Good read on Cuttino's off-the-court activities. I didn't know he was so involved in the community. It is great to see that an NBA player does so much for the kids in the area. I never really thought too highly of Mobley, but this article is helping to change my mind. He took a paycut a coulple of years ago to stay in Houston. He is one helluva scorer, and he is a team player. His work ethic is unmatched by anyone I have seen in a while, (except for maybe Stevie), and he seems to be maturing as well. I was pretty hard on Mobley last year. His shot selection left something to be desired, and I thought his defense was suspect. But if you throw in all the intangibles that he brings to the team, city, community, and kids in the area, I think that he is one of the guys you build your team around. He may not be the franchise player on the team, but I think he plays a vital role in the team as a whole. This article made me realize that it isn't always just how many points you can score, and how many rebounds you can get per night....
i don't know why people have such a problem with the cat. i still think he is EASILY the most likeable person on this team. he's a genuinely nice guy, doesn't walk around like his sh*t don't stink, cares about the team, is willing to take less $ to help the team, works on his game constantly, and has gotten into absolutely ZERO trouble off the court. he's also a great example to kids of what can happen if you follow your dreams (aka: what you love). this is a guy that always played second fiddle - growing up with rasheed wallace and other philly ballers. then he was second fiddle at rhode island behind lamar odom and tyson wheeler. now, he's second fiddle behind "the franchise". and all he does is keep working, and keep ballin. yet, people want to say that cat "can't do this" and "won't do that"! i'm so sick of people downing this man. if you want to criticize his game, go for it. please, though, look at the whole team while you're doing it - especially his backcourt mate. it gives a little perspective as to why cat does some of the things he does on the court. think he shoots too much? don't you think he shoots the # of shots he does as per rudy?! good lord, when it's only him and steve out there (that has a legit shot at scoring) only one or the other is going to end up shooting. with better teammates out there, i fully expect cat to go back to what he was like his first 2 years here - a good scorer who will pass when needed. of course, then people will say what a "great change cat made" it's no change, he's just doing what necessary for this team to have a chance at winning! cat's #1 in my book. he is my favoritye guard on the rockets for all that he represents: the dude in the background that was never given a chance, but keeps on trying anyway. damnit, you gotta love the cat!
i love cat! steve is a great guy. and the mooch...well, he has daggerville. so we should keep him along too.
verse, he has that squeaky-clean likeability... but that article is one of the most boring basketball profiles that I've read in a long time... boring in a "He's such a good son. He eats all his vegetables. And now look at him up on stage. I'm so proud..." kinda way. goody goody gumdrops.
Thanks vtkp99 for helping me out with the post. I'm not too good at posting quotes or links in the BBs. I agree with you verse. My opinion of Mobes is changing. It started to at the end of the season last year, mostly because he went 110% even when they were 20 games under .500, or however bad it was. Yes, he shot too much, but on last years team, who else could score other than Stevie? Mobley was easily the 1st or 2nd option. He will grow into his role as a go-to guy, as well a great teammate and representative for the city of Houston. It sounds like he is garnering more national attention, which only reflects good on the city of Houston. It will be interesting to see how well he blends in with the new Rockets this year. I think it is going to be awesome!
Add to that he was a second round pick who has worked his butt off to become not only a starter, but a top ten scorer in the NBA last season.
And played with bum ankles the first part of the season. Like The Cat said, how many times have you heard a player who was so self-effacing? "I'm not a superstar or anything." He deserves more recognition. With the added attention Yao is bringing to the team, Cat should be getting more coverage just because the Rockets will. Seeing him play with Yao will be interesting. He should get some wide-open looks. Wouldn't it be wild if his scoring average actually went up?
I've been high on Cuttino ever since reading a season preview article in the Chronicle after his rookie year where (probably Feigen) raved about how Cuttino's work ethic and determination to get better. Hakeem talked about being humble and hungry. Cat exemplifies that hunger. Cat, as with just about all the NBA players, is extremely blessed, and it sounds like he appreciates what he has. If it's not all spin, I'm happy for him. Life's a lot more pleasant when you appreciate how lucky you are.
I am a proud member of M*A*S*H but I have to admit that Mobes is my favorite Rocket. I've had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times and he was very cool. He's underrated but has bust his @$$ to become an excellent player. He was the freaking 41st pick in the draft as a backup pg. and has transformed into one of the top 5 pure scorers in the game. It boggles my mind how people can hate on a man for doing that. Like verse and other have said, yes he takes a lot of shots but look wjo was on the court w/ him a good amount of time last year. His D isn't great but when he's playing against SG and not being killed by bigger SF's in small ball, his D is solid. Point blank, Mobes loves the Rocks, loves and appreciates where he is in life, and cares about the community. IMO, there isn't much more you can ask of a player. Maybe I'll start an org. M*A*C*H 5 (Member's Against Cat Hating), the moto can be, "Just stop it" (the hating that is).
What I am looking forward to is how fast CAT & STEVE learn to adapt to having a real center to pass in and out from. I have nothing but respect for how well they played without a real center to balance the offense. Cat had to shoot a lot last year because of CATO could not handle passes. This season we can look forward to a steadly improving team, and by half way thru next season they ought to have the offense down!
Criticisms about Cat's shot selection have their merit. But I have said elsewhere that he is not a selfish player. I've also said that he will be the biggest surprise this coming season for Rockets fans (Ming will be the biggest surprise for non-Rockets fans). Surprise of seeing that the Cat can thrive in plays other than ISOs and he can be a deadlier scorer by shooting less.
