5 Hot Questions: Houston Rockets Playoff Preview Edition #1

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Dec 26, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets power forward

Donatas Motiejunas

(20) is congratulated by power forward

Terrence Jones

(6) after scoring a basket during the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

4.) Who will the Rockets start at the four spot in the playoffs? (If T Jones is back in action by then)

Salman’s (@rednation_hoops):

Great question. I believe this will be determined by matchups in the playoffs. McHale has shown flexibility in the playoffs when he picks the starting lineup he believes will best benefit the team (e.g. starting Omer Asik vs. Portland last year or starting Patrick Beverley over Jeremy Lin vs. Oklahoma City the year before that)

However, in light of the news of Terrence Jones’ injury, Motiejunas could become the starter by default with Jones’ being eased back into the rotation. There is still plenty of time for McHale to decide what works best though.

Pros of starting Jones – Much better rebounder, stronger finisher at the rim, better at put-backs/offensive rebounding, and improved defender

Pros of starting Motiejunas – Great post-player – takes away touches from Dwight Howard in the post, good touch around the rim, good rim protector when played alongside Howard, great chemistry alongside Dwight, and much better passer than Terrence Jones

It’s going to be a tough one.

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Alykhan (@Rockets_Insider):

Coach McHale hasn’t hinted on who’ll permanently start alongside Howard once he returns from injury, but I believe it’ll depend on specific match-ups in the post-season.

Jones is a great compliment to Howard. He’s terrific defensively on the weak-side and even plays the role of rim-protector when Dwight is out. He’s a terrific rebounder for his size and finishes strong inside the paint. Before his injury, he began setting more screens for Harden and established himself as a key-component on help-side offensive sets. His post-up game as improved mightily from last season because of his soft touch around the rim and ability to finish when put in difficult situations.

Feb 25, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) attempts to score during the fourth quarter as Houston Rockets forward Donatas Motiejunas (20) and forward Terrence Jones (6) defend at Toyota Center. The Rockets defeated the Clippers 110-105. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Donatas Motiejunas gives the Rockets a unique skill-set that the coaching staff utilizes on both ends. For most of the season, Motiejunas was used as the primary screener and ran the pick-and-roll exclusively with Harden. He’s great coming off the screen; dishing it to the wing/corner for three or establishing position inside the paint for an easy jump-hook. In fact, Motiejunas is shooting 55.5% on hook shots and has made the most in the NBA (122). His rebounding needs improvement. He uses his height to get rebounds rather than positioning himself for a box-out, and defenders are starting to get more physical and reach-over (result is more offensive rebounds).

Each bring something different to the table: Jones is a great rebounder and can run the break, while Motiejunas can drive/dish and is an effective post-player.

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