Duncan wore him out and he is simply an amazing player but the Rockets refused to double team because, as Matt Bullard said after the game, they did not want to give up any three's to the Spurs who shoot 40% from the three-point line as a team. Kudos to Cato for taking on that responsibility and NOT FOULING OUT. He played the best defense that could be expected considering how great Duncan is, and he IS unreal. I don't care what Duncan scored, NO ONE in this league could guard Duncan alone and Cato took the punishment for the betterment of the team and I salute him for it. ------------------ "Oh, God. I wish I was a loofa."
Amen. Mango- ------------------ Get it right or just don't do it! Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain and ....
That was an excellent game by Cato. Forget the boxscore(5pts, 5reb, 1blk); Cato made Duncan work for everything he had to get, even late in the game, Duncan had to work. He got no easy baskets. That was key to the Rockets comeback. And what's more, Duncan only went to the line 3 times. For a guy who took 28 shots down low, thats unreal. ------------------ The Rockets will be the NBA champions. Believe.
To put in perspective, some of the best big men in the game get torn up by Duncan (including Chris Webber, who was destroyed by him in one game), so if he made Duncan work for his points and rebounds, no problem. At least he served a purpose in the defense. ------------------ "Yes, you can touch me." -- Rocketman95 showing he's not only a liberal, but he's pretty liberal with his body... I don't make this stuff up folks, they really say it...
the thing that cato impressd me with was staying on the floor w/ duncan w/ a hand in his face. usually he jumps at everything. n he had a key block at the end. cato is improving rapidly. he showing nice touch on his free throws also. im happy so far. good work kelvin. now stay healthy damnit. ------------------ --TEX
Since Cato's been back,he's stayed on the floor quite often,not biting on those fakes. He is changing shots,too,on a regular basis.Opponents seem to have a respect for coming inside despite Dream not being there and Cato is the reason.I feel KC is headed in the right direction. ------------------ [This message has been edited by hardwood (edited March 17, 2001).]
This was a HUGE game by Cato. Cato's presence on the floor gave his teamates the chance to make the 2nd half surge they did. It was not a coincidence that the Rockets were slaughtered in the first half after Cato left the game with two fouls. As others have stated, Cato has been making big strides of late. Instead of picking up quick fouls, he is staying in the game and making a difference that just doesn't show up in the box score. If he can keep this up, the Rockets will cause some problems for the Western Conference's elite in the playoffs. ------------------
Even more impressive was his attitude in the forth quarter. Like you said, it isn't bad to get abused by Duncan when you are guarding him alone. Cato and the rest of the team stayed cool when the Spurs started fighting back hard at the end. I think that the Spurs are going to win it all and the Rockets did an excellent job tonight. (savor this one because it may be a while until we beat them again) [This message has been edited by Doctor Robert (edited March 17, 2001).]
What I loved most was his hussel. It seemed like he was running up and down the floor and fighting every single play ------------------
Cato was awesome this game. He was key in almost every area. He played stifling defense on Duncan (as stifling as one could be against Tim), kept balls alive for rebounds, and was a great force out on the floor. And something I was noticing is that he didn't complain at all to the officials. Ever time he got called for a foul, he took it like a man, and kept playing hard. Excellent game for KC. He's starting to look like a better and better investment. ------------------ What can change the nature of a man?
Cato played good, but it just made me wish we had Dream, I mean Dream can still play some serious D. DaDakota ------------------ If you like RTS games, check out this one. www.frontierwars.com coming soon to a PC near you.
I missed the game. It's good to hear Cato put in a solid performance. What would you guys say was the most effective lineup the Rockets put on the floor tonight? How does Cato's play this game (and the last few) affect your opinion (if at all) about his role on the team and whether he's worth keeping? ------------------
Did Bullard really say that? Behad and I were saying that in the game. We were yelling to double him, but then realized the same thing. 2s from Duncan weren't going to get them back in the game. Make the 2 pointer play catch-up...don't allow the swings for 3. Well done Rudy!! Coach of the year!! 16 and 4 now.
Weirdly enough, the most effective line-up was : Steve Francis Cuttino Mobley Matt Bullard Maurice Taylor Kelvin Cato Cato played Duncan and Bullard's defensive defenciency's couldn't be exposed by Danny "Poor man's Matt Bullard" Ferry. If I see the same hustle, and effort every game for the rest of the season, and then in the playoffs . . . then maybe. ------------------ The Rockets will be the NBA champions. Believe.
I loved Cato's block he had, which I believe was on Avery Johnson. ------------------ Arkansas' Biggest Rocket Fan!
If he plays like he did tonight for the rest of the season, and in the playoffs, then he might be worth the money. Or just easier to trade. ------------------ The Rockets will be the NBA champions. Believe.
At first HP and I were screaming "Double him, double him!" as he was making that spin move to the basket. But what we saw was that he was not getting anyone else involved, and then we just matched basket for basket (till that 8-0 at the end....Ugh!) Cato did exactly what we needed him to do! Great game, Kelvin! ------------------ Behad Sergeant at Arms of the Clutch BBS [This message has been edited by Behad (edited March 18, 2001).]
This little tidbit from the Chronicle: Press row view Three-point shooting beat the Spurs on Saturday. But it was not just Matt Bullard's storm of 3s that knocked down the league's hottest team. The Rockets would not let the Spurs, the best 3-point shooting team in the NBA, breathe at the arc. They left Kelvin Cato and Carlos Rogers alone on Tim Duncan inside, offering no double-team help beyond a little sagging inside, but took away the 3-point line. Duncan needed 28 shots to get his 25 points. And the Spurs were allowed just six 3-pointers, making a harmless two. ------------------ Behad Sergeant at Arms of the Clutch BBS
