He it is not like he does not try on defense. He is just naturally not good at it. In most cases he has to gaurd bigger PF's but if you watch earlier in the season when we played Portland, he had great defense while he was matched up against Zach Randolf. Im not saying we should keep him but he just needs to get his touch back. J Howard isnt exactly the best defender either. If we get stuck with him then we might as well let him play. I know he wants play eventhough he can take it easy and make millions. He is the last of the old rockets team before Yao and it will be sad to see him go but they need to make the move for DA if they can.
Indeed. I think this is more of a clue about a possible impending deal than anything we've heard yet. You don't leave someone like Taylor at home, when by most accounts he's healthy, because there is always the possibilty of the "i" word happening to those who have moved ahead of him. IMO, it's just too strange that he's staying in Houston. Something is cooking. Keep GARM Readable!!
Is he still on the IR? If so, why should he travel out of town just for one game when they are back in town on Sunday?
Dont people on the IL usually travel with the team? I thought they did. Obviously this could mean nothing or it could also mean that Mo about to be traded.
unfortunately that also makes him anti Stan Van Gundy anti Larry Brown anti Czar Fratello anti Dunlevy anti Popovitch anti Nelson you get the idea ... basically now that Rudy T is out of the league CD better be calling the Magic and the Knicks every morning
Look Guys. Mo Taylor's dope smoking doesnt make him a worse player. Look at Damon Staudaulmire or Webber? Look at Ricky Williams! Led the league in rushing and smoked big time! I think maybe Mo Taylor's problem is he's eating too many brownies. Maybe if JVG was smart, he'd replace them with LOW CARB BROWNIEs sweatened with SPLENDA.
It may just be the way I'm reading your translation, but that sounds like a subtle way to say that "when he's healthy" translates to "when he gets in shape". Could the season-specific problems with Mo -- his settling for easy jumpers and general malaise that people have attributed to bad attitude be actually indications that Mo's natural tendancy to become a fat-ass has taken over and he's in worse condition than in the past? He's a bit on the shy side of 30. Players like Shawn Kemp and Derek Coleman began to baloon at about that age. I believe (thought I may be off here) that naturally heavy guys like our very own 'Spoon as well as Sir Charles began to display marked physical decline around 30, even if it didn't show up in the stats. In baseball, power hitters are known to develop the physical mass necessary to become sluggers at around 28. Perhaps genetics is catching up with Mo, and JVG wants Mo to develop a new level of dedication in order to stem the tide?
I think you just answered your own statement "Hey, it is not like he does not try on defense. He is just naturally not good at it." I think that about sums it up....Just saying, "Hey, he tries!" Well, that's not good enough. We should move on. And we try and get a better player in exchange. Howard isn't the greatest defender. But he does a few things better than MoT...Howard is better lateral defender, slightly better rebounder, more willing to pass within the offense, and a lot better FT shooter. I never minded MoT coming off the bench. But if we could get a better player for our needs, I say do it. Maybe we can pick up a athletic rebounder. Or a perimeter defender. Or another shooter.
Give Houstonrocketss credit, here you go: Rockets Summary Taylor mystery Rockets forward Maurice Taylor did not join the Rockets on their one-game trip to Indiana because of what team officials called "a personal matter." Taylor also was not at Wednesday's game against the Bulls for the same reason. Team officials did not say when Taylor is expected to rejoin the team. He has been on the injured list since Jan. 18. Rod Strickland will be with the Rockets tonight, but his status is unknown. He strained his left quadriceps during Wednesday's game and never returned. He will be re-evaluated before tonight's game to see if he will be able to play. Megan Manfull
Article pretty much seals the fate of MoT around here. He won't be a Rox next year and maybe the Rox get rid of him before Feb 24, he is going on fire sale and we aren't going to get much back for him. Damn shame, he isn't a bad player but we are probably going to have to give him away to get rid of him.
This must be tongue in cheek. Maurice " I will still be getting paid" Taylor is the last of the culture that was traded away over the summer and over the holidays from last year. This is no longer a "me first", run out of control collection of players but a real team. This team can now shut down anyone in the league and has done and is doing so with increasing consistency. These old, slow guys are showing that a commitment to team defense and defending the passing lanes, ala San Antonio, can beat a group of younger, more talented players. MoT has shown he wants to be one of the Boyz and not one of the guys. The Boyz are all gone now except MoT and he will be sitting on the bench until he is gone or grows up.
There are millions of other reasons, too, if you take my meaning. If we still had his salary, maybe we could use it to sign a 4 that can rebound and play some D.
I'm really not even convinced that Mo has tried on defense this season. He'd basically let guys like Gasol go right around him, and then Yao gets a foul. The charges he took last season have disappeared this year. If Mo tried, and worked on his game in the offseason, maybe he'd be able to make the shots he made last year.
I agree with you. I would love to get a more physical PF and maybe a PF that is not undersized like the rest of ours. Howard does pass more. MoT is just so used to being able to score on demand almost last season and the season before. It is just disappointing to see him go from a candidate for 6th man to not even playing for us. I would like him to get traded just so he can get som PT somewhere else. I still want DA if we cant get that PF.
I agree, it's not the dope. Charles Oakley once claimed the 75% of the league smokes pot. He later retracted that statement and said everyone in the league except for AC Green smokes it. Maybe he's eating potbrownies. Personally, I'd like to see him quit both the dope and the brownies. < MoT (note the sunglasses, to hide the eyes.)
