I support Mo T He signed with the Rockets for 1 mil the first year after he left the Clippers as a free agent. He could have gotten more money elsewhere. He gave us a good solid season with force in the offense. He broke out several games in the beginning with quick scoring. He tended to get in foul trouble early, but he was trying to aggressively defend. He worked out with a vengeance last off season. his achilles tendon injury was a heartbreak. I saw him at almost every home game I attended this season. A lot of people have complained about his contract, but this guy is still young, and if he works hard like I hope he will, he can be an asset this next season. He is a 3rd offfensive force to combine with our back court and will complement Eddie Griffin very well. Let's give this guy a chance and some support.
sure I support any Rockets player but there is no excuse for a Pro athlete who is making millions a year to become extremely fat as the case apparently is. Shame on MO
The only support he needs might be a friggin girdle or some support hose. He stunk when we signed him for a million...he stunk when we signed him for 48 million...he stunk when he hurt himself...and will continue to stink. 2,4,6,8 Lets watch Mo T clean his plate Rah Rah Mo T!!! How's that? Supportive enough?
I'm all for supporting MoT if he can get back in shape before the season. Barkley never use to work out in the offseason but he would never let himself get this out of shape. I swear that if MoT went Kemp on us and thinks that he can sit his fat ass on the bench and collect a check he is going to get more heckling than Cato ever got.
Shady...you didnt just mention Barkley and Mo in the same breath did you? As far as Kemp goes...as fat and out of shape and drugged up as he is, the guy still was an all star earlier in his career...if Mo could give us a couple of good seasons a la Kemp, I could care less what the fat b@$tard ate during the last year or 2 of his deal.
Sorry NJ, but I'm guessing the Rockets front office knows a little bit more about basketball than we do, and they signed the guy after that season to a six year, 48 million dollar deal, so I have a hard time believing that him "stinking" is a fact. Yeah, his averages aren't that great. But, in the last two-thirds of the season, he averaged about 16 points and 7 rebounds. Yes, I know Kenmy's numbers were similar. But it was obvious we missed Mo Taylor. Every team needs that big man that can consistently create his own shot. Mo can score in a variety of ways, stretches the defense with a deadly shot out to 20 feet, and can pass on the move. That's my primary reason behind preferring to trade Kenny instead of Mo. The numbers are similar and Kenny is cheaper. But does Kenny make the players around him better? Maybe, but I don't think he does to the extent of Mo Taylor. If Mo needs to, he can just sit outside all day and drain the jumper with ease, opening up the lane for our guards to drive. If he needs to, he can take it off the dribble, which many power forwards can't defend, and has good vision on the move to see an open shooter. If he needs to, he can play in the post, and get a little 5-6 foot hook shot that he's said to be working on. Defensively, he plays pretty solid position defense, and has the bulk that every team needs from a big power forward. As for his weight, when you're injured and can't work out, I imagine it's pretty easy to put on the pounds. Look at what happened to Barkley. If you have the "fat" genes with you, you have to work damn hard to keep it off. But, every report I've seen on this site about Mo Taylor does nothing but praise his tremendous work ethic and how willing he is to help the team. I'd hope most of you would wait until the season started and give Mo a chance to get back in shape (considering his work ethic) before dismissing him on some website rumor.
I'll support him when he realizes that playing pickup ball in the summertime is less important than playing all year in the NBA... Otherwise, I'd burn one with him... Did you know Mo T is in the latest issue of High Times Magazine? It was a story from a video game championship where normal folks got to play against NBA players and rappers... he looks stoned in the pic, I wish I could scan it and post it...
Exactly which player that has ever played with Mo has improved because of Mo? name 3 starting power forwards that cant defend him in the west conf (you can go as far back as 1978) So I suppose Mo just decides to stop draining jumpers and creating shots when he hits the 12 point plateau you mean 5 or 6 foot sub? On one hand you say he is working on this shot and on the other you say he cant work out and thats why he is gaining weight....if he is working on a shot AND putting on weight, we have a problem Bulk he has...its the talent that he lacks The same website that you say praises him (this one) is the same one that I read the "rumor" on Sorry Cat, the guy hasn't showed a lick of talent (starting 4's need to average more than 13 and 5, especially if they cant play defense) his entire career and coming off a career threatening injury isn't going to help.
Having a 4 that can't rebound is like having a 5 with no inside game... Oh, I'm sorry. Ming's shortcomings don't count. He's 7'5"
I don't know why I'm responding, because you'd still hate Mo if he averaged 30 and 15, but I might as well dispel a few rumors here... Exactly which player that has ever played with Mo has improved because of Mo? Reread the original post about passing on the move, and opening up the lane down low. That should answer your question. name 3 starting power forwards that cant defend him in the west conf (you can go as far back as 1978) That's ridiculous. You can't break down the NBA game into players that can defend someone, and players who can't. As a whole, the offensive players are so quick that very, very few defensive players are capable of sticking with their man in a one on one situation. It all depends on help defense, team defense, anticipation, etc. When a man that big goes on the dribble, it's going to catch some people off guard, and either help Mo get a better shot, or draw another defender to him, after which he can pass off. So I suppose Mo just decides to stop draining jumpers and creating shots when he hits the 12 point plateau Just because he can hit shots doesn't mean he's better than Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley. Not many third options around the league have the opportunities to average more than the 16 ppg Mo averaged for most of last season. you mean 5 or 6 foot sub? On one hand you say he is working on this shot and on the other you say he cant work out and thats why he is gaining weight....if he is working on a shot AND putting on weight, we have a problem When did I say this season? I read last year that that was one of the things he was working on. Obviously, it's harder to do that with a blown ACL. The same website that you say praises him (this one) is the same one that I read the "rumor" on I've seen Chronicle articles saying the same exact thing. Sorry Cat, the guy hasn't showed a lick of talent (starting 4's need to average more than 13 and 5, especially if they cant play defense) his entire career and coming off a career threatening injury isn't going to help. Like I said, if he hadn't shown talent and played no defense, the Rockets wouldn't have signed him to a six year, 48 million dollar deal. It's not a deal with "loyalty" for signing cheap. They let Shandon Anderson go. The Rockets, through games, practices, film, and other tools decided he was a major part of their future because of what he showed on the floor, and I have a gut feeling they know just a bit more about evaluating talent than you do.
wrong...my beef (no pun intended)with MO is that he doesnt produce and never has From your response I gather the following... --You didnt mention anyone whose game has improved due to Mo's offensive wizardry because there aren't any. --There are no power forwards this side of Vin Baker that can't defend him and his shot making prowess --You seem to think because maybe there was a stretch of games where he scored over 16 ppg, that he is capable of doing so. Umm, no..thats why his season average was 13 ppg ...this means that for as many games as you say he averaged over 16 ppg , he had just as many games where he averaged under 10 ppg Unfortunately for us, the Rockets talent evaluators (who, by the way, I have tremendous respect for) made a mistake when they signed Mo. It happens. I dont claim to know more than anyone in the Rox org. Ive come to realize that we are stuck with him and I'm not happy about it. Thats my job as a fan. Why should I be excited about Mo? It's no different than a Sonic fan being pissed about having Baker locked up or a Knick fan having Allan Houston signed to a crappy long term deal. The only thing we have going for us is that if Juwan Howard is tradable, then maybe so is Mo...then again, Howard never tore his achilles so who knows.
Cat, I agree with 99% of what you say. But, the Rockets do make boneheaded signings. The Rocks werent too efficient with scouting out Cato and signing him to a deal. They also didnt do a good job with Brent Price. They seem to "jump the gun" in many situations. That being said, Im a Mo Taylor fan and I think he will help our team tremendously.
Wait. Are we talking about Rockets management? The same geniuses that gave Matt Maloney a 7 yr, $18 million contract. The same group that signed Brent Price for 6 years, $18 million. You sure as hell don't mean the guys that decided Mirsad Turkcan was the second coming. Or maybe you're talking about the brilliant move to keep Kelvin Cato in Houston for $42 million. Ya, our management has had a great history in evaluating talent.
Cat- It's no use arguing about Mo with NJRocket. He's a good poster but fails to see the distinct difference between KT and MoT. KT is a ballhog who produces by disrupting the flow of the offense (although he does it extremely well) whereas MoT's game flows with the offensive set. As "unproductive" as he may be, he will make a quick open pass to a teammate, he will quickly decide to drain a jumper, try a post move or just move on - he won't hold the ball and pivot for 19 seconds before making a move. Both players have equal talent, in my opinion (and thus, one may be a better bargain), but when you have other players who are much better at creating, Taylor's game (as a third option) helps the whole team improve (not just one player). I love KT's agressiveness and hustle, especially with significant minutes off the bench, but you just don't win in this league when your Robert Horrys, Scott Pollards, Rick Foxs, etc. think they are superstars and not the role players that they are. I still want KT on this team and still want him to get significant minutes, but Taylor shoudl be starting in my mind, and, overpaid or not (I think he is), I recognize the serious improvement our team will have because of his return from injury and show him my support.
You didnt mention anyone whose game has improved due to Mo's offensive wizardry because there aren't any. "If Mo needs to, he can just sit outside all day and drain the jumper with ease, opening up the lane for our guards to drive. If he needs to, he can take it off the dribble, which many power forwards can't defend, and has good vision on the move to see an open shooter." If you can't gather that I'm talking about Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, Moochie Norris, and other Rockets guards from this statement, I'm not sure what else I can do. --There are no power forwards this side of Vin Baker that can't defend him and his shot making prowess This argument is, well, crazy. You can take a scrub power forward off some team's IR, and he could still probably score on more than half of defending power forwards in a one on one situation. Defense has declined, and the offensive players are much, much quicker. It all comes down to team defense and help defense. --You seem to think because maybe there was a stretch of games where he scored over 16 ppg, that he is capable of doing so. Umm, no..thats why his season average was 13 ppg ...this means that for as many games as you say he averaged over 16 ppg , he had just as many games where he averaged under 10 ppg Umm, most role players don't adjust to a totally new team and offense overnight. That's logical. His numbers after becoming familiar with the offense (16 ppg) are more valid than numbers from when he was new to the team, offense, and city. Next year, he will be on the same team in a similar offense, so I think it's a lot more logical to talk about him in terms of his numbers when adjusted to the new team, since that's what he will be next season. Wait. Are we talking about Rockets management? The same geniuses that gave Matt Maloney a 7 yr, $18 million contract. The same group that signed Brent Price for 6 years, $18 million. You sure as hell don't mean the guys that decided Mirsad Turkcan was the second coming. Or maybe you're talking about the brilliant move to keep Kelvin Cato in Houston for $42 million. Ya, our management has had a great history in evaluating talent. We're talking about the same geniuses that found Cuttino Mobley, the 13th highest scorer in the league, in the middle of the second round. The same group that found Sam Cassell, one of the top point guards in the league and a catalyst for two championship runs, late in the first round. What about those geniuses that decided Harold Miner wasn't the second coming and took Robert Horry instead? Or maybe you're talking about the brilliant move to trade three average picks for Eddie Griffin. Or how about Steve Francis? Kenny Thomas? You know, with all the hate for the Spurs and the "rivalry" that supposedly exists, wouldn't they be all over this boneheaded front office? Well, I went to the Spurs board to check it out, and here's a quote from a Spurs fan on the Rockets front office: I think the Rockets have one of the best front offices in the NBA. Cassel and Horry were a couple of Gems back in the day. Mobley was a steal, Kenny Thomas is a mid 1st rounder who puts up 15 and 8. Also they dealt for the Franchise and packaged a couple of mid 1st rounders last year for a lottery pick (Griffen). http://pub1.ezboard.com/fspursrepor...ageRange?topicID=20617.topic&start=21&stop=40
Dude don't be such a homer. It's obvious that you're blind to the management's blatant mistakes in handing out huge contracts to subpar players. Mo Taylor is no different- a fat, overpaid PF who can't rebound.
JayZ...I do realize the differences between Mo and KT...my problem with Mo has nothing to do with Kenny. It has to do with the fact we are stuck with a guy who has a huge contract that hasn't shown me in the past that he can produce. Ive said it once and Ill say it again...I hope and pray that you, Cat and all the other posters that defend Mo on this board make me look like a fool because I want nothing more than for Mo to succeed as a Rocket. I just dont think he will. Cat...I respect your opinions on Mo so lets just agree to disagree on this topic. I personally dont see how Mo has improved Steve's, Cat's, or anyone else's games but thats my opinion.
My problem with your opinion is twofold. First, he has produced in the past much more than you make him out. He is not a crappy PF in this league. He can play, although he is not a superstar. His last year on the Clips, when he averaged more minutes that he got for the Rockets (but still less than KT got this year), he put up 17.1 points and 6.5 boards a game. Still nto a rebounding machine, but matches KT on a minute by minute basis and is a better scorer. Yes, the Clippers sucked, but if he is willing to sacrifice stats (he did the next year) to try and fit in an offense and win than that is the type of player I want. Still, anyone on this board can see, given the plethora of great PF in the West, how you could hope for more talent at that position the MoT has currently given us. Second, though, and the main problem I have with your argument, is that you are blaming Mo continually and consistently for a mistake made by the Rockets mgmt. Would you try and get as big a contract as possible even if you weren't the best player ever? Of course. But you've turned this one blunder by the Rockets into an attack on Mo himself. I mean to complain about Taylor not even being worth it for the $1 million we gave him last year is nuts. To get that kind of production out of $1 million a year today is fantastic. Would you get out of shape if you had an injury? Probably, maybe not 70 pounds overweight, but, of course, everyone concentrated on this and not the followup by Clutch and posts by other people who have seen him (and this was all the initial report was based on anyway) who say he is nto that seriously overweight and has already worked very hard to take some off. Mo T is not the savior and you may not like him, but he will improve this team.
