Cato has been saying I'm hurt since he came back from his injury but we need him despite his fragile ego.
He's defintely ruled by how he's feeling "mentally". I wonder if he might have gotten off of his meds. (and I have no idea if he's on anything for depression... sorry, Kelvin, if you're misdiagnosed) I have a close friend who is bi-polar and sometimes gets off his meds because it affects his performance in the sack. Anyway, I agree that this has been handled in a strange way by JVG and would lead someone to think there's more to it than his shoulder. I guess we will find out sooner or later.
It must have been a different press conference because the sound byte on Sports Radio 610 was "Playoff Roster" Edit: We know he will be playing, we're just curious as to what happened.
I hope all these bad vibes about eroding team chemistry are overblown. Not the best of times to implode... http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2004/columns/story?columnist=walton_bill&id=1784558 Saturday, April 17, 2004 The long, winding road By Bill Walton Special to ESPN.com The Houston Rockets are a team in turmoil right now, and they're about to march their problems right into the lion's den on Saturday when they face the Los Angeles Lakers to begin the first round of the NBA playoffs. You can never underestimate team chemistry. And with Kelvin Cato leading the charge, the Rockets are struggling to get on the same page with each other and with coach Jeff Van Gundy. Van Gundy is as prophetic and analytical as any coach in the league. He's quick to point out when his team isn't playing hard or smart ball. Tack on their lack of depth, and the Rockets have a tough road ahead of them. All the while, a self-described "fatigued" Yao Ming continues to be a breath of fresh air by taking responsibility for his own shortcomings and poor performance. Yao might want to take a lesson from some of the less forthright players in the league who, when things don't go their way, simply point the blame somewhere else. And although Yao isn't an "I confess, he did it" kind of player, that certainly won't stop Van Gundy from calling him out to try to get him going. The Rockets will need peak performances from each of their veterans to match up in this series -- something that rarely happened this season. Cuttino Mobley and Steve Francis, who's currently day-to-day with a swollen elbow, need to play better than they've ever played. Clarence Weatherspoon and Maurice Taylor also need to deliver. And Cato needs to get his shoulder and his head back in the game. They can't continue to put the onus on Yao to go out there and beat Shaquille O'Neal by himself. That's not the way this works. If the Rockets think they can come in and play well based on earlier meetings against the Lakers, they're in for a rude awakening. The key Rockets have no playoff experience. Francis, Mobley and the rest must rally together and play with pride and as a real team to make something happen against this Lakers squad. L.A., like all great championship teams, has little or no respect for its opposition. And despite the fact that Yao is at his absolute best against Shaq, the Lakers see the Rockets as a mere bump in the road towards their destination -- another championship.
This is probably to throw people off, you see how all of us are speculating about Cato. Imagine how the Lakers are trying to figure this one out?
