I'd would never have expected the starting lineup that could come out of this training camp! C-Yao PF-Cato SF-Nachbar SG-Jackson PG-Francis 6th-Mobley 7th-Taylor 8th-Piat 9th-Norris IR-Griffin (for the whole season) Cato seems to do everything we've wanted Ben Wallace to do for us. Our bench would have the most offensive firepower in the league.
I don't get you guys. If Cuttino doesn't start, do you really think he will want to play here? Cat Francis JJ Cato Yao
Well I forgot to mention maybe Cato for now. But usual lineup would have to be: Cat Francis JJ MoT Yao Bench: Cato Nachbar (Griffin) Pike A. Griffin Mooch Pig/Meech
yao, steve, and cato were the only players that JVG has already named as starters. i would expect cat and jj to be the other two.
Francis Mobley Jackson Griffin Yao I don't know. It's a mess with all these injuries and confusing mysterious events! Ewing could start! I don't know what's up with Eddie...but for now...Cato is the starter. Jackson will probably start...but I would rather have Piatkowski start with Yao unless we are playing a big team like Dirk Nowitzki or Kevin Garnett or Antawn Jamison or Shawn Marion. Piatkowski wouldn't have a chance against them...so the starting lineup can be changed...based on who we are facing and who's injured or whatever. Maybe Bostjan Nachbar will surprise us all and be the next PEJA!!! The only guys who will definitely start are Yao Ming and Steve Francis.
Cat needs to come off the bench. He'll get plenty of minutes. And plenty of time to go his SG type moves. But that's because that's what we need when Yao and Francis are not on the floor. Not starting does not equal less minutes. If he wants to start just for the title "starter," then that's an ego problem and detrimental to the TEAM.
So you're suggesting that if the Rockets make the playoffs and Mobley is a 6th Man of Year contender, he's going to do what? Request a trade? Let's remind him that we have a $7m Trade Exception! Van Gundy is going to start players that compliment Yao and Steve. That's not JJax till his shot starts falling and it's not Mobley if he doesn't contribute to the ball being moved around. At last with Boki, Van Gundy has to shout at him to shoot or he's coming out of the game.
What leverage does he have. He is not a super star. Besides, it may be a good idea to trade him away, as long as we get a decent 1 or 2 in return.
Okay, and the next guy they get in return won't be any better. Or maybe overpiad. Maybe all they can get is draft picks for him. Who knows. I'm sure there's a team out there who thinks he is a great player. I just don't see how Houston could trade him at this point. It would only leave another gaping hole int he lineup. He's a fine player and he will stay.
I think JVG will start out with: Yao, Cato, JJ, Cat, and Steve or Yao, Cato, Pike, Cat, and Steve JJ really hasn't shown too much in the preseason in terms of offense, so JVG may be reluctant to start him. When is Pike supposed to be back from his injury?
It all still depends on the next 2 games and the ensuing week of practice before the regular season. If I had to choose my starters only based on what I have seen so far, they would be: Yao Cato Boki Mobley Francis I would personally prefer Cat coming off the bench, but I just don't see that happening.
so boki sux for a long time and still can't throw the ball in the ocean, and JJ hasn't hit anything since getting here and was only signed after we got rid of rice (hint hint wink wink sf sf sf) and one of them is knocking cuttino out of the sg spot? hilarious. who plays the best D? cuttino. who can hit open shots. only jj and cat have proven they can do it over any sort of sample size. who naturally plays sg? cuttino. hmmmmm. why in the world are we going to start an sf who is worse than cuttino at sg, especially when that means an even worse sf is starting at sf? all cuttino did at the end of last year mostly was spot up for 3's, which is pretty much what you want our sf to do, and he shoots well enough that no team is going to rotate off of him and bog down the offense and make us play 5 on 4. and he plays good D. explain to me how someone else will fit in even better or why we/the rest of the league didn't even feel we needed jj until way into the offseason if he's actually a better fit than cat? cat is far and away our 3rd best player and you don't start "better fits" unless it's real real close. it isn't, and cat fits in well as it is. he's the starter. unless jvg gets a lot of faith in boki real quick or jj still can't find his shot, i say it's: steve cat jj cato yao mo t is out past the beginning of the season isn't he or is he getting back in time?
It's funny you'd say Jackson won't start because his shot isn't falling when Boki shot isn't either, except for 1 quarter. Van Gundy shouted at him because he was missing so much he stopped shooting.
As the team stands right now JVG looks to start: Steve JJ Boki Cato Yao Only because of injuries to Cat, MoT and Pike. The one thing that JVG has said over and over is that he wants to surround Steve and Yao with Shooters so I could eventually see a possobility of: Steve Pike - best outside shooter on the team JJ or Boki - depending on who's shot starts falling. I think Boki is a much more natural 3 than JJ. Cato - JVG seems to like him at the 4 Yao Of course Cat is a better 2 than Pike but he is not as good of a spot up shooter as Pike. I suppose we could see Cat starting at the 2 with Pike at the 3 but Pike is really not a natural 3 even though he has the hieght. If Boki's shot starts to get consistent then having Cat, JJ and MoT coming off of the Bench would be awsome.
For right now, this is what I feel is the best starting lineup: PF- Cato (MoT or even EG depending on matchup) SF- Boki (A.Griffin for defensive matchups or Pike) C- Yao SG- Cat PG - Francis So far on paper, we have one of the deepest benchest in the league: - J.Jackson (the ROX need some firepower and experience off the bench) - MoT (the ROX need some firepower and experience off the bench) - A.Griffin (role player; our defensive specialist, probably starting to guard marquee SF's in the league) - Pike (role player; our perimeter specialist with experience) - J. Amaechi (will give YAO a breather; touch interior player and has some low post moves) - Mooch ( will give Francis breather but rarely; will do better under JVG system) - Pig ( tough, interior player; will flourish under JVG system with his hustling and rebounding) - EG ( he is the darkhorse of this team; he WILL BENEFIT from JVG's system IF HE WANTS TO) The power forward position is in my opinion, going to be one of the most vital positions of our team. Our team will either benefit or not benefit depending on how that player plays. That position calls for the most duties especially when defending against the top PF's in the WEST. itzIce
i hope Pike starts because he is a real nice compliment to both steve and Yao. JJ and AG can come of the bench as instant offense/defense.
Mobley will not start. Jeff Van Gundy has made it clear that he wants role players around Yao and Steve that play smart. what about Mobley's game makes you think he plays smart? Nothing.
