【iverson_ls by Tiger Poker netizens Published in Tiger Poker Basketball & Rocket Zone】
Written by Jordan M. Foley
Vantage Sports magazine has mentioned Terrence Jones' All-Star potential many times in the past, with a particular emphasis on his ability to get out of defense and finish off the basket by dribbling. While Jones's offense is highly favored, his defense in the playoff series against Portland last season was often ridiculed. While Jones definitely still has a long way to go on the defensive end, his performance in 15 games this season may have far exceeded your imagination.
36.1% replacement rate
That number topped the list of all the NBA's big forwards and centers today (the average for that position this season is 13.5). Houston has begun to recognize Jones' versatility on the defensive end and has consciously used him to make a defensive change. Currently on the court, when it comes to Jones, almost a third of the defense will take the countermeasure of changing defenses. As a result of this strategy, his resistance to the position is only 4.25% compared to the league's average for that position (10.2%). Despite such a high turnover rate, he still ranks in the top 50 in the position for defensive efficiency on the field, giving up only 71 points per 100 blocks (the average for this position this season is 82).
2.94 blocks per 100 chances
Such a jaw-dropping turnover rate also helped Terrence rank fifteenth in the league with a record of 2.94 blocks per 100 chances. His deceptively good arm span often leads opponents into thinking they have more room to shoot than they actually do. In addition, Jones knows the timing very well and knows when to jump up the cap. His stature also allowed Houston to make Jones switch defenses so often, even against superstar defenders like Chris Paul.
59.0% confrontation success rate
Jones' success rate this season ranks twelfth among all the league's big forwards and centers, meaning that tyrence laughs to the end of all shots that face his defense, whether through blocks, steals or physical confrontations. The average success rate for all big forwards and centers in the NBA this season is 49.7 percent. Also keep in mind that Vantage Sports only tracked the defensive pressure he exerted when shooting from opponents.
He conceded only 79 points per 100 shots
On the overall defensive side, Jones conceded second few points per 100 shots (the league average for big forwards and centers is 96 points). On the defensive end of the night this season, as long as he stands on the court, he will not allow himself to lose too many points. He also curbed his opponent's overall shooting percentage at 36.9 percent, the second lowest of all the big forwards and centers this season.
Bottom line
Of course, given the nerve damage to his leg that he suffered before, there's only one smaller race sample here, but we're talking about a guy whose legs were completely unconscious until not so long ago, when we even thought his career would end in November. Now, Terrence Jones is back healthy and has improved significantly defensively. In the middle of the leg injury, his upper limbs became stronger, and now it seems that this is starting to translate into a more skilled defensive performance. Houston may be inclined to let Josh Smith play against the lowest threat players of the vast majority of West Side teams (Aldridge, Randolph, Nowitzki, etc.), but Terrence's defensive prowess will be a huge asset (Jones ranks nineteenth with 0.58 points per assist for the big man).
Jones has begun to emerge and struggle to maintain consistency in performance (which almost all young players experience), but his current defensive efficiency stats are enough to put him in the elite tier.