With training camp swinging even closer the Rockets have 17 players under contract. 2 will certainly be cut from the roster by the end of camp, usually 3 or 4 will actually be cut. The Rockets alrteady have 2 guaranteed contracts that will start the season on the Injured Reserve (Sura, Bowen)...This leaves another IR spot for a signing of another player and a position that has been neglected all off-season A THIRD CENTER The Rockets have been playing Russian Roulette with this position for years...being as thin as possible behind Yao...It makes no sense to have nothing behind him and the ever aging Mutombo...They are also the only players over 6' 9...We need added insurance for the 2 main centers. POSSIBLE SIGNINGS Kelvin Cato 6-11 (you already Know what were getting) Nate Huffman 7-1 (skilled big man, but has knee problems) Jahidi White 6-9 (big body in the post, plays hard) Vladimir Stepania 7-0 ( long arms and a good rebounder) Zendon Hamilton 6-11 (hard worker and listens)
Out of that list I would choose Cato. I think he played the best basketball of his career playing next to Yao. He rebounded and played tough defense. I think it would be great to bring him back as a PF/Backup C.
seriously...what does it even matter? adding these bums is like saying snyder is insurance for tmac going down. and how can you say the rox have been playing russian roulette at center? deke was a more than capable backup and you really don't need 3 centers. further cato was a decent backup. it would be nice to have a backup like mourning for yao but there just aren't any available players like that. being worried about not having a guy who might play 3 mpg is kind of pointless. it's like being worried about a team not having a 3rd catcher or 3rd string qb.
I was satisfied with Deke last year. He certainly didnt exceed my expectations, as he had the year before, but I feel we didnt play him enough early.
Oh my God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Change the thread title!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!
Forget Yao going down, Rockets will need another C in case Dikembe goes down. Otherwise, they'll likely be playing Juwan Howard at C for at least 10-20 minutes a game, depending on Yao's foul situation that day. With Juwan's lack of size and hops, there would be zero interior D and shot blocking for big chunks of games. Also, even if both Yao and Dikembe are healthy, there are some faster opposing Cs that you just don't want the 500-year-old Dikembe guarding. If Yao has to rest and Dikembe doesn't match up well, then again, that job probably falls to Juwan and it kills Rockets interior D. Unless, that is, Haryasz steps up and is ready to play, but the man went undrafted for a reason. Van Gundy recently mentioned that he probably wants another big, too, so we'll see if that happens before training camp. Of that group, Cato would seem to be the best option. He was actually good in Orlando during the first year before having an injury riddled seasson in 05/06. He's likely still fishing for more money than the 2.1 mil Rockets got left, though (before the season ended, he mentioned wanting the MLE, but that ain't happening). Rockets will probably have to wait until Kelvin loses all hope of getting a bigger contract before he decides to take whatever Rockets got to offer him. Besides, I think the Rockets may want Bonzi Wells more than any backup big candidate right now, so Bonzi gets first dibs on whatever they got under the rules and under the tax limit (likely the 4.2 mil TPE money for him, I think).
Agreed, I will be estatic If we get Cato (well as estatic as one can be given the current situation). Big bodies are hard to come by, and we need one just for insurance.
I would LOVE to pick up Cato. We always talk about PF's who could complement Yao ect.. ect.. when Cato is already proven to be capable of that. Cato sucked until Yao came and just like that somehow his game just fit with his and he played great. Then he was traded and sucked again. Cato does alot of dirty work and would be a awesome pickup to play 2nd/3rd string.
Deke and Howard are just fine to share the load, Howard needs some extra minutes for SB and Hayes to play most of the 4 minutes. Howard at this stage is probably a better back-up offensive minded center than he is a starting 4. So I am fine with Yao & Bat starting the 5/4, with Howard, Hayes, and Deke playing the back-up minutes, Novac could even give spot duty at the 4 when we need another shooter--that gives lots of different combinations--offense, defense, athletic, rebouding, and/or spread the floor with 3 range. We want to see how are guards will pan out and would father keep any extra roster spots for guards. Our guard play is a much bigger question than another back-up 5/4.
I would rather get a guard like Wells which is highly unlikely IMO instead of another 4/5 but I wouldn't mind having Ely on the team. Like Desert Scar said our guard play is more important than having another big man right now.
