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@  Losthief : (03 September 2015 - 02:27 AM) this dude's gun fired and all he got a misdemeanor at bush lol: http://abc13.com/new...ush-iah/815795/
@  Losthief : (03 September 2015 - 02:26 AM) theres more articles all over, but the jist is houston (and texas) doesn't really arrest for it, they just recommend you leave it in your car when they catch it. So seems dwight got lucky he was in texas and not cali or the NE.
@  Losthief : (03 September 2015 - 02:22 AM) honestly we should just be glad they caught it...
@  Losthief : (03 September 2015 - 02:21 AM) response: http://nymag.com/dai...n_airplane.html
@  Losthief : (03 September 2015 - 01:42 AM) one bullet left in the chamber is diff than fully loaded and ready to go. Still stupid...but not like he was prepared for a shooting spree.
@  jorgeaam : (02 September 2015 - 09:33 PM) http://www.tmz.com/2...t-get-arrested/
@  jorgeaam : (02 September 2015 - 09:33 PM) So according to TMZ (I know, I know) Dwight Howard had an incident last month in which he took a loaded gun into an airport, but he was allowed to give it to a friend to take it back and wasn't arrested.
@  jorgeaam : (31 August 2015 - 10:45 PM) The Los Angeles Rockets, lol
@  redfaithful : (31 August 2015 - 09:51 PM) Seems that Chuck is also on his way to the Clippers.
@  slick shoes : (24 August 2015 - 06:14 PM) ill just leave this here...
@  slick shoes : (24 August 2015 - 06:14 PM) http://www.timeandda...04&font=cursive
@  timetodienow... : (21 August 2015 - 07:20 PM) At least in my opinion.
@  timetodienow... : (21 August 2015 - 07:20 PM) I love having Terry. But the main factor was that New Orleans will NOT compete for a championship this year and the Rockets will.
@  jorgeaam : (21 August 2015 - 03:57 AM) Things that make me like the JET even more
@  jorgeaam : (21 August 2015 - 03:57 AM) Jason Terry said that he turned down a more lucrative deal from New Orleans in order to return to Houston.
@  clydesmoustache : (19 August 2015 - 08:32 AM) A year ago who would have thought I would be so happy to have Jason Terry on my team. Welcome back JET! Hurry up October!
@  cointurtlemoose : (19 August 2015 - 04:45 AM) Terry I love yooouuuuuuuuu
@  jorgeaam : (19 August 2015 - 02:38 AM) Yay Terry is back!
@  majik19 : (15 August 2015 - 09:33 PM) and i thought these shouts were limited to some number of characters!
@  thejohnnygold : (15 August 2015 - 02:23 PM) Ha, sorry for the wall of text...

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The keys to the Houston Rockets' season: #3 - the emergence of Donatas Motiejunas


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#1 Red94

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    Posted 29 July 2015 - 01:19 AM

    New post: The keys to the Houston Rockets' season: #3 - the emergence of Donatas Motiejunas
    By: Rahat Huq

    If Donatas Motiejunas were to have entered this summer's NBA draft, he undoubtedly would have been a top-5 pick.  He's a legit 7 feet, with above average defensive ability, one of the best arsenals of post-up moves in the league, and passable 3-point range (37% overall from deep).  He finally started putting it all together last season before a back injury sidelined him for the playoffs.  Curiously, his value remains underrated even among some factions of Rockets fans.

     

    Motiejunas is the third most important key to the Rockets' season because the options behind him have thinned, and the Houston roster really has no other holes.  That's an amazing point to consider: the Rockets now have star power at every other spot but power forward.  (Trevor Ariza can really be considered a star among peers who play a similar role as stretch defensive wings).

     

    Josh Smith is now a Clipper, and it will be some time before Montrezl Harrell is ready to join the regular rotation.  That leaves just the mercurial Terrence Jones and Motiejunas to man the '4' in a West overflowing with talent at the position.  What does Houston need from D-Mo this year for a repeat trip to the Final Four?

     

    First, of course, he'll need to come back from back surgery and return to full strength.  But assuming he's physically sound, there really isn't much improvement Motiejunas needs to make from last season to help this Houston team.  He was sound defensively all year, even at the rim, where he ranked at one point amongst the league's top protectors, even despite his vertical limitations.  And of course, as aforementioned, Motiejunas was one of basketball's most dependable post-up scorers, with his assortment of tricks.  And if he can bring that 37% mark closer to 40, it's a complete game-changer, both for Motiejunas' financial future, and for the dynamics of the Houston offense.

     

    I envision Houston staggering D-Mo's minutes to where he can feast on opposing backup big men as a featured option in the Houston offense, particularly in those critical minutes when James Harden sits.  He also proved very deft, surprisingly, at penetrating off the catch in the pick and roll, and then finding the open man on the perimeter.  There will be even more opportunities for sets of this sort with Ty Lawson picking up where Harden will leave off.

     

    While Houston can make both Jones and Motiejunas restricted, both players stand to procure considerable raises.  Can Houston afford both players, or, more relevantly, do the Rockets have interest in tying up considerable amounts in two players at the same position?  If the Rockets opt for cap room, as they are expected to do, you can anticipate teams offering either player at least $10 million a year, especially with the cash that will be available this July.  I expect Jones to get dealt at some point before that.  Motiejunas is the better complement to Dwight Howard's skillset, or even to Clint Capela's if thinking longer term.

     

    In the next installment, I'll look at #2: the Dwight Howard maintenance plan


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    #2 John P

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      Posted 29 July 2015 - 02:33 AM

      Great post...thanks for the top 5...and for helping us get through the summer (where the only other sports is some thing called baseball which reminds me of paint drying)

       

      I agree but I have to say, I am really not worried about DMo.  The guy showed major chops last year and if at least back to form (as you suggest below)  we can have him and Lawson staggered with Harden and Howard to really run 2nd teams amok.   Throw in some Brewer with the starters and 2nd team and it is going to be awesome (if McHale can put it all together).

       

      DMo's D was sound (the second reason behind Harden why we kept winning after Howard went down) and he seems like a hard working nice guy. 

       

      My dream is the Chuckwagon coming in and giving his backbone some steel.  Learn Chuck's no BS way and the man will be a force.

       

      I think the biggest worry or question mark is far away from DMo and lands with Lawson, or maybe its Lawson and Harden playing at the same time.   Is their D good enough to keep us in the running?  Can they score enough points to make up for the D lapses?  Can they cooperate enough to form a formidable offense.  I think most of this is sure....but that is the biggest question.

       

      I can wait to see everyone healthy for the first 30 games or so.   See how McHale is using all of his weapons and lineups.   As long as the key cogs stay largely healthy we should be ok.

       

      One quick thought.  What happens if Ariza goes down?  I think then we are in serious trouble.  Then Bev is back to starting and playing wing D where Ariza was?   Ariza is really almost the rug that tied the room together.

       

      Thanks again and thanks for reading my ramblings.


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      #3 thejohnnygold

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      Posted 29 July 2015 - 03:00 AM

      @John P

       

      Brewer and McDaniels will back up Ariza....no worries  :)


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      #4 rockets best fan

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      Posted 29 July 2015 - 04:05 AM

      Rahat this is the one area where we have a fork in the road. while I agree D-Mo made strides last year I don't think he made them on the level you're speaking of. this is what I saw. I saw a player who still gets bullied on the rebound. he has some very nice post moves. he improved defensively, but is still slow footed. the three pt shot from the corner is coming around nicely. I am a little more concerned about the back issue than you but if healthy I expect him to take another step this year. I agree he is going to cost next year. considering the way players were paid this year and considering that bigs are usually paid more I would say he will get above 14 mil per easily. while overall I was impressed by him, I'm not ready to pencil him in as starter. fact is he has never played starter while T-Jones is healthy. speaking of T-Jones.........I am sick and tired of fans casting him off like chop liver. before this kid got hurt last year he had taken a step too. while I don't believe he ever really got back to that point last year. I think now that the injury seems truly behind him he will resume his development as well. for those of you who seem to think D-Mo is a shoe in for starter you may find that the Rockets have a different opinion. PF is up for grabs and I believe by the start of the season you will find T-Jones there. while D-Mo comes in with the second unit.  with Lawson here T-Jones abilities will explode. his ability to cut to the basket will be exploited by Lawson. they may not get to the level Lawson and Faried were on in the first year but it will be close. all of our bigs will be helped by the presence of Lawson, but T-Jones and D-12 will benefit the most. Lawson is capable of making some of the passes to slashing bigs that no other players on our team were able to make including Harden. we should see a rise in assist to our bigs for easy baskets in the half court and a reduction in turnovers. a rise in fast break points and especially with our bigs included.  I am of the opinion that while PF is our weakest position, we really aren't all that weak. both D-Mo and T-Jones bring enough good things to the table that used properly we are able to get what we need without any upgrade. IMO we are a championship caliber team as we stand.


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      you can only warn a man that the bridge is out.....if he keeps driving he's on his own B)


      #5 clydesmoustache

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        Posted 29 July 2015 - 05:39 AM

        Its funny (or rip out hair frustrating) that two players that bring such different skills to the table both have such an important weakness with rebounding. Especially when Dwight was out this was brutal to watch.
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        #6 Johnny Rocket

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          Posted 29 July 2015 - 06:22 AM

          D-Mo is a strong rotation player who has great defensive positioning, excellent post moves, and a very good three-point shot.  As Rockets Best Fan points out, he has some important weaknesses.  He's a bit too slow to cover small-ball fours, and his post game isn't quite good enough to make up for the defensive disadvantages.  I don't see, for example, how D-Mo helps the Rox against the smaller line ups that Golden State likes to use. His lack of athleticism shows up in other areas as well--he has a low shot-blocking rate and a low defensive rebounding rate for a seven-footer.  Even if D-Mo continues to develop his offensive game, these limitations will make him a liability  against certain lineups.  In the end, the Rox will need to see improvement from T-Jones as well as D-Mo to have a shot at the championship.  At their best, those two are complementary pieces that give the Rox a lot of flexibility at the four and intriguing options at the five as well if Howard misses extended times.  The good news is that both are hard workers, and we can expect further improvement this season.


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          #7 Losthief

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          Posted 29 July 2015 - 07:34 AM

          Ummm...DMO doesn't struggle against small ball fours defensively: http://nbasavant.com...layer_id=202700

           

          Actually he struggles against centers (which he was playing out of position) such as Andrew Bogut, Hibbert, Jordan, et al.  The dude can't jump, that doesn't mean he can't move side to side quickly for a 7 footer. Athleticism in basketball isn't all about jumping...otherwise Gerald Green would be Lebron James....

           

          Against small ball 4s (or stretch fours in general) such as Barnes, Draymond Green, Markieff and Marcus Morris, Aminu, Darell Arthur, Jeff Green, Matt Barnes, etc. he held them all (or most) to under 50 percent shooting and usually under 40. That is not struggling. Could he improve his close outs, absolutely, is he too slow to guard guys on the pick and roll or on the perimeter, absolutely not. Neither is TJones for that matter, but TJones needs to work a bit on positioning on the pick and roll. He is an excellent close out though, DMO could learn a bit from Jones on that.

           

          Ryan Anderson did well against DMO as did a couple of other stretch type 4s...but it is really size and especially strength that he needs to improve against, not speed/outside shooting. Guys/Stars such as LMA, Dirk, Griffin, Love etc all really struggled against him too. All the centers like Tyson Chandler, Bogut, DeAndre Jordan, et al do well cause he isn't strong enough/long enough to be a 5, but were not talking about him being one here. Zach Randolph also shot 50 percent (which is good).

           

          Anthony Davis was great against him, and Paul Gasol and LBJ....but those are really great (offensively on the 2nd) players. Also Jordan Hill and Greg Monroe....which i can't explain except its the nba, lol.

           

          But really, when playing/defending the 4 (which he did less last year w/ dwight out being forced to the 5 defensively) DMO rebounded at the league average rate (which isn't great but not horrible either and roughly the same as TJ) for his position and he defended extremely well. At center, he was much less effective both defensively and rebounding wise. But he's not a center (yet?) so....is that surprising.

           

          Also, TJones is excellent, and he is better than DMO imho on offense (stats back that up) especially on efficiency, scoring, and non-shot creation for others aspects. TJones is also a decent defender, but struggles against those same big names and outside shooters DMO has done well against. Now, if PF was going to be a top 3 option for us on offense then sure...TJones is probably the better fit. As the 4th or later option (after Dwight, Harden, and Lawson) I'll take the defense and passing ability of DMO over the scoring ability of TJones in the starting lineup and use TJones scoring ability with the 2nd unit*. But really there is no wrong answer.

           

          tjones: http://nbasavant.com...layer_id=203093

           

          *TJones can also run the break way, way better than DMO ever will/could/has so with that 2nd unit of Lawson (?), brewer, McDaniels (?), Capela etc, I think he could be incredible taking the rebound and leading the break at times.


          Edited by Losthief, 29 July 2015 - 07:41 AM.

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          #8 slick shoes

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          Posted 29 July 2015 - 12:35 PM

          Rahat this is the one area where we have a fork in the road. while I agree D-Mo made strides last year I don't think he made them on the level you're speaking of. this is what I saw. I saw a player who still gets bullied on the rebound. he has some very nice post moves. he improved defensively, but is still slow footed. the three pt shot from the corner is coming around nicely. I am a little more concerned about the back issue than you but if healthy I expect him to take another step this year. I agree he is going to cost next year. considering the way players were paid this year and considering that bigs are usually paid more I would say he will get above 14 mil per easily. while overall I was impressed by him, I'm not ready to pencil him in as starter. fact is he has never played starter while T-Jones is healthy. speaking of T-Jones.........I am sick and tired of fans casting him off like chop liver. before this kid got hurt last year he had taken a step too. while I don't believe he ever really got back to that point last year. I think now that the injury seems truly behind him he will resume his development as well. for those of you who seem to think D-Mo is a shoe in for starter you may find that the Rockets have a different opinion. PF is up for grabs and I believe by the start of the season you will find T-Jones there. while D-Mo comes in with the second unit.  with Lawson here T-Jones abilities will explode. his ability to cut to the basket will be exploited by Lawson. they may not get to the level Lawson and Faried were on in the first year but it will be close. all of our bigs will be helped by the presence of Lawson, but T-Jones and D-12 will benefit the most. Lawson is capable of making some of the passes to slashing bigs that no other players on our team were able to make including Harden. we should see a rise in assist to our bigs for easy baskets in the half court and a reduction in turnovers. a rise in fast break points and especially with our bigs included.  I am of the opinion that while PF is our weakest position, we really aren't all that weak. both D-Mo and T-Jones bring enough good things to the table that used properly we are able to get what we need without any upgrade. IMO we are a championship caliber team as we stand.

           

          T Jones is easily my favorite Rocket (as the roster is currently constructed, anyway), but if he is starting ahead of DMo on Nov 1st I will be really confused. DMo is a fantastic compliment to Dwight's game (everything Dwight can't do, DMo does well and vice versa) and putting him second in line will probably create another Omer Asik situation, though probably not as dramatic.


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          trickin' six digits on kicks and still holdin'.

          #9 thejohnnygold

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          Posted 29 July 2015 - 03:27 PM

          I think the rebounding numbers are skewed and should be taken in context.  Every single player at the other positions rebounds very well.  According to NBA.com, they all win the rebounding battle with Josh Smith and Brewer coming in last at 55% of rebound chances.  Dwight leads the pack at 70% (which compares with the likes of Drummond and Anthony Davis).  Harden, Ariza, Beverley, and even guys like Prigs, Nick Johnson, and Jason Terry all rebound well for their position.  That means fewer opportunities for our PF's.  Also consider how often they finds themselves out near the perimeter guarding the "small 4's" and I think there is less concern.  Yes, I have seen them get out-muscled down low, but I wouldn't automatically say they are weak rebounders based off of volume comparisons with other high-flying/bruising PF's.

           

          Terrence Jones comes in at 53.8% and D-Mo is at 52.7%.  They are still winning the rebounding battle (barely).

           

          I say that considering they play next to a guy who gobbles up rebounds (Dwight) and a bunch of wings who do the same it's no surprise that their numbers aren't as good.

           

          Here's where it gets interesting.  According to NBA.com, contested rebound % for Houston players was a different story.

           

          Our top 3 from last season: Tarik Black (50.4%), Joey Dorsey (44.9%), and Capela (44.4%).

           

          Terrence Jones shows up next at 42.7% followed by Dwight at 42.3% and D-mo at 41.8%.

           

          (I still lament losing Tarik Black--loved that guy)

           

          To me, that is a broader problem.  Is it coaching?  Effort?  Lack of ability?  I don't know, but seeing those three all within 1% point of each other is interesting.  I think the coaches need to look at it and see how they can increase that number.

           

          As for T-Jones being a better offensive player than D-Mo....I disagree....for lots of reasons.  Jones is pretty good operating from the left block, but he doesn't have near the arsenal that Motie does.

           

          Also, watch that video I posted above and tell me Motie can't do all the things Jones can do (including leading the break).  His handles aren't quite as good, but his bball IQ makes up for that.  I will also repeat my simple litmus test: who would you rather run your offense through as a #1 option: Jones or Motie?  I am pretty sure Motie gets picked 10 out of 10 times here.


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          #10 jz13

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            Posted 29 July 2015 - 03:46 PM

            I'm a little worried about DMO's health.  Backs can be career altering injuries (McGrady, Howard, etc).

             

            However, assuming good health, figuring out the rotation will be key.  Given the talent level, we're likely going to need players who are legit NBA rotation guys to take a back seat (ala David Lee).  Will ego's survive?

             

            Lawson and Dmo need to start because a starting 5 of Lawson, Harden, Ariza, Dmo and Howard will be unstoppable for all but a handful of teams.  But the minutes need to be staggered so that Lawson and Dmo are always on the court with the second unit to keep from having last year's drop off when Harden sits.  This likely means the starting 5 playing the beginning of each half and the end of the game together.  Big portions of the game will still be totally reliant on Harden for offense, but it should still reduce his workload (more energy available for defense?).  

             

            McHale also has to figure out how to keep Howard's minutes down during the regular season.  I'd love to see Howard kept at a normal rotation of something like 6, 6, 6, 8 per quarter.  Does McHale play Dmo at center (remember...back issues) or do we get a much bigger dose of Capella?  Capella looked good in limited minutes during the playoffs, but is he ready to play 22 min a night?  

             

            Finally, what is the rotation at backup wing?  Ariza and Harden need to reduce their minutes.  Ariza's 3pt % likely rises with less minutes.  But even if Harden/Ariza only play 34mpg that only leaves 28min for Brewer, KJ, Thornton, Terry, and Bev.  Bev is too good not to play 20min per game, but Lawson needs to be on the court with the backups.  KJ needs to play in order to develop.  Thornton's 3 ball could be huge for us.  Brewer brings insane energy that changes games.  A lot of balls in the air for McHale to juggle.


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            #11 jz13

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              Posted 29 July 2015 - 04:01 PM

              Rahat this is the one area where we have a fork in the road. while I agree D-Mo made strides last year I don't think he made them on the level you're speaking of. this is what I saw. I saw a player who still gets bullied on the rebound. he has some very nice post moves. he improved defensively, but is still slow footed. the three pt shot from the corner is coming around nicely. I am a little more concerned about the back issue than you but if healthy I expect him to take another step this year. I agree he is going to cost next year. considering the way players were paid this year and considering that bigs are usually paid more I would say he will get above 14 mil per easily. while overall I was impressed by him, I'm not ready to pencil him in as starter. fact is he has never played starter while T-Jones is healthy. speaking of T-Jones.........I am sick and tired of fans casting him off like chop liver. before this kid got hurt last year he had taken a step too. while I don't believe he ever really got back to that point last year. I think now that the injury seems truly behind him he will resume his development as well. for those of you who seem to think D-Mo is a shoe in for starter you may find that the Rockets have a different opinion. PF is up for grabs and I believe by the start of the season you will find T-Jones there. while D-Mo comes in with the second unit.  with Lawson here T-Jones abilities will explode. his ability to cut to the basket will be exploited by Lawson. they may not get to the level Lawson and Faried were on in the first year but it will be close. all of our bigs will be helped by the presence of Lawson, but T-Jones and D-12 will benefit the most. Lawson is capable of making some of the passes to slashing bigs that no other players on our team were able to make including Harden. we should see a rise in assist to our bigs for easy baskets in the half court and a reduction in turnovers. a rise in fast break points and especially with our bigs included.  I am of the opinion that while PF is our weakest position, we really aren't all that weak. both D-Mo and T-Jones bring enough good things to the table that used properly we are able to get what we need without any upgrade. IMO we are a championship caliber team as we stand.

               

              There's one big reason I think you're wrong - the 3pt shot.  Dmo can shoot it and T-Jones can't (yet).  With Harden, Lawson and Howard playing, you HAVE to have a 4 who can knock down the open 3.  Harden/Lawson driving, Howard rolling and 3 shooters...deadly.  Also, it's hard to say T-Jones showed much improvement last year when he got injured in the first week or 2 of the season.  When he came back, he never recovered his form.  He was useless in the playoffs (again).  Maybe he'll improve, but we don't know that yet.  It wouldn't shock me if T-Jones starts since we need Dmo playing with the second unit, but Dmo will play more minutes and finish more games.


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              #12 slick shoes

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              Posted 29 July 2015 - 04:13 PM

              Backs can be career altering injuries (McGrady, Howard, etc).

               

              Pretty sure it was McGrady's glass knees that altered his career, not back issues.


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              trickin' six digits on kicks and still holdin'.

              #13 thejohnnygold

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              Posted 29 July 2015 - 10:41 PM

              D-Mo has assured Lithuanian media that he will be 100% healthy for the season....not sure if anything local has been reported.

               

              I have to admit I am a bit surprised at how many people prefer Jones, but it does make for good conversation.

               

              Here are some numbers to ponder.

               

              The Rockets were 31-6 (83.7%) when Motie played 30+ minutes last season.

               

              The Rockets were 12-3 (80%) when Jones played 30+ minutes last season.

               

              The Rockets were 17-3 (85%) when Motie grabbed 8+ rebounds.

               

              The Rockets were 10-5 (66.7%) when Jones grabbed 8+ rebounds.

               

              The Rockets were 29-10 (74.3%) when Motie shot 50%+.

               

              The Rockets were 16-3 (84.2%) when Jones shot 50%+.

               

              (All above  stats from basketball-reference.com)

               

              Here are some more interesting stats (per 82games.com)

               

              While Jones grabs more off. rebounds than Motie both in volume and in percentage of chances, the team fares better with Motie than it does with Jones.  With Motie on the floor we grab 29.5% of off. reb chances.  With Jones, it is 27.2%.  Interesting....

               

              Now, it must be noted that Jones' #1 5-man group from last season (as far as most minutes played together) included Motie with a somewhat small 156 minute sample size.  What that means I have no idea...

               

              82games.com also does something I kind of like (despite my disdain for PER).  They show opponent per/48 PER by position.

               

              Motie surrendered a 14.3 opp. PER when he played PF (his actual position).

               

              Jones surrendered a 16.4 opp. PER when he played PF.

               

              My opinion is that Jones excels at a couple of things that Motie doesn't (particularly Off. rebounding and getting to the rim on cuts which lead to dunks and foul shots).  Those things bump his off. ratings (like PER) as well as his fg%'s.  Motie takes far more threes, and far more 3-10 shots while also creating more of his own offense.

               

              Jones is a really good role player who plays off of others very well on offense.  On defense, he is lacking in overall effect despite his very nice block numbers.

               

              Motie is not as good as Asik defensively, but their style is similar in that it lacks the "wow" factor, but gets the job done.

               

              I like Jones with the second unit.  A group with some combination of Bev/Lawson, Thornton/McDaniels, Brewer/McDaniels, and Capela plus Jones will be fascinating to watch.  I think relegating Motie to the second unit, while useful in it's own right, is less useful than it can be with the starters.

               

              I can't wait for pre-season so we can get some glimpses of the line-ups they are cooking up.  So many options.


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              #14 NorEastern

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                Posted 30 July 2015 - 12:23 AM

                Rahat this is the one area where we have a fork in the road. while I agree D-Mo made strides last year I don't think he made them on the level you're speaking of. this is what I saw. I saw a player who still gets bullied on the rebound. he has some very nice post moves. he improved defensively, but is still slow footed. the three pt shot from the corner is coming around nicely. I am a little more concerned about the back issue than you but if healthy I expect him to take another step this year. I agree he is going to cost next year. considering the way players were paid this year and considering that bigs are usually paid more I would say he will get above 14 mil per easily. while overall I was impressed by him, I'm not ready to pencil him in as starter. fact is he has never played starter while T-Jones is healthy. speaking of T-Jones.........I am sick and tired of fans casting him off like chop liver. before this kid got hurt last year he had taken a step too. while I don't believe he ever really got back to that point last year. I think now that the injury seems truly behind him he will resume his development as well. for those of you who seem to think D-Mo is a shoe in for starter you may find that the Rockets have a different opinion. PF is up for grabs and I believe by the start of the season you will find T-Jones there. while D-Mo comes in with the second unit.  with Lawson here T-Jones abilities will explode. his ability to cut to the basket will be exploited by Lawson. they may not get to the level Lawson and Faried were on in the first year but it will be close. all of our bigs will be helped by the presence of Lawson, but T-Jones and D-12 will benefit the most. Lawson is capable of making some of the passes to slashing bigs that no other players on our team were able to make including Harden. we should see a rise in assist to our bigs for easy baskets in the half court and a reduction in turnovers. a rise in fast break points and especially with our bigs included.  I am of the opinion that while PF is our weakest position, we really aren't all that weak. both D-Mo and T-Jones bring enough good things to the table that used properly we are able to get what we need without any upgrade. IMO we are a championship caliber team as we stand.

                I do strongly disagree good sir. D-Mo is definitely not slow. In fact he is one of the quickest seven footers in the NBA. He is much quicker than Porzingas or Mirotic and has great straight line speed. One obvious barometer of D-Mo's quickness over a couple of steps is his post game. Slow ponderous seven footers do not even attempt the moves D-Mo makes around the basket. They would end up eating basketball.

                 

                I personally am beginning to believe Jones is a basket case. He performs well against lower tier power forwards, but just completely disappears against top ten forwards in a game. Dirk lit him up for what, 20 points a game? With today's NBA salaries I cannot even begin to forecast what Jones will be worth next summer, but I doubt he will sniff eight figures.

                 

                D-Mo is of course on the opposite end of the spectrum. How many players could start at either the PF or center position for 15 NBA teams. And D-Mo could possibly start at both positions for ten teams. The guy has max contract written all over him. I actually predict that Morey lets Howard walk next summer and signs D-Mo to a max contract. But what do I know? Not much.

                 

                But to be honest I am all in favor of D-Mo getting every single minute he can play backing up both Jones and Howard. That seems to me to be the ideal rotation for this Rockets roster. If there are two of the three of Harden, Lawson and D-Mo on the court at all times the Rockets offense will be something to behold.

                 

                Defensively of course the ideal lineup is Howard, D-Mo, Ariza, Harden and Bev. That is worlds better than a Howard, Jones, Ariza, Harden and Lawson lineup. The defensive black holes of Lawson and Jones will just suck the life out of the Rockets. No team can afford to have two seriously deficient defenders on the court at the same time.


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                #15 NorEastern

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                  Posted 30 July 2015 - 12:28 AM

                  I'm a little worried about DMO's health.  Backs can be career altering injuries (McGrady, Howard, etc).

                   

                  However, assuming good health, figuring out the rotation will be key.  Given the talent level, we're likely going to need players who are legit NBA rotation guys to take a back seat (ala David Lee).  Will ego's survive?

                   

                  Lawson and Dmo need to start because a starting 5 of Lawson, Harden, Ariza, Dmo and Howard will be unstoppable for all but a handful of teams.  But the minutes need to be staggered so that Lawson and Dmo are always on the court with the second unit to keep from having last year's drop off when Harden sits.  This likely means the starting 5 playing the beginning of each half and the end of the game together.  Big portions of the game will still be totally reliant on Harden for offense, but it should still reduce his workload (more energy available for defense?).  

                   

                  McHale also has to figure out how to keep Howard's minutes down during the regular season.  I'd love to see Howard kept at a normal rotation of something like 6, 6, 6, 8 per quarter.  Does McHale play Dmo at center (remember...back issues) or do we get a much bigger dose of Capella?  Capella looked good in limited minutes during the playoffs, but is he ready to play 22 min a night?  

                   

                  Finally, what is the rotation at backup wing?  Ariza and Harden need to reduce their minutes.  Ariza's 3pt % likely rises with less minutes.  But even if Harden/Ariza only play 34mpg that only leaves 28min for Brewer, KJ, Thornton, Terry, and Bev.  Bev is too good not to play 20min per game, but Lawson needs to be on the court with the backups.  KJ needs to play in order to develop.  Thornton's 3 ball could be huge for us.  Brewer brings insane energy that changes games.  A lot of balls in the air for McHale to juggle.

                  A quality post for your third one. Great job!


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                  #16 John P

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                    Posted 30 July 2015 - 02:32 AM

                     "My opinion is that Jones excels at a couple of things that Motie doesn't (particularly Off. rebounding and getting to the rim on cuts which lead to dunks and foul shots).  Those things bump his off. ratings (like PER) as well as his fg%'s.  Motie takes far more threes, and far more 3-10 shots while also creating more of his own offense.

                     

                    Jones is a really good role player who plays off of others very well on offense.  On defense, he is lacking in overall effect despite his very nice block numbers.

                     

                    Motie is not as good as Asik defensively, but their style is similar in that it lacks the "wow" factor, but gets the job done.

                     

                    I like Jones with the second unit.  A group with some combination of Bev/Lawson, Thornton/McDaniels, Brewer/McDaniels, and Capela plus Jones will be fascinating to watch.  I think relegating Motie to the second unit, while useful in it's own right, is less useful than it can be with the starters."

                     

                     

                     

                    This above from Johnny Gold.  This...a hundred times this.  I could not have said it better myself.


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                    #17 John P

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                      Posted 30 July 2015 - 02:36 AM

                      Really, when you think about it, the lineups are a laundry list of possibilities.

                       

                      Fast breaks: Lawson, Harden, Jones, Brewer, Capella or Howard

                       

                      Defense: Bev, McDaniels, Howard, Ariza, and DMo

                       

                      Offense: Harden, Lawson, Howard, Dmo, Ariza

                       

                      Clutch: Harden, Lawson, DMo, Ariza, and Howard

                       

                      Small Ball: Lawson, Harden, Howard/Dmo/Capella, Brewer, Ariza

                       

                      Second Unit: Lawson, Jones, Brewer, Capella or DMo, Terry or McDaniels (the weak link)

                       

                      Shooting: Harden, Ariza, Terry, Brewer or Lawson (weak link) and Howard/Dmo/Capella

                       

                      I can keep going if you want to.

                       

                      Is the season starting yet?


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                      #18 Losthief

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                      Posted 30 July 2015 - 04:18 AM

                      Pretty sure it was McGrady's glass knees that altered his career, not back issues.

                       

                      and he was born with the crooked spine iirc not 'injured' so not a fair comparison.


                      Edited by Losthief, 30 July 2015 - 04:18 AM.

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                      #19 slick shoes

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                      Posted 30 July 2015 - 12:55 PM

                      and he was born with the crooked spine iirc not 'injured' so not a fair comparison.

                       

                      I did not know that. Fair enough. Makes what he did while healthy that much more impressive which is saying a lot as I am not a HUGE McGrady fan.


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                      #20 jz13

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                        Posted 30 July 2015 - 02:08 PM

                        Pretty sure it was McGrady's glass knees that altered his career, not back issues.

                        His knees finished him off, but he was constantly struggling with nagging back pain that impacted his ability to get to the rim.  Obviously I hope the best for Dmo, but I'm just trying to be a little realistic that sometimes backs can be nagging injuries that never fully heal.


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