There's no way that they will give up Artest or Tinsley! Artest is the perfect player for Isaiah's system. It's a good thought though. If we want a tough 3, I think Battier's the only one who would be available. Posey maybe, but I think Denver wants to hold onto him. I know Barry isn't available. I think Mobley still can change his game though. It's not too late! He is one of the best shooters on the team, and he can slash to the basket on occasion. If Ming is going to be getting the ball in the post, we are goingto need shooters. Mobley is a MUCH better outside shooter than Artest, Posey, or Battier.
Who fits in the new order, and who doesn't? Ok, It is getting more and more clear that the Rockets 2 best players are Ming and Francis, and that the rest of the team will have to fill in the various roles. We have more talent assembled on this team top to bottom then any Rockets team in history. That being the case, at some point some of these players are going to want to have a bigger role, or a STARRING role so to speak. I personally think that Mobley, Francis, Ming, & Griffin and MoT are the players that Rudy wants to build around. All of them are offensive players and each brings a little something different to the table. I also think Rice can help out here and there if he is hitting his 3 point shots. Hawkins fills a nice role and is a valuable respected player off the bench. Players that I believe do not fit in to the current style of play. Moochie Norris does not have the jumpshot to fit in, and clogs the lane when he takes his man off the dribble. Kenny Thomas deserves a bigger role, but I think he is the odd man out, he may be packaged with another Rocket for picks etc. Kelvin Cato - a servicable backup, but it is clear that Ming is the man, and Cato would not get a sniff. I think the Rocks can use Collier for 12 minutes a game or the Griff/Taylor combo when Ming needs a blow. So to recap, I believe that Cato, KT, and Moochie will either get comfortable with a significant decrease in playing time, or they will get traded. Too many cooks spoil the broth. DaDakota PS. I actually think Oscar Torres fit the SG role for a passing team better then Mobley, but Mobley adds that dimension of getting something out of nothing.
First of all, with the way Artest is playing, I don't know why they would trade him right now. Personally, I don't think he'll be able to keep up his offensive efficiency for very long, but he's playing at an unbelievably high level right now. Second of all, I'm not a big Tinsley fan. The Rockets need better shooters more than anything else in my opinion. Tinsley is not a high-percentage shooter by any stretch of the imagination, and I see the Rockets having even more trouble putting the ball in the hoop with him in the game. That's what killed them against the Mavs, they have no consistency from the perimeter. I'm starting to wonder if the Rockets shouldn't have pulled the trigger on a deal involving Eddie for Rashard. Everyone kept on saying Rashard is just some one-dimensional stiff who just jacks up 3's. I call bull**** on that! Currently, he's scoring 18 points/game on 49% shooting, gets almost 8 rebounds per game, 1.5 steals/game, and barely 1 turnover per game. And no, he's not some stiff who just jacks up 3's. He's a freak athlete just like every other high-schooler who comes straight to the NBA. Lewis is worth every penny of the money the Sonics gave him; he's THAT solid! I'm not meaning to bring back the whole Rashard debate again, I'm just using him as an example of the type of the player I think the Rockets need. Of course, they may already have that player. The only problem is he's always on the bench! Yao will eventually be demanding double teams, which should produce open looks when he kicks it out from the post (kind of like how the Rockets won two championships), and as it stands right now, I have no confidence in the Rockets outside shooting. I cringe every time I see an outside shot go up. However, it was very encouraging to see Rice hit some shots last night! A quick run down of some of the Rockets FG%: Mobley 43% Kenny 41% Eddie 40% Taylor 39% Rice 36% Norris 33% Point in case, we need better shooters. I don't feel any confidence that the rest of those guys can pick up Mobley's scoring load.
Why is everyone saying that Cat doesn't fit? I think Cat is horrible as first or second option on a team. But now he will be the 3rd or maybe even 4th behind Mo. I think it's just exactly where we want Cat. He can hit outside shots, slash through the zone, and run on the break. I wouldn't get rid of KT unless we get a hard working 4 in return, someline like Najera or Skinner at least. And that actually is probably our biggest need. Taylor is soft and Griffin isn't a great rebounder yet. A tough 4 could help take the pressure off Yao.
I don't know if the Rockets could really get a good return in value from KT or Cat. Because they are both undersized, many GMS are going to assume that Cat and KT are close to or have even reached their maximum potential. Therefore, they're not going to be willing to give much for players that they feel (rightly or wrongly) aren't going to get any better. Plus, neither player has the reputation for being a "team" player (whether this perception is accurate is irrelevant), so that's going to scare off potential trades as well. What I think the team really needs is an Avery Johnson or Terry Porter-type guard (1 or 2). When the Rockets have lost this season, it's usually because the offense has fallen apart and Steve, Cat and even KT sometimes have tried to win it all themselves. A veteran PG would be someone that Rudy could insert in short spurts to get the offense under control again and to calm everyone's nerves. I haven't kept up with the rest of the league closely, so if anyone has any ideas of what players might fit this mold, let's hear it. Although Cat for Brent Barry could work okay, Barry has the tendency to disappear at times (at least that's what the sportscasters said during the Seattle-Portland game last night). So even though the Rockets would benefits from Barry's basketball IQ and court vision, we could really miss Cat's determination and consistent effort (even if the effort doesn't always translate to success).
I agree mostly, but Collier has been hurt since he got here (both real and imaginary) so I think Cato might be a more consistent backup than Collier. Any way you slice it, as Ming progresses more people are going to have to redefine what they can bring to the table to help the rockets win.
Speaking of Brent Barry.... Would anyone consider a Mobley for Desmond Mason swap? Not trying to start anything, I would still give Mobley a chance to incorporate his game into the collective 1st (remember, Yao isn't the only one adjusting to the new personnel\philosophy). BTW, what happened to Mobley playing off the ball like he did during the preseason? He was excellent running off screens & picks.
The Mavs were hitting their peremiter shots we.. were not.... ..Najera is an exellent defensive player, much like Kenny Thomas........
Clutch, I did not read your thread before I posted a similar thread.....Great minds huh? Would you be so kind as to merge the 2, or if not, that is ok too. http://bbs.clutchcity.net/php3/showthread.php?s=&threadid=45996 DaDakota
People will be praising Cat and KT when we get to the lull in the season. I agree Cat should be coming off the bench because he would be so good at it. KT should be injury insurance 11th man or if everyone is just flatlining. A-team: Cato, Griffin, Rice, Hawkins, Francis B-team: Yao, Taylor, TMo, Cat, Mooch Crunch-time(behind): Yao, Taylor, Hawkins, Cat, Francis Crunch-time(ahead): Yao, Griffin, Hawkins, Cat, Francis Pull a 'Cassell' on Cat and Yao. KT is playing like he's in the contract doghouse.
I have noticed that the more the Rox get away from ISO plays, the less effective Cat has been. He's a great baller but true, his passing is inconsistent, and he's usually the first to break ball movement. The Rockets are evolving with Yao, and now it's Cat's turn to learn to adapt.
Clutch, Cat is a good player, but he is a horrible passer. He seems to always be a half second late on his passes which can be the cause of many of his turnovers. If Cat is going to fit in, he is going to have to take a reduced role and learn how to adjust his game. Frankly, Ming is better then Cat, and Francis and Ming are the next Shaq and Kobe. DaDakota
Considering Ming's only played a few games with the Rockets (and only a couple of good ones so far), I say we give the players who have been here for years a little longer than that to prove they can adapt to him, rather than automatically assuming they can't and shipping them out.
I agree with Dakata mostly. However, on Cato, he should be better than Collier. If we can offord his salary, it would be a good idea to serve as a backup C. KT is valuable for sure. It is just that he probably is more valuable on trading block. Right now, he is the only one that can package with some of our liability and get something valuable in return from another team.
Weird....I heard a trade rumor the other day involving Cat and KT also....except it also involved moochie. This rumor was for those three to the clips for Andre Miller and Eric Piatkowski. My first thought was Eric who? Is he even getting that many minutes? But I checked and he's almost hitting 50% behind the arc. Just what we need if we're going back to an offense around a big man. Might piss off Francis though. He always wanted to be THE point guard.
Hold on everyone There have been a lot of posts lately about who fits and who doesn't, mostly about Cat and KT. I can see how KT is kinda the odd man out, but Cat should stay and heres why: Look at Ming like Barkley, put Ming in the post and the defender is going to make a choice: double team or let Ming score, once the double team starts, it will start raining jumpers from the perimeter. I believe Cat was trying too hard to create last night, but there was always a guy on him, but once defenders leave to double team Ming, then "it's over." Just my thought.
