This is spot on. Cato has some value--but lets not get overboard. Cato really would help Milwalkee, NY, Celts, Nets, Heat, Phx, Utah, Wash, Mem and Magic, however he probably isn't that much better of a starting C than what most of those teams can offer as a single player or comb--Swift/Wright (Mem), Oestertag/Ameche (Utah), Haywood (Wash), Battie/Blount (Celts), Collins/Williams (Nets), Grant (Heat-even if Grant is out of position), and Voskhal/Tskaliades/Williams (Phx). Thus the teams with most interest IMO have a sore lacking of interior presence and nobody remotely like Cato, I think this is a pretty short list lead by the Magic, Bucks and Heat. To them Cato should have moderate interest, however surely they will target the following more proven day-to-day starting quality FA centers (via signing or S & T) first--Nestoric, Brad Miller, & Kandi (call them the "B list"). There are also some PFs out there that also can play the C spot some as well--including PJ, Brand, Oneal and Campbell--who those teams could target instead of a true center. Cato however if he was a FA would be at the top of the next group of FA bottom-tier-starters-to-quality-backup FA centers (I'll call it the "D+ to C+ list") that include Mark Blount, Brian Skinner, Cherokee Parks, Sean Rooks, Stepania, Voskahl, Scot Williams and McCoy--all guys who have shown to be servicable back-up centers for 10+ minutes or better. In sum, Cato has a little worth, especially to a couple of teams if they can't land a bigger fish, but really their asking price won't be too high. Because instead of Cato at 6 or 7 mil, they can get a guy just a little bit worse (Blount, Skinner, Voskhal) for 2 mil or less. Price Cato too high--and they balk. I do think we should trade Cato because honestly with Yao getting only higher number of C minutes Cato is a luxury top quality back-up center when we have major holes elsewhere. Forget the twin tower thing neither Yao nor Cato can play the 4, they are pure 5s. If either could we would have seen it this year for some desperate games--instead we concluded Morris was a better 4 than either. That should say enough about whether we will see either Yao or Cato in the 4 spot during meaningful game time in the future. Trade him for what we can now and then 1) pick up a PF who can play the back up 5 minutes (dream deal for Brand or Oneal, more realiastic deal for Grant, PJ, Kurt Thomas, a Davis, or Ratliff) + take a flyer for a minumum contract 3 string young C with some potential like Moiso, Woods, B, Sampson, Boumtje-Boumtje or Bateer or; 2) just sign a cheaper lesser Cato off the D+ to C+ list as a permanent 15 MPG Yao back-up (Blount, Voskhal, Skinner, in that order, would be my targets).
You know, the more I see Lafrenz play the more I think the Mavs would be a much more formidible team with Kelvin Cato as their center. Cato isn't a better individual player than Lafrenz--but honestly for that team I think he would have more of an impact.
Good post. Bucks definitely need him. He's almost perfect for them. When you say Grant...Horace Grant or Brian Grant? PJ Brown. Kurt Thomas. Antonio Davis. They would all be nice. But...has everyone given up on Eddie? He can be a bench player I guess...Hopefully Eddie still has potential and can be a star like Peja Stojakovic is right now...or maybe his brain has been permanently damnaged...I hope not. Anyways....Bateer and Blount sound nice. Voshkul is all right...Doleac is all right. BUT HELL NO TO SKINNER. He sucks badly...Moiso is all right too.. And yeah! He would even help Dallas...I mean....they already have 4 super offensive players at all positions...But they don't want him...they want someone who can at least kinda score.
I wasn't agruing that the Cato contract is good, just that he's better than a lot of centers. The challenge was to find one that Cato was better.
SLA, Don't give up on EG, just pray he straightens himself out off the court and then applies himself on the court. He's one of the few guys I don't pin on the coaches. He has the potential to be great, and the coaches were right to get him. His personal issues though may be making it impossible for them to teach him. He seems to have a hard time focusing even in the heat of a game. Sometimes he just looks lost out there. As I've said before, he could use some boot camp time to clean his system, toughen his body and clear his mind so he can focus on the game he's being paid a lot of money to play.
that sure is a whole lot of text. couldn't you have just said "uh, sorry guys. i'm full of it and apparently there are people here who notice." it would have been easier. i thought it was cute you said all of that but neglected to respond to ANY of the actual criticism that was offered to your "26 centers" post. not so much as a mention of the fact that of your "26 centers" somebody whittled it down to 9 possible centers that are better than Cato and even included stats to back up their claims. also, i noticed that of the 'centers' you mentioned, there were four cases in which you named two off of the same team. i suppose that could be a testament to exactly how little you value you cato, but in some of the cases the second was the teams starting power forward. it seems to me you were reaching just to prove a point and it wasn't even a good point....
Your Sh**ting me Right? Shawn Bradley & Raef Lefrentz better than Cato? As someone who sees the jokers play all the Time (the curse of living in DFW)- I can assure you that Cato is better. Even the Dallas sportswriters think that the Mavericks would be a better team if they could swap Cato for Bradley- Yes they have said that out loud.
Ewww, Cato for Bradley. That's all we need, two skinny centers who don't like to (can't) bang. At least Yao has strong legs and some potential to develop upper body mass.
Ilgauskas, Zach Randolph, or Curry. I'd take those player for Cato. Any other player would harm the defense that Cato provides (sans Duncan or Shaq, but let's be real). Cato does play good defense; he plays with a chip on his shoulder and doesn't pickup fast fouls like he used to.
I would too. But the contracts don't work out....SINCE CATO MAKES 7 FREAKIN MILLION BUCKS PER YEAR...... While Randolph and Curry are still in their rookie contracts. TAELL KCAELVIN CATTOOO...WE WAN OUR MONEY BACCC! I would take them. Portland wouldn't do it.....Randolph has potential...Chicago wouldn't do it...Curry still has potential. Ilgauskas..maybe...but he is Cleveland's only big man...and scorer. Ilgauskas and Yao Ming would be nice.
Never Bradley, but LaF? I think he'd fit in well with Yao (see my Walker comments). That said -- I believe LaFrentz and Finley will both be swapped this summer (unless and maybe even then they win it all).
Really no people find this statement a bit well.... incredible??? Sure the odds of a 30-year-old who had a track-record of being crap improving = 1/1000000000000000000000, no? I am willing to know that which player improved and has/had his best season at 30 years old. Can anyone name one for me? Even Cato's not an overpaid center for the past season. In 2003-04, at 30 years old, Cato will be paid for 8 millions for playing 15 mpg. In 2004-05, at 31 years old, Cato will be paid for 8 millions for playing 10 mpg. In 2005-06, at 32 years old, Cato will be paid for 9 millions for playing 5 mpg (we are screwed if Yao isn't able to be a 40+ mpg player at that time). Sure you people don't expect a 30-something to improve his game dramatically and ever be a better player than Yao do you? If we don't trade Cato this summer (if we can, but I somehow doubt if we can), sure we can't ever trade him forever. BTW, people, a little trivia here. Who were the 2nd unit centers behind David Robinson, Ewing, Olajuwon, Shaq, Mutombo, Mourning, Smits at their prime? How many minutes did their backups play? How much did the backups get paid? I think definitely not 8-9 millions, right?
million not millions, unless you are trying to pull of a bad hollywood version of a hispanic gang member? The correct use for millions would be: Cato will be paid millions of dollars to back up Yao for minutes a game. 9 millions is poor grammer. I caught a lot of flack for roll players earlier, just sharing.
positve cato As long as everyone realizes that Cato is not a scorer than everything will be fine. HE does have strong points. He is a pretty solid rebounder and good shotblocker. If he touches the ball from time to time, he will be active and do the intangibles as a backup that a team needs. Just don't expect him to make two 2 foot layups in a row. Phrase of the day, KNOW YOUR ROLL!
Sure the odds of a 29-year-old who had a track-record of being crap improving = 1/1000000000000000000000, no? It happened. So it's a miracle, no? I thought we were talking about Cato's trade value (to a team who needs a STARTING center) here. Who's talking about better than Yao?
I think it is safe to say we have to take a not so good contract to trade Cato. But I'd rather have a guy with a similarly or even worse inflated contract who can improve a starting position we need, or one with a shorter contract. That is why guys like Brian Grant, Eddie Jones, Davis twins, Tim Thomas, KVH, Lafrenz, Ratliff, SAR, and Robinson should be pursued even if the pot would have to be sweetened (though I don't think anything more than Boki in most of those cases). I might even be willing to work something with Kukoc, Caffey, Knight or MD (terrible contracts) if we got something else we wanted (Swift, D. Mason, Battier). In sum I do think it is the right time to trade Cato for whatever we can get. Just too expensive a contract for a 8-12 minute player as someone else pointed out. We should trade him for a PF who can play some 4 or trade him for any useful smaller player and then go sign a back-up C for the min who can give you 10 OK minutes.
taking 7 million off the books would be very very good... having a back up center who produces is also very good... decisions decisions... the front office better not screw up this summer. if theyre gonna trade cato, lets make sure we clear out some other salaries. we are over the cap and we cant make the playoffs... now thats a waste of money! at this point id keep cato bc he is a decend center. also yao will probably be late for next season. cato gives yao time to rest and slowly get into the flow of the nba season. also, cato is a "freak injury" insurance policy. what if shaq throws a elbow into yaos face...
