With all the talk about the lottery, playoffs, and the Rockets future, I was thinking if Cuttino really fits into our future plans as things stand. We all know Francis and Cato are in those plans because Steve is "The New Franchise" and Cato has the big contract(although contracts haven't been kind to the Rocks lately), but truly do ya'll think he will fit into the teams plans 2-3 years down the line? ------------------ Tanking is not acceptable. End of story.
The Mission,if you choose to accept it ...... Like the Mission Impossible theme ... I gave myself an assignment for the last five or six games. I watched Mobley. I watched him run with and without the ball. I took notes. I watched how he interacted with others, how he motivated himself, how he practiced. Even spoke briefly with him (he's very engaging, open, almost charismatic). I "scouted" his abilities. I gauged his worth versus talent. I speculated on his value for us and for other teams. Athleticism: Definitely in excellent physical shape. Prideful, and rightly so, of his adherence to a clean and healthy living style. Untiring while playing. He can play 48 minutes with very few letups. Not injury prone. Stretches religiously. Plays "all-out" every shift. Talent: Offense Inate scoring abilities and ball handling with a street-wise flair. Good vertical physics and quick off the mark (first step). Good face up with an average to slightly above-average crossover. Can shoot of the dribble. Can create. Decent mid range jump shot. Good trey when hurried, poorer when given time. Excellent free thrower. Has shown excellent ability to pass but does telegraph his passes almost as many times(50-50), and thus drops his overall pass score considerably. While he has improved his "finishing" (penetration) offense this season, he still is less than average for the number of touches he receives. Makes his scoring much more difficult than they need to be. Defense He steadly has improved his ability, especially at "tight quarters" defense, under the basket, in the slot, "attack" defense at entry point in the half court set, recognizing and covering passing lanes. Open court defensive skills are improving as he is less impulsive than previous. But he still has trouble in some areas of up-tempo defensive sets (reaching-in on the run, closing off lanes too early, late setting a blocking stance (particularily at the baseline), poor straddling a player on the run), and body postioning and defensiive footwork continue to be areas he needs work on, if he wants to move up a defensive level. Leadership: Has shown a considerable amount of maturity and poise at times this year. Has lead the team in the lockeroom and on the court during lax team efforts. Has remained coachable and accepted his role off the bench and in other less tangible aspects. Other: 1. Conversely, he has shown he can be a poor decision maker with the ball at times. Especially, during some important possessions and key moments in crucial games. His relationship with other members including, Barkley and Francis help him, as they immediately and ferociously berate him during these episodes. But it is a trait that does not appear to have been improved on, and hurts his overall rating. 2. His burgeoning relationships within the team make this team very together and tight. Both socially and professionally. Some nights the passes between Cat, Carlos, Francis and Anderson are so fast and precise that it is scarry. Francis and Mobley work particularly very well in a two man game. Team Value: The Roster Value: Scoring and leadership skills make him an integral part of the chemistry of this roster. He is an instant offense at times, right off the bench. His infectious smile and eagerness his refreshing. He is coachable. And frankly, for all the grief and "father to son" yelling that he puts up with from Rudy( RT really treats him harshly at times)he shows the other guys he can take it and keep on ticking. This is invaluable demonstartion to a team of young players. The Dollar Value: His minimum salary scale is a great value dollar-wise for the Rockets. His talent and production would usually command a much higher figure. The fact that he is an overall good talent, and a free agent this summer will not be lost on the other general mangers out there. They surely have been keeping track of his game. The Future His agent will likley demand a salary in the neighborhood of $6M/year or more for multiple years. More than likely, he will be offered $3.5M/year (to $4.5M) in a three to four year deal by the Rockets. This will be a contract that will be almost nonnegotiable (IMHO). The most likely scenario: Cuttino and his agent refuses the Rocket's offer (as noted) and a sign and trade deal is worked out to get Cat his dollar value contract elsewhere and the Rockets get a higher valued forward.(The aforesaid relationship with Francis, Shandon and the team may be a deciding factor. But, Mobley always had high opinions of his worth, he bristle about the Rockets offer, and walk.)In short, although I wish it were not so, I don't think he will be with us next year. <center>OVERALL RATING</center> Athleticism: A Talent: Offense = B Defense = C+ Leadership: B Team Value: The Roster = B+ The Dollar = A+ [This message has been edited by popeye (edited January 18, 2000).]
I think popeye nailed one of the intangibles on the head; the friendship between Stevie Franchise and Cuttino can not be overlooked. With 2 guards that are so close off the court, good things are bound to happen on the court. The fact is, if Mobley isn't part of the Rockets future plan, I'd have to question RT/CD decision making. Rudy seems to have a lot of confidence in his abilities (who else has the ball when it's crunch time). The last time he traded away someone like that, he gave up Sam Cassell (among others) for a future hall of famer. I don't see Rudy dismantling this team anytime soon. He simply hasn't had enough time to evaluate the talent and options available. Maybe after next year, if he sees it all going wrong, a trade will be made. But if it is, it had better be for another future hall of famer.
In my assessment, as I've stated before, Cuttino has the value of a Vernon Maxwell. His numbers are very similar this year to Vernon's on the 1st championship team. He's an emotional leader, streaky shooter, poor decision making 2-guard. Oddly enough, he seems to have the same appeal as Vernon: love him or hate him. His defense isn't what Vernon's was, and the Rockets survived without Vernon the same way they'll survive without Cuttino. There are plenty of athletic 2-guards who can play one-on-one and shoot a poor percentage from the outside. IMHO, the similarities are remarkable. How many times did you see Vernon jack up a 3 and think "What was that?". Vernon was an excellent penetrator who loved the 3 too much. Unfortunately, Cuttino plays on a losing team so he'll catch a lot more heat because his poor decisions cost the Rockets more wins than Vernon's did. [This message has been edited by Tb-Cain (edited January 18, 2000).]
Well the money aspect of this game definitely has a major influence on a team's make-up, it's chemistry. A great deal of these things (not all but a majority) are not under the direct control of RT and CD.Management as a whole, has to look at who is/or will be available, needs for the team, holes to fill, redundancies, future commitments(player and salary-wise), tradeability, individual demands, etc .... 1. IMHO (Although I am not privy to contracts for free agents next summer) a contract offer in the $3.5M - 4.0M per year range, looks fair for Mobley right now. 2. IMHO Cat and his agent will turn that Rocket's offer down if that is indeed the offerb next summer. 3. IMHO (again) This decision will be made by Cat and his agent, not CD and RT.
Cuttino also doesn't get in any trouble off the court, doesn't fight with teammates, doesn't get suspended, shoots way better from the foul line, takes the ball to the basket way more, and has just completed his first full season as a pro. Maxwell had all the aforementioned negatives, and was in his prime during our first championship season. Mobley will make way more of an impact in the NBA than Maxwell ever did.
Ah, Juan Valdez from the land of fine Corinthian leather, oil spill namesakes and coffee donkey herder .... The telling feature in all of this is, there are teams out there who will pay him what he wants. That is, $6M for the first year, etc .... . There is an old adage in marketing that states the value of anything is predicated on what the market is willing to bear. Bottom Line: Mobes' marketability is probably worth much more than what the Rockets will offer him. Therefore, in lieu of getting nothing for him, they will parlay that marketability into a sign and trade, if he doesn't opt for the $3.5M/year Rockets offer. Which although a possibility, is not a probablity. IMHO
Popeye, I wonder how much an effect our right of first refusal will have on keeping Mobley. If we offer 4 million and he waxes indignant and storms out only to find other teams will offer no more than 4 million, wouldn't he be coming back?
