I agree we need another backup big man, if only for fouls to hack with on some matchups (Shaq) where we don't want YAO to foul out. If he can still play some defense and isn't too expensive, he is welcome. I think the fans would appreciate his efforts.
Any big man with a pulse can get a $3 million deal at anytime from most any team. There is no way the guy would sign anywhere for the Vet min. He'd be losing money.
I would take Cato back in a heartbeat, he could even star some games for you at PF..... He knows his role and is a decent NBA big body. NBA minimum or even a bit more of the MLE.....since we aren't going to use it anyway. DD
I agree. He is just what we need. I doubt Cato is finished (he is not that old-- just turning 32 this month, and he has never been into drugs or alcohol excessively) if he still has his head into the game. He might come at a comparativey cheap price given his last two years, Cato is a very intelligent yet hard to motivate guy who JVG seems to have gotten through to.
Yes any yes but for the minimum bc we need a more reliable backup than mutombo and he adds some solid rebounding and blocked shots he is worth it
Looking at what Elson, Lo Wright, Jarron Collins, etc signed for, it would seem Cato would get somewher between 2-3 mil per year. He actually had a decent year, stats-wise in ORL in 04/05.
So you are gonna count on Cato. Cato is terrible and he is lazy while also being injury prone. He also is as dumb as a bag of rocks. I don't know why everyone wants Cato so bad. I understand the need for a back-up F/C but Cato ain't it. His defense is overrated. Most of the time all he does is foul. Mutombo can do that. We need someone like Melvin Ely who at least will be guarded on the offensive end.
As mentioned he is playing for LSU again. Of note is that in the Houston Fonde REC league (Nike Pro City) with all of the many notable big names, Glenn Davis is the leading scorer. This league is the one started by Moses Malone and has had many big names. This summer: Artest, Cassell, Steve Francis, Luther Head, JL3, Rashard Lewis, 747 from And1, Cuttino, Van Exel, Damon Jones, Okafor and others are running with the 8 teams.
wasn't a thread on getting Cato back up just after our season ended? anyway, for what it's worth, here's my opinion on election 06/07 - Vote no to Cato we need to have a better option for backing up Ming. Although we definetely need something, and anything we can get our hands on is gong to involve some risk, Cato is not who we want. We've been down Cato Rd before. an old saying applies - "fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me."
I'd bring back Cato for 1M or less. He knows the system, JVG can motivate him & he likes JVG & Yao. He's a big body that rebounds, plays defense & knows his role.
I would take Cato back. A lot of people talk about Lonnie Baxter (I am a fan as well), but Cato is 7' big body who clogs up the paint blocks shots. I hope that Yao stays injury free and free of foul trouble. In the foul trouble games Cato can defensively handle any center in the league and still block shots. In those foul trouble games I still can't see Deke play significant minutes as he getting old. In today's NBA most teams have a "redefined" power foward who is more of a 6'8" + guard who doesn't play the post, the Rockets have a ton of options with the new PFs in the NBA, but with the teams that still have a traditional power forward as well, Cato's presense is very welcome. He does not have to score but he can take the pressure off of Yao by clogging up the middle. That is what I loved about Cato when he played with Yao at the 4. He kept Yao on the floor longer keeping him out of foul trouble. Watching the remix of Hakeem made me wish we could have him play the 4! How great would that be? I would take him and Moses back now for our 4/5 combo spot that we need to fill! We are just getting way too young now!
I don't think Cato is that good anymore, and I never thought he was intelligent..but I loved him when he was on the Rockets
Cato used to be that grumpy guy on the team that never seemed to into it, but you knew by his play when it was a big game or big moment. When Cato got into it, you knew something was on the line. He's not all that talented, and who knows how good he is now, but once I got over the fact that he wasn't as good as that guy we saw that one preseason game (the one he earned his contract from) there was always something I liked about him.
