Laker/Blazers: Do you think the Blazers missed CATO?

Great question? I think they absolutely missed him. However, I think he has a tendency to dissappear.

All Cato needs is some confidence, and an inside game, and we have a keeper.

Now the question remains, will he work on his game to improve, or is he one of those players who is just happy to be here?

DaDakota

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I don't know about that. They had to give Cato to get Pippen, and as much as we don't want to admit it Portland would not have won game 5 if Pippen were not playing. By the way, it's Kelvin. And I still say trade him without a doubt if we can get a player and a halfway decent center in return.

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Cheaters never win. Unless you play for LA that is.

[This message has been edited by The Cat (edited June 07, 2000).]

 

Cat, I agree that Pippen won game 5 for them. But I think that also shows what a mediocre player he really is. Shouldn't your star player step up in every game? I don't remember Hakeem, Jordan, Majic, Bird, or even Reggie Miller having sub-par outings in 5 out of 7 games in a series. Pippen is being payed 15mil/year and doesn't have the skills to take over a game. To me that's the problem. We wouldn't have won Gm 3 against the Lakers last year if it wasn't for him. But where the hell was he the rest of the series? Pippen is an excellent role player, but it's not enough to put up with his incredible lack of character.

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"Stranger things have happened, but none stranger than this" - Commentator after a parachutist landed in the ring of a Holyfield fight

 

Rocketsauce- I completely agree. I was just saying that I doubt if they miss Cato because they would have been eliminated in 5 games without Pippen, the guy they got in return. Sure, Pippen does not have the character and assertiveness he needs. I'm not denying that. I'm just saying he won game 5 for Portland so I doubt they miss Cato and his contract, which is about as ludicrous as Pippen's.

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Cheaters never win. Unless you play for LA that is.

 

Pippen is and always will be, just a GREAT role player.

He does not have the cajones to lead a team.

DaDakota -creeping closer to 1000...could today be the day?

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fair enough.

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"Stranger things have happened, but none stranger than this" - Commentator after a parachutist landed in the ring of a Holyfield fight

 

I'm not entirely sure. I think not having Cato forced Shaq away from the basket guarding Sabonis (who has a nice outside shot) or Grant (who can shoot outside, but not on Sabonis's level). Having Cato would mean Shaq could totally roam free (even though he did a lot of roaming anyways)!
Maybe on the defensive side they may have missed him, but I don't honestly think anyone matches up well with Shaq.

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Cato would have been a much better match up against Shaq than Brain Grant.

Im pretty sure that the combo of Deadleg Shrimp and Walt Williams could have had as much of an impact as Pippen did in his minutes.

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I have a special purpose.

 

WHAT? We turned down Raheed Wallace? Ah man, that is sickening.

DaDakota

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Did you hear Bill Walton? He called Pippen the "greatest role player in the history of the NBA."

Yeah, sure the Blazers missed Cato as will the Rockets if they unload him without a replacement in place.

The whole series would have been different with Cato a Blazer, so the Game 5 heroics of Pippen were expensive at $15 Million. Portland outplayed the Lakers for most of the series but couldn't close them out-- as evidenced by the debacle on Sunday evening.

Did anyone else hear one of the announcers say that the Rockets could have had Rasheed ina straight exchange for Pippen? When was that--during the season two years ago?

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