I wish the Rockets would at least experiment with Griffin and Taylor at the 3 and 4. I mean let's face it, on offense Griffin is a tremendous three point shooter (45 frickin' percent right now!), which is something Rudy wants from his small forwards. Mo has a tremendous mid-range game and is a good player in the post. I remember when Griffin was drafted there was talk about how they would compliment each other's game, and I think I agree. The only negative I see is that whichever one is guarding the small forward may have quickness issues, but on the flip side this should create mismatches for the Rockets on the offensive end by allowing one of them to post up the opposing small forward. On defense I would still like Eddie to hang around closer to the basket because of his shot-blocking ability. I'm not saying it would definitely work, because I do see the problems with it. But I would really like to see how it works in reality.
EG needs to go to the bench. He is solid defensive player but at the moment he is not consistent enough especially with his low post moves to warrant starting over MoT. MoT showed that he has dependable low post moves and can be relied upon to deliver scoring especially in the 4th quarter. Over the past two games KT has struggled but he is still infinitely more dependable than EG and should do well as the starter at the 3 spot.
Mo Taylor and Yao Ming sure seem to work great together when in the game. Two very real low post threats. I don't remember him getting the ball with his back to the basket so often a coupld of years ago but now he looks like a very real low post weopon. I have to admit that I have little or no love for the Eddie, KT, G-Money front court experiment we say last night. The Lakers just did not give that group any respect last night and focused all of the defensive efforts on Steve and Cat. It made for a very tough night for our guards. Even KT seems to be strugling the last two games. I think Mo Taylor might just be playing his way into the starting line-up. I just hope his defense picks up.
I don't know about all that. I just don't like the way Kenny fits right now, I think Francis and Mobley already hold on to the ball too long, but I don't think either of them hold on to the ball as much as Kenny. He just makes it worse. You can talk about all the plays you hate on the Rockets, and here's the play I hate the most: Kenny gets the ball around the top of the key and the defender lays off of him a couple of feet daring him to shoot. Kenny then proceeds to jab step and raise like he's going to shoot about five times, before he finally bricks it. That just pisses me off! Kenny, their's a reason they're laying off you! They want you to shoot! Plus, you wasted ten seconds off the clock. Sure, Kenny has those occasional games where he breaks out and makes those incredible driving shots that are so wild they almost look lucky, but I think he's more suited to come off the bench and act as a sparkplug. And I'm not saying Eddie should start at the three, but I would at least like Rudy to experiment with it. And they don't even need to have clearly definied positions just put both Griffin and Taylor in there together along with Ming or Cato and see what happens.
I would love to see Griffin and Taylor play together with Yao. Just think once YAo gets double team, he could kick it out to Griffin, Mobley or Francis for a 3 ot even to Taylor for a jump shot. Griffin could play the SF he would be alttle slow, but he could do it.
I couldn't agree more. Except not only did I not love it, I absolutely despised it! In my opinion that's about the worst front-court lineup the Rockets could possibly come up with to put on the floor that doesn't include Jason Collier. It's almost as bad as the 3-guard line-up; though, not quite. Even the Lakers announcer said he was dumbfounded as to why Yao Ming didn't come in during the third quarter. 25 Minutes for Rice was about 12 minutes too much. His shot looks no better than last year and if he's not making his 3's he's totally worthless and a liability on defense. Did you see the offensive fouls that Rice had? He can't even stop his momentum anymore. And I thought Rice was supposed to be in great shape, does he look fat to anyone else? I wish Rudy would give Nachbar a chance.
Exactly! Although I do see the potential problem on the defensive end, I think on offense having Taylor and Griffin in there gives the Rockets more dimensions. Kenny is pretty much the big-man version of Cuttino and Steve, and I don't think we need that. However, I do believe that Kenny's hustle would be great off the bench.
Totally agreed DC, that's eXActly how I feel... Rudy's lineup combination starting the 3rd quarter was horrendous! KT Sticks out like a sore thumb on our team...
While I certainly agree that Mo seems to be coming along quite well, I don't think its time to toss KT to the curb. Its still a better option to trade the high priced guy who is currently playing well than to trade the bargain guy who is probably the better player.
i just wanted to add i think glen rice sucks ass. he bricks, manages to take dumb shots and can't play D. watching the preseason, he seemed to be coming around and i thought we would at least be getting good shooting from him, but no. it was horrible watching him last night. maybe he'll come around, but damn it was ugly last night. also, any thoughts to MoT and eddie out there and we play zone so neither gets burned by SF's. i don't really think it would work that well but it would at least minimize the problem. moT really impressed me with his post game, i just do not remember him being that effective before. and not necessarily making shots (those come and go and he was just on last night) but his ability to bang to create separation and get off a clean shot. horry isn't a premiere power forward but he is a decent post defender and mo abused him in the 4th.
I remember that quote from the LAL announcers. I think the reason Rudy T held Yao Ming out the entire 3rd quarter was because he wanted him for the 4th quarter with out having to worry about him fouling out. He did have 2 fouls in the second quarter and ended the night with 4 fouls in 20 minutes of play. Personally I wanted to see Yao Ming start the second half as well. Rice is showing all the signs of bad knees. The part about not being able to stop his momentum is all about pain. I have the same problem when I play a couple of days in a row. First day not so bad. Second day I need to take a few extra steps to stop my momentum because it just hurts my knees to come to an immediate stop when I am running fast or jumping. I saw this a couple of games ago when he tried to block a shot and then took several steps out of bounds when he landed instead of instantly stopping and getting back into defensive position. These are all signs of bad knees that are only going to get worse as the year goes by. One thing I do like about Rice and KT receiving so much playing time is that we are seeing right now if KT can play the 3 or not and if Rice is healthy enough to be a major contributor. After one very impressive game against Portland KT looked very lack luster in the last two games on the offensive end. Maybe he will improve and become the small forward we want and maybe he want but at least we are finding out now. This is very valuable for us next year because KT is going to be a free agent and his spot is not going to be at the 4 for this team unless something happens to Eddie or MoT. Next year is also TMo’s year to get resigned or let go. If we can find out this year if KT and Rice are not going to be an effective or consistent three for us then we can move forward with TMo and Boki.
Kenny Thomas is the least talented member of this currently comprised Rockets roster. While he makes up for his deficiancies with determination , by no means is he good enough to replace Mo Taylor . If our ultimate goal is the playoffs , he should ultimately be coming off the bench. Actually I cannot wait until next season when Kenny is gone and Terrence Morris and Boki are getting his minutes(2 players that are more talented). I love his personality and work ethic don't get me wrong but his game is not starting caliber.
Is KT the better player? The last time that MoT was healthy and he started playing like this he continued like this the rest of the year. MoT has always been many times more consistent on the offensive end than KT.
Mo may be a better shooter...but overall, I think KT is better (defense, rebounding, hustle). Just my opinion.
I really would prefer that KT makes up his mind alot quicker. However, he shot close to 50% last year, so while he is only at 43% this year so far that is better than EG's (39%)who is supposed to be playing PF. This year there are over a 100 forwards shooting better that EG. I say let him continue to develop his game by coming of the bench. A lot of the passes Ming got last night, EG gets and he mishandles too many.
Kenny's a very soft player, he has no finish to his moves, he has to be wide open underneath to make a layup...after he spins, he seems totally lost! He looks like a little ballerina out there spinning around and getting dizzy from his own moves!
I like the Kenny vs. MoT argument and I am leaning on the side of MoT. But I have to ask, have you ever seen Kenny play even one game? Didn't think so.
KT was a liability last night....each time we fell behind, he was in the game....each time we had a lead, he was on the bench.... He seems distracted and is not playing well.
Hmmm...I've seen every game man...I must be really stupid or blind... what makes you think I've never seen a game? Please have a good reason...
I'm not going to get personal with you and call you stupid but you should open your eyes a little. KT has very good moves in the post and has been one of the most consistent finishers on the team the last couple of years. To call him soft makes me question the number of games you have seen. He did grab 10 rebounds last night and always plays physical as a defender.
