Mobley didn't want to pass the ball to Yao, even waive Yao away last year. Ok, I thought it's may be just team chemistry, it will change next season. But after 12 games in new season, I just can not help wonder again and put something together. I hardly heard anything good from Mobley last year about his teammate, Yao. The only time he did speak, he said Amare was ROY, not Yao. This season when he talk about the team, it's about how he, Steve and JJ will win the game for Rockets and score 20 points anytime if they want, to me I feel he was intentionally trying to exclude Yao. Why is he so stingy on giving Yao some support? After I saw what happen on the court, it really let me think Mobley is holding something against Yao. Mobley is a good player. If he doesn't want to support Yao, is he good for Rockets?
I agree. I think that it is a ego thing. Steve and Cuttino go everywhere around houston together. I saw them at clubs, malls, bars, but I don't ever hear anything about Yao hanging out with them. If you ever see Steve and Cuttino together, they always wear each others numbers on their wrists (those pads). Not that they are gay or anything, I have seen Mobley with the finest girls plenty of times in several places. But, for some reason I don't think that Mobley especially respect yao enough to give him the ball at crucial times in a game. But really, steve and mobley need to adapt quick because The Rockets will not move Yao anytime soon. Most teams need a big man in the middle, look at Lakers, The Magic when Shaq played.
Good observation, I have been wondering about the same thing. Cat seems to always try to give credit to everyone else but Yao. Yao has always been willing to compliment his teammates, and things goes bad, he never blames anyone unlike some people. I can't imagine why Mobley intentionally not giving Yao credit. Yao has always been good to this team and his teammate, there's nothing to suggest a rift between Cat & Yao except maybe Cat is jealous. Cat need to grow up and start accepting his role, and it's sad that he can't see it even now that Yao is going to be here and what this team is built around.
You brought up an interesting point. I remember last season during one of the games, near the end of last season, Rockets already lost play-off spot and was playing some garbage game. Cat was starring at Yao & questioned his play. To this day I don't think Cat is adjusting/adapting his play. Even when he had that hot streak a few games back, I still had the nagging thought in the back of my mind: can Cat do this night in & night out? Will he be the part of triangle offence? So far he's not convincing me.....
Cuttino's playing like he and Michael Dickerson are still the Rocket's top two scoring options...put Mobley on the bench and let him play as the 6th man, he did win that award remember? Start this lineup: 5 Ming 4 Taylor/Cato [based on the opponet's 4/5 tandem] 3 Jim Jackson 2 Eric Piatkowski 1 Steve Francis And Mobley will stil get 20-25 minutes per game, which is all he really needs to get him to be more selective with his shots...
Mobley needs to realize he wont ever be a star. He is a role player. It seems he is just jealous of Yao. Yao makes the all star team his first year and Mobley is not even close to ever making it. The only way he will get there is if he holds steve's you know what during a dunk contest or something. I have hoped that Cuttino could work with Yao but it does not seem like it will work out. The team just might have to trade him. Which is sad because he can be a good player when he thinks!!But he never does!
He didn't win. Rodney Rogers won the 6th man award back when he played for Phoenix. Mobley was 2nd place. But, in my opinion Mobley should had won.
Not to be nitpicky, but was this ever the case? Cat's first season, the top scoring options were Hakeem and Pippen. Cat's second season, the top scoring option was Francis and it has been every since. At no point in his career was Cat the Rocket's primary scoring option.
Yes, Cat and Yao can co-exist. It doesn't show in a lot of games yet, but it has shown in games here and there--in wins and losses here and there. If it can show in even just one game, then it's possible it can show in all games. And I think it's stupid to say that players are jealous of other players. We don't know them and what they think. If anything, from what I could tell, Cat does like Yao and really wants him to do well. And Yao is always happy when his teammates do well. Cat not passing the ball sometimes, or oftentimes, doesn't really have anything to do with him wanting to be a star or being jealous of other star teammates. It's just a lack of court vision. Once he's on the court, has the ball, he can perhaps only see what he can do--and that results in dribbling right into double-teamed traps, or rushed shots. If you notice, when he has the ball and drives, he puts his head down--a bad habit he developed early on probably, but that explains his tunnel vision when he has the ball. And that's fixable. It may be hard to fix, but it's fixable, and if anyone can do it, Van Gundy can.
I also like this lineup. 5. Ming 4. Cato 3. Jackson 2. Pike 1. Francis With CM and MT being 6th and 7th men off the bench. Raven
If you are gonna make accusations like this, you need to at least put an actual quote to prove your point, otherwise, how do we know we can trust your memory? Also, how can taking an objective look at an award like Rookie of the year be a reason to prove that he dislikes Yao?
Well Cat is gonna have to realize that Yao is the future of the Rockets franchise. The only players in the line-up that are not tradeable is Yao and SF. I wouldn't be surprised at all if cat is traded if he can't develop chemistry with the core (Yao, SF)
What he said about the question to Cat regarding the ROY last year was true. When asked about who he think is the ROY, Cat responded by saying he would give it to Amare, but both are pretty good players... Even if you think Amare is the better player, you should always back your team mate, keep your own thoughts to yourself. You don't hear Marbury or Marion saying they think Yao should win the ROY... Just imagine that. I don't think anyone is saying that he dislikes Yao, but more that he hasn't really accepted him and seems to have little trust in him on the basketball court. -G'day-
That still doesn't explain where the Mobley only talks about he, Francis, and JJ as being the main part of the team and scoring 20 pts or whatever. How is this a constructive argument with no facts to back up this accusation? BTW, should the players on teams with Rookies who don't deserve the award back their guy up too? Shouldn't the Rockets have hyped Jason Collier for ROY too?
When did Jason Collier came close to winning the ROY? Cat was basically asked who he would pick the ROY between Yao and Amare... it was never about a rookie who doesn't deserve the award. The same question was also asked to Francis, Taylor etc, they all gave the nod to Yao, and praised how he has done much more for the team than what the statistical figure shows. And about Mobley only talks about he, Francis, and JJ as being the main part of the team and scoring 20 pts or whatever, I think that was in one of the Chron article after the Magic game. -G'day-
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/rox/2211074 Keep searching man, this argument is meaningless if it starts under false pretenses.
