Give this man a cookie! It would be interesting to see Mad Max's defense with Kelvin Cato and Jason Collier instead of The Best Defensive Center of Our Generation having the best years of his career backing him up. This really isn't a comparison, I'd take Cuttino everyday and twice on Sundays.
Mobley also played w/Olajuwon, but w/o the same results. Mobley did not play near as well defensively EVEN w/ Hakeem behind him. Maxwell fit the system perfectly, Mobley didn't. What has Mobley won, or helped win? Mobley could be a better player with someone like Larry Brown coaching him. The iso is a dinosaur in the new NBA.
Speed and Quickness: Even - Cat may have the quickest first step in the league today and there is no question Max never got out quicked. Shooting: Edge to Cat. Vernon hit some very clutch shots and was a great free throw shooter but his shooting was very streaky. Vernon could go into shooting slumps that would rival those of Walt Williams but of course he usually pulled himself out of it with some cold blooded game winning three. Cat is just so much more consistant shooting the ball and has just as much ice in his veins as Vernon did. Cat seldom goes into shooting slumps that last very long. Taking the ball to the rim: Even - Both Cat and Vernon can/could get to the rim anytime thay wanted. No one in the league is quick enough to stop either. Both are very good at finishing. Free throw shooting: Not sure what Vernons stats are but I remember him being very good. Cat always hits more than 80% and he is the guy I want at the line if the game is close. I will have to call this one even. Defense: Edge Vernon: I will agree with TheCat about Cats defense being very underrated but Vernon was the best defensive two guard in the league next to MJ in my oppinion and maybe better. Intangables: Edge Cat: Vernon was a ticking time bomb always defending his MadMax image. He did not like the nick name Mad Max he let it get in his head whenever sports writters used it. Cat has been a model citizen since he has been here and he is always the most dedicated and hardest working player on the team. Overall Edge goes to Cat.
Max. I still remember the end of one game against...Miami I think...The Rockets were down by three with only a couple of ticks left. I remember I was listening to Gene Peterson on the radio, and I stuck a tape in and recorded the end of the game because I had a feeling something special was going to happen. The ball was inbounded, it found it's way to Vernon who one-armed it at the basket as he was flying out of bounds. Swish. Tie ball game. We went on to win. Gene Peterson: "Vernon, Kenny, Bullard...everyone who can shoot the three on the floor for the Rockets. I don't know, if I'm Miami, I foul em'...make em' shoot the freethrows. Bullard with the inbound to Kenny. Kenny passes Maxwell. Vernon, a rainbow three at the buzzer..." YEEEESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!! YESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!! YEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!
Damn, there were a lot of 3 point specialists back then. Add Mario and Horry to those three as well. AND they were all clutch. Any CLUTCH trey makers today?
TheFreak, should we just discount everyone (except Clyde) who played on the Rocks during Dream's prime because, well, they were playing with DREAM for crying out loud! Was O.T. an average PF because he played next to Hakeem? Man, he had it easy. Kenny Smith, E.T., Horry... they were just lucky! Or maybe they were lucky, but also good. Everyone can't be stars, and the 93/94 team had a decided lack of them. Except for Hakeem. Some of them may be overrated (Smith, "The Jet") and I'm sure my feelings are influenced by an emotional attachment to that team, but damn... Max was a player.
Max was a role player. Cat is a star. Max was option 2x, where Hakeem was option 1 and everyone else was tied for option two. Cat is the team's leading scorer, even counting the time he spent playing on two bad wheels. Both are their respective teams best perimeter defender, although Vernon was head and shoulders above Cat in this department. Cat is not one dimentional, he is Iverson on offense and Snow on defense. Neither created shots for anyone else. No GM in the league would trade Cat now for the Maxwell of 1994. That is just nostalgia getting to some of you.
Mad Max is from the same town as Michael Irvin. Just a tidbit anyway he is a better defender than The Cat. Cat is a better scorer not a better passer.That being said MadMax was a horrible passer but much better then the cat. Mad Max was BadA** something we need now. But I would rather have I will shoot it Mobley.
Call me sentimental, but I'll take Max by an eyelash over Mobley. However, I may change that decision after next season. And Nikos...why the fascination with the mid '90s Rocket teams and players, dude? Just please don't tell me that you are going to do a thread entitled: "CJ or Pig?"
This is a joke. Cat may one day do for the Rockets what Max did, but hasn't yet. Cat jacks stupid shots and I never have that "YES" feeling when I see him get the ball. Not like when Maxwell got the ballwith a second left. Cat has the green light on a lottery team that Max never had because his team's were IN CONTENTION. The original question was not over all who will put up the better numbers over their career. It was "Who would you take Maxwell in his prime or Cuttino Mobley right now". Max, in his prime, was a great player that made very significant contributions to a CHAMPIONSHIP team, offensive and Defensive. The Fisher comparison is a joke. This is just rediculous: "he(Cat) is Iverson on offense and Snow on defense". He is neither. I hope he does some day. But, now, he is still young and immature.
I'd let Cuttino babysit for me. I wouldn't give money to Vernon for a coke. I'd be afraid of what was in it. Let's even put character aside and Cuttino has put up point number that Max only Dreamed about. Honestly, I can't believe you asked that question. It's coat tails vs. ethic.(period!)
mobley ppg: 17.2 maxwell ppg: 12.8 If you would like to argue the untouchables like courage, leadership and tenacity, please do so.
I loved those teams....and these threads seem to got a lot of replies for some reason......I find them interesting....Is that cool dude?
Who sealed the deal for the Rockets 1st Championship with a 3 pointer?? Hint, the Knicks called time out and he was mobbed by Mario Elie and Kenny Smith. Answer. Maxwell. Who threw a weight at Gary Payton and hit Horace Grant instead? Maxwell.
Good Post Cat. I am a Mobely fan. I think he has more heart than any other Rocket. He is a fierce competitor like Maxwell. I was a fan of Maxwell to- he had a lot of fight. Mobely has the reputation as a selfish player, but he is a good team player. He could have gotten more money elsewhere. I like his energy.
Guys, I have watched both men over 3 seasons and my nod goes to MAD Max. I watch a player's overall contribution to the game. In addition, Maxwell was a leading scorer in the annual summer games at Fonde and lit everyone up. Maxwell, could have scored just like Cat if given the opportunities for clear outs and bad shots. I guarantee you this, Mad Max could STOP Cat, can CAT stop Mad max. Besides Dumars nobody played the MAN - JORDAN better than Mad Max.
Looking at only PPG as a way of comparing players is stupid. PPG won't tell you that Maxwell was such a good lock up defender that he could get in almost everyone's head and lock people up while as Barkley said once about Cuttino "he's instant offense...at both ends of the court". PPG won't tell you how many huge shots Maxwell hit to win games in his career in the clutch whille Cuttino is a bigtime bricklayer in the clutch. Cuttino's sole goal as a bball player is to shoot as many shots as humanly possible without passing the ball so of course he's going to have a higher PPG average.
Cat is actually one of the more efficient elite 2 guards in the game. That is playing on a team where the only other offensse came from Superstar Kenny Thomas. Max could be givin the ball on every possesion and have all four other players set picks for him and he still wouldn't be the offensive player that Cat is. Also, if you look at P/FGA, Cat is actually better than Ivy, and that is without getting all of the calls that Iverson gets. The refs wouldn't send Cat to the line this year, and he put up 20+ ppg anyway. Also, like Snow, he plays the best backcourt d on his team while Steve is letting his man go off for a career night every night. No misconception goes around this board more than Cat having bad D. He was all defense in college, and he doesn't allow penetration in the pros. Of course a Kobe or T-Mac can shoot over the top of him, but he defends most twos very well.
I'll take Max for his HEART. When he had that look in his eye, he could be the best guard in the league, I think reggie miller said it once.
