From TSN online: "Mobley is capable of becoming a force in the league, but he is going to have to learn to share well with others. Mobley, who began his Rocket career as a point guard, is averaging just two assists per game, with a high of five and only five other games of four assists. Even noted "jackaholics" like Jerry Stackhouse (5.0 assists per game, 22 of five or more in a game) and Kobe Bryant (4.7, 18 of five or more) are far more generous with the ball than is Mobley. Grade: B-" Proof that Cat never was good at sharing in school. Hey Cuttino....When you are 4-33 and having an awful game to everyone and God, when do you decide to start trying to get your teamates involved?? ------------------ "Chucky who?" Charles Barkley
Has anyone else noticed that Cat has not thrown a pass to Shandon all year? He looks for Francis, and if Francis is not open, he shoots. Dream never passed early in his career also. ------------------ When we tire of well-worn ways, we seek for new. This restless craving in the souls of men spurs them to climb, and to seek the mountain view. -- Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Yeah but Dream was a freakin CENTER...not a guard. The only 2 assists Mobley does dish out is to Francis. ------------------ "Chucky who?" Charles Barkley
Come to think of it, Iverson never passed the ball till this year. I think Cuttino, like Iverson, will discover that he has to give it up to win, and Francis, like McDyess, will discover that he needs to take more shots to win. Every major website suddenly is saying that Cuttino is the number one option on our team, and that;s wrong. Steve might be quiet about it, but I think he's gonna eventually miss the limelight. Mobley, previously a PG, should be averaging 3.5 assists per game and Francis should be averaging 17 shots/game.. Pretty soon the young guys will realize what it takes to win. ------------------
My point was, Dream had the rock in his hands 90% of the time, as does Cat nowadays. ------------------ When we tire of well-worn ways, we seek for new. This restless craving in the souls of men spurs them to climb, and to seek the mountain view. -- Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Sane I've gotta disagree with this statement: "Come to think of it, Iverson never passed the ball till this year." Look at his career stats: 96-97 FGA 19.8 AST 7.5 97-98 FGA 17.6 AST 6.2 98-99 FGA 22.0 AST 4.6 99-00 FGA 24.8 AST 4.7 00-01 FGA 23.3 AST 4.7 Obviously his stats have changed after his move to the 2, but he had reasonable assist to shot ratios his first 2 years. ------------------
Bobrek, my point is, that Iverson used to pass out of desperation, but now, he passes to make the play easier and to help the team get involved. Mobley should try to do that too. ------------------
Cuttino has nowhere near the skills of Iverson. That is a bad comparison. ------------------ "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning how to put food on their family while being put to death."
ZRB - your right, it's unfair to compare Iverson and Cuttino. Iverson passes more. ------------------ GATER
Iverson passes more? Ask his teammates if before this season Iverson passed the ball. ------------------ Rocket fans UNITE to bring Pig Miller back home! WE NEED PIG! OINK! OINK! OINK!
Though Cuttino's game is similar to the Answer's, their roles aren't the same. Allen touches the ball on EVERY PLAY. Every single one for the Sixers. And since they're winning, it obviously works. 75 or 80% of the time he's looking to score, but he's not a bad passer when he feels like it. Cuttino is almost exclusively a gunner. He doesn't have the ball every play - sometimes it goes to Francis first, or Taylor, or we clear out the side and run yet another isolation for Moochie Norris. But anyway the entire offense doesn't focus on Cuttino. But when he gets it, I'd bet the farm every time that he's looking to score. Which is fine with me because Cuttino really isn't a good passer. His job is to shoot it, and he does. ------------------ I am Jack's utter lack of surprise. www.clutchtown.com
Something that I thinkI shoulf add to this thread is that as a 2 guard Cuttino had ALWAYS been blessed with a PG of talent. Back in RI Tyson Wheeler was the perfect batman to Cuttinos Robin. Now Cuttino has Francis to run the point. Wheeler was a better passer, but he was a pure point, kind of like Stocton. In college, Mobley wasnt even the star, well not untill the NCAA tourney. for 4(5-redshirt) years it was not his team. it was Abdul Fox, than Wheelers team. even during that senior year people talked more about Odom who wasnt even playing than they did Mobley. now as a pro he was forced to play point, and now has another great PG. he is right back to that receive a pass from the point, and make a basket mentality he has had for years. hell it works for him. the only problem here is that steve is better all around than Wheeler ever was. this makes Mobleys lack of pasing seems like a problem to some of you now, but he never did alot of passing. he relies on his PG to do most of that. and really, that is exactly what he should do. Steve could be a much better passer than he is, ans the team would benefit. I am deffinately not placing any negativity on any of these guys. For me it is simple. inthe 7 years I have been watching Cat play, he has only been expected to make plays by passing for one season. and during that season Pippen handled the ball more, and was really the playmaker. he is a pure shooting guard. let him shoot. he will get twice as many boards as assists, but will always be a scorer first. that is what a SG does best. peace ------------------ Hanta-Force Paintball http://www.hanta-force.com
Are u saying that ur fine with him having two assists per game, both to Francis? If that's his game, then he should fix it, cause we need more passing out of him, to someone other than Francis. Francis can sreat his own shot, unlike Anderson and Cato. ------------------
Sane, I know you don't get to see many Rocket games, so let me give you a little bit of the truth here. Cuttino is called upon to be a shooting guard-- and his best plays are those isolations, which don't allow for many assists. And by the way, I can't tell you how many times Cat has set up the pass that was the assist by drawing a double team off the ISO. Cat passes the ball enough for me to be happy with his production, and no he does not show favoritism to Steve on the court. That is nothing but BS to say that both are to Steve-- all that is is people trying to find one more way to bash Cuttino. ------------------ "We're not settling for just getting in the playoffs." "We want a higher seed. There's no doubt. We expect to get in."-- Steve Francis President of the Mo Taylor and Jason Collier fan club! Draftsource.net ClutchTown.com
The difference between Iverson and Mobley is that Iverson is not afraid to drive the ball to the basket and take the punishment. He is brave and plays through the injuries he takes from getting hit by the big men. Cuttino may have the quickest first step, but he rarely takes advantage of it. Most often he will just settle for the fadeway jumper. ------------------ "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning how to put food on their family while being put to death."
I can't believe I'm actually AGREEING with ZRB. That is the NUMBER ONE thing that pisses me off about Cuttino...the man has this amazing ability to get the ball to the rack, and he settles for way too many jumpers, IMHO. I'm not just talking about the Philadelphia game. If Cuttino took the ball in more and THEN looked to pass the ball more, we could have some serious **** here. ------------------ Jazzkiller
Sorry, I disagree...Cuttino is a good passer, he showed that in his first season...He's very capable of playing the point.....He just has to realize that just because he's a shooting guard doesn't mean that he can't pass at all.....Everyone says that his 2 assists are to steve, and that's true...Cuttino can take over a game just like Iverson....In fact, I would say Iverson and Cat's games are pretty close....What can Iverson do that cat can't do? If Iverson has the Crossover, then cat has the quickest first step.....Other than that they are equal....Cuttino can develop into a decent defender, but Iverson's body will never allow him to be a good defender, he's too small....2 years from now, I can see Cuttino being able to do the things Iverson is doing right now....The difference? Cat has Francis, Iverson has Snow....our advantage.. Cat has MO, Iverson has Lynch, our advantage...We have Shan, they have Lynch....Equal....They win at the center position.....THAT'S IT......But then again, who would've thought that Ratliff would ever be this good? Who's to say in two seasons Cato won't average 3 blocks and 9 rebounds? I still think we're a perfect mold of the Sixers, but with better players....remember Iverson was just the answer by name, but now, he IS "the answer"...... ------------------
Sorry, I disagree...Cuttino is a good passer, he showed that in his first season...He's very capable of playing the point.....He just has to realize that just because he's a shooting guard doesn't mean that he can't pass at all.....Everyone says that his 2 assists are to steve, and that's true...Cuttino can take over a game just like Iverson....In fact, I would say Iverson and Cat's games are pretty close....What can Iverson do that cat can't do? If Iverson has the Crossover, then cat has the quickest first step.....Other than that they are equal....Cuttino can develop into a decent defender, but Iverson's body will never allow him to be a good defender, he's too small....2 years from now, I can see Cuttino being able to do the things Iverson is doing right now....The difference? Cat has Francis, Iverson has Snow....our advantage.. Cat has MO, Iverson has Lynch, our advantage...We have Shan, they have Lynch....Equal....They win at the center position.....THAT'S IT......But then again, who would've thought that Ratliff would ever be this good? Who's to say in two seasons Cato won't average 3 blocks and 9 rebounds? I still think we're a perfect mold of the Sixers, but with better players....remember Iverson was just the answer by name, but now, he IS "the answer"...... ------------------
The Cat, I'll say this nicely. I was never bitter about you, and I don't wanna start anything here, but u sure as hell didn't have to be bitter. As hard as it is for you to imagine, I watch just as many games as you do, maybe not live, but I watch them all. In a day, if there are 10 games, I see 6 of them some times, and at least 2. Don't tell me I don't watch games unless u have some proof. And another thing, obviously, you're biased towards Cuttino. I'm not a Cuttino hater, no Rocket fan is. I'm just pointing out the differences between him and Iverson. We both know, if he doesn't give both assists to Francis, then he does give at least 1.75 assists per game to Francis. Iversonis a shooting guard, Pippen is a forward, Kobe is a Guard, webber if a 6'11 PF, and they all average more assists than Cuttino. We've been running the ISO a lot less lately, as heypartner pointed out, and his assists have NOT gone up. Even in an ISO, if he's double teamed he can easily produce an assist out of it. To tell you the truth The Cat, it's not the first time I've seen you with this attitude. Sure, you have a right to express yourself however you want, but you don't HAVE to be bitter. It seems like everyone who doesn't agree with you is WRONG every single time. Sorry to burst that bubble of yours, but you can, sometimes, be wrong too. ------------------
If they gave assists like they do in hockey then Cuttino's average would be up. When the double team comes it is his pass that leads to another pass for the assist. When they dont double team I dont expect Cuttino to pass since there is NO ONE in the NBA that can stop him from getting to the rim. ------------------ Rockets Season Ticket Holder
