If they do trade him they need to get someone really good in return. Outside of the boneheaded Denver game, Mobley has been the most consistent player on the team, and a lock down defender. DD
Sane,thanks for your reply. I never meant to imply that Mobley was a bad player. I like him but would include him in a trade that could really help us out.
I definitely see your point ON PAPER, but this may be one of those instances where less is more. Ex. Clevelands offense has improved since getting rid of Ricky Davis for role players. I personally think we have enough 1 on 1 type scorers and would definitely entertain trades at this point.
What you say is true, but... I think sometimes guys just rub each other wrong, and that's been the case here. Much like Spree and PJ. Spree loved playing under JVG. Was JVG loose with Spree? Not. Are JVG and PJ different personalities? Most certainly. I think Carlisle was absolutely right, and Ronnie will learn something from this. But they are obviously oil and water, personally. Maybe there's more to it. So far this year, Artest has been a complete stud player, a difference maker. If JVG can work with a sandpaper gamer like Spree, I'd give him a shot with that kind of stud talent at the 3, which would also greatly benefit Ming and Francis, coincidently. THAT is what JVG is here for. Make him earn his money. If he fails, well, cut him. Let him feel the heat, too. That's his rep, that's his job. Make him do it.
mobley has been one of the most consistant scorers on our team, i would hate to see him get traded, just because he made that foul is no reason to get him traded, but if the trade goes down, the rockets better get someone good in return.
When I posted the link this morning, you didn't need to register. The subject of this thread is just a blurb in the complete article. http://www.startribune.com/stories/511/4288593.html NBA Insider: Hey, please swear it won't happen again Steve Aschburner Published December 28, 2003 HOOP28 Before we go any #!%@&ingfurther, let's try to get this bleeping profanity issue [expletive deleted] straight. It is bad to use profanity on the court in the NBA, which is why the league hit Timberwolves swingman Latrell Sprewell with a $25,000 fine Wednesday, after Sprewell blistered the ears of Knicks boss James Dolan, the opposing players and coaches, sensitive New York media types and plenty of fans in the first few rows. It is bad, though, to play without passion in the NBA, a charge that never will be levied against Sprewell. Or Kevin Garnett, for that matter, when he lets loose with the occasional curse word picked up by sideline microphones. It is bad to glare at and verbally assault the owner of an opposing team, showing him up in his own building. But it is bad, too, to let fans believe that NBA stars are only in this for the money and don't really care about their teams or the customers who follow them. Sprewell was angry about being traded, convinced that Dolan pushed for the deal, and bitter about leaving behind his bond with New York hoops fans. In other words, he cared. Seems that the NBA is trying to have it all ways. It wants fire and emotion but not distilled into the street variety pushed by Sprewell on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. It wants fans to pay top dollar, believing that they can witness white-hot competition even in December, but it doesn't want that intensity to turn a game NC-17. In other words, it wants Allen Iverson's hip-hop appeal and anti-establishment attitude, but -- in a famously embarrassing gaffe -- it still wants to air-brush his tattoos off the cover of its league publications. Sure, Sprewell was wrong and behaved badly; it would have been far more galling to Dolan had Sprewell simply scored his 31 points, gone home with the victory and maybe winked at the Knicks' boss on the way out. But the referees were wrong, too, for letting Sprewell go on, unchecked, until the final, ugly 1 minute 14 seconds. All lead ref Dan Crawford needed to do -- 30 seconds into the game, not with 30 seconds left -- was sidle over to Sprewell while someone else shot a free throw and say: "Unh-uh, not tonight. Stu Jackson [NBA senior VP] and Ronnie Nunn [supervisor of officials] are in the house, and you're not going to make us look bad. Don't make me 'T' you up or toss you." Oh, and the New York media were wrong as well in wagging their inky fingers at Sprewell when that, honestly, is what they wanted to write about. Had he handled the night calmly and with class, they would have felt cheated. All charged up The Denver Nuggets have elevated that most blue-collar of plays, taking a charge, to status symbol and financial boon. Coach Jeff Bzdelik has even gone so far as to reward his defenders with $250 each time they stand their ground and take a hit, resulting in a foul and a turnover. Don't worry about any salary-cap violation in those payments, either; the Nuggets are comfortably below the cap. "Drawing charges are inspiring plays," Bzdelik said. "They're uplifting and important plays. It takes courage and effort to do that. It's tangible evidence of guys willing to go the extra mile." Denver's team leaders in charges taken are Marcus Camby and Nene with seven each, a stat that is easy to track because, on Bzdelik's order, the Nuggets publish each player's total in the media notes. Most teams, while eager for the toughness, don't treat such plays nearly as special. Several of the players attribute Bzdelik's passion for the defensive tactic as a by-product of his seven seasons working for hard-nosed Pat Riley. "He wants guys to get dirty and get scrapes and bruises an stuff like that," Camby said. "We're going in definitely trying to get charges." Taking charges is such a part of the Nuggets' culture that, last season, when Juwan Howard finally got his first of 2002-03 all the way into February, the bench went bananas and Howard bounced up holding his index finger high in a No. 1 salute. Now he plays great Speaking of taking charges, a guy known for that in his Wolves days is playing pretty well down in Milwaukee now. Coach Terry Porter has even called Joe Smith his most consistent contributor. Smith, traded to the Bucks in the Sam Cassell deal, averaged 11.1 points and 9.5 rebounds in his first 27 games and had a performance against Detroit last week (18 points, 17 boards) to rival anything he posted in four seasons with the Wolves. His three-point play with 58 seconds left iced the victory over the Pistons and, in Milwaukee's next game, Smith had a key block on New Jersey's Kenyon Martin to maintain a four-point lead in the closing seconds. "The last couple years I haven't had a chance to be out on the floor," said Smith, for whom injuries and inconsistency contributed to his pine time in Minnesota. "Coach Porter has the confidence to leave me out on the floor at crunch time, giving me quality minutes." Dot . . . dot . . . dot • Washington coach Eddie Jordan scoffs at reports that he was the brains behind Byron Scott during the Nets' two trips to the Finals. "You know what I did?," said Jordan, of his time on Scott's staff. "I did what I was told to do." • It says something about Josh Howard's game -- and the Wolves' decision not to draft him last June -- that Dallas talk shows were besieged by callers imploring the Mavericks to turn over Michael Finley's minutes to the rookie. But Dallas went 2-3 while Finley was out with a sprained big toe and assistant coach Donnie Nelson said: "He's a big part of the soul of this basketball team." • Love that old school: Cleveland coach Paul Silas has limited loud music in the locker room before games. The tunes of choice had been hardcore rap, prompting Silas to say: "I can't stand it." • Houston scorer Cuttino Mobley has been the target of numerous trade calls, while San Antonio is said to be shopping Hedo Turkoglu because, it turns out, he doesn't really fit the Spurs' system. • Miami coach Stan Van Gundy treated his team to a showing of "The Last Samurai" last week on a day off in Memphis. Then he simply wrote the word "Samurai" on the pregame strategy board, hoping the Heat players had paid attention. • When Carmelo Anthony was a guest last week on Jimmy Kimmel Live, another guest was Hugh Hefner. Hef invited the Nuggets rookie to the Playboy Mansion. Did he accept? Said Anthony: "Heck yeah."
What's the saying again? Where's there smoke, there's probably fire. I think Cuttino may have been dangled out there since Steve and Cuttino are essentially the same players. If Cuttino is traded, Rockets need a passing point guard and/or a small forward.
If Steve wasn't running the point, he'd be a guy who would be scoring 25 points a game. And I'd even bet he'd get around 7 assists a game as well. Steve has good intentions with his passes, they just aren't natural like Kidd's. But, Steve passes better than average for a SG. Remember that Clyde at the SG and SF would average 5 to 6 assists a game. Steve is a scorer, if the Rockets can get a PG, they should do it as long as any trade does not involve Yao or Steve. But let's not forget, it the Rockets expect to compete this or next year, they CANNOT trade Cato.
If there was any chance of us getting Artest we should move Heaven and Earth. He would bring the toughness that is badly missing on this Team.
This team has enough toughness on the defensive end...I'm more concerned with the side of toughness that Artest can't bring.
Trading Mobley would be a mistake. Mobley is the key to getting Rasheed for the MLE this summer. They are budies from Philly. I know Rasheed is crazy, but if he wasn't he would either go for a real contract or to a real Contender. The only way we get him for the MLE is Mobes gets him high and he signs on the dotted line...
Right about the Mobley connection. Totally wrong about Rasheed smoking pot. He may still lose is temper but he does not smoke the weed any longer.
Its time for Mobley to go. He could get us a good player in return. THe backcourt needs some change. Maybe Steve would take a bigger leadership role with Mobley gone.
Can we not put Clyde Drexler and Steve Francis in the same sentence? That's a lot of disrespect to Clyde, and Clyde was smarter in college than Steve is now.
It is sad, really, what about team chemistry and loyalty? Cat was extremely upset and didn't speak a word long after the game vs Nuggets ended (Reporter quoted Yao Ming saying that on sina.com.cn). You don't have to question how genuine this is, as you would know Cat has been trying his best and showed that he cared. It is unfair to have him traded for whatever reason, just like that... man is not a commodity and he is not being paid that much by playing for the Rockets. How about having a team of players you know and love instead of just looking at the whole thing entirely from a busniess perspective? Lets keep the whole team and see them improve... SS999
It's tough, isn't it? Cuttino has played very well lately, aside from ultimately costing us the game against Denver. Steve has struggled to adapt, although he is obviously trying, and has shown some improvement lately (although he still couldn't hit the floor if he rolled out of bed). And yet here we find out that Rasheed wants to play with Steve and Yao, which makes us believe, he wants to play with Cat, and Steve as a throw-in. Yao can be there to provide the face for Sheed to throw his towel at (gosh, I hate ending sentences with a preposition, so I'll tack on this parenthetical afterthought).
