The Candidates: Mo Taylor: has the size to do the job. Had flashes of it last year protecting Yao. Eddie Griffin: maybe JVG can mode him into one. That lackadazical attitude has to change. Cato: tries to look like an enforcer but in the end his bark is worst than his bite. Adrian Griffin: just call him Mr. Enforcer. This is the man JVG will have as his Hired GUN. PS. Maybe the whole team will turn into ENFORCERS - Even Moochie looks like one! NEWSFLASH: All members of the ROCKETS come to camp with SHAVED HEADS.
I think Taylor has the make-up for it, but not the game. And when I say game I mean he's not an "inside player". He's more of a 10-15 foot jump shot guy, although he did impress me with his jump-hook last season. I'm not necessarily saying the "enforcer" has to play inside the paint, but it sure helps. Anyways, Taylor is the closest the Rockets will have to one this year barring a trade. And on A. Griffin, its rarely a small foward is the enforcer on a team. There are a few like Artest, Rodman in his SF days. But those types are more the exception to the rule. And don't even talk about E. Griffin, the guy would do well just to show any emotion on the court let alone excurt it in the form of a confrontation with another player. But that's just not Eddie's game, which is fine, just don't look for him to do any "enforcing". I agree with you on Cato, more bark then bite.
How many teams even have enforcers anymore? That role has barely existed since Kermit Washington threw the punch. I mean you can find tough forwards that bang, rebound and play defense but they're not really enforcing all too much these days.
Charles Oakley comes to mind Maurice Lucas was a guy back in the 70s and 80s that always came to my mind. I really never thought of Kermit Washington as an enforcer just because of the punch but then I never really watched him play. I think Karl Malone fits the bill as well as Charles Barkley when he played although both were also super stars. Kevin Willis is also another enforcer.
We don't seem to have one at all. Looking at last year none of the Rockets would fit that description. But someone still might emerge, you never know.
Antoine Carr used to be pretty good. I think we should sign Oak or Rodman to our last roster spot, seeing as we're packed in the backcout already, and we need one more froncourt player in case any of our 4 PF/C's go down. Oak doesn't veen have to play more than 10 minutes, but his impact on the team will be worth it. Not more than a year though. NEVER keep Oak for more than a year.
