Reading the Rockets summary today got me to thinking. Mo Taylor seems to be the one PF with the proper attitude on the Rocks. He is willing to PLAY HARD at each opportunity, we need more of this type of play, and less of the "me first" style of play. It is time to start MoT with Yao and Rice/KT/TMO on the front line. Mo is our best shooter at PF, and he needs a chance to try his luck...heck it can't get any worse. Here is the article Oh, and here it is in case you don't feel like clicking a link Rockets summary Taylor frustrated Maurice Taylor could not hide his frustration. He was relegated to the third power forward, and his expressions and body language on the bench spoke clearly. "This has probably been the hardest road trip of my career, just dealing with everything -- minutes and everything," Taylor said. "I'm not going to let it get me down. I feel like everybody on the team knows I can play. The coaching staff knows. It's just a matter of me getting adjusted to everything and getting back to the point where I was before I got hurt." Taylor said, however, that during the road trip he decided to earn back his playing time with his play. He played an average of 15.6 minutes on the five-game trip, averaging 6.2 points and just 1.8 rebounds. "The coaches encourage me," Taylor said. "It's kind of hard to encourage a player if he's not playing well or in the mix of things. Players need to play. I'll take whatever they throw at me. If it's five minutes, I feel like I can go out and kill for five minutes. "I'll take every opportunity I get. I just want to get back to the point where I was. I'm not going to offer any excuses whatsoever. I'm a gamer. Whenever I play, whenever I get in, I'm going to make the best of the situation. If that's five minutes or 48, I just want to get back there as quick as I can." Mobley watch Though guard Cuttino Mobley is eligible to come off the injured list, having missed six games with sprained ankles, he is not expected to be ready to rejoin the Rockets until Friday at the earliest. Mobley will be examined today, but even if he is cleared to play, will likely not be activated until he gets a chance to test the ankle at practices Wednesday and Thursday. If he is not cleared until later in the week, he wouldn't practice with the Rockets until Monday. "He's doing well," trainer Keith Jones said. "I want him to practice two or three times before he plays. But the doctors will look at him (today), and they'll decide when he can go." Mobley has been out since Nov. 22. He had sprained ligaments in both ankles, but some plantar fasciaitis in his right foot made the condition more severe in his left ankle, forcing him to the injured list. Mobley said then that he was targeting the Dec. 10 game against the Kings for his return. Rookie Tito Maddox, who replaced Mobley on the active roster, saw the first playing time of his NBA career on the Rockets' road trip. After a 2.4-second stint on Friday, he played the last seven minutes of Sunday's loss to the Kings, making his only two shots. Calling Morris With Glen Rice out with a sore back, Rockets forward Terence Morris received his most extensive playing time of the season since returning from a preseason ankle injury Nov. 22. Morris played 29 minutes on Sunday, making three of four shots for six points, with five rebounds, four assists and two steals. In his previous six games, he played a total of 34 minutes, scoring 10 points. "I've been practicing with the team, even for the two weeks before I got back," Morris said. "They are working me in slowly. That's something I'm fine with, getting little minutes here and there. I think I'm ready to play now, ready to be on the court for twenty-something minutes." -- JONATHAN FEIGEN _____________________________ Also good to see that Cat is getting ready to come back, we need his scoring, or at least his THREAT of scoring. DaDakota
Is plantar fascitis a communicable disease or something? It's going through the Rockets like the flu...
<blockquote><hr>He is willing to PLAY HARD at each opportunity.<hr></blockquote> Don't mean to disrespect Mo any, because we need him, and he definitely knows how to speak to the media. But since when did Maurice (Mr Disappear) get the reputation of a player who "PLAYs HARD" at each opportunity. Guys who say that are often referring to their primary weakness and promising to "PLAY HARD" from now on if you just give me my minutes back. This is what competition is all about. Kenny is under the gun to stop making offensive blunders, but continues to get the minutes for playing hard and practicing hard all his life, and Maurice is under the gun to PLAY HARD on every possession on both sides of the court for the first time in his career. Griffin is under the gun to play hard, as well. Competition is a good thing. They all have weakness, and their strengths can force the other to get better.
Re: Playing Hard One thing I hate is when players speak to the media and want credit for stuff that they are supposed to do: "I play hard every minute I'm in there"---No kidding, you are SUPPOSED to play hard, moron! At the same time, at least he didn't give a KT response when asked about playing time: "No comment". I am hoping KT is playing so much because they are trying to show him off in an effort to trade him. Jab fake, jab fake, jab fake, shot fake, jab fake, jab fake, dribble, dribble, spin, (oh crap!! there is only 2 seconds on the shot clock! Better pass it so I don't have to shoot the 18 footer that I can't make anyway!!) Brick! Getting rid of the black hole on offense will open up things for everyone on the team. Yeah, he hustles, but the black hole has GOT to go!
One thing I want to chime in on is that Mo Taylor hasnt had a chance to start a game yet correct? So we don't know yet how that will work out. We have already seen the results of KT and Eddie starting. I think it is now time for Mo T to get a chance. I think he works the best when Yao is in the game and more of a team player.
MoT has never been a second string player and he knows he's not one now. When he is 100% , he will be the starting 4, until then, his quality of play will determine his playing time.
Francis Hawkins (until Mobley comes back) Rice Taylor Ming That is definitely our best lineup. Francis and Mobley can still get theirs. Rice and Taylor are the only ones that ever pass the ball to Ming and Ming can hit them outside for jumpers. I don't think I have ever seen KT pass the ball to Yao.
Watching KT freeze Yao out is like watching Francis and Mobley freezing the rest of the team out a few years ago. DaDakota
That's the other aspect of Mo having the right attitude -- his willingness to make the pass to Yao. There's definitely a potential for good chemistry between these two.
hold on. i can actually defend KT on this one. the reason kt doesn't pass to yao is because he has no angle to throw an entry pass into yao. i have seen yao in the low post calling for the ball from kt. the problem is that kt's man knows kenny can't hit the ocean from the beach, so he just sags down on yao - virtually daring KT to shoot that 18 footer. of course, kenny shoots it and beats up the rim. the best people to throw entry passes to yao are: a) francis b) mobley c) glen rice d) motay because they are respectable shooters from 18 feet. kt is only above cato in people that should be throwing entry passes. i blame rudy for that one, not kt.
I don't understand those of you who say his quality of play isn't ready. THe only time we made a run in the kings game was when Mo was our post threat. He works the best with Yao Ming of any of our forwards. And, when yao is doubled before the block, they can set Mo up on the opposite block and feed him the ball. Either he gets a one on one in the post, or if he is doubled it is two passes to an open Yao just like in the Mavs game. He may not be fully conditioned to go 48 minutes, but we are not asking that of any 4. by the by, in the kings game where Kenny and Eddie shot in the thirties, Mo even with some bad 20 footers shot in the mid forties. (Once he gets acclimated he can nail those 20 footers with regularity. see two years ago)
I think it is time for MoT to get a start. I think his better shooting would help the Rockets immeasurably at the beginning of the game. KT should be the 6th man, he can be the main scoring option off the bench. DaDakota
Agreed. MoT should get a start. I think his shooting touch will be back when he gets the minutes. He can post down low, hit the jumper and most importantly works well with Yao. He gets him the ball. I love to see Taylor and Yao on the floor together.
Mo T getting significant minutes will make the Rockets one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA. He can't play defense either. And his offense is overrated, 75% of the time he just shoots a long jumper. I wonder sometimes why he even bothers to dribble. If you are going to shoot a lame jumper, Mo, then don't waste any time by getting our hopes up. It's funny that Rudy T. can't figure out which PF to go with. Why did Rudy sign Mo to a $48 million dollar contract if he can't even outplay 20 year old Eddie Griffin and undersized Kenny Thomas?
I think they should start M Taylor instead of KT. The lineup should be: Francis Mobley Ming Taylor Rice I believe this lineup will make the Rockets an echelon team. I think KT although a better offensive player, are too short and not strong enough like Taylor and he can't shoot from outside. It's time to find the right chemistry for this team. I think this lineup is it! Rudy T shouldn't be so nice to players and he as a coach needs to be more discipline because when there is no discipline in the team, the result can be very bad.
<blockquote><hr>Originally posted by SmeggySmeg Probably 50 million reasons why Mo answered the question and Kenny didn't!! <hr></blockquote> I thought it was $64m reasons why Mo feels more comfortable answering provoking questions from the media than Kenny does.
