Would someone please explain the theory of bringing your best shooting guard off the bench? The Lakers start four likely Hall of Famers, but have a relatively weak bench. Maybe the secret is to bring Kobe off the bench for some second unit scoring punch?? Or how about Yao? Imagine him matching up against a second string center... I just don't get it. Aside from managing veteran egos (i.e. Kenny Smith and Sam Cassell), I can't think of many situations where NBA success has been driven by not starting a team's best five.
These guys were their team's 3rd or 4th highest scorer/ best player. 6th MAN OF THE YEAR Year Player, Team 2002-03 Bobby Jackson, Sacramento 3rd 2001-02 Corliss Williamson, Detroit 3rd 2000-01 Aaron McKie, Philadelphia 4th 1999-00 Rodney Rogers, Phoenix 4th 1998-99 Darrell Armstrong, Orlando 3rd 1997-98 Danny Manning, Phoenix 4th 1996-97 John Starks, New York 3rd 1995-96 Toni Kukoc, Chicago 1994-95 Anthony Mason, New York 1993-94 Dell Curry, Charlotte 1992-93 Clifford Robinson, Portland 1991-92 Detlef Schrempf, Indiana 1990-91 Detlef Schrempf, Indiana 1989-90 Ricky Pierce, Milwaukee 1988-89 Eddie Johnson, Phoenix 1987-88 Roy Tarpley, Dallas 1986-87 Ricky Pierce, Milwaukee 1985-86 Bill Walton, Boston 1984-85 Kevin McHale, Boston 1983-84 Kevin McHale, Boston 1982-83 Bobby Jones, Philadelphia
Umm... what's the point of the list? Kevin McHale is the only guy on that list that deserved to start. Really, he did play with starters most of the time, not a bench mob. Even Walton was broken down half the year. The rest are scrubs. Ok, Ricky Pierce was a deadeye shot, but Rodney Rogers? Anthony Mason? John Starks? Cat is better than that, and I'm a hata. IF the point is, cat is a good 6th man candidate, You betcha. He'd kick royal tail in that role. Still needs to play a team game. If the point is, scoring can come on jacks if the starters are out, I disagree. Real contribution is consistant team play, and I think JVG is getting there.
like i said... he won't get bashed now, but only because the shots are falling and yeah, he deserves credit for the rox being 4-1 right now. can you imagine the credit he's going to get when the rockets lose? here's my deal... i've yet to see the guy take a shot from within the flow of the offense (bit of exaggeration... maybe one or two). a lot of his shots have come from the ball being passed to him early in the shotclock and then him producing points by breaking down his defender w/o the ball being passed around to see if a better shot is available. it's fine now because the shots are falling. it's almost like saying that all baskets aren't good baskets. during the orlando game (i think it was late in the 1st or early in the 2nd) when boki, padgett, and braggs were absolutely stunning... keeping the defense off balance by swinging the ball around, drawing a couple of defenders, passing to the open man, and then draining the shots. i think boki his a couple of threes and pad hit a couple of shots (including one sweet bankshot). mobley was put back into the game and immediately he isos himself and jacks up a couple of shots. basically, disrupting the good thing that they had going before he checked in. did anybody else notice this? again, not all made baskets are good baskets and not all wins are good wins especially when the produce bad habits that have the potential to leak over from game to game. i like cat (nevermind). he's a great scorer and has tons of confidence in himself. whether or not he fits in jvg's grand scheme of things... most people think so now because the guy is on fire. whether or not he fits in jvg's grand scheme of things, i don't think so, but i don't know what jvg's "grand scheme of things" are. just a poster with an opinion.
For those of you who live by the day and annoint Hall of famers by one game or label a goat with one play I thought I would bring some info. Cuttino was brought into URI by coach Al Skinnar. Skinnar is now head coach at Boston. Cuttino was very offended with the way his coach was treatd when he was replaced by that dirty b*stard Herrick. In fact Cuttino has had nothing to do with URI after graduation. this may change, but for now URI (so far) best basketball player ever has snubbed them. Cuttino Played very well and developed every year under Als scheme. Herrick came in and took credit for a team that was built by skinnar and trained by skinnar, and basicly raised by Skinnar. Cuttino is the product of hard coaching. he became a star and improved his game every year under Al. Cuttino loves nothing more than to he "hated on" or dismissed as a sub par player. He likes to prove people wrong. He has said it in interviews, he has proved it on the court. In my years on this BBS I have heard his critics every year. it seems every year those same critics and "haters" make statements like "he is getting better but I still rather trade him, or have him come off the bench" "His defence is improving but he is still a cancer to this team" It is like some people feel the need to say bad things about him, but also cant resist pointing out his improvements. All of these improvements were under a coach that was known for being a little soft on players. with JVG Cuttino should improve by larger margins. historicly he has improved under the tutolage of a strong coach in Al Skinnar. Alot of Cuttinos bad habits came in his senior year under Herrack. Odom was hanging around the team and Cuttino knew he may become elligable 2nd semester. He also knew that his friend and PG Tyson Wheeler was not really a good shot for the NBA being so sleight in frame. Cuttino took over his senior year. Cuttino played a team ball but he clearly was given the green light to shoot that year. It was all about Tyson and Cat. It turned out well for him. He was able to cary the team in the NCAA tourney (with conciderable help from Wheeler) and get noticed big time by the NBA. A-10 Guards are not exactly legendary, but Cuttino got his chance. he got his chance by playing a lower quality, less team oriented play, but was very successfull, and on a huge stage. He also worked his butt off and actually made an impact in the NBA playing out of position. I could write a novella about what would have helped Cuttino develope once he got in the league, but since he has had so much success and no one expected him to, I will just let people continue to doubt him, and let him continue to improve and prove his doubters wrong. And what is this calling Cuttino a cancer BS all about. he does not get into fights, he does not get DWI, he does not get cought smoking weed, he does not get arrested. hell he hardly ever gets a T or even fouls out. he is most likely a good influence on the other players on the team. Cancer my arse. 6th man my arse. PEACE
If u'd bothered to read ... I was answering the question whether teams start their best five. That list shows that a team's 3rd or 4th best scorer has come off the bench a lot ... What the hell is your point? Whether Cat is better than all of those "scrubs" is immaterial. He is the 3rd option on our team and he is a good 6th man candidate. I actually think it is better for him to do so, he can show all of his stuffs rather than start and has 1 hand tied behind his back. What does this have to do with this topic?
sounds like a reasoning voice to me. i see your point, but... a lot of players don't do the things that you mentioned above... fights, dwi, weed, arrested, etc. any person (doesn't matter if they play in the nba) is expected not to do these things. the argument you made is that cuttino is a pillar of the community. i agree with what ragingfire mentioned above. coming off the bench would suit him better. i see no reason why it should hurt his point production and see every reason why it could help the rox with a go-to-guy coming off the bench. it shouldn't be looked upon as a demotion when it's helping the team gel while keeping cuttino satisfied with his stats. why should it matter if he comes off the bench starting the game when he's helping carry the team in crunch time?
I am one of Mobley's biggest critics, but my problems with him stem from the fact that he is the same player as Francis. I have always wanted Francis to move to the 2 and the Rockets bring in a real 1, but that doesn't look like it is going to happen. So, that means one of 2 things: 1) Either Francis learns to be a true "1" (which is really hard because you really are born to be a 1, IMO and if you don't have the feel for it, it is hard to truly obtain) Or 2) Mobley becomes the playmaker that Francis needs to be which means not jacking up ill-advised shots and creating opportunities for his teammates, especially Yao by passing the ball to them. The situation that Omega described against Orlando is the stuff that really boils my blood with Mobley. It is like he is not paying attention, whatsoever, to what is going on in the game. He just wants to get his 20 or so points. I keep hoping that I will be wrong about him, and don't worry, I will have no problem admitting it; however, I have a hard time seeing it happen. It is ingrained in him (as well as Francis) to play this certain style. Telling him to stop playing that way would be like telling me to stop drinking Mello Yellos or to quit listening to The Cure...it isn't going to work.
I really like CAT ... but, he's just not very basketball smart. I love his hard work ethic, cheap contract, gym rat toughness, first step, and belief in himself, regardless of the odds, rising above his underdog status, giving us a great player from the 2nd round. Cuttino loves to please his coaches, seems to genuinely enjoy everyone around him, is a good role model, and an all around good guy. He is an instinctual player. Those intincts can be great at times, causing him to rise above what anyone expects, which I admire. But, those same instincts get him into all sorts of trouble. That same cocky underdog spirit puts a chip on his shoulder of stubborness, causing him not to "get it" in terms of team ball, jacking up shots, ISOing, and dribbling down the clock. And, that is what frustrates the hell out of me. Ming has showed us how wonderful intelligence is, with his court sense, and playing smart basketball, bringing everyone into the game. This only makes the contrast with Mobely more obvious. As Mobely get's older, and loses that first step, his lack of smarts will catch up. Perhaps, VanGundy can translate team ball into Cat's language by getting him to focus on being a great defender, and take pride in it. That fundamental change could be a stroke of VG genius. We'll see. If not, I have a feeling he'll be traded.
imma make an attempt to get this thred back on track SO...i think mobley has been doing really well...is he #1 in 3pt fg yet??...but yea, he's been shooting really well and he's actually passing ...so yea..i think he's doing really well
