INSANITY!! Cuttino Mobley is an NBA starter. not on the Lakers, not on the Mavs, but on every other team in the league he would be the 3rd best on the team or better. If having somone come off the bench to dominate other teams bench is your goal I point to Cuttinos MPG. He plays over 40 season in and season out. He plays against everyone. bench included. If Pike is really the superb shooter some belive him to be, then why dont we ask him to take the roll of Robert Horey and shoot clutch 3's in the closing minutes. Untill Pike is playing and playing better than cuttino, he gets nothing. Cuttino earned his starting roll on this team. he led this team in scoring 2 seasons ago with SF on the roster. He is healthy again, and I do not belive you can disrespect a player that plays like cat by benching him for a guy who has yet to play a minute for this team. insanity I say
People want Piatowski to be everything Cat is not. Well, its not gonna happen. Cat is a better scorer, defender, and slasher. So why not just enjoy what Cat is doing for u right now and see what Piat can do for u off the bench, before u go putting the oldest Rocket player left on the bench
if it ain't broke, don't fix it. let this team get some chemistry...let them grow together some more...gel more. we're seeing good things right now developing...let's don't stunt that by switching around the starting lineup.
Who cares who starts, only thing that matters is who finishes. That is determined how players have played that game.
Hell No..... If he plays within the offense, He's everything...spot up shooter, slasher, scorer, cook, smuggler and organ donor.
He needs to come off the bench and still get starters minutes. The Rockets need a creator out there to keep out that offensive lull that Yao and Francis benching creates. This isnt about Mobley, this is about the team. But if it is about something besides the team, then Mobley will get the 6th man a year award, and the ladies love that award.
I say HELL YES ! becuase our bench suks ass and if mobley (who is a hel of alot better player than pike) comes off the bench it will help us when the starters arn't in. Give us a little extra kick. Plus mobley will probably get more shots, like he wants, cuz he'll b playing with the scrubs like mooch.
Some thing to keep in mind, remeber why we kept letting Cassell coming of the bench? Even in our second Championship run our starting pg postion was between Kenny and Ed Recasner (I.E. you either start or you get garbage min). Cassell was kept as the 6th man because his style conflicted with a big man orientated offense. He's a great player, but he needs to be the focal point of offense to score. I see the same for Mobes, bring him off the bench, give him 30 min a game, 20 of those min, he can be the man and jack up any shot he wants (and if he hits we go on a run, if he doesn't, it's not like any one else besides Mo gonna score anyways). That way mobes can get 15 + shots his way, throw the D off with a diffrent type of offense when the bench come in. Yao only fans wont complain Cat shoots too much (well maybe I'm being optimistic) and Steve will get more assists as pike/AG shoots offthe pass and Yao will get better as pike/AG will spread the floor since the shoots off the pass.
"If he plays within the offense, He's everything...spot up shooter, slasher, scorer, cook, smuggler and organ donor." Ditto.
I would not have Pike replace Cat but rather JJ replace Cat. New lineup should be: Yao, Cato, Boki, JJ, SF Off the Bench - Cat, Pike, Taylor, A.Griff, Braggs Mooch is demoted to garbage PT (finally)
WHAT IN THE H-E-DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS has boki done to deserve 20 mins a game let alone a starting spot?!??!?!!? Cuttino Mobley outplayed Shandon anderson for 2 seasons before earning his spot. and for that honor Shandon was awarded with a 7-10milion dollar deal. I hope you give Cuttino the max for that kind of injustice.
I can understand the logic here (even though Mobley can be a good spot up shooter as well), but I think it oversimplifies the offense. I don't think it is meant only to be Yao in the post, surrounded by 3-point specialists waiting for the kick-out. You want to have cutters, guys who hit mid-range, guys who can hit long range and (in times when Yao can't create an opening), guys who can penetrate and create. Plus, you have to play defense on the other end. Pike does some of these things very well and doesn't do others well at all. Mobley does everything pretty well. He can shoot from the outside or he can get a feed from Yao in the cut. He can create on his own if he needs to and he can D up. Is he redundant with Francis and Jackson, who can also do most of these things? Yes, but having one such guy on the floor probably isn't enough. Is 3 too many and 2 enough? OK(I don't think so but...), put Jackson on the bench and play Pike at the 3; Mobley is better than Jackson too.
Pike is a great shooter but his defense ability is nowhere in Cat's territory. On that issue alone, Cat's a starter on my squad over anyone else the Rox have in the 2 spot. I do think Cat would be a much better player off the bench though, a streaky shoter with good quickness and can D. Unfortunately I dont see how the Rox can get anyone else in the 2 spot who would be better than Cat, Pike is just too damn slow.
as much as I would luv to see Mobly coming off the bench and backing up the 1 and 2, Pike is not the one to start over Mobley. Pike is a shorter version Bullard. Bullard does not start unless of injury
Mobley might be just as good a shooter but Eric is definitely a better choice. Mobley thrived coming off the bench and Eric can keep his confidence high on bad shooting nights knowing he'll still be the starter. they are still commiting too many turnovers and if that stays the same, it doesnt matter who's playing....the results will not be good.
