at this point I'd give local boy Terence Jones a shot if we can sign him to a cheap deal. Yes he had an awful yr of injuries and play last season but IMO he has shown enough before that to warrant a shot as he is still 24. The Rockets were a horrible environment. perhaps health and a change of scenery might help. Given this off season why not?
I'd rather roll with Noah Vonleh is we are looking for a raw 6'9" PF with defensive issues. At least he may have some upside.
Noah's biggest upside is his downside. A kid that young who is already that strong from the waist down? Could end up a beast in the paint...
Call me crazy but I'm of the opinion that Houston is a cesspool and that a player that's underperforming in that dump could maybe be salvaged by terry and his staff.
Again, if we want to fix that homeless problem in portland, signing jones should be of the utmost importance.
It's not that Jones is that bad, it's just that we already have Aminu for that smaller PF spot. I like the Chief a little better. If we traded him then I wouldn't have a problem with giving Jones a chance. Edit: Ok I did not know Jones weighs in at 250. But still he tends to play on the perimeter and Aminu is better at covering it.
Interesting thought. I'd actually rather bring in Jones than Love, two locals with similar height and game, but vastly different salaries and reputations.
If you can get Jones for 4-5 mil for a few years its a good contract and then you let him compete against Vonleh, that simple. Hopefully both play better than last yr and by the deadline or next summer you have a potential nice trading piece. To me Jones showed enough in the two yrs before last to warrant taking a chance, once again IF cheap.
Technically Vonleh is a 6'9" PF with offensive issues. I actually thought his defense was passable as the season progressed.
...the homeless population in Portland is vehemently against bringing him back "home" -- the kid is a fucking jerk!