Mr. Oeilpere, I can't believe the Rocket organization is still that high on Langhi. Personally, I think he is TERRIBLE. Do you really expect Langhi to ever be part of the rotation in Houston?
Oeilpere, thanks for your expanded remarks on Cato. ps - I won't hold you responsible for "his improving this year".....he defies all logic and reason!
Great post, pops! I couldn't agree with you more about Morris at the 2. I wouldn't be surprised if he grew into the "Defensive stopper off the bench" role by season's end. He certainly has the speed and athleticism to defend most SGs, and his length will bother even the HUGE SGs like Bryant and Finley. For what it's worth, I like the trade. IMHO, the Rocks are a team with several players who can score, but before Rice came on board, they didn't have many proven scorers (except for Steve and Cat, of course). Rice definitely helps in that department.
OP, you said the same thing last year! Sorry, couldn't help it. Very interesting post, as usual. Have you heard anything about any big men that may be invited to camp, such as Huffman, Coker or Santiago? Is it possible that Santiago would still be unsigned by the time trainging camp gets here? Thanks.
Couple things......... Foster? .... Ah ........ NO. Sabonis ....... Contacted says he will play with his team in Europe, unless Portland begs him. They haven't needed to beg him yet. Langhi .... First this summer he looked out of place, out of position ... simply becauise he was out of position. But I do agree he sometimes looks like "nothing to write home about". Second, he has had very little court time in real games, but he has a great attitude, he is one of the better competitive, "different looks" guys during practice. He takes his game serious, and he is a long tall drink of water with a nice shooting touch. All this for a baragin price. Cato .... he kinda refused to go. Then said he would go but he also wanted to work out at a specialty "big man" camp up in the Northwest. As it turns out he didn't go there either. Maybe he felt used and abiused and apparently thought (this part is conjecture on my part, not knowing how Cato thinks) that the Rockets were showcasing him as a prelude to a trade. They may have been, Kelvin. Duh! Trade bait ... After Walt .... I would say the "trade bait chart" would go like .... Langhi, then KT, then Moochie ... but that isn't always accurate since a lot depends on who or what position is filled. For example, what if Seattle wants to unload both McCoy and Shammond? See ya Walt and Mooch! How about MJ saying he'll take Walt for Jahidi but he wants Langhi too and he'll throw in Washington's pick next year (God forbid my illusions), you think Langhi would be deal breaker? Point is .... it wavers ..... and probably is Walt, Langhi/KT, Mooch .... but could change within the next hour.
Very, very interesting! I love it pops! That is interesting that the Rockets are still looking to get Raef. Cato needs to wake up and play up to his potential.
Can T-Mo defend 2's in the NBA? If so, is he our best "defensive stopper" at that position now that Shandon is gone?
Just for the record ..... unless the world starts to turn faster and in the oposite direction ..... or any other hyperbolic simile .... the chances of LaFrentz being a Rocket prior to December (or even until the end of the season) are very, very remote ...... I wasn't attempting to steer you wrong ... me coveting Tyra Banks and the possibilities of me consummating that coveting desire are well beyond the realm of reasoning .... RT coveting Raef LaFrentz may not be as farfetched (or as lascivious) but ... well you get the picture ....
In my opinion, tmo is a step slow in terms of straight ahead explosive speed to be playing man-to-man on most twos. Laterally he is there. On the other hand, he almost always played at the top of the MD zone and was VERY effective in that position. He can worry set shooters, and has the wingspan to cut off passes into the lane. Also, cf. live's post below.
When I think of "defensive stopper", I not only think of a player capable of playing good to great defense, but also a player capable of defending a variety of players and positions. This is a role I feel Morris could grow into. He has the lateral quickness to defend most SGs, his length and leaping ability can make up for a lack of straight ahead speed, and he can also be a nuisance to PFs because of his athleticism and quickness.
TMO: Couple of things about College Ball and defense. 1. In college ball, if you are any good at all on defense, then you are really working your butt off, because perennially college teams have the fundamentals of defense set at a priority rating somewhere below the lunch menu at the local Denny's. However, it does tell a prospective pro team that you know how to play D, you were willing to do so in college, and that you understand some fundamentals. 2. If you show some defensive skills in college you know that your teammates have already labelled you and you are probably doing it all by your lonesome. Don't look for help. See ya brutha! I'm going showboat for the vid bite. Ya'll go on and stop them from scoring, I'm getting the ball and I'll fly like Mike over here. It is a little different in the pros where set defenses allow that your teammates MUST at least attempt to cover their assignement. I guess what I am saying is .... even if he has just a smidgin' of defensive skills he is probably a sveral years ahead of other rooks and safe to say at least a couple of years ahead of some pros. Some that are even on our Rockets team. You can always improve speed. But committment to a defensive style, well .... you have start that way back in school, and it's too late for a lot of Pros. One other thing, if Shandon had TMo's arms he would likely still be wearing those deplorable Rocket PJ's. Speed or no speed. Cheers.
This pretty much sums up Cato's potential upside. He's as good as he's going to get, because he doesn't want to make the effort. As much as I dislike Oakley, I'd sure like to see him get a hold of Cato. I bet it wouldn't be pretty. How about we bring Barkley back as Cato's motivational guru. He wouldn't have a problem telling Cato to get to work. Thanks for clarifying the LaFrentz reference OP.
Great post pop, er oeilpere. So would Walt and Kenny Thomas be any more attractive to teams when trying to bring another center to the Rockets? They could then sign Pig Miller if they felt they needed insurance at PF.
1. Though I admire the reference to denny's, md has since gary williams' time won games by executing a good fullcourt press to create turnovers, and by applying aggressive, fundamental halfcourt defense. This may or may not be on the lunch menu at denny's. Of course I may be missing your point. 2. The ACC is essentially a minor league for the NBA, so attempting to check your man is certainly a priority there. Tmo has been going up against the brands, carters, jamisons and battiers of the world for four years. Again I may be missing your point. Finally, isn't speed precisely somethat that can NOT be improved? I guess a deficiency in it could be hidden. It would seem that to you, playing in college would hurt your defensive skills, b/c of its low priority. Yet you assert that tmo's defense must've been 'learned in school'. Perhaps you're saying that b/c he is known for his defense in a defensiveless world, he must have real ability in that dept. Perhaps not.
Man when oeilpere and Doc Rock post people flock to them! There were already 30 posts by the time I got here! This team will run baby run! They'll be deeper then teams like Minnesota, Phoenix, and others. This team, when clicking, will be better then Utah, who has lost Vaughn, have not re-signed Stockton, lost Danny Manning, may lose Starks, and haven't replaced any of these players. I like the addition of Rice, giving the Rockets a legitimate shooting 3rd scorer, and making Mo a "secret" weapon. If the Rockets get another solid 5 this team will be lethal.
I used to think so too. I always remeber that saying, "You can't teach speed." Well, that doesn't apply as well to basketball from what I've learned. Hoops isn't like football where a wide reciever needs 4.2 40 speed to be considered a deep threat. That's an all-out sprint. Basketball courts aren't even close to 40 yards, so speed in basketball is based more on your ability to anticipate and improve your footwork. I listened to a strength and conditioning man on the radio a couple of years ago who said that they can improve nearly every aspect of a basketball player's physical game but that it is much harder to teach natural instinct. They can inhance and improve speed and leaping ability. They can add quickness to a player's game. But, they can't teach anticipation on blocking shots, agressiveness boxing out, court awareness, etc. Those are things that are either learned before they reach college (read: high school and college) or they are just God given abilities.
geez, i used the word 'somethat'. oh well, makes sense, jeff, i guess if they make tmo do enough quickness drills he should be able to handle some of the faster twos. and it's true that a court is only what, 30 or 31 yards, but that would seem to make an explosive 'first step' all the more important. then again, maybe handling the first step can be improved upon more than flat out speed. thanks both to jeff & op for the enlightenment.
LOL. Yeah well, you're right, I re-read my post and I guess it was hard to follow. Sorry. But you got my point. Let me reiterate: 1. Despite MD/ACC having maybe more than your average emphasis on defense compared to other college programs, by and large college ball does not stress a lot of defense. It is just the nature of the beast. These guys are recruited from high school and elsewhere more and more for their offensive skills. Defense is in the second seat. That fact, coupled with high schoolers not being taught defensive skills effectively in the first place, compounds the problem. 2. The vast majority of the 59 guys that are drafted yearly into the NBA, come from a pool of literally hundreds of available and skilled kids, and are almost totally devoid of the fundamentals of playing an effective defensive set. Usually for the same reason(s) as mentioned above. That is further compounded by the fact that the Pros use much stricter sets, that have to be "read" constantly to display the weakness a team presents. 3. Any player that can enter this league and demonstrate not only the willingness to play a defensive role but an ability to do so with effectiveness ... well he just bought himself a job. 4. Speed on defense makes your effectiveness that much better. But if you have some defensive skills, can carry that mindset while you are playing your game, but simply do not have the speed of some others, that inability dies not necessarily make you ineffective. (Actually last year I thought Anderson lost a step or two. and dropped his aggressiveness, yet is acclaimed by evryone to be the "stopper" we lost.) 5. My final point. If we had an opportunity to get an effective defender who had the basis of good fundamentals, was tuned into defense being his game. His forte if you will. Had long arms. Stood tall when he ran. Could get into most peoples faces with arms and body without difficulty. But was not as fast or quick as others ..... I would take him in a heart beat. Speed in BBall is different than other sports. Speed is BBall means being somewhere where you want to be. It does not always mean out running someone as in Baseball & Football. It may be closer to the positioning required in soccer. Being where you want to be when you're supposed to be there, sort of thing. And in that I was trying to say speed is not always as important as ability or height when it comes to D. Cheers,TMO.
Well dang, while I was typing jeff went and answered it in a much more succinct manner. I have to learn to be less long winded. LOL Dear TMO: What Jeff said.... ditto for me....
