NBA Draft 2012 Results: Terrence Jones Will Make an Immediate Impact for Rockets

The Houston Rockets made power moves prior to the 2012 NBA draft by hoarding lottery picks, presumably to land Dwight Howard.

Well, the draft came and went and they were unable to land the coveted Magic center.

Relax, Houston, we do not have a problem. The Rockets managed to make a power move during the draft by stealing Kentucky star Terrence Jones with the No. 18 pick. 

All of a sudden, the Rockets have a phenomenal core that will easily compete for a spot in the Western Conference finals and actually be a dangerous squad in the first round of the playoffs next season.

He may be surrounded with talented players in Luis Scola, Kyle Lowry and Kevin Martin, but Jones will be an impact player for the Rockets night-in and night-out. Jones was easily one of the most underrated players in the draft and should have been a lottery selection. 

Jones is a hustler who doesn't give up on either side of the court. He was surrounded with excellent talent in Kentucky who all shared the same mentality. The likes of Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Jones are natural leaders on the court. They lead by example and will let their play do the talking for them.

Terrence Jones is NBA-ready with a body that can withstand the punishment of slashing to the basket, posting up, setting picks, taking charges and playing tough-nosed defense. This is a player that oozes confidence in the best ways possible. He won't back down from a challenge on offense or defense and will make the hustle plays needed to electrify his teammates and the hometown crowd.

The Rockets now have a core of guys that are willing to hustle and make big plays. Scola is, always has and always will be, phenomenal in that aspect. Jones will not hesitate to put this team on his shoulders and make play after play to ignite his team and lead them to victory. Coming from a winning program, Jones expects nothing less from himself and will expect nothing less from his teammates.

For Rockets fans, they'll be able to expect just that from Jones each and every night.