Incidentally, I find it somewhat humerous that we are bickering about the fact that Cato should be starting (me included). When you look back on Rudy's history you can find the same things said about Cassell when he backed up Kenny Smith and even sometimes Elie when he came off the bench. The person who starts the game doesn't always finish it. If Cato plays 30 minutes and puts up double doubles on a regular basis then does it really matter whether he starts or comes off the bench? That being said, I think the Washington game highlites the fact that Francis and Cato are the new linch pins of this team. If they play well the team has a good chance to win. If they don't then we won't win. I think what's frustrating for Rockets fans is that we remember when Hakeem was the linch pin of the team. He almost always played well, so we didn't have to worry about him. Francis and Cato will have some games that they lay eggs, but as they continue to play more you can notice that those games come less frequently. Incidentally, it's really nice that Matt Bullard is playing well, but should he be given minutes over Shandon Anderson? Shandon Anderson is probably the third most important player on this team (after Francis and Cato). He must have minutes. He has never been in a lineup without veteran leaders before this year. He always fed off of them in Utah. So, creating for himself is going to be a learning experience and he will have some nights like last night during that process. The key is to keep him on the floor and let him learn with the others. I'm sure a resounding victory against the Buzzards is really nice, but wouldn't we rather see these core guys playing together and building momentum? ------------------ Rockets When? Rockets When?
