Zombie Derrick Jones to Portland

[LayneStaley]

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2918961-2020-nba-free-agency-live-grades

They gave the signing an A- and said it was a steal. Also said we are on short list of best set of Defensive forwards. Supposedly DJJ is in the 87th percentile in steals and 91st in blocks.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

I thought Stotts was a bad coach though because he couldn’t make guys do things like pass and defend and rebound. But he could make Evan Turner shoot threes? Interesting

???

 

[riverman]

Good thing is if he has to toss up a 3 from the corner you have Kanter under the basket if he misses it...one of the best offensive rebound put back guys in the biz

 

[beast blazer]

68% from 2pt range. He can finish.

 

[RR7]

It’s especially devastating in pick-and-roll, when the man guarding Jones — stationed in the corner — has to choose between helping on the big rolling the rim and staying attached off the ball. “They go out to help on the roll, and I step up and get a lob,” Jones says. “They don’t help, my teammate get a bucket. Either way, you gotta make a decision, either you leave me or not. The choice is theirs.”

It’s a snap decision every NBA wing has to make several times a game no matter who they’re playing. The difference with Jones is that his lethal closing speed puts him in the corner and above the rim almost at the same time. Bam Adebayo, the all-star center who has found him for a bushelful of alley-oops this year, described the Jones baseline cut as a blur.

“He’s just one of those guys that can get to the rim faster than anybody I’ve ever seen,” Adebayo says. “You can throw it anywhere above the rim and he’ll go get it.”

It is said that elite three-point shooters have gravity — they receive constant, close attention wherever they go, which spreads the defense for other offensive action. Jones isn’t known as a shooter — he’s made about a quarter of his attempts from behind the arc — so he has deployed his forgettable marksmanship into a kind of anti-gravity. He’s mastered the art of disappearing.

“I can’t give away my tactics, but I just read the defense,” he says.
——

I can already a Nurk and Jones two man game.

I also like to think of him crashing the boards on those pick and rolls, when Nurk forces a shot too quickly and there's a miss to clean up.

 

[Ed O]

I think the argument isn't that Olshey works the hell out of the fan-base to sell his snake oil

it's that he can't sell being a Blazer to coveted free agents

Which free agent should he have signed?

I ask that without much of an agenda because (a) I don't know the league as well as I once did, and (b) not all of the free agents are signed.

I've heard Harrell... he signed for the same money, but I don't know why we'd need another big guy.

Christian Wood signed for over twice as much (albeit with another year). Jerami Grant got $60m from the Pistons. Gallinari got $61.5m. Clarkson got 4/$52m.

Again: I'm not disagreeing with you, but I feel like I'm missing something.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

My favorite Blazer of all time is the late Jerome Kersey.

 

[LayneStaley]

68% from 2pt range. He can finish.

Yeah I was thinking that too. Do we have anyone else who attacks the basket like him? I know Nurk finally plays above the rim but I don’t think anyone else on the roster attacks the rim like this kid.

 

[wizenheimer]

I'm worried there's a flaw to a lot of the thinking about this.

that being that somehow, adding another one-dimensional player who is a non-factor on one end of the floor will work out better because his one dimension is defense

Portland needs better defense to be sure, especially on the perimeter. But it needs to come in the form of two way players. It won't be a significant plus if Jones plays good defense but leaves Portland playing 4 on 5 on offense. We've seen that movie before

I'm not saying that's what will happen. Jones had a .620 TS% last season which is very good, but he attempted less than 6 FG's a game

Maybe he'll come in and be a good consistent contributor, But that MLE was Portland's best remaining asset. Right now, I'm inclined to think it was an overpay for the wrong guy in the wrong place

 

[Phatguysrule]

Seems like they are just trying to replicate the 18-19 team.

Trent = Curry
DJJ = Harkless
RoCo = Aminu

I think in a vacuum, every dude on the left is slightly better than the one on the right.

Sounds like you just described "improve on" rather than "replicate"...

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Which free agent should he have signed?

I ask that without much of an agenda because (a) I don't know the league as well as I once did, and (b) not all of the free agents are signed.

I've heard Harrell... he signed for the same money, but I don't know why we'd need another big guy.

Christian Wood signed for over twice as much (albeit with another year). Jerami Grant got $60m from the Pistons. Gallinari got $61.5m. Clarkson got 4/$52m.

Again: I'm not disagreeing with you, but I feel like I'm missing something.

I'm interested in seeing what JaMychal Green gets; he seems more like a two-way player.

 

[wizenheimer]

Which free agent should he have signed?

I ask that without much of an agenda because (a) I don't know the league as well as I once did, and (b) not all of the free agents are signed.

I've heard Harrell... he signed for the same money, but I don't know why we'd need another big guy.

Christian Wood signed for over twice as much (albeit with another year). Jerami Grant got $60m from the Pistons. Gallinari got $61.5m. Clarkson got 4/$52m.

Again: I'm not disagreeing with you, but I feel like I'm missing something.

I was just responding to an exchange that started with a snarky comment about Olshey's saleman-ship skills

 

[calvin natt]

???

Whenever a player does something that many fans in here don’t like- like they don’t pass or rebound or whatever- and someone else says well blame that player don’t blame Stotts. They say then Stotts isn’t a good coach because players won’t do what he wants. But now apparently with Evan Turner, Stotts was able to force him to take 3’s. In other words...pick a lane.

 

[riverman]

I'm real happy....also that without much preseason this year and no summer league....we brought back guys who know the drill in Portland...plug and play..

 

[riverman]

I was just responding to an exchange that started with a snarky comment about Olshey's saleman-ship skills

I think you're selling the kid a bit short thinking he has no offensive contribution...passing, setting screens or finishing above the rim...he just isn't a sharp shooter...and he's so young

 

[calvin natt]

I'm worried there's a flaw to a lot of the thinking about this.

that being that somehow, adding another one-dimensional player who is a non-factor on one end of the floor will work out better because his one dimension is defense

Portland needs better defense to be sure, especially on the perimeter. But it needs to come in the form of two way players. It won't be a significant plus if Jones plays good defense but leaves Portland playing 4 on 5 on offense. We've seen that movie before

I'm not saying that's what will happen. Jones had a .620 TS% last season which is very good, but he attempted less than 6 FG's a game

Maybe he'll come in and be a good consistent contributor, But that MLE was Portland's best remaining asset. Right now, I'm inclined to think it was an overpay for the wrong guy in the wrong place

Every team wants that. Every team wants their guys to be good on offense, good on defense, good teammates, good rebounders, good passers. But in the real world that doesn’t exist. There aren’t 400 Lebrons out there. So when Olshey brings in a guy who doesn’t shoot well, this place melts down. It’s absurd.

 

[riverman]

the sharp shooters like Redick and Jamal Crawford are weak defenders pretty much...a good defender who can dunk a ball and finish a layup is not a negative thing...it's the defense that gets the ball to your sharp shooters and keeps their legs fresh on offense.

 

[Ed O]

Another pre-signing opinion from John Hollinger at The Athletic, who has him rated as the fifth-most valuable power forward free agent:

Tier 2: More than MLE, less than Max
Derrick Jones Jr. — $13,963,098
...
It will be interesting to see how teams value that in free agency, especially since Jones’s role evaporated as the playoffs went on. My guess is that Jones tops out at the full mid-level exception rather than the number I listed above.

Jones is unusually young for an unrestricted free agent at just 23 years old, and while his career 28.2 percent mark from 3 isn’t encouraging, he provides many other pluses. He’s a super finisher offensively who shot 67.7 percent on 2s last year, most of them dunks, and at the other end he’s one of the best zone defenders in the league.​

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Another pre-signing opinion from John Hollinger at The Athletic, who has him rated as the fifth-most valuable power forward free agent:

Tier 2: More than MLE, less than Max
Derrick Jones Jr. — $13,963,098
...
It will be interesting to see how teams value that in free agency, especially since Jones’s role evaporated as the playoffs went on. My guess is that Jones tops out at the full mid-level exception rather than the number I listed above.

Jones is unusually young for an unrestricted free agent at just 23 years old, and while his career 28.2 percent mark from 3 isn’t encouraging, he provides many other pluses. He’s a super finisher offensively who shot 67.7 percent on 2s last year, most of them dunks, and at the other end he’s one of the best zone defenders in the league.​

I want initially down on the signing, but I've come around.

Trying to do the same with our draft pick....

 

[bemac]

This is a perfect pickup for this team! Truly an impressive off-season for having so little to work with. Bring on 2021! Sorry to see so many of you are miserable. Should be a fun season to watch.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

This is a perfect pickup for this team! Truly an impressive off-season for having so little to work with. Bring on 2021! Sorry to see so many of you are miserable. Should be a fun season to watch.

Bemac! I haven't seen you in ages! How the hell are you?

 

[B-Roy]

Another pre-signing opinion from John Hollinger at The Athletic, who has him rated as the fifth-most valuable power forward free agent:

Tier 2: More than MLE, less than Max
Derrick Jones Jr. — $13,963,098
...
It will be interesting to see how teams value that in free agency, especially since Jones’s role evaporated as the playoffs went on. My guess is that Jones tops out at the full mid-level exception rather than the number I listed above.

Jones is unusually young for an unrestricted free agent at just 23 years old, and while his career 28.2 percent mark from 3 isn’t encouraging, he provides many other pluses. He’s a super finisher offensively who shot 67.7 percent on 2s last year, most of them dunks, and at the other end he’s one of the best zone defenders in the league.​

All the analysis I’ve seen from random talking heads likes this deal, but they are just talking heads.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

Which free agent should he have signed?

I ask that without much of an agenda because (a) I don't know the league as well as I once did, and (b) not all of the free agents are signed.

I've heard Harrell... he signed for the same money, but I don't know why we'd need another big guy.

Christian Wood signed for over twice as much (albeit with another year). Jerami Grant got $60m from the Pistons. Gallinari got $61.5m. Clarkson got 4/$52m.

Again: I'm not disagreeing with you, but I feel like I'm missing something.

I do not think you are missing anything. People are acting like we gave him a bloated contract like Harkless, Leonard, or Turner.

 

[wizenheimer]

Every team wants that. Every team wants their guys to be good on offense, good on defense, good teammates, good rebounders, good passers. But in the real world that doesn’t exist. There aren’t 400 Lebrons out there. So when Olshey brings in a guy who doesn’t shoot well, this place melts down. It’s absurd.

I wasn't melting down

I'm just having a hard time seeing how he fits. I'll admit I haven't seen that much of him. Maybe he'll be a steal

as far as criticisms about bringing in players who don't shoot well or are one-dimensional....LOL...seriously? Evan Turner? Bazemore? Hezonja? Tolliver? Baldwin? Stauskas? It's not like the critics don't have reason or memory.

 

[MickZagger]

The contract is fine, whoever we were going to sign was going to get this same contract.

But the player? We really chose this guy over Crowder, JaMychal Green, Marcus Morris, Millsap, Harkless, etc.?

I guess the kicker is that the player has to want to play here...

See this where everyone trips out.. every year is Blazer fans think free agents are just drooling over us.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

All the analysis I’ve seen from random talking heads likes this deal, but they are just talking heads.

True, but talking heads tend to error on the side of haters.

 

[Phatguysrule]

I think the argument isn't that Olshey works the hell out of the fan-base to sell his snake oil

it's that he can't sell being a Blazer to coveted free agents

Nobody ever could... Not for the same money.

 

[HailBlazers]

My favorite Blazer of all time is the late Jerome Kersey.

Mine is Gerald Wallace.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Agree with Wizenheimer that fit might be a problem. He excels in zone defense; we really don't play zone. He excels in fast break situations; we don't really fastbreak.

 

[calvin natt]

I wasn't melting down

I'm just having a hard time seeing how he fits. I'll admit I haven't seen that much of him. Maybe he'll be a steal

as far as criticisms about bringing in players who don't shoot well or are one-dimensional....LOL...seriously? Evan Turner? Bazemore? Hezonja? Tolliver? Baldwin? Stauskas? It's not like the critics don't have reason or memory.

He fits by playing defense and transition. He’s not a go to guy. He’s not an all star. He’s 23. It gets annoying when people go so out of their way to find things to be upset about.