IMO, Cuttino needs to do what he does best, shoot the spot up 3 and break down defenders both off the dribble and as a cutter. He (and probably Steve, no, better yet the whole team) needs to have a 3 second rule, as in he has 3 seconds to shoot, make his move to the bucket, or pass. When Mobley takes his man to the bucket, he draws defenders because of his ability to get to the rack and score. He needs to shoot when he is open and pass the ball when someone else is open, which happens alot when people come to help on the dribble penetration. If the center supports, Yao is open, dunk. If the PF supports, ditto with EG and MoT. Posey and Steve on the outside are additional safety valves that can both shoot the 3, go to the rack, or take the mid-range jumper. Once Mobley learns that he has done his job by getting defenders out of position and that his job at that point is passing to the open guy, we will have the productive offense that we saw a number of times this year. When the team passed the ball, we won and it was a beautiful sight. I think Rudy was on the right track, but just couldn't get the guys to do it consistently. Mobley is and should continue to be an important part of our team. I personally believe that he would be outstanding as the firepower off the bench. Start Steve, Posey, Yao and Eddie and we just have toidentify or acquire someone who can play 3 (Rice, Rice, baby...even a trade for a quality 3). Alternatively, if we can pick up a quality point, we could start Steve at 2 and play Posey at 3 (he is big enough to defend most of the SFs in the league). Steve and Cuttino as our SGs and Steve could be the backup PG (ouch). Cuttino impressed me at the end of the year with the outstanding defense he played down the stretch. The job he did on Kobe at the end of the year was awesome. If he stays at the starting 2, I hope he continues that trend, which he probably will once JVG gets his paws on the tape and breaks it down. With JVG at the helm, we are in for some tough defense, hard work, and lots of preparation. Lets just hope it's not Preparation H.
Not to mention be too selfish. It wouldn't bode well for the marriage if you shot too soon, rolled over, said, "I got mine, you can get yours," and fell asleep. But what ya'll say about Cat is correct. Too many minutes. Now that we've torn up the adoption papers Rudy signed to acquire Cuttino, and Cat no longer has that protection, I say, if we keep him, limit him to 32 mpg; teach him to pass (sigh); get Posey involved at the 2 and 3 spots.
cuttino is a good defender (not all-nba or anything but as good as we have). cuttino can hit an outside shot (again not ray allen quality, but you don't just leave him open for fun) cuttino can drive by anyone cuttino can finish a fast break as well as anyone he plays hard every single night he works hard in the offseason, stays in shape, and has added something and improved every year he's willing to play whatever role the coach wants (starting pg, 6th man who excelled, starting sg, the man when steve went out, starting sg who reduced his role throughout the season to accomodate yao) he has a great contract there are so many positives about cuttino, i don't understand why everyone is in such a rush to get rid of him. how many better SG's are you going to find than him that play on both sides of the ball and don't cost an arm and a leg? oh and as for shooting to much and still wanting to be the man even with yao here? his fga/gm last year was 18.4 this year it was 14.6 the last month it was 12.7 he reduced his role from secondary scorer at the beginning (which he most certainly should have been since yao was doing nothing) to the third otption by season's end. and if you say but he still shot more than yao, you have to look at the minutes they played. had yao averaged the same minutes as cuttino, over the last month he would've shot 15 times a game. and a few more stats just b/c i already figured them out: over the course of the season: cuttino shot once every 2.85 minutes yao shot once every 2.95 minutes in the last month: cuttino shot once every 3.15 minutes yao shot once every 2.69 minutes oh and they shot essentially the exact same percentage over their last 18 games, which is bad considering yao is a center. so if cuttino is a black hole and a ballhog, then what does that make yao? and finally, cuttino never dribbles when he gets an open outside shot, that's steve who does that.
Selfishness. 1st - when someone beside he yao and SF can hit the shot CONSISTANTLY call me. I seen MANY drive and dishes end in the bleachers after Mo Griff or moochie threw it at the goal Even Rice was inconsistant. I'd say Cat shot us into as many games as he shot us out of [I think he kept us in more] Is tracy mac selfish? I know u will say well he is the man well . . .I bet you this. . .Tracy would like a little help from the man next to the man And contrary to all the YAOers YAO HAD TO EARN HIS FRICKING BONES LeBron SHOULD have to earn his. . . if he is instantly THE MAN on Cleveland. . it simple shows what kind of punks and wimps they are there Rocket River
Mobley isn't that perfect like what francis 4 prez said, because he has one biggest weakness--- he just sink the Rockets team. Nobody said TMac is selfish, nobody said KG is selfish. Only the player who tries to do somethin' he is not capable of will be labled as Selfish, that's Mobley.
What does he try to do that he is not capable of doing? All he does is what his coaches ask him to do. Start out of position at PG - Sure. Come of the bench behind Shandn Andersn - Why not. Be the number one option on a team that has no number 2 - Will do. Take 2/3 as many shots at the end of this year as you did last year - Whatever you say. I just don't understand where the criticisms come from that he is not coachable. Coachability is 1 of the things that has defined his career.
I think he'd be THE best 6th man in the league if he came off the bench. This is not referring to demoting him because of his choices in shots or because we want another SG. But maybe he can be that spark plug that gets everyone else going when Francis and Yao are on the bench. I think Cat was at his best when he was the 6th man.
I say we don't do anything rash with Cat. Let's see how he responds to JVG's coaching (assuming, of course...). If that doesn't work out, let's see how he does as a 6th man coming off the bench to heat things up, a la Vinnie "Microwave" Johnson with the Piston Bad Boy teams. And if nothing works, we trade him later in the year when teams are more willing to pull the trigger on a trade that's not necessarily in their favor, as long as it brings help they need in a specific area to get into the playoffs. And most importantly, if we trade him, let's package him with Moochie.
I'd love to trade Cat for Derek Anderson right now. Can't believe that guy averaged around 4 assists. That's what we need from our SG if Francis is going to be the PG. I say get Derek Anderson and Lamar Odom - we're set. Odom can average 4 assists, Anderson 4, Yao 3, and Francis 6. That's 17 assists, which is, I believe, close to what our ENTIRE ROTATION averaged last season.
I would love Derek Anderson and Lamar Odom . Throw in McInnis to replace the Mooch as well, please. DA's numbers are just like Cat's - but they sure are very different players.
I'd love to get Derek Anderson and Jeff McInnis too, but what could we offer the Blazers that we'd want? Cat and Moochie, I think the Blazers would laugh at us, we get two superior players. Griffin or MoT, they're set at the four with Sheed and Randolph. Cato, they were smart enough to dump him on us, unlikely they'd take him back.
