WHAT WOULD BE THE STARTING LINEUP FOR NEXT YEAR? THEY HAVE SO MANY FORWARDS ITS NOT EVEN FUNNY....WHO WOULD BE THE BEST 5 MAN COMBINATION FOR THE ROCKETS FOR THE 2002-2003 NBA SEASON?
Ming Griffin Nachbar Cat Steve Bench Cato Taylor/KT Rice/KT Rice/Oscar Mooch others - Collier TMO Tito
Ming Taylor Rice Mobley Francis That's the game six starting lineup. Depending on EG's improvement in the offseason. He may start a few games before Taylor starts playing. However, I think the story of the season will be about who is contributing the best from the PF spot. One night a week they'll have a great game each. Maybe one of them will be hot for a while. Who knows? It'll be cool having all three of them. Of course if they trade KT, things will be a tad different.
Cato EG Rice Cat Francis Ming (doesn't even know the offense yet, missed training camp) Kenny Thomas T Morris FA Moochie Nachbar (learning year) Mo Taylor (suspension)
Cato - UGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH... erhm.. excuse me(I know he had a better season but lord.) Griffin Rice Mobley Francis The bench will be even more intrigueing with Ming, KT, Nachbar, and your returning cast of Moochie, Tayor. I suspect a free agent will be brought in to help with the duties at the 2. I also expect Collier to pick up waterboy responsibilities.
The first 2 months: -Stevie -Mobley -Rice -MoTaylor -Cato By the end of the season: -Stevie -Mobley -Nachbar -Griffin -Ming
Not counting the first 5 games where Mo Taylor has to sit for the suspension I see this starting line up this year. PG - Francis SG - Mobley SF - Rice PF - Taylor C - Cato The main reserves will be PG - Norris SF - Nachbar PF - Griffin/KT C - Ming Collier and Morris will round out the bench and get VERY limited action. I pretty much see out starting lineup staying pat for the entire year baring any trades or injury. I think because of the "experience" factor Rice and Cato will be starting over Nachbar and Ming. Ming needs a lot of time to develop chemistry with the team (something he will sorely miss since he will not be here for the summer camps or pre-season camp - something Nachbar will benefit greatly from). I see Taylor starting over Griffin and KT because of experience, it was his spot before he went down for the injury and because of his contract. Obviously "level of play" during the pre-season and training camp is the deciding factor but if all 3 PFs play at the same level I think Taylor will get the nod. I think the REAL interesting point is the BENCH rotation. Teams usually can go 8 deep and sometimes 9 deep depending on the type of players available to a team. But going 10 deep is a little bit of a stretch. When everyone is healty we CAN go 10 deep with the bench rotation I mentioned above so SOMEONE is going to lose minutes. I think Norris and Nachbar are pretty solid but someone in the Griffin/KT/Ming troika will lose out on minutes (unless KT/Griffin take minutes from Nachbar at the 3). It will be interesting! I am sure this predicament is something NICE to have for Rudy and the coaches considering the injury problems and LACK of depth they had over the last year. Oh, one more thing. This is the FINISH THE GAME line up I see for "next year". PG - Francis SG - Mobley SF - Nachbar* PF - Griffin C - Taylor *Early on we may see Moochie, Francis, Mobley in the 1,2,3 spots but as Nachbar gets more experience he will finish more games. Aside: Ming working out with the Rockets NEXT summer (2003) and being here for a FULL training camp will be HUGE to his development. With that in mind, I think NEXT year he will have a MUCH more of an impact on the Rockets rotation. Chris
Games 1 -5 Cato Thomas Rice Mobley Francis Games 6-20 Cato Taylor Nachbar Mobley Francis Games 20-82 Yao Griffin Nachbar Mobley Francis
