Terrence Jones could return as soon as Wednesday for the Rockets, who upgraded his status to questionable for the team’s showdown with Western rival Dallas.
It’s the first time in months that the Rockets have changed Jones’ status from “out”. Jones, a third-year power forward from Kentucky, has missed Houston’s last 41 games with a nerve issue affecting his left leg. At one point, his mobility was so limited that Jones worried if his basketball career might be over.
But Jones has been able to ramp up his physical activity in January and began practicing with the Rockets (31-14) last week. Jones went through a full practice on Tuesday, and head coach Kevin McHale said afterward that he hopes to give Jones minutes against the Mavs, depending on how his body feels tomorrow. As a result, it appears his 2015 on-court debut is imminent.
The bigger question is where Jones fits in with Houston’s current rotation. When we last saw Jones, he was the club’s starting power forward — averaging 14.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in 29 minutes per game with a highly-efficient PER of 18.9.
But in Jones’ absence, backup Donatas Motiejunas took full advantage of his opportunity. Since Nov. 22, Motiejunas has put up 12.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game as the starter, shooting over 53% from the field and above 35% from behind the arc. Perhaps more importantly, Motiejunas’ sturdy 7-foot frame gives Houston a significantly better post presence on both ends of the floor, relative to the lighter and quicker Jones. As a result, it’s hard to imagine McHale removing Motiejunas from his team’s starting lineup, especially since the Rockets have finally become an elite defensive team with Motiejunas as one of the interior anchors.
There are minutes behind Motiejunas and Dwight Howard, of course, but lately those have gone to new acquisition Josh Smith, who has been very valuable for the Rockets when used off the bench.
For his part, Howard is also questionable for Wednesday’s game with a sprained ankle, which he suffered last Friday in Phoenix and forced him to miss Sunday’s game at the Lakers. In the interim, the Rockets could opt to rest Howard a few more days and give many of his usual minutes to Jones.
But beyond that, the Rockets will likely have some decisions to make. Jones did shoot almost 43% from three-point range in his limited playing time this season. If sustainable, that could make him a viable candidate for some minutes at small forward alongside Smith.
Jones’ career numbers, however, indicate that it was probably a statistical anomaly. From a practical standpoint, NBA teams usually only have enough significant rotation minutes to allot to three big men, and the Rockets will have four qualified candidates once Jones and Howard are healthy. As our own Chris Bernucca pointed out on last week’s podcast, it’s a “good problem” for a team to have over the course of a long, grinding 82-game season.
But as the trade deadline approaches in late February and Houston begins its final playoff push, someone inevitably has to become the odd man out. When McHale’s rotation tightens, don’t be surprised if GM Daryl Morey — always on the lookout for a third star player — uses one of those power forwards as the centerpiece of his annual blockbuster trade pitches.
KNICKS RE-SIGN ROOKIE LANGSTON GALLOWAY
The Knicks have somehow won three out of four games, and recent revelation Langston Galloway is now reaping the benefits.
According to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv and NBA.com, the Knicks and Galloway reached an agreement on a new two-year contract. Galloway, a rookie guard out of Saint Joseph’s who began the season in the NBA D-League, had his second 10-day contract with the Knicks expire on Tuesday and would have been a free agent had a deal not been struck.
The issue came down to guaranteed money in future years. The Knicks were initially willing to sign Galloway for the rest of the season, but Phil Jackson has been very protective of the team’s potential cap space for this offseason, when it could have $32 million available to spend on free agents.
But in terms of 2015-16 cap space, Galloway was only asking for the $800,000 minimum for second-year players. That, of course, is a relatively small figure in the grand scheme. So in the end, Jackson compromised and gave Galloway a partial guarantee, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.
In large part due to Galloway, the Knicks (8-37) no longer have the league’s worst record — a dubious mark that now belongs to Minnesota (7-37). After inserting Galloway into the starting lineup on Jan. 19, the rookie has scored 14.5 points per game on 48% shooting, including almost 44% from behind the arc. He’s also grabbed 6.3 rebounds and dished out 3.0 assists while only turning it over once.
Earlier this month, Galloway joined the Knicks from the NBA D-League and became the first player since Patrick Ewing to score at least 17 points in his Madison Square Garden debut. Since then, Knicks coach Derek Fisher has credited Galloway and fellow 10-day contract players Lance Thomas and Lou Amundson for helping change the energy in his locker room.
It remains to be seen whether Galloway’s recent play is sustainable or if it’s “Linsanity” on a smaller scale. But for the minimal cost, the struggling Knicks are willing to keep him around and find out.
SPLASH BROTHERS, KORVER TO HEADLINE THREE-POINT SHOOTOUT
The “Splash Brothers” of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are taking their act to Broadway.
Both members of Golden State’s famed backcourt will participate in the NBA’s three-point shooting contest on All-Star Saturday Night in New York, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
It’ll be the fourth time that Curry — shooting 39.6% from downtown this season — has appeared in the league’s signature shooting event, though he’s yet to win one. Meanwhile, it’ll be the first appearance for Thompson, who is shooting a career-best 45.8% this season from distance.
Curry is already confirmed as a starter for the Western Conference All-Star team on Sunday. Given the Warriors’ league-best 36-6 record, it seems highly likely Thompson will join him there as well after reserves are announced later this week.
Atlanta’s Kyle Korver, Portland’s Wesley Matthews and J.J. Redick of the Los Angeles Clippers are also set for the Feb. 14 shooting event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, reports Wojnarowski.
Korver would seem to be the betting favorite, considering he’s hitting a remarkable 53% from three-point range this season. He last appeared in the All-Star field in 2005, when he finished in second place — one shot behind Quentin Richardson. Meanwhile, it’s the first career showing for Redick and Matthews.
The final participant in the six-man field is not yet known.
Ben DuBose is a veteran sports reporter who has followed the Houston Rockets and the NBA since Hakeem Olajuwon was Akeem Olajuwon. He writes for both SheridanHoops and ClutchFans, an independent Rockets blog. You can follow him on Twitter.