We loose our starting center and we haven't got a player who can play instead of him (I think Cato isn't enough for us). But the Rockets has a lot of usable small forwards. Let's give up the center position and play with a smaller team and play zone defense with them. Our starting lineup should be this: Francis, Mobley, Rice, Griffin, Taylor.
Perhaps you didn't notice how horrible the Rocks were last year when Cato and Olajuwon were injured and Mo T was forced to play center. It was truly ugly. Or perhaps you missed the Rocky Mountain Review were Griffin was torched by Zac Randolph? That's right, I didn't say Rasheed, or KG or Malone. I said Zac Randolph! If the Rockets play this lineup very often, it will make me extra happy I have NBA League Pass. You can bet I'll be watching another game rather than the torture of watching Mo T at the 5. Mo T on Ostertag makes Ostertag look like a HOF'er.
I'd love to see them put that line-up out. I'm just surprised that with so few legit centers in the league that so many teams will sooner go with a stiff then play a 3-forward game. Sure, Shaq will bulldoze us, but it'll just be him and maybe 3 other centers. My vote is to put talent on the floor. We can bring the fouls off the bench. And maybe, with zone defenses, we'll see the stiffs increasingly on the pine.
I don't expect to start with that lineup, but I expect to see it against east teams and in comeback situations such as the hack a shaq.
With the rule changes, why not? Of course, the idea would be to win the game simply with your offense and not bother with shutting anyone down defensively. With the youth in that lineup (sans Rice), they could definitely use a season's worth together, regardless of the playoff implications.
