Triplebogey is right. Getting better and improving your game is something that all players SHOULD do, but most do not. The players who excel in the NBA, all add something to their game each year. (read get better). They have a burning desire to improve and to not be satisfied, most succesful people also behave this way. I believe Cato is a LAZY player and has basically peeked. If someone else has to motivate you to improve, then you will never reach your potential. Austin Croshere can play on my ROCKETS anytime he wants. DaDakota PS. Players on the Rockets who fit this mold. Francis, Cat, SA, KT?, Hakeem etc..etc.. ------------------
Cato is an intelligent person (and player). Houston was a lottery-bound team this past year. Cato's lack of intensity and non-influence in the game translated to a better draft position for Houston. Cato will be fine and should not be traded.
UB: I don't think you can turn intensity off and on for a season or a career. Cato was intelligent enough to play a great preseason game in Cleveland and get a big contract. At that pointhe became lazy, except when he was on TV! ------------------
Mark Bryant wouldn't be in the NBA right now if not for CD. Why does everybody assume that since Cato had one great game in the preseason, he should be doing that every game? Geez, I can name a ton of players that have had one good game. Matt Maloney comes to mind. That doesn't mean they should be tearing it up every time out. People are expecting too much from Cato. 9 pts, 6 rebs, and 2 blks in 25 minutes a game is not bad at all, especially for a first season with significant playing time. "Oh, but he's tall!" "Oh, but he can jump!" So can everyone else in the league. Everyone thought Robert Horry should have been the next Pippen...why? Because they had similar builds. Makes sense, right? Lower your expectations. Cato is earning his money so far. Look around the league if you don't believe it. ------------------ Too-Rye-Aye!
NO, ALMOOOOO, that is not logical. Leave it to DUKE'S LAYWERING mind to tell you right. If DUKE was makeing the 42 million dollars, why would I want to GET BETTER? That is dumb. NO WAY. DUKE would sit arond on his big valour couch eating Cheeztos and drinking YOO HOO all day and all night except for when the game happend, THEN SUPER DUKE would get up and play. BUT I sure would not spend no time with BILL WALTON, I hate that whole family and their STUPID TV Show. DUKE DUKE DUKE DUKE OF CHEETOS CHEETOS CHEETOS ------------------ Robble robble robble HAMBURGLER in the HOUSE!!
Kevin Willis, was the same player he was everywhere else before he landed in Houston. OT. Was a force, maybe even more so, before he came to Houston Those two I believe were 20 and 10 guys before they landed in Houston. Charles Jones sat, and sat, and sat on Houstons bench. Never did a thing. Dont know what your proving with this point. Mark Bryant was just needed to fill ab bigger role in Houston than he has any where else. If your taught so well, it would seem logical that your game would transcend to any team. Like Othella proved last year. Even though he slumped at the end of the year.
Kevin Willis ressurected his career in Houston. OT played good for Houston. Even Horry played pretty good for Houston. Othella played well enuff to become trade bait. I was joking about Charles Jones. Hey, Cato wants to take some classes, big deal. As long as he devotes the rest of his time to basketball, I am satisfied. College is something worthwhile. CD can't MAKE him breathe basketball every single moment of the summer. If he does't like that, then trade his ass. give the guy a break. And who is to say that stupid camp is going to make him a better center. How many great centers have come from that camp? Puh Shaw! ------------------ What do you get when you cross a dinosaur with fireworks?
I agree with you as well DaDakota, Cato is lazy. Great players come into the league working hard and making mistakes and learning from them, or learning from the coaches & other players. Cato has rode the pine in portland and when he finally gets a chance to play what does he do? He plays hard enough to get a big contract then shows up to play when the Rockets were on national TV. Yeah he does have potential but I would rather have a hustling, undersized player than a physically gifted, lazy talent. ------------------
I can't speak for anybody else, but my point wasn't that Cato should be going to this camp or that camp, whether Bill Walton is providing the teaching, Kareem, or anyone else. "Hey, Cato wants to take some classes, big deal. As long as he devotes the rest of his time to basketball, I am satisfied. College is something worthwhile. CD can't MAKE him breathe basketball every single moment of the summer." My point is that Kelvin is in a tenuous position THIS offseason. He's on the block and he must know that there are some in the organization that have doubts concerning his heart, motivation, and work ethic. Of course Carroll Dawson can't "MAKE" him breathe basketball every single moment this summer, but he SHOULDN'T have to. Kelvin should know that he needs to do EVERYTHING he possibly can to get better, including staying in town if need be. Look, I have no idea how much work he's getting in this summer while at Ames, Iowa, but, for his sake, I hope it's BETTER competition/practice than he could have gotten here in town. My guess is that the competition in pickup games isn't as good on Iowa State campus as it would be at Westside. If some are willing to paint Dawson's teaching ability in such a favorable light, then it would make even more sense for him to stick around. IMO, getting traded would be a very bad thing for Kelvin Cato. He's in a good situation here, with a young team, a patient coach, and a stable franchise. Chances are good that if he gets traded, he'll find himself in a less ideal situation. That thought in and of itself would be enough motivation for me to "breathe basketball every single moment of the summer." As for Kelvin, the early signs aren't good. ------------------
Freak, I hope you are being sarcastic. Nine points? Six rebounds? Two blocks? For 42 million dollars? Yea, only 26 minutes but a full game average of maybe 12 pts, 10 rebs and 3 blocks is not enough for me. He has way more potential than that, don't you think? People with less have done more through sheer hard work and determination. Look at Kevin Willis. Hell, look at Charles Oakley. Charles has NO athletic ability. He can't jump 2 inches off the ground and he still averages 12 points and 10 rebounds and about 10 hustles a game and gets paid LESS. Cato is lazy. He got lazy after the contract and will continue until someone slaps him upside his cone head and wakes him the hell up. ------------------ [This message has been edited by Almu (edited June 14, 2000).]
Greg Ostertag, Bryant Reeves, Lorenzen Wright, Jermaine O'neal, Luc Longley, Robert Horry....what? Oh...I was just naming a few guys off the top of my head who make as much or more than Cato WILL make next year. If you don't think he's earning his money, look around the league at some of the contracts of other big guys. We're not talking about dumb organizations here either -- those guys play for the Jazz, Suns, and Lakers. Also consider that Cato's contract doesn't even kick in until this coming year, so how anyone can say he didn't earn his money last year is beyond me. He's not the overpaid stiff everyone makes him out to be. Lower your expectations. ------------------ Too-Rye-Aye!
Syracuse. One of my old hometowns. Cold and Rainy all the time. Why would anyone go there???? Of note, Eddie George is back at Ohio State this summer. Finishing up. ------------------ humble, but hungry.
Exactly DaDakota, Just because other teams are dumb enough to sign their sorry players like that doesn't mean that we should also. Freak makes a valid point, though. Cato doesn't start receiving his money until next year. I hope that he isn't a 9pt 6reb player at that price. If Ostertag and the Jazz are willing to settle for that, ok. But this is my team and I hope we don't settle for it. ------------------
