OT: Rockets' Donatas Montiejunas out for the season and playoffs

No April Fool's this time. Does this kill their title chances?

 

Who will replace him in the lineup?

 

Josh Smith?

 

They have Howard and Jones to start at the 5 and 4 and have Josh Smith and Joey Dorsey to back up the 4, but this leaves them with no real back up center.

BNM

 

http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2015/04/donatas-motiejunas-out-for-season-playoffs/#31713101=0

 

A championship is ours for the taking!!!

 

I'm sorry, this belongs in the "Steph Curry out for playoffs with ebola" thread. Mods, please move.

 

On a side note, this quote from the article caught my eye:

"Motiejunas, 24, averaged 12 points and 5.9 rebounds in 71 games, 62 as a starter. Motiejunas has been the Rockets’ most reliable low-post scorer, making 50.4 percent of his shots this season, but also made 36.4 percent of his 3s. Only Motiejunas and Kevin Durant have made at least 50 percent of their shots and 36 percent of their 3-pointers while taking at least 100 of each."

Meyers Leonard is close to joining that select group. He's 63-108 (.583) on 2FG and 41-85 (.432) on 3FG. Even if he misses his next five 3-pointers, he's be at .410 3FG%. The kid can shoot!

BNM

 

This definitely hurts them. I thought Jones was out with injury as well? They've played Harden pretty big minutes all season so we'll see who has more in the tank come playoff time.

 

To me Meyers may be the most improved player in the league or at least in the west..for a bench player at least.

 

Jones was back for about a month, and playing well, then went down again for about a week and has been back in their starting line up since 4/1.

BNM

 

Too bad Meyers won't get consideration for MIP. He simply hasn't played enough minutes. MIP almost never goes to a bench player. In fact, it rarely goes to a player who averages less than 30 MPG.

I think Jimmy Butler is probably a lock to win MIP this year. His scoring is up by over 50% and he's averaging career highs in pretty much everything. He's gone from a defensive stopper and roll player to the leading scorer on a top 3 seed team.

BNM

 

Crazy that Meyers is closer to the 60/45/90 club than the 50/40/90 club.

 

His overall FG% is closer to 50 (.512). He shoots .583 from 2-point range, but takes almost as many 3-pointers as 2-pointers. So, that brings is overall FG% down.

But yeah, still very impressive. The kid is a good shooter, and never forces up a bad shot.

BNM

 

http://bkref.com/tiny/4MgYs

Meyers Leonard's season in context. Per minute, he's half a 1988 Larry Bird. That's fucking awesome.

 

His TS% is .638. Is that good?

 

Pretty good company. Lot of white guys on that list, but also a lot of MVPs, Hall of Fameras (and future Hall of Famers) and NBA champions (and hopefully at least one future NBA champion).

BNM

 

He's no Mike Conley.

Here's those numbers normalized by possession, (70, which is about 36 modern minutes of basketball)

http://bkref.com/tiny/79cdI

 

You know, throwing in the towel that vigorously and that often has to have a debilitating effect on your rotator cuff...