Although I am by no means a MoT fan, I can think of only about 9 other PFs in the league with better offensive games than MoT. He can work the low post, the high post, and hit the jumper. I personally think he is significantly better offensively than JH. Of course, his defense and rebounding are worse than most teams 2nd team PF. But his combined low post and perimeter skills are rare in a 4. He is probably the most marketable tradable asset.
I think rhester might have hit it on the head. Mo has much more experience with Yao than Howard. Maybe this is an attempt to win early with the best starting lineup we have right now. Lord knows that either MoT or Howard are great 6th men. Plus, if this works, Howard is the most tradeable asset we have. Tons of teams would love to have him.
NBA's most underrated players 2. Maurice Taylor, Rockets This guy is a scorer deluxe. He's best on the left block where he'll turn his left shoulder for a deadly jump hook, and turn right for either a bull's-eye jumper or a power-house drop step. He's also an excellent perimeter shooter off screen-roll action, and his jumper is virtually indefensible because of his long-armed release. Taylor can also square up and go right or left, spin either way, and cross over left to right. If his defense was slightly quicker, and he didn't play with a squad full of superstars, Maurice Taylor would be a definite All-Star and a legitimate contender for the NBA scoring title.
Smart move. MoT is the second highest paid player on the team - he is making 50% more than Howard. Rox are too deep at 4 at the expense of overall depth - which is big problem. MoT was a legitimate starter b4 coming to Rox - he is now perceived as a 6th man. He's paid starter $$. Starting him re-establishes him as a starter - without down grading Howard who is a proven starter. BTW - Howard is only the 3rd best paid PF on Rox. If the figures at hoopshype are accurate, Witherspoon is making more than Howard also.
I have to be honest, I didn't read the entire thread, but is Howard the backup PF? Or could he be the backup C with Weatherspoon as the backup PF?
(in no particular order) 1. KG 2. TD 3. 'Sheed 4. CWebb 5. Pau Gasol 6. Dork Nowitzki 7. Boozer 8. Amare 9. Nene 10. Antawn Jamison 11. Cambyman 12. KMart 13. Zach Randolph (Z Bo) 14. Antoine Walker 15. Troy Murphy 16. Elton Brand 17. Jermaine O'Neal 18. Chris Bosh 19. ?? Kenny Thomas 20. ?? Raef 21. ?? Joe Smith 22. ?? Kurt Thomas 23. ?? Emeka 24. ?? Dwight 25. ?? Juwan I don't want to hate on MoT b/c I actually think he is a very serviceable 6th man with good offense off the bench. But let's call a spade a spade. From this list, I think there just might be more than 9 PFs rated above MoT. So guys, there is probably a reason that the only team MoT has ever started for was an LA team NOT called the Lakers. On top of that, he has never been able to claim the starting PF job on a rockets team that has lacked a real PF since the days of the Chuckster. Whataver, this will be a nice little experiment I guess. Let's wait to get excited until MoT actually STAYS the starter for more than a handful of games.
What he said... Good to see you posting, Nike. Always enjoy your insights. Additionally, I think starting Mo helps JVG address the scoring drought from pre-season.
This is a very strange move. I'm a proponent of the don't play Mo Taylor ever line of thinking. He is a decent low post scorer off the bench, but so are a ton of other players. The only possible explanation for this move is to round out the team and the bench, but it doesn't make that much sense. In terms of rotation, are we to expect then that Howard will be first off the bench, and if so, for Yao or Mo?
For whatever reason, JVG sees Mo's game more than any of us and I don't think this move is a major impact move anyway. As foul prone as J-Ho D ) seems to be MoT would be playing the majority of the first quarter anyway when J-Ho gets 2 fouls in 3 minutes. Familarity is a bonus by having MoT start. J-Ho's low post game is a bonus comming off the bench. The starting 4 against MoT would have to leave the post, freeing up Yao. Would you want to free up yao or Dikembe? MoT off the bench would be freeing up Dikembe, while J-Ho off the bench will force the other teams backup 4 to guard J-Ho's post and threaten leaving Lue/Ward/Boki open off a good pass by J-Ho. It makes sense, believe me. I'm not sure if I make sense though but the concept does
I was speaking of offensive skills only when I said He would be top 10. Of those that you listed above, I would consider 1-6 above him offensively, with questions marks about Pao, but still giving Pao the benefit of the doubt. Jermaine would obviously rank above Mo offensively in my mind. But the rest I don't know if I would put them on Mo's level offensively. KMart is good, does he have the reportoire that Mo has? Zach, possibly? He's got the post game, I think Mo is better mid range perimeter than Zach at this point. Brand, not really to me? Brand is a garbage offensive player, put backs and little dink layups. I would take Mo's offensive game over Brand's. Once again, remember, I am only speaking of their offensive abilities, not their rebounding, or defense, only their ability to score, draw the double team, and put their teammates in good position to score. I can only really only think of about 8 that I would rather have the ball in their hands than in Mo's hands when a score is needed. Antoine Walker, he's not a PF, just a bomber, not even real good at that, and definitely not a good midrange shooter. Would you want the ball in his hands in the post? Amare, one dimensional offensively. If it's not a dunk or a layup, he ain't hitting it. Boozer, garbage man, another Brand. Camby is a center who has a great mid range game, that's it. Mo is a top 10 offensive power forward. Jamison does have some offensive skills, not any better than Mo. TMurph, an up and comer, does he have the low post game that Mo has? I think not. Nene, no. 18-25, no. Offensively, Mo is a highly skilled player. If the dude could just board and defend, we'd have something. It will be interesting to see how this combination works definitely. I have a hunch that Van Gundy is banking on Yao to step it up and cover for Mo on the defensive end. What will be interesting to see is if Yao can step up and continue to intimidate without getting into foul trouble, playing help defense. And then will he become the man on the boards that he needs to be? If Yao could do those things, then Mo could really excel and this would be a very difficult team to defend. If if if if if if.............
Mo is going to jump start this offense and spread the defense with his midrange jumper. I like this move. And I hope Mo steps up his game this year.
remember MoT's first year when Rudy T would feed him the ball to start the game and he always seemed to get the team off to a fast start with his mid range jump shot. Offensively speaking I think this move makes perfect sense.
The reason why I don't like it is because it makes us a very weak rebounding team. Mo could get us more points if he can stay out of foul trouble as a starter than coming off the bench but Yao and T-Mac also need to get going quickly to make things easier for him. If this plan doesn't work out the Rockets can start Juwan and bring Mo off the bench.
Crash5179 I remember that. Some games serveral years ago when mo was a starter he was capable of going for 15 to 20 pts in the 1st quarter. He is a very productive in the 1st quarter. Also his defensive ability to draw an offensive charge is the best on the team. This guy has lost tons of weight ie. the way Boozer did offseason before last.
Mo is a great scorer but it will be interesting to watch Mo doing the other stuff. From what I have seen so far he has been terrible when it comes to passing, rebounding, spacing, and all the other things one can do other than shooting the ball. In particular, his attempts at getting Yao the ball have been horrible, one can see that he hates to give up the ball but he's going to have do a much better job at putting some effort and desire into his passes.
