I totally agreee. The Rox need to set extremely high standards (like sweeping the lakers) and go for it. If all they want to do is just win a couple of games or just be competitve, this is going to be a short series.
Well when you look at every little sentence every player or coach makes in every little interview then you will be able to create any image of the the coach and any player. I mean sometimes you as a person are in a good mood and sometimes you are not. Also when you don't hear how JVG or Francis or Cato whoever is saýing things you can't know how they mean what they say. I personally as a fan is ready to give them the credit of the doubt and I don't think that JVG hates the team or is an egomaniac. That would be jumping way to much to conclusions. Actually the only time I have heard Van Gundy talk for a long time without it being translated through a journalist or a poster with a hidden agenda is the pre-playoff interview Van Gundy just had and in that he pretty much seemed like a respectful intelligent guy who was ready to give it all for the clubb. And if you heard how he spoke about Jimmy Jackson then you would never again say that he doesn't appreciate any of the players. Pretty much the same goes for Steve. He is interviewed so much that it is inevitable that he will say something that people will try to put a negative spin on. But why do that? Why not think the best of a player who has been a good player for us in quite a long time now?? There might be changes in the off-season and they might be needed but that doesn't mean that it will be because anyone is not behaving in a proffesional matter or trying their best. Last thing... Since no one knows what happened between Cato and Van gundy there is really no need for the kind of speculation that give ammo to the haters that we try to stand united against and has done with some succes just lately.
Cato made his name with Rudy based on two early season games against the Lakers in which Cato hustled his butt of trying to deny and hassle Shaq. VG would be a fool to not take Cato to LA. I cannot believe he would even consider it. We may be better off with Padgett and Taylor at PF and let Cato rest Yao against Shaq. It just depends how Cato would do against Malone. Padgett may lack the bulk but may have enough inside info to harass a slower Malone.
We've got 13 guys right now: Steve Francis Jim Jackson Mark Jackson Yao Ming Cuttino Mobley Bostjan Nachbar Scott Padgett Maurice Taylor Clarence Weatherspoon Mike Wilks Adrian Griffin Kelvin Cato Eric Piatkowski So, let's see: one of these last four guys will not make the playoff roster. Do you really think Kelvin Cato will be the one?
JVG also never aired the real problems with Eddie Griffin, but noone here chooses to remember that case. The point is that there's a pattern here - albeit from a small data set. JVG will call you out for being unprofessional, but if you're going through serious, personal issues, he won't state them publicly
You can tell JVG was displeased at Cato when he took some of the shots he shouldnt be taking. Also Cato is virtually useless in the PnR situation, which is important to beat LA. BUT, I still think Cato will make the roster, maybe not starting, in the playoff.
Tom that makes sense.. If you notice the things he calls people out for its BB related.. not giving enough effort? unprofessional attitude? late to meetings/ practice/ shoot arounds? I hope Cato is healthy and its not a physical problem? hurry back Cato man! J
Are you sure about that? I remember earlier in the season Cato talking about how Van Gundy encouraged him to take jumpers he was not allowed to take under Rudy T.
Maybe, just maybe JVG is trying to keep the Lakers off guard in their preparations against us? It's all just a big cat and mouse game. Why haven't we heard of much injury reports of Karla? Why does JVG want to make the Lakers think they might have to prepare against no Cato and maybe a 3 point shooting Padgent instead? All for the same reasons: to disrupt the preparations of their opponent. If Cato is healthy, he'll start. I have absolutely no doubt about that. JVG is a heck of a lot smarter than some of you guys think.
The conspiracy theories slay me. Like the ones in chat where people were saying the Lakers were tanking to avoid us. LOL. So just in order to 'confuse' PJ, Van Gundy sits an important component of our team for the last two games while he's trying to work his way back from injuries. That's a hell of a lot of effort to confuse a guy who isn't going to be confused. If you think PJ's not prepping for Cato because JVG's 'pretending' to have him in the doghouse, you're nuts. He is prepping for Cato and Padgett and everybody else on our roster. He's not dumb and neither is Jeff. The people who suggested Cato was sitting due to injuries were wrong. That was obvious from the Chronicle article a few days back, but nobody wanted to believe it. The main question remaining is whether this is personal or professional. Did Cato move from the top of JVG's list of committed, hard working players and from the starting lineup to the bottom of the bench because of his game or his attitude? These are basically the questions I posed a couple days ago in my one star rated thread. While that one got bumped off the page, we got three new ones on the exact same topic today. (No credit for the PDB -- all credit to the 9/12 photographers.) I'm surprised more people haven't wanted to talk about this, with us heading to LA. There is obviously a 'there' there. It's not about the injury and it's not just about matchups or creating space for Yao, or Cato would've played when Yao was out. Something's wrong and if it doesn't get worked out it will impact our playoff series.
Can we still sign Patrick Ewing for the playoff roster? Hey, Celtics did it with Dana Barros. Just kidding. Cato should be dressed barring injury.
Jones, my theory is that Cato, SF and Cat are the rebels in JVG system. For obvious reason, SF and Cat wont sit out of the playoff. JVG is making an statement here that he is still the boss to dictate what to do, what not to do. One can tell from VG's expression everytime when Cato takes that 15 foot jumper or calling for the ball in the low post. Cato is simply clogging up the middle, leaving very little operating room for Yao. What you going to do with Cato? You cant move him to the high post, nobody's going to guard him if he sets a pick. He should've been more of Wallace/Rodman guy, hanging around the rim , go for the boards, not to score. I think he failed to recognize his role, maybe. Having said that, I still think JVG will leave Cato in the rotation.
