The one concern I think everyone has sort of glossed over is the fact that Yao last year, once double-teamed, tended to lose the ball, either because he brought the ball down too low or because he was being hacked and the refs didn't call it. I'm hoping he gets better in this department and the coaching staff pays particular attention to him passing out of the double team. However, if he can't get the ball out of the post once they double down on him, having shooters is a moot point. Given our current roster, we have enough people that can hit the open shot. Like said before, JJ, Howard, Pike, Boki aren't All-Stars, but they can hit the open shot. Let's not get greedy here: we already have a core that should be great and a decent surrounding cast. Let's let these players (as well as a few others signed through FA) play together and see what exactly we need and go from there.
You want blocks? Kelvin Cato has a career 1.34 BPG (in 20.0 MPG). Keon Clark has a career 1.62 BPG (in 22.6 MPG). Erick Dampier has a career 1.61 BPG (in 25.7 MPG). Oliver freaking Miller has a career 1.54 BPG (in 23.0 MPG) Stromile Swift has a career 1.50 BPG (in 18.5 MPG). Joel Przybilla has a career 1.37 BPG (in 15.0 MPG). Steven Hunter has a career 1.05 BPG (in 12.1 MPG). Mamadou N'diaye has a career 1.02 BPG (in 13.6 MPG). Chris Mihm has a career .93 BPG (in 19.0 MPG). Cato can be replaced. Although we lose a slight edge in blocked shots with Howard starting over MoT (.57 to .37), we gain a HUGE edge with T-Mac (1.17 career BPG) over Mobley (.43). Also, keep in mind that Yao should get better as well.
Great point, don't forget that Cato also had the lateral movement of oak tree. We will not miss Cato, his contributions can be easily replaced for 1/4 the $$$$.
My god people, we lost out in blocks yes, but we gained not only offense with Juwan but more rebounds. If you couldn't have both, and Yao Ming was your starting center, and T-mac was your SG/swingman, what would you prefer from your PF, blocks or rebounds? Just how crucial is it having a second shot blocker, compared to shooting, a good low post game and rebounds? We suffered offensively last year, not defensively remember? The subtraction of Cato's blocks is a marginal loss compared to the significant addition of offense that can spread the floor for Yao and rebounds. Not to mention, our defensive flaw last year was gaurding the perimeter, we now have a 6'8 SG/swingman with great to excellent defensive skills, problem solved. Our perimeter defense increased significantly, interior defense decreased marginally. And I repeat increased our offense productivity GREATLY. Blocking is not CRUCIAL. As for Sane's comment that Yao's not going to block more shots suddenly, suddenly? He's 23, it's just as possible for him to block more shots as it is for him to get more points and more rebounds next year. Stop pressing the issue of 'blocking' as if the success of next season depended on it. Considering what we've gained and lost, 'blocking' should not be a concern at all.
Completely agree with Rocket River. This team has a serious dearth of shooters. It has for years, to be honest. But it's worse without Mobley. We need a 3 who can nail the 3.
i think saying losing Cato is a marginal loss is underestimating things a big we went TO H*LL when Cato was out last year Van Gundy Defense PREFERS bad perimeter Defense to Bad Interior Defense. . . if WANTS the other team to shoot jumpers QUESTION: Do we really see Yao as a 35+ minute a game guy? once he retires to the bench . . . .will it be a layup derby against the might combo of HOWARD AND TAYLOR? But back to shooters. . . . We need them to Keep yao and T-mac fresh and not draped with Defenders and this is not only 3 pt specialist those 15 ~ 20 footers too. Rocket River
But we still had the 7th best defense two years ago with Cato a strictly backup. Last year we were just in a major funk, mainly because Yao was tired after his March hot streak rather than Cato's injury. In fact, Cato's production can be easily replaced. Our defense may regressed from the 3rd to 7th, but offense will be much improved. More production from the PFs and less double-team for Yao, which hopefully will save him some energy. Moreover, our playmaking will be better. No more dribble dribble dribble and Yao can save more energy fighting in the post.
sometimes dribble dribble was waiting waiting but that being said. . . . I think Cato Contributed mightily to our defense. . . i will leave it at that Rocket River
You don't have to have good shot blkers to be a really good defensive team. alot of times, shot blockers get out of position and leave offensive rebounds. It defeinitley helps, but everyone plays good defense and keeps their man out of the lane, then there will be no shots to blk. After Mia lost Zo, they were still one of the top defensive teams. Play good man defense and contest shots and the team will be ok.
as long as they listen to JVG on defense, and box everyone out, we will be almost as good defensivley as last year. maybe not top 3 again, but surely top 5 in the league. on the other hand tmac and lue produce just as many points as steve and cat. then look at JH's scoring compared to cato. we will be a much higher scoring team than last year. dont forget about being able to run fast breaks too! realistically our scoring average could be up 10 points between fastbreaks and JH replacing cato. the problem is our op. ppg will be up like 5ppg too. but that is still an extra 5 point difference. all we would need to keep our op. ppg where it was last year is to find a F/C who can block, rebound, and shoot a little. when we find that, along with a PG and a C, we might head right to the finals.
I don't see why we just HAVE to get another shooter. Last year we had two players allowed opponents to double/triple Yao at will in Cato and Francis. Cato couldn't shoot anything beyong 3 feet. Francis simply couldn't catch and shoot from the perimeter. This year, we're going to have Howard, a very good mid-range shooter, and Lue + good shooting FA PG to replace them. When Yao passes out of the double team this year, there will definitely be someone on the perimeter who can knock down the jumpshot.
You know what irritates me? All this obsession with numbers. "we lost 0.7645635 bpg with Cato going, but T-Mac gets 1.1546382 bpg, so we'll be alright." Cato was a solid interior defender, regardless of stats. He was physically strong, and often guarded the stronger post player. That presence alongside Yao will be gone, and Howard is not going to replace. EG (even if he was healthy, not crazy) wouldn't either. He was a poor man defender, who picked up weakside blocks. This team doesn't need that. Yao will pick up a lot of fouls on the defensive end if he has to guard the best post player on every team. Hopefully, the perimeter D will be better, and the interior guys won't have to cover so much on the penetrating defenders. Still, a strong, defensive-minded PF/C is a priority, over more shooters, in my mind.
Last year, the year we went "to hell" when Cato was out, had a horrible Francis(the second scoring option on our team, and starting PG), a crippled bench, had terrible offense, Yao, JJ and to a lesser extent Cat aside, and turnover problems. This year, the main turnover guys of last year, are gone, the crippled bench is up to par, atleast Pike is, not sure about AC. And our offensive woes, have been replaced with a motivated T-mac, Juwan( A Mo taylor with a low post game and rebounds) and Lue (a PG that can actually shoot). Might I add, Cato's 'blocks' were of the "slap em out of bounds" technique. Basically another way to turn the ball over, and give the opposition another go at the basket. It's already known JH is an automatic 7-8 rebounder, but might I add most of his rebounds come from the defensive end. To me that's as good, if not better than blocks that just end up as second chance shots for the opposition. While Cato's blocks prevented a penetrator from scoring, at the initial moment, it still ended up as second chance shots for the opposition. As I said, marginal loss, compared to what we gained. As for the proposed possible lay up show versus Mo and Juwan, sure, if they get by T-mac and Lue. Lue's only flaw defensively is his height, he can easily be drawn in for the mid range jumpshot. However, he will not let mediocre PG's zip past him as Steve was known for doing in his career as a Rocket. This trade was a marginal loss and a great gain, period. A second shot blocker , is not CRUCIAL with the team we already have. It'd be a nice plus, but it is far from being 'crucial'.
Except Shaq, who Yao now only has to face twice, who exactly is Yao going to face who he will be more likely to foul than vice versa. Vlade, Rasha, Brad Miller? I don't think so. Someone like Miller might make Yao come out on the floor where he can't protect the basket, but I don't anyone of those guys will get a lot of fouls on him. Duncan, Garnett, Dirk, Randolph, Boozer, Brand, Webber--JH will get first crack at them, than MoT, and only in extremely rare situations would Yao be on them. Remember if a team goes small (Duncan and 4 shooters)--it also means their key player is very much outsized by Yao on the other end. I'd certainly like another defensive presence besides Yao that we could play--someone like Booth, but I put this as a strong 2nd priority to adding another solid guard who can help man the point. Otis Thorpe made an effective back-up center and he was a power forward (like JH/MoT) who couldn't block shots either.
It would also help a great deal if we got Antonio Daniels - a perimeter defense of Daniels, Tmac and JJ wouldn't allow too much penetration. We need some athletic shotblocking. Strength isn't a big problem - Yao is pretty strong and MoT has good size and strength (although he doesn't use it well). For example, a Kurt Thomas would help but a Marcus Camby would be even nicer. Something in between would be perfect - a PJ Brown. I'd like him to be a few years younger, but I'd be perfectly fine with the current PJ Brown.
