"The Rockets may soon have two former members of the Chinese national team as former Raptors centre Mengke Bateer is in Houston training and may soon sign with the Rockets. " http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Basketball/NBA/Toronto/2004/11/04/700433.html
Did they suddenly find out how old Deke really is? Back-up C is the least of our worries unless Yao's elbow needs fixing.
Nice find... Maybe JVG wants to go with a taller starting line up?? I dont really undetstand it seeing how Battiere isnt starting material. Chinses media will have a frenzzy though
Maybe Deke got drunk and through the cataracts JVG looked good enough so he gave him the, "Who wants to **** Mutumbo?"
Deke is old, but is an excellent backup center. I really like the idea of giving Yao rest and putting Deke in - that's gotta be hard for our opponents to deal with. But that element was absent last night. I'd really like to know why. -- droxford
maybe this is part of a fix at power forward. a combination Deke - Yao - Bateer may end up playing together at times Though it worries me about Motumbo not playing!
Mengke Battiere live in Houston, but that doesn't mean he will play for the Rockets. I saw him twice in sugar land, he looks out of shape, and I don't think he is ready for the NBA any time soon.
God, the last thing we need is another lead weight to tie around T-mac and Jim Jackson's necks when fast break oppurtunities present themselves.
Bateer is a stiff, but he isn't that slow. He is 300lbs solid muscle, and has good shooting/passing touch. But he has short arms, doesn't speak a lick English, and is a foul machine.
Deke didn't play last night because the Raptors don't have an actual center. They were running power forwards and even small forwards at center all night. As a result, JVG wisely kept Mutumbo on the bench because he is too slow laterally to stay with smaller guys.
I was a little bit disappointed that Yao wasnt killing Toronto while those undersized PF guarding him. I think Yao has trouble with these type of players, while does ok against big immobile players.
Yup. It is exactly why he put in Spoon. Yao does have problems with undersized players because his lateral movement is just not that quick. He can shoot over them, but they can harass him down low and Yao's hands aren't strong enough and his moves not agressive enough to negate that pressure. Not yet anyway.
