. I'd feel much better about the starting/backup 4 and the backup 5 if the guy could put it together on both ends of the court consistently. Donuts can't say he isn't being given a chance to grab one or both spots.
I know, I've been a big D-Mo guy all along, but he is so hit or miss. We've seen his post skills often, but if he isn't posting up he is an awful offensive player. Defensively he is light years ahead of Jones when it comes to awareness, but he often seems out of control, plus he seems to be one of the guys refs have it out for, he gets a ton of ticky tack fouls. I still like him more than Jones, but that's not saying a lot. Just wish we would use his post game more, particularly when the big 2 are on the bench.
I'll go ahead and say that if he doesn't get the start tonight then he won't be starting come this regular season. Last year during bev and lin's "competition" they at least traded starts for a while during the preseason . Jones has had all 4 starts this preseason. Unless dmo gets starts soon he will be permanently playing off the bench.
D Mo is indeed a curious case. Just about the most inconsistent player ever who seems to always have a high motor. I am about to totally give up on him. A seven footer who no longer looks thin, who can run very well and seems to be able to jump ok for a big man, has good hands, doesn't look completely off when shooting. Yet he can seldom puts together a good game and he still looks like a talented but befuddled rookie. I can't figure out whether it is a deep lack of confidence, despite his statements, or some subtle lack of muscle coordination that make his whole less than the sum of his athletic talent. Perhaps it is again a subtle very low basketball IQ. Perhaps a stretch in the D League in which he is told to play like a traditional center close to the basket and forget all his fancy power forwardish stuff that doesn't quite work. He can only come back after a stretch of ten straight decent games. I say trade him for a first rounder if we can get it, but is still possible that he is only a year or two from being a year or two away.
2 of 8 field goal attempts, with a grand total of 1 rebound in 20 min against the Pelicans. If coach tells you to defend and rebound, and you're 7 ft tall, and you get ONE freaking rebound, then you have no claim to be a starter.
D-Mo is only ever any good during the Summer League and occasionally, the preseason. When the real season comes and the REAL players show up, he's just straight trash. Guy is such a scrub that I can't even be angry or disappointed anymore. I just expect sadness out of him. He is too weak to play against real bigs and too slow to keep up with smaller PF's. At least T-Jones has the athleticism, if not the intelligence.
Him and Dwight have the true 7footers standing reach. If anybody this big is any good you want to try to keep them at all costs.
I'm a big fan of D-Mo but I think he has another month or so to put together a consistent run of games before his career as a Rocket comes to a close. I can't help but think he would have been a better player had he gotten the chance to work through his issues with a less ambitious team early in his career. He doesn't seem to be able to work well enough without the ball, or rebound consistently and those are areas where he has all the tools to be better. His jumper should be better. His post game has barely improved. He's still a below average rebounder. The only area he's improved at all is defense, and it hasn't been enough to cover what he lacks on the offensive side. Worst case scenario he ends up dominating in Europe IMO. Just doesn't seem like his one good skill - a post game - is ever going to be given a chance as long as he's a role player, and that's just because of how the NBA has developed.
He's got a bad posture do to not having a strong midsection. I'd be adamant about strengthening his core so he can be a more explosive athlete.
I believe that had we not acquired harden and howard, d-mo's offensive game would have fully developed. Right now he's being asked to be instant offense without any rhythm...... Instant scorers are born and d-mo isn't that
