cato's future with the Rockets in question?

exactly!

 

Says me!!! Of course he is overated for what he is being paid. Just because he is overpaid, doesn't mean he isn't putting up the numbers that warrant him being the best backup center in the league. I looked through every team's roster and his #'s for the limited minutes he played last season were AMONG the best in the league for backup centers. If you were "CCCCCCCCCCCC"ATO and the Rockets offered you the money they did, would you say NO, I am sorry I don't think I am worth that much???? You can argue he got lazy for the season before last but last season he played with hunger, determination and an agressiveness that most of the team lacked. If everyone played as hard as he did last season, the Rockets would have definitly made playoffs.

 

I don't know about last year, but this year it'll be Vlade.

 

Kelvin Cato would run circles around Jon Amechi, sorry, Kato had a career year last year, Amechi, had to have come off his worst year ever........

 

This is completly irrelevant. What does it matter? What matters is the fact that he is getting paid starters money to back up!


last season he played with hunger, determination and an agressiveness that most of the team lacked.[/QUOTE]

That's GREAT! That's just fine. I'm finally happy with the way Cato played last year. But it still doesn't warrent paying a backup starters money. For that type of money I would rather have a starter that produces that kind of output. And since when are overpaid, DECENT backup centers such a hot commodity. Having Cato at that price is wasted payroll. Last time I checked the Lakers didn't need an overpaid, DECENT backup to Shaq. In the Lakers and Rockets cases all you need is an average number 2 center and a solid group of forwards.

 

I feel Cato IS the best backup center in the league and could start for more than half the teams in the league. It's a waste that the ROX use him as a backup especially with his high salary. Remember the Rockets went out and got him and paid him all that cash to be our starter. The only reason he's a backup is because of Yao. I think he would bring excellent return in a trade and we should do it now that we have Ameachi. He's not as good as Cato, but we're talking about a backup going against other teams backups.

 

Having three centers to hack-a-Shaq is not a bad thing.

 

It is when one of your backups is getting paid starters money.

 

4.5 mil, 6.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg 22 mins Clark
4.0 mil, 6.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg 21 mins Bradley
3.5 mil, 5.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg 13 mins Marc Jackson
1.7 mil, 4.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg 11 mins Willis
2.6 mil, 4.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg 19 mins Rooks

6.6 mil, 4.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg 17 mins Cato

Anyone notice a trend? For all everyon talked about how Cato had a great year, especially for a Backup... pft. He had a very average year. And made alot of cheese doing it. Sure he averaged more reabounds that these guys, but everyone would be close to him if they played the same number of minutes. Bottom line is if someone else will take him.. GO FOR IT.

Mike

 

ASTONISHING!!!! Similar production for as little as 2 mil a year cheaper. Exactly my point!! Best backup center in the league

 

Now that's funny, for as little as 1/3, or as much as 1/2 to 2/3s of the salary .. and he's the best backup in the league???

2 mil, is a big difference and 3 is a huge difference. Think what we could have gotten instead of posey or now piatowski with an extra 2-3 mil in salary cap space.. hmmm.. But I'd rather have Cato... err NOPE.

 

Who is the best backup then?


and who wants Cato so bad anyway?


Which teams are dying to take him off our hands?

Do tell.

 

Well Curry was undoubtedly a better buy at 1.7 mil a year.. but i'm not going to bring him into the discussion..

5.3ppg 4.3rpg in 17 mins for 1.7 mil would say that willis is by far the best deal of the bunch... and this next year i would certainly take 15 mins out of willis and save the almost 5 mil against the cap over an extra 5 mil for .6 pts and 1 rpg. If I had it my way i'd take Marc Jackson + 3.1 mil i salary cap savings over Cato next year

 

Sorry forgot to answer why people want CATO.

The league is dying for even servicable centers. If you are a team in the east espceially, someone like CATO would be great, even as a starter.. but the problem is that we have a much better option. Maybe I don't disagree that he's the best backup in the league, he's probably better than some starters, but he's not the best backup for houston. We have a top teir center (at the very least a potentially top teir) who in the very near future should be playing 35-37 mins of the game. How much do we gain with slightly more productivity (and very slightly at that) over 10-13 mins (which is what i think our backup should play this next year), vs using the extra 3 mil to sign or trade for someone who is going to be out on the floor for 30 mins a game?

So sure maybe i'm misspoken when i say that CATO isn't the best backup center in the league but I just don't think that the difference between CATO and the next 5-6 centers in the league justifies 3 mil or even 1 mil in salary difference. And if you don't think he's overpaid, remember we signed him thinking he was the future center for the Rockets, there was no mention of Backup in that statement. He would start for some teams in the east, many of them actually but we shouldn't keep him around because he's a good bargain for another team, and a bad deal for us. Lets give him to them and get something, in return.


Mike

 

I don't care to get into the "Is Cato worth paying starter's money for" or the "Is Cato the best backup C in the league" debate, but something I've found interesting is that Indiana is always mentioned as wanting Cato. This I don't understand. They let Brad Miller go because they weren't willing to pay him the money, yet they'd be willing to take on Cato's contract JUST for his rebounding? That's ludicrous. Brad Miller was a more proficient scorer and even got under Shaq's skin lots of times. Cato is a major downgrade from Miller. No way they want Cato, IMHO, unless they want Cat as well.

 

If this article has any weight, then not very many:

http://www.msnbc.com/news/958090.asp

 

My guess is that we will see something like
Francis
Griffin
Griffin
Cato
Ming
at least once this year. Jim Jackson at the 2 fits in well there too to give you a huge lineup with great defense, but one that can still score.

This deal and FA signing makes Cato and Mobley that much more tradable and the trade exception makes them that much more marketable and dealable.

ONeal? Brand? SAR? Wallace? Any of them might be options later on now if not right now should the planets align.

 

Cato's getting a starter's salary as a backup Center. No big revelation. But he did his job and did it well last year. I would be willing to live with the Rockets mistake on this one because he is the best person (realistically) available to put behind Yao Ming. God forbid it, but WHEN and NOT IF Yao goes out for injury, exhaustion, or he's just unable to show for gameday, every person here that's talking about trading Cato is gonna eat crow.

 

QUOTE:
4.5 mil, 6.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg 22 mins Clark
4.0 mil, 6.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg 21 mins Bradley
3.5 mil, 5.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg 13 mins Marc Jackson
1.7 mil, 4.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg 11 mins Willis
2.6 mil, 4.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg 19 mins Rooks
6.6 mil, 4.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg 17 mins Cato

HUH CATO played less minutes than everyone on that list except for Marc Jackson and Willis. If CATO played 5 more mins. per game you can add 2 or 3 more rebounds and 1 more block to his stats. Yes he is overpaid but if he plays with the toughness and hunger he played with last year it will help out the Rockets alot cause they are lacking toughness.

 

I was talking about those two.. and the production still isn't all that different. And toughness? You are aware of Catos statemetents on 610 right. That he "doesn't have the same motivation as CAT and Stevie"... that he "doesn't as much in the offseason".. hmm.. sounds like lack of motivation.. in fact it would probably explain his ups and downs; it might even explain why he's an underachiever and why we never should have offered him the money we did. I don't have a reference but call and ask the guys in the afternoon (assuming they're still the same, I've been out of houston for over 2 years) I believe it was on their show.

Mike