Watching the Rockets this season, I remembered back a couple years ago when Cato was still the BBS whipping boy, and could do no right. I was one of the many that were supremely pissed at him for not giving his all and generally displaying a lack of skills for someone with his contract. But one thing that stuck out in my mind as a complaint about Cato back then was his hands. On average, a pass a game would slip through his fingers, and rebounds would bounce off his hands. It was frustrating to watch, because often times the passes he missed were on alley oops where he had a gimme field goal if he could just hold on to the ball. But that's all past now. I watch the games, and I no longer worry about Cato holding on to the ball. He seems to catch every pass, alley oop or otherwise, and even makes spectacular grabs on occasion, like that one left-handed tomahawk alley oop jam a few games ago. I must admit, I was one of the people that thought Cato would never improve on his "stone hands" from a few years ago. I didn't think it was something that you could learn or improve. You either had soft, coordinated hands or you didn't. Cato seemed a lost cause. So props to him for not only improving himself and his game, but also continuing to be that sole source of fire and passion from the forward spot that we desperately need. If we could get Yao to show that kind of intensity, we wouldn't need a player like Cato at PF and could just start Mo Taylor...but I think considering the current situation, Cato is the perfect starting power forward for this team, and I am grateful daily that the team was not ever able to find an adequate trade involving him (I don't kid myself that they didn't try).
Man, I don't know. Cato's definitely playing better, but even in chat we've been screaming throughout the season that a pass to Cato may as well be a turnover. Sure he has his good games, but he has odd lapses of concentration or just terrible hands on interior passes. I'm not ready yet to say his "bad hands" days are over.
I submit that living in Dallas has fried your brain, Doc, because I have witnessed no such bad hands this season. Perhaps your senility is rearing its ugly head. Sure, he gets turnovers every once in a while just like anyone (Yao has great hands but he misses passes occasionally). Sometimes he (Cato) gets the ball in the post and turns it over because he has little to no offensive game, but it is not because he didn't catch the inbounds or lob pass, it's because he does something silly like try to shoot or post up. But if allowing Cato to shoot a fadeaway jumper once every game (or maybe once every half) keeps him interested and fired up, then I say it is worth it (I know that has nothing to do with your post). Maybe I've just watched the exact wrong games (I haven't seen every single one this season), but from all that I've seen, Cato's play is like night and day from 2 years ago.
The Frothing One has returned. There are very few players his combined height and weight that throw it down with such vicious authority.
Yes he has been great..playing nicely! He plays and hustles...emotional..rebounds and blocks shots..and steals too..and he's just great...still overpaid. But I do yell NOOOO every time he is left open and we pass it to him on the perimeter...because he will be obliged to jack it up and miss. He has improved! Most Improved Player? Greg Buckner could get that..now Cato just needs to improve his shooting! Then he will be great..if he can keep it up of course
I'll second the props to Cato. I think he scored some cheat codes for the NBA. I never thought he would come close to earning his contract. Great job out there Cato, keep it up!
Our answer to Amare Stoudemire is Kelvin Cato: maybe not quite as athletic, but he'll throw down some monster jams and shove it back down your throat if you come in with some weak ****. He's been playng great and, just like Amare doesn't need to be a star on that team (just yet, anyway), Cato doesn't need to be the star on this team. He's done a great job, and he deserves the praise (even if he is overpaid).
I think Cato has done a good job this season. If he can do what he did in the Jazz game every night then he will have a hell of a season. He sparks our team when we need it.
With apologies to Roberto Duran, Cato is the reigning Manos de Piedras. Thank god he is at least playing with a little fire in his belly. I can't say that I am unhappy with his play this year.
I think the biggest improvement in Cato's game this season is his hustle - especially on the defensive end. I haven't seen him work his butt off like this since "that" pre-season we thought he was the 2nd coming of Olajuwon D). His hands still stink. Anything outside of 5 feet is going to be a brick. I thought I was going to die when he actually hit a hook shot in the Jazz game. I think I've only missed 1 game this season, but you can tell JVG is trying to get him involved in the offense, albeit with, at times, comedic results. Somebody's told him to be more aggressive on offense, otherwise it's 4-on-5 out there and the opposing team's defense will have a free defender. He's acting like he cares for once and that's what is making him a better player and helping him hustle. In turn, that's what's making him look like he's improved so much - which he has.
i think you're using a different definition of hands than RL (and me). he still has absolutely no offensive skills or moves but in terms of grabbing rebounds and catching passes his hands have improved tremendously. to the point i'd even call him sure-handed in those instances. 2 years ago if he had to grab a rebound in traffic, he fumbled it. if a pass was fired his way, it slipped through and went out of bounds. now that never happens and he grabs rebounds like crazy. i missed the spazz game so am i to understand cato hit a real live hook shot last night? did it accidentally bank in or something or did it go in like he meant to do it?
Cato has the worst hands I have ever seen on the basketball court, and is the WORST outlet passer in the history of the world. He hustles, and dunks, and plays solid D.......If we could get a decent PF like Boozer for him, he would be gone. DD
No, I think we just happen to disagree. I've watched several games earlier this season where a pass to Cato would be a turnover. I groaned everytime it happened. I still think people are confusing hustle and rebounding with the ability to catch a pass in the lane and convert it. Cato still acts like he's never seen a basketball sometimes when he gets it deeper inside. What's been different about it lately is that we're seeing more of the alley oop and Cato attempting 10 footers and jump hooks as opposed to being within 3 feet of the basket and getting a pass that he can't handle.
I agree that Cato is much better catching passes inside than he used to be (though part of that may be fairly attributed to better passes inside , eg Yao, JJ, even MoT). He still occasionally fumbles the ball once he has it (in the UTA game Worrall even commented about how Cato must have small hands since the ball squirts out when he goes up). Cato's overall game has improved significantly. He seems to really know his role on the team... heck, if more players knew that we'd play a lot more consistently. He even seems to occasionally make a short jumper and hook shot, so his game isn't just alleyoop and follow dunks. His conditioning also has surprised me... I really worried that by playing the starting 4 spot he wouldn't have any gas to back up Yao. My biggest gripe with him is the number of times he makes a bad (and obvious) foul and then whines to the refs, looks incredulous, etc. He is doing that a bit less now, but I am sure the refs that don't tune him out watch him a bit closer because of this act...
