12/21-CATO TICKED AT MINUTES- Rockets center Kelvin Cato was noticeably upset after being pulled from Tuesdays game against the Spurs, logging 8 minutes in his second game since returning to the IR. So upset he had a meeting with Rockets assistant Larry Smith. After that meeting he acknowledged he understood the team and Rudy T wanted to take things slow. Cato apparently made the complaint of how could he get in game shape without minutes. For those that don't know the story of Kelvin Cato, he is the perfect reason why there should be an exit clause for every team in every contract, we'll call it the "I didn't get what I paid for clause". The Rockets acquired Cato in the deal that sent Scottie Pippen to the Blazers. Cato at the time was the 12th man in Portland and got limited minutes. The Rockets were undergoing a radical re-tool, and gave Cato minutes in exhibition, in which he turned in breath taking performances--blocking shots, scoring points, rebounding, running the floor. That pre-season showing prompted the Rockets to give Cato a multi-year extension (6 years $42 million). Its been downhill from there. Cato has turned from an aggressive shot blocking big man, to a soft, chronically injured baby that whines and cries about virtually everything. While, I concede that Cato when on his game, can change a game, but in his 2 seasons in Houston, he has had about a dozen memorable games, and maybe a handful of spectacular games. Rockets fans continue to ask if Cato has any market value, and I posed that question to a league source, and the answer was surprisingly funny. "If the Rockets want to dump him, there is always an idiot who'd take a 7 footer.... Houston took him didn't they?". So while the staff tells Cato they are going to ease him into the lineup, the real story is likely his inability to stay healthy has the staff thinking why put him in, he might get sand in his shoe and miss 6 games. http://www.bskball.com/Rumors.htm ------------------
Damn! And to think we could've had Jermaine O'Neal instead. ------------------ "Oh No..." -Bill Walton in 97 just before Stockton's buzzer beater
All of Jermaine Oneal's games as a Center in the west have blown up in his face...His best games were as Power Forward....This is crap, coz if this were true, we'd hear other 7-foot stiffs playing in the league saying that they want time and CAN play....BUT, they never say that, and Cato isn't a stiff.. Cato will come back big, especially blocking and rebounding...I wouldn't mind him having 10pts a game..... ------------------
There's two lines in that whole hunk of crap that mean anything. The first being that he was pissed and talked to Smith. The second being Smith telling him that they wanted to bring him along slowly and Cato accepting that answer. The rest is just r****ded dribble from a third-rate website.
Where's the rumor? The facts of this are taken off the Chronicle with no acknowledgement and the rest is opinion/re-telling Cato's story. <a href="http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/777744">Chronicle: Cato cools off</a> Rockets center Kelvin Cato played eight minutes in his second game back from the injured list. He was clearly unhappy with being removed from the game. But after meeting with Rockets assistant coach Larry Smith on Wednesday, Cato said he understood the decision to limit his playing time. "I'm cool," he said. "I have an opportunity to get out there and get better and get better and get better. It's just basketball (as opposed to his ankle holding him back). I'm all right. It's a lot harder to come back from certain injuries than from others. "Basketball is basketball. Besides my conditioning and my timing, I'm OK. My frustration level has been a little (high). That because of the amount of minutes I'm getting. But that's part of getting back my conditioning, getting back with the coaching staff and learning the plays. They can't throw a person out there that doesn't know the plays and say, `OK, we're going to play you anyway.' "I mean, I'm frustrated, but I'm starting to understand that a little more after talking to the coaching staff more. `Mean' (Smith) said it was better for me to work my way back. I understand. I got a little peeved about it, but he's right." Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said he thought Cato needed to come out of the game when he seemed to be favoring the ankle. Cato suffered a high ankle sprain in the season's second game, forcing him to miss the next 20. "Cato took a little stumble," Tomjanovich said, comparing limiting Cato's minutes to holding Steve Francis out of the game. "He had a tough practice where it hurt. Sometimes I have to put my immediate wants and desires on hold for the betterment of the individual and the team. We want to win so bad. Cato didn't want to come out." ------------------ NOTHING BUT .NET CLUTCHCITY.NET
I agree, the Rockets can't wait much longer for Cato to "show up". I hope that his disappointment with his playing time is a sign that he's ready to step it up. ------------------
Right on, NIKE! When I was watching the game and saw Cato's reaction to being pulled, I was happy. At least we know he WANTS to be in there. He also grabbed a few boards in his limited minutes and was looking aggressive. He clearly thought he was on his way to a good game. ------------------ "I really don't try to score, I really just try and pick apart teams by passing to create opportunities." -- Cuttino Mobley
You are DRUNK. O'Neal has put up impressive numbers almost the entire season. As soon as O'Neal was able to get minutes, he produced. I am STILL waiting for Cato to show up. As it stands now, Jermaine O'Neal is a better player at any position when compared to Kelvin Cato. ------------------ There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness." [This message has been edited by HOOP-T (edited December 21, 2000).]
J.O'Neal is a Power Forward, he's been playing there most of the season. I agree with DJ; Cato is a better center than J.O'Neal. ------------------
I think the article shows how much cato has changed. It shows that cato wants to play more, and he is more focused on the game this year than last year. Hopefully he has also improved on his game, and will be a much bigger force for us this year than last year. Maybe he will come up big for us today against Shaq, let see what happens. ------------------
What on earth are ya'all talking about? Kelvin Cato came to the Rockets last year and his role was Hakeem's backup. That is until Dream got hurt and he became a starter. He averaged 24 minutes per game for the season. It may come as a big surprise to the Cato-haters, but as woeful as the Rockets were last year they had a WINNING record in games where Cato played 26 minutes or more. ------------------ GATER
Wow, bskball didn't like my response, here's the email they sent me: Blake- There's two lines in that whole hunk of crap that mean anything. The first being that he was pissed and talked to Smith. The second being Smith telling him that they wanted to bring him along slowly and Cato accepting that answer. The rest is just r****ded dribble from a third-rate website.- **** You nailed it...what the hell was i thinking.... I'll take the site down right now. Why is it that people like you have to continue to breathe..... Someone supplies something at totally no cost to you, to provide another outlet of information, and you have to attempt to tear it down...... sad. 3rd rate?..... Thats funny. BskBALL ------------------ "He was under more balls than a midget hooker."-Bobby Hill visit www.swirve.com and, http://www.geocities.com/clutch34_2000 for great Rocket insight by some of your fellow BBS posters!
Tsk, Tsk, tsk. BSKBall thinks they're so great. I say we ban them. NO MORE BSKBALL! NO MORE BSKBALL!..... ------------------ Francis out top, 9 seconds on the clock, he gives a no look pass to Cuttino Mobley, 4 seconds left, Mobley passes to an open Langhi in the corner with 1 second left! Langhi at the buzzer.......YES!!! How Sweet It Is!!
Ouch. The good news is I no longer think I've been harsh with you in the past ------------------ NOTHING BUT .NET CLUTCHCITY.NET
I thought Portland wouldn't give us O'Neal? ------------------ President of the Steve Francis, Jamal Crawford,Larry Hughes, and Charles Woodson fan club.
I also thought Cato would become a player. It hasn't happened yet but how long do you wait. I still like Cato and think he could be a good player. I just don't see him doing the things we brought him in for. He shouldn't post up, shoot farther than 12 feet and his main job is to block shots/change shots. If he can't do this then its time to do something about it. ------------------
Lil Francis, you see this all the time. When looking at a trade is retrospect, Rockets fans will always assume they could have had whoever they wanted and the idiotic Rockets were too stupid to ask for it. E.g., "To think, we could have traded Drew and parts for Antawn Jamison!" ------------------ RealGM Rockets Draft Obligations Summary http://www.gaffordstudios.cjb.net/
I can see this as a kind of positive. Cato is eager to play, rather than wanting to play as little as possible, and collect the same check, like last year. Cato did a very nice job on the glass imo. Did anyone else think he looked a little slower than usual? Perhaps because of extra upper body muscle? ------------------ The Serious Police are watching. Follow the rules or be assimilated. Shandon is underrated.
