Maurice Taylor to Rockets??

aelliot i think you are one of smarter knowledgable posters here..you seem to know the money side extremely well...but what are you saying?

we shouldnt get this guy? what do you recommend?

wouldnt taylor be an improvement over what we have? what are the other options? do you expect something better during the season?
do you expect to get webber?

i dont know the money side like you do and many of us here dont...i think thats our logic but you see it from a unique perspective...

i feel that this year is our last chance in some ways because we lose hakeem and he could still be effective this last year...therefore i feel like any improvement at pf would be a bonus...

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i am rather like a mosquito in a nudist camp..i know what i ought to do but i don't know where to begin...

 

Wallace and Taylor are very different. Having Wallace is a positive defensively. He blocks shots, and changes many more, as well as score well in an offense that has many options. He also rebounds a tad more (7.0).

Taylor, meanwhile, is a negative on the defensive end. He is abused, doesn't block or intimidate like Wallace does, and usually the case when players are abused defensively, is because they're looking for the rebound (I feel this is partly why Cato's board numbers are lower than they should be, because he's challenging shots, which puts him on the ground a little later, and that shortens the amount of time he can grab the board....why Mutumbo can do both amazingly well is incredible) and Mo Taylor is a poor rebounder. He's basically all offense, no defense. Whether or not he'll get better rebounding or defense wise is still unknown, and by how much is also the question. But to quickly fill out the scenario, if you fill in the rest of the team with Terrence Morris, and a rebounding/defending big man (Jerome Williams/Jamie Feick type) You cover the rebounding, defense, and offense, on a very young team. I WOULD NOT make a commitment over a year (maybe 2) to Taylor at a semi-large or large contract (4 mill+) but I'd definitely sign him to a 1 year, 2.25 mill contract, as basically an "audition". If he shows desire/the type of game and skills you want him too, sign him to a larger contract. If not, let him go.

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Unless we're planning on "Tank It 2001" I don't see how signing Taylor to a one year deal hurts. Is Mo's rebounding and defense worse than the other guys we have? Not much, if at all. Is his offense better? I think so, unless some of our guys come in playing much better than last year. I want the Rockets to do as well as the possibly can. I think Taylor makes them a better team.

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[*]It's funny how everyone keeps saying that Rudy is going to teach "Mo" how to rebound. Just go get the damn ball. Mo is not a rebounder.

[*]A common argument I keep seeing in this thread in favor of acquiring "Mo" is, "...he'll play hard next year for the money, and if he plays good, then we can pay him the big money...". Well uh, aren't you guys scared that once he gets his big contract, he'll go back to being the pansy ass he was before [theoretically speaking] he had his breakout season with us? He played bad before and his only big year [theoretically speaking] was his contract year. Doesn't that tell you something about him?

[*]Mo Taylor used to be a sleek-athletic forward. This year he looks fat and just totally out of it. I don't care if you're on the Clippers, their is something called professionalism.

[*]This guy refused to get off the freakin team bus. We have way too much chemistry going to let someone like "Mo" here disrupt all of that.

[*]What Will said about consistency within a rebuilding effort.

[*]Mo Taylor...ugh. I can't think of a worse fit for this team.

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"At least I screw sheeps..." - Corey Benjamin of the Clutch BBS.

 

B/c most people consider Rasheed Wallace a good player. If you would sign Wallace to an excessive salary, then so the argument goes that Mo Taylor is also deserving.

Achebe,
That logic would be valid if Wallace and Taylor had comparible all around games, but they don't. Just because Wallace is a good player and he doesn't rebound much better than Taylor, that is no justification to pay Taylor equal money (or make excuses for his rebounding). Using that same logic, I could say Shaq is a great player and Chris Dudley's free throw percentage is comparable to Shaq's, so Dudley deserves $20M/yr. Wallace is a much better all around player than Taylor, that's why the difference in value.

sirhangover,

No I would not bother to sign Taylor. He's a better than average scorer, but he offers nothing else. I don't see the benefit of adding a guy that does nothing but shoot. He averaged .44 shots per every minute played. That's a higher average than even Mobley (.40). I just don't see Taylor being that large of a difference maker. As pointed out by others, it's not like we're losing games because we aren't scoring points (we were #8 in scoring last year). We're losing games because of defense and rebounding. Taylor isn't an upgrade in either of those areas. In addition he's got a terrible attitude and will pout if he doesn't get his way (like last year's episode where he refused to get off of the team bus and go to the Clipper's locker room). Why screw with the team chemistry if he's not going to be a difference maker?


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[This message has been edited by aelliott (edited August 09, 2000).]

 

aelliot...

perhaps I didn't voice my opinion well enough, but I thought that the rest of my post clarified that I thought that the comparison was ridiculous.

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"At one of these governors' conferences, George [W. Bush] turns to me and says: 'What are they talking about?' I said: 'I don't know.' He said: 'You don't know anything, do you?' And I said: 'Not one thing.' [Bush] said: 'Neither do I.' And we kind of high-fived."
--Republican Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico shares a verbal exchange that took place between he and George W. Bush.

(Quote is from the Los Angeles Times, 5/31/00)
Dubyah Speaks

 

I think that Falk, Mo's agent, is playing us exactly the way he wants to.
I just can't see one of his clients signing for the exception. Falk is simply trying to scare the Clippers into forcing some sort of sign and trade.
Remember, Mo was approached by the Raptors because they didn't offer him enough money. What makes you think he'll want to come to us for the mere exception?
A few months ago, Mo mentioned that he felt that he was not appreciated and he would look for a fat contract (which he felt he deserved) elsewhere. Now that it appears that he isn't exactly getting the huge offers he expected, the two have pushed the panic button to try and get the sign and trade thing done. Why do you think Houston is the top option right now?

As to the question asking whether we should sign him, I'd say go for it. The guy has been improving for the past three seasons and he'll be playing knowing that he needs the big contract next season. I don't care what that shows about his character, as I only want him for one season anyway. I mentioned earlier that I simply wanted that last ride with Hakeem Olajuwon. In addition to that, Mo is actually a pretty decent player and an improvement over anything we have got.
What it eventually boils down to is whether you think we are a playoff team or not. Seeing that I think the former I say get him. Otherwise, I would agree with Will. Why get a guy that will probably disrupt our rebuilding process?

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I guess a lot of people should be putting their feet in their respective mouths right now...

Great post, Cat.

There´s no point in passing up an opportunity like this one.

If Taylor does not improve as expected (which i believe he will under Rudy´s system) he can be a very valuable trade bait to land Webber.

At the very least he improves our chances of landing a first rate FA next year, and at the very best, if he proves to be the solution, we could be set at PF and pursue the SF position, where there´s still need for improvement.

I like our chances. With Baker in Seattle, it´s highly unlikely he signs with them.

Let´s hope that he´s not using us to drive his value up with Toronto, though.

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"Never underestimate the heart of a champion"

 

I would rather have Antonio Davis, but since this is about Mo Taylor..........

I never viewed the Clips as much of a "team" - just a bunch of guys who got paid to play a sport. If I can see that from Texas, the bad chemistry out to be even more obvious in LA.

If Rudy likes his fit on the Rocks, that's enough for me. If Taylor becomes a Rocket, he will work hard this season because he wants/needs a bigger pay in 2001. The Rocks success as a team will surely catch C-Webb's interest.

If he was Miami bound, he'd be there already.

If we can't land Davis or Grant then Mo is OK.




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GATER

 

Great post cat... I'd love to see Maurice Taylor in a Rockets' uniform. However, I still think it's unlikely he'll come since other places are dangling more money, and the Rockets aren't exactly a contender. At 23 though, he still has plenty of time to improve his game.... I'd rate him as an average or even an above-average PF based on his game last year, which is better than anything else we have on our team. Acquiring him would be just as much a steal as compared to the signing of Shandon Anderson I think.

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Louisville Rockets my ass

 

RE: Mo Taylor and team chemistry

According to the LA Times (12/31/99), here's what Maurice had to say after we whupped the Clips 122-100 last year:

"Everybody has to be on the same page and everybody has to play . . . we simply have to get more out of center Michael Olowokandi . He's not protecting the basket. He's not doing much on offense. He's not doing nothing right now. I don't know if anyone else is going to say anything, but I don't care. He has to step up because right now he's nonexistent."

"I don't know if people are scared to say something or not, but that's the bottom line," Taylor said about the Clippers' second-year center. "We can't go out and win with just four guys playing."

Granted, Taylor apologized a few days later -- but not for saying what he said, only for saying it publicly.

I'm not sure if that's the kind of guy I want on my team.


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The Cat:

What makes you think that therocketguy didn't screw up again?

His entire quote:

Uhhhh... the ~$4.4M expires on 10/01.

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"At one of these governors' conferences, George [W. Bush] turns to me and says: 'What are they talking about?' I said: 'I don't know.' He said: 'You don't know anything, do you?' And I said: 'Not one thing.' [Bush] said: 'Neither do I.' And we kind of high-fived."
--Republican Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico shares a verbal exchange that took place between he and George W. Bush.

(Quote is from the Los Angeles Times, 5/31/00)
Dubyah Speaks

[This message has been edited by Achebe (edited August 09, 2000).]

 

Falk mentioned that his client would be signing for the exception as so to be able to sign for the max next season.

You see, the quality of free agents available will not be at a high point and so teams will be more willing to shell out the cash for his services.
Mo also seems to be pretty confident that he is worth a big contract, and I don't think that he will want the security that Mobley got right away. Falk seems to be going along with this train of thought, having said that his agent will sign for the exception and will go for max next season.
I'm still not sure that he will end up with us for the exception, but I can see him coming off a sign and trade.


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Nederland 2002 Qualifying Campaign (Damn those penalties!!!)


Houston Rockets Space Center- Not just another ClutchCity.NET clone. We're that and more!

 

the cat: Believe it or not, PJ Brown played the small forward in New Jersey (despite his size). Armon Gilliam was the starting power forward.

Any starting power forward over 6'9 should stumble into atleast 8 boards per game. 6.5 is a joke.

As for "Bill the Rocket Guy," all I have to say is, "Ray Allen to Houston is as good as a done deal."...in other words, to put it nicely, that guy's track record doesn't look too good.

This is David Faulk we're dealing with here, not just any other agent. There is no way that SOB would give away his position to the public.
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"At least I screw sheeps..." - Corey Benjamin of the Clutch BBS.

[This message has been edited by thacabbage (edited August 09, 2000).]

 

great posts Aelliot and cabbage.

Cat, MO will not be PJ.

why can't the rockets find someone with an all around game? Decent offense, defense and rebounding. Is that so hard?

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I am so exasperated that I could expectorate.

 

Cabbage,

I think that Bill is quite reliable now. His site has grown a great deal since that infamous remark and he has actually gained a great amount of credibility. That Ray Allen rumor was made when he practically had no sources and was looking for some hits to the page. If you ask me, the guy was duped by someone else. At that time, he wasa bit too eager to get some hits to his site. It's damn hard to do so since Clutch kicks so much ass I should know. My Rockets site sucks and gets no hits.
Anyway, I think it's time to let go of that one
If you look at what he's done recently, I think you might change your tune.

I think that Falk doesn't want to let Mo sign for such a contract as so to save his reputation. In other words, he is obviously doing it for himself. I think he is rather confident that he will get the max and is currently looking for the best possible deal for one season.
Taylor has expressed no particular interest in the Rockets. He was quite close to opting for the Raptors until Falk pulled the plug. Falk is frantically trying to salvage the situation.

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Nederland 2002 Qualifying Campaign (Damn those penalties!!!)


Houston Rockets Space Center- Not just another ClutchCity.NET clone. We're that and more!

 

According to the Toronto Sun......

The chances of the Raptors signing free agent Mo TAylor are "nil". According to his agent.

If anyone wants to read this artice just go to www.canoe.com/BasketballToronto/home.html

Therefore, it's either Seattle or Houston!!!

So, Mo Taylor welcome to the Houston Rockets.

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$$ out $$