Chinese and European style of basketball is similar. I think they know how teach fundimentals such as passing, ball movement, and over all team play. Mobley needs to learn how to play within the system. Yao is the future and Mobley needs to learn how to become a good role player. Role players should know how to move without the ball, pass, and make spot up jumpers. I'm not sure if Mobley knows how to do any of those things well. China, actually is predicted to be a powerhouse in the future. Already 700 7 ft players are playing in the CBA. When you have over 1 billion people there is going to be talent.
700 7-footers in CBA? Pardon my ignorance, but how many teams are there in CBA? For the sake of discussion, let's say there are 5 7-footers per team. So that's 140 teams in CBA....hmmmmmm.
First of all, I think this part of the board has really gone down the tube the last year or so, reading the Rockets forum is painful at best these days. Sometimes, I wonder if not making the playoffs for awhile has sapped some of the excitement of being fans for a lot of you. Two, I think Mobley is a fine player, but he is exactly like KT was, a round peg trying to fit into a square hole. I've said this for awhile now, but in the longrun, I see Mobley as a Vinnie Microwave Johnson type player, and Posey-Nachbar should be our 2-3 combo of the future. Whether the Cat can accept that, I don't know, but I think it's admirable he's trying to change, I just think its too late for this Cat to change his stripes and too difficult. It's ironic, but the Heat's best players are both guys that would look excellent in Houston, and Mobley is the kind of scorer Riles needs. I would love to get Jones on our team, but he makes so much money longterm. I have pondered a Rice, Mobley for EJ deal for awhile now. Or you can do a 3 way with miami and seattle for Barry with Grant to seattle, Mobes to Miami. As far as Brand goes, I dont really see the pieces here, unless the Clips have the urge for a Rhode Island connection in Odom-Mobley, and would take Eddie as a sweetner. Heck I'll be honest, I think you could get Grant in Miami for Rice plus cap filler, its his huge contract Portland gave him that is blocking him from going anywhere. I still say as is, we are playoff bound, phoenix and minnesota and utah will fade, and if Mo can build off that Cleveland game, we have more firepower than Minnesota, and Phoenix wont have any inside game because I think teams realize Amare can't shoot by now, and will take him out of the phoenix offense. If Yao can stay upright and Mo keeps it up, we have something down low that they don't. Utah, is just so old, they will tire towards the very end, though Stockton and Malone continue to defy aging so far. Bottom line: Mobley is a very talented player, and someone I don't mind keeping, but I think he isn't the right fit for us now, and there are teams that need his scoring that have pieces we need(Miami namely).
I mainly agree with you. I don't think the Rox can afford Brand who will command very high numbers. It would be nice to name the five best players in the NBA, and say let's put them on the Rockets. Obviously, two to three superheroes is all anyone can afford or need anymore ( re: Clyde/Olajuwon, Jordan/what's his name, Shaq/Kobe have won last 12-13 NBA titles). The other 8 players fill a roll and make very good money for doing it. Roll player is not a dirty word in the NBA. The point is, as you pointed out, Cat has value, everyone wants a 20 ppg front court 2 guard. The rox have a better two, SF. We need a good point guard to feed him and Yao. I maintain EGriff is a good 4 and will get better, only 20. Between he and Yao they block 6-8 shots per game, and Griff can take his man outside away from the basket and Yao. The best part is they will only get better. MoT has value, he used to be a 20 ppg PF. Packaged together they take up alot of cap room for the Rockets to get a good young PG or a Payton and a B/U 4. Cato and Collier can back-up at the 4 or 5. I still like Posey at the 3 to keep him closer to the basket. I just want to SFranchise turned loose at 2 ala Kobe, Spreewell, Iverson, etc. I believe he would still have 5-6 assists and 25-30 points a few rebounds although I don't want him hanging around their basket, rather see him shooting down the floor.
I just looked it up, and we are the ONLY team with a winning record to lose to the Cavs all season... sorry, know it's not horribly closely related to the topic, just had to get some of my INCREDIBLE AMOUNTS OF FRUSTRATION off my chest in a random thread. (BTW, it wasn't Mobley's fault).
Yeah, now, but I meant to word that so it'd be clear that I meant teams at that time didn't have a winning record... I didn't do a very good job. Anyways, the Lakers were without Shaq at the time.
