Just a few moments ago on a 610 interview with Carol Dawson, C.D was mentioning players that have been working hard over the summer. He of course mentioned Griffin, Taylor, and Steve, but what was the most interesting was that he said that the player that he thought that had been working the hardest was KELVIN CATO I guess Yao Ming really did light a fire in Cato. If he really does want to improve; how will this affect Ming? If both Ming and Cato turn out to be good centers, who will get to start? A veteran center or a budding all-star?
It will be good for Ming to have someone to compete against and it will allow Rudy to bring Ming along slowly.
It's kinda funny, the guys at 610 are more amazed than I am. Every few minutes they mention how Cato is working "hard" over the summer. They even play the clip of CD saying it to prove that he really did say it.
Oh please, Ming will be dying to breathe 10 minutes into the game. I'll be completely honest with you and tell you that if he were given starter's minutes, he'd probably be one of the worst rookies in history. People would probably call him a bust. Don't fool yourself. Yao has to work on being able to PLAY first, to be able to learn how to play good.
lets get ready for a year of "they wasted the #1 pick" "ming is a bust" and "worst #1 pick ever!" then in 3-4 years "he is amazing" "he changed the game" "one of the top ten centers ever"
Potential injuries, foul trouble, Shaq, and the 80 game rookie fatigue/fade are enough reasons to make Cato valuable. Is it possible that Cato could take minutes from Kenny Thomas or Mo Taylor? Could he ever play that well, or fit a specific role that well?
SANE:- YAO will start and early on will get only 20 mins per. This is the least acceptable by the paying public and the least that will keep the CBA happy! Yao is a quick and experienced learner and should pick up the basics of the NBA Game quite quickly. 1st. Game 20mins. 10pts 7rbs.IMHO
Smoothie, I agree totally. What people fail to realzie also is that Ming is ALREADY fatigued, and he still has mroe international games, after which he will head staright into preseason and then the 82-game schedule. If RESTED rookie can't take the rigours of the NBA season, what about someone like Ming, who will have just finished 2 INTERNATIONAL tournaments. I'm actually thinking we give him the preseason off, as well as the first 5 games, THEN bring him off the bench starting with 12 minutes a game, then go up a minute every agme after that till he gets to 25, and stop there.
I hope that Cato will change his ways,but he tends to play well in the preseason or in some of the regular season games and then go back to his own lazy ways.
I will never understand people that get down on a player and the player works hard trying to get better and they still want to get rid of him.
Gotta love it!!! One thing that brings all clutchcity.net posters together is their unconditional hatred for Kelvin Cato.
I see a Triumph the Insult Comic Dog tagline here ... Yeah, Kelvin Cato's been really working hard in the offseason, building a solid game of offense and defense... Oh, you know the tagline.
Cato will start for at least the first 1/3 of the year so we should all get these fantasies of Ming coming over and starting and posting double-doubles off the bat out of our heads. Smoothie & Sane are right about what we can expect from Ming. I don't think we need to rush this, we have a solid core of players so Ming doesn't have to come over and be an immediate impact. As long as he develops in 2-3 years we should all be happy. Cato isn't a good center we all know that but he is an average center. Yes, he's overpaid but so is TMcCullough, Calvin Booth, Jahidi White, and the list goes on and on. When CD said that about Cato I almost fell out of my chair in disbelief but if its true I'm happy. Better late than never b/c as much as most of you guys hate to admit, I think Cato will play an important role for the Rockets. At least this year he will IMHO.
How can you guys doubt Cato's been working hard??? Last time I checked, he's working very hard to repaint his purple rainbow van!!!