Southwest Notes: Jones, Green, Pelicans

Two months after fearing his NBA career would end prematurely, the RocketsTerrence Jones is preparing to return, reports Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle. Still recovering from a nerve issue in his left leg, Jones has been going through intense workouts and plans to start playing again soon, though no firm date is set. “I am more active than I’ve been in so long,” Jones said.  “Being on the court feels real good and it’s a blessing to be able to  get up and down and finally move my leg a little and jump and do things with the basketball that I couldn’t do two months ago at all.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • Jeff Green has fit in smoothly since the January 12th trade that brought him from the Celtics to the Grizzlies, according to Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. Green’s versatility and feel for the game have made an impression in Memphis. “He’s extremely smart and he’s picked up our stuff very quickly,” coach Dave Joerger said. “Now we’ve just got to keep building the chemistry amongst the players.”
  • Mike Conley said Green could be the missing ingredient the Grizzlies need to win the Western Conference, reports Tim Bontemps of The New York Post“I think with us adding a guy like [Jeff] … but even before him, I thought we had a chance,” Conley said. “But now with him, I feel it gives us that much more of a boost, that extra confidence that we belong, we can really do it now for sure.” 
  • Pelicans coach Monty Williams tells John Reid of The Times-Picayune he has been doing a lot of self-evaluation as he tries to bring a winner to New Orleans. The Pelicans are 20-21, but haven’t managed three straight wins during the first half of the season. “I’ve always felt you should always look at yourself first as it applies to helping your team,” Williams said. ”Obviously our guys know if you play a certain way, it equals great success for us. At the same time, I have to make evaluations on what I’m doing and that’s not giving us a chance to be consistent. As frustrating as it is as a coach, I have to stay the course and make sure I get the right guys in the game.”
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