I know it's just preseason but I have been very impressed by our perimeter of Francis/Mobley/Norris/Torres/Morris. They are running the floor, swarming on defense, and moving the ball with quick sharp passes. Morris and Torres will be huge over the long haul. They remind me of when Shandon Anderson and Howard Eisley used to come in and provide energy, allowing John Stockton and Karl Malone to focus on scoring. Both of these guys are long, athletic, and solid ball handlers. They will take a great deal of pressure off of Francis and Mobley. Though the price tag seemed a bit high, I don't think it was too much to bring Moochie Norris back. He brings energy and leadership off the bench. Francis is Francis. Not much to say there. I've been extremely pleased by Mobley's play this preseason. He's applying himself on defense and most of all, he isn't playing with the ball. He is either quickly making his move or passing the ball. Cato's play has also been very encouraging.
I love how they are playing. Morris and Torres, ( damn rhymers) are probably my 2 favorites off the bench. Torres has awesome open court defense, he hustles and he doesnt look 6'6. I give him 6'7 or close to 6'8. Terrence Morris is like Carlos Rogers but with 300% better ball handling and more strength and better shot.
6'6" may be his real height. His NBA height should be at least 6'7" You right about TMO. He has an amazing complete game for a rookie. He will be a great fit for the team.
Geez! Talk about short! I'm sure we'll only see this lineup when we play the Phoenix-es of the NBA. During the regular season, against any team with a center that has a pulse, we would have been eaten up with this lineup on the floor. I like it though. It really created match up and speed problems. Maybe in short bursts during the game, we could utilize this group of players...possibly when the opponent's first team center sits to take a breather.
How many teams have a center with a pulse? Most teams don't. Remember that Phoenix with its small line has done well. They make the playoffs. And they don't have a center at all, while we have Cato and Collier. In addition, Cato fits a small ball team since he can get out and run.
There is an argument to be made that a smaller line-up is effective against bigger players simply because of speed. The Rockets completely exploited the Spurs slow-moving big men by outrunning them. If this line-up is reserved for the Phoenix-es of the world, I can't imagine why we had it out there against the Spurs.
I agree with your argument on the effectiveness of small vs. slow. But I do not think we will see too much of that particular lineup against the Spurs when the games actually count for something. I think the SA coaching staff will recognize what is happening and make adjustments. Of course that's what the preseason is for...to throw out all sorts of lineups and see how the players mix and match with each other. Personally, I would love to see the Rockets play small-ball. I think they are the fastest team in the NBA (or one of the fastest) and can exploit slower teams like SA and Utah. I just hope they do not go to the well too often and get burned by being too small. And I doubt they'll be playing that lineup against Shaq too often!!!
Jeff, thanks for the analysis on the game. In the section on rookies, I was looking for something on OT and Ike. What were you impressions of them? Also, some of us remain concerned about the front court. Can we expect help from Langhi and Collier or is TMO with some minutes at PF, something we can expect?
You're right. I can't imagine them using it more than four times against him the entire year. You have to do what's right for your team. Everyone needs to quit worrying about Shaq. Or, maybe you would be happy with a 4-78 season. I wouldn't.
