I'm with TheCat on this one. If he's healthy and works on his conditioning, I'd feel just as comfortable starting Collier as I would starting no-heart Cato or a signed Marc Jackson. Believe it or not, but Collier has a solid offensive post game (nice little jump hook), is a natural rebounder, and is just a good, smart C who knows his role. I don't think you could even label him as being soft, considering that at least he tried to go head-to-head with Shaq. No, he won't make any All-Star games anytime soon, but he's a much cheaper, younger alternative to Marc Jackson, and will at least give 200% the effort that Cato brings.
Sabonis was arguably one of the 10 best centers of all time, even though his glory years were before he came to the NBA. Are Russians white guys?
i'm of the opinion that we should start cato to start the season, but give as many minutes to collier as he can handle. by the end of the season, if they are both still healthy, collier has a pretty good chance of stealing cato's starting job. if for no other reason, simply because collier will get better, cato likely won't (basing this solely on work ethic). however, i'm not wishing cato ill, i do hope he improves (i'm just not banking on it). we should still definitely sign another backup center, at least to have another warm body in there in case of injury. it's way way way to early to judge whether or not collier is a bust. if you judge "busts" based on what your expectations are for a player and what you had to give up to get him, then no, collier is not a bust. he is better than pzyrbilla at this point, and that's who we drafted ahead of collier and then traded away for the rights to collier, and as someone mentioned earlier, this trade allowed the eddie griffin deal to happen. add in the fact that collier's draft class was piss-poor and all signs point to "not a bust." at this point. i will also agree that we never saw the best of sabonis, and that he could have been remembered as one of the greatest nba centers of all time had he played more in the nba.
Cat- he did NOT combine with Hakeem to hold Shaq to 14 and 24 points. That was all Hakeem. If Collier had been that good a defensive player, he would have played more than 16 minutes per game.
Cat- he did NOT combine with Hakeem to hold Shaq to 14 and 24 points. That was all Hakeem. You are so ******* delusional. Your maturity has gone to levels I once thought were unattainable. If it's a player you like and adore, he completely shut down Shaq or whoever. If it's someone you don't like, it was all a result of that person you like. If Collier had been that good a defensive player, he would have played more than 16 minutes per game. If Hakeem's as good as you say he is, how could Collier play more than 16 minutes per game?
