KT is a black hole when he gets the ball, its not neccessarily a bad thing but don't deny it. Yes he needs time to set up his move but taking up time on the shot clock is taking up time on the shot clock period. And this Mo T doesn't score in the 4th is not that consequential IMO, Hell no he's not taking a bunch of shots in the 4th but that was b/c he's the freakin 3rd/4th option on the team! Steve, Cuttino, & Hakeem were the ones that should have been and were taking most of the late game shots. For some reason Steve & Cuttino are slow starters and we need someone who can keep the team scoring until they get into their grooves. I mean, how many games last season did we finish the 1st quarter somewhere in the teens an we were always fighting back from there. This is the main problem IMO. We can't move Taylor period. He's a 14ppg PF whose coming off a major injury and has a pretty large contract. He's staying no matter what. Now, do we really, really wanna pay KT 5-6mil a year for 4-6 yrs to play 15 min MAX a game? In three years we would have 2 backup PF's with our starter coming up for MAX dollars. Does that make any sense? Not really. Ming will be up for MAX doe (hopefully) the year after EG gets his, Nachbar will want to get paid in the 5-7mil range (hopefully), and Francis will still have 3-4 yrs left on his MAX deal. Add to that, we'll have an aging Moochie who will be unable move at all b/c of his salary and it looks like keeping KT for the long term would be a bad move IMO.
And this Mo T doesn't score in the 4th is not that consequential IMO, Hell no he's not taking a bunch of shots in the 4th but that was b/c he's the freakin 3rd/4th option on the team! He doesn't stop shooting (although he doesn't shoot quite as much) in the 4th quarter, he just stops hitting. And as for being the 3rd or 4th option in the fourth quarter, he's the 3rd or 4th option in the first also. He's not clutch.
Our 4th option doesn't need to be clutch. Horry is clutch but name me 5 more clutch 4th options that are clutch. Reaf LaFrenz, not really. Damon Stoudemire, no. Bruce Bowen? Hell, most teams don't even had a decent 4th option. KT isn't exactly Reggie Miller either as the 2nd & 3rd option at the end of a lot of games last year. We have players who can carry the 4th (Francis & Mobley) but we sucked in the 1st Quarter of games last year and if Mo can help us get off to better starts than the team did w/ KT I'm all for it. No one hates on CWebb and suffers from the same problem Mo T has. Except w/ Webber, since he's a more talented player, he socres 18 in the first half and ends up w/ 24. He's (supposedly) the #1 option and he's not clutch at all.
I do deny it if you think MoT was not. Not that assists are the determining factor, but Kenny had more apg last year than Maurice ever did in any year. Hell, as a rookie, Kenny had more assists than Maurice ever did. Kenny can pass and find eye-popping passes. I've witnessed enough of his dishes on spinning moves to know he is aware. It is a myth to think he is more a black hole than MoT. How quickly you shoot on the clock, does not define if you are a black hole or not. They both shoot the same rate, because that is the design of the offense. They both ran ISOs, or PnRs. When they get the ball, they are only supposed to pass when doubled. They both follow those orders. I also believe they are both very smart and instinctive passers (relative to their position). They can adapt to new game plans. GO MO, GO KENNY!!!
Our fourth option (if that's what MoT really was in 2001) doesn't have to demand the rock. He just needs to be capable of hitting the shot when the opportunity arises. Sam Cassell was perhaps a 3rd or 4th option in '94/'95 but when he shot the ball fans had confidence that it would fall. Look at Bobby Jackson from the Kings this past playoff. When a basket was needed he was able to provide it more times than not. MoT reminds me of a poor man's David Robinson in that respect. When David would shoot with less than 5 minutes remaining everyone outside of S.A. just knew the shot wasn't going to fall. He appears to carry the same traits that we laugh about when speaking about the Mermaid. Soft and Not Clutch. Why is it ok when it's one of our own?
i like mo's offensive game but he is just lazy... he wants to make all the points on offense but doesnt want to play defense... or get rebounds... when the pg is getttin more rebounds than your pf then you got a problem...
When David would shoot with less than 5 minutes remaining everyone outside of S.A. just knew the shot wasn't going to fall. MoT appears to carry the same traits that we laugh about when speaking of the Mermaid. Soft and Not Clutch. Why is it ok when it's one of our own
KT and Mo are extremely different players. Both are appropriate in certain situations. I'd rather keep both, and ditch Cato, personally. Incidentally, both are versatile enough to play the 3 at times, if required. Especially with Yao in the middle to clean up penetration (which would be a problem with their lack of lateral quickness). Essentially, though, I think it boils down to this: KT has a post game. Name another Rocket with a post game. I can't think of one... possibly because one doesn't exist? Yao Ming might develop one in time. But I haven't read anybody predicting that it'll be anywhere close to effective this year. So, unless we want to relinquish any pretensions to having a post threat... keep Kenny.
Essentially, though, I think it boils down to this: KT has a post game. Name another Rocket with a post game. I can't think of one... possibly because one doesn't exist? Agreed. I wonder why no one has chimed in on my MoT-Mermaid analogy?
I think u should just keep the situation as is, or trade KT sometime in da near future. I always like MOt's game and he has ALOT 2 prove this season!! I'm pretty sure that da critics are on his mind---GIVE DA DUDE A CHANCE! I think he will make YMINg look even better!!....and da rest of da front court will b just FINE, something they sorely lack last season. gosh HATE 2 think about that awfull season!! ) Anyway EG is NOT ready and KT sometimes get overmatched by da other STUD PF in da league!! BY da way I like BOKI's potential, hopefully GRice can get well!
Because he is one of own. I'm not gonna sit and hate about one of the players on my fav team unless he is REALLY playing bad. And another reason we can hate on DRob is b/c he's soft & not clutch and his supposed to be one of the top 50 players of all time! If Mo was in the top 50 of all time then I would be forced to get on him if he wasn't doing anything in the 4th, but as it stands now, he's the 4th option so I don't care id he's not clutch. Neither are 90% of the 4th options in the NBA. How many times did KT back Elton Brand, CWebb, or Even Vin Baker down? He doesn't have a post game. He scores by taking PF's off the dribble and going to the rack. He doesn't back someone down ala Karl Malone and put up a baby hook. He drives, spins, and then put up a lay-up or a hook but that doesn't mean you have a post game in he traditional sense of the term.
Here's my read on Mo T....after a not so illustrious career with whomever in the NBA, Mo T wins the gain weight contest and goes on to minor celebrity status as the cinnamon crispas spokesperson for Jack In The Box. Occassinally wearing the Jack headset and some appearances on sports talk shows, he snags a TV movie story deal and "spotlight" mud wrestling pits in Las Vegas. Years down the road, a casual traffic stop in Mississippi reveals a somewhat larger than token amount of some herb with healing properties. Mistaken for the ganja weed, he suffers public humiliation and retires a recluse in the 3rd Ward, of some urban hellhole, unseen, unheard.... it's a all a dream Mo. Get up and do the job.
