Good read on Cuttino and Kenny T playing the 3

I ran across a good read on my main man cuttino and I thought I d pass it on to all the Cuttino fans.

Mobley is a Star, But Who Will Give Him a Rest?
By: Dennis Silva

It is safe to say that the 2001-02 NBA campaign was the breakout season for Rockets shooting guard Cuttino Mobley. Mobley developed into a lethal offensive threat who could put up points in bunches. However, Mobley did not have a definite backup, which meant he had to put in forty-two hard minutes of work every night. Backup PG Moochie Norris would split time at the one while Francis ran the two-guard slot, and the Rockets also tried to develop guard Oscar Torres as a legit backup to Mobley. And as we go into training camp, there is still no backup for Mobley. The position is still in good hands as we take a look at the shooting guard spot on the Rockets.


CUTTINO MOBLEY
2001-02 Season Stats: 21.7 points/game, 4.1 rebounds/game, 2.5 assists/game
Height: 6’4” Weight: 210
Projected 2002-03 Season Stats: 22 points/game, 4.5 rebounds/game, 3.5 assists/game

It is by no means far-fetched to think that Mobley will soon join his backcourt mate Steve Francis in the Western Conference All-Star lineup. Mobley has gone from a mid second-round pick into a devastating offensive player. He has shown to be a clutch shooter and is one of the few players who actually wants the ball in his hands in the last few minutes of a tight game. Mobley has developed a nice three-point shot to accommodate his slashing drives to the basket. He is a tremendous finisher who just simply has a knack for putting the ball in the basket. Critics of Mobley complain that he does not pass enough or that he is a ball hog who takes careless shots at times. But Mobley was a 44% shooter and a 39% 3-point shooter. Mobley will likely be the second-best pure shooter on the Rockets this year if SF Glen Rice comes back to form. And passing? If I’m not mistaken, Mobley plays the shooting guard slot. All he has to do is come in and provide chaos on the offensive end, which he often does. Some of his touches will be taken away due to newcomers Yao Ming and Bostjan Nachbar, as well as Rice and Maurice Taylor, who are both coming off injuries. But all this means is more open shots for Cuttino and he will have no problem taking them. Do not be surprised to see Cuttino emerge as a candidate for a spot on the 2002-03 Western Conference All-Star team.


OSCAR TORRES
2001-02 Season Stats: 6.0 points/game, 1.9 rebounds/game, 0.6 assists/game
Height: 6’6” Weight: 210
Projected 2002-03 Stats: 7.5 points/game, 2.5 rebounds/game, 0.6 assists/game

Oscar is the only other choice that I can see taking the backup shooting guard spot. He was recently signed to a non-guaranteed contract by the Rockets, but he is familiar with the system and is likely ready to prove that he belongs on the court. Torres has a sweet outside jump shot, and also displayed ability to take it to the hole. He is a strong defender with athleticism who was arguably one of the Rockets’ better defenders last year (though that’s not saying a whole lot). Rudy often used Torres as a shooter off the bench and ran plays that brought him off of double screens to shoot threes. This year, Torres will have an opportunity to play so we will see if Torres is the real deal or not. But the backup shooting guard spot is his to take; its just a matter of if he really wants it or not.


OVERALL POSITION RATING (on a scale of 1-10): 8



By the way I dont know if this has been posted already or not but Kenny is goin to be a 3.

Rockets summary
Thomas impresses

The Kenny Thomas experiment at small forward is over.

Thomas is still playing small forward. But the move is no longer an experiment.

"Kenny Thomas is a three," Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said after Saturday's evening scrimmages. "He's a versatile, aggressive player. He's defensive-minded, but he's a good offensive player, too. And then, he's been making plays, creating things for other guys, having chemistry. He's had some nice plays taking it to the basket, someone comes to help and he makes the pass. With his passing ability, he's a complete player."

Thomas has shown an improved midrange shot that has helped make the switch, even part-time, from power forward.

"When he shoots the ball like he's been shooting them, how do you stop him because he has great footwork on his drives," Tomjanovich said. "He started out the same way last year, but a couple injuries, the outside shot wasn't as consistent. But, boy, this is as good as it gets when he's making outside shots."