McDyess is out again with the same patella injury, so N.Y. is going to request a 6 million dollar exception. Since there aren't any good free agents left, they will most likely look to trade the exception with a draft pick for an establish player. Hmmmm, maybe Cato could be a possibility for NY since he makes around 6 mill and is a decent frontcourt player. Since he is signed through 2005/06, would you do it and possibly pick up a player in next season's free agent pool with the cap help? I'm pretty sure I would. We gave him a fat contract based on his performance in some preseason games that he has never been able to duplicate, nor even try. He has never lived up to that contract and this could give us a chance to erase that mistake. He will soon be a backup and I don't think we need to reserve that much cap to a backup with no offensive skills. There are plenty of players that can match Cato's output at a fraction of his salary.
Scott Layden is pretty stupid. He might just look at Cato and his contract and go for it. If I wasnt such a NY hater, I might actually feel sorry for them in their current dillema. They are going to be one of the worst teams in the league this year. Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.
It'd be great for the Rockets, and not as horrible for the Knicks as you may think, considering that payroll is never an issue for NY. Especially since it'll be 10 years befoer they are under the cap anyway. The Rockets obviously, get his ridiculous contract off their hands, and it would just about guarantee more PT for Ming. The Knicks would get a decent shotblocker with size, something they sorely lack. In the East, Cato is a formidable big man... I don't have title aspirations this year, so weakening our roster a little, is worth it in the long run, if it means getting rid of Cato and his contract.
Payroll isnt an issue, but the salary cap would be. If it werent for the salary cap in the NBA, it would be alot easier to dump Cato off to a major media market team. Damn the collective bargaining agreement. YOu are right. Cato would be formidable in the East. I dont know if thats a compliment to Cato's skills or an insult to the other big men in the east.
Need him for what? He might make a difference in 1 or 2 ballgames this year. He is easily replaceable after the season. We're better off offering some guy equal to Cato, a mid-class exception, or any smaller contract than what Cato is getting. Put it this way, if Cato were a FA this past summer, I don't think the Rockets would have re-signed him.
Give them to Griffin. I don't care that Griffin is a toothpick. Who's going to abuse him other than Shaq? Adonal Foyle?? We have a logjam at PF that would be somewhat alleviated by allowing Griffin to come off the bench as the backup C. KT could then backup Mo. What does Cato do, that Griffin can't? Cato might change a shot here or there, but Griffin is better at that. The only purporse Cato serves, is that he gives the Rockets 6 extra fouls to use when we play LA, 3-4 times a year. How many games do the Rockets play, where the other team's center is a legit worry? 3-4...
At first, I thought you were nuts thinking that our backup 5 would play 25-30 mins. But then I considered the potential for foul trouble with Ming. Great point.
And with Collier, he'll get more mins (for better or worse, mostly worse), which means we'll at least be able to better evaluate him before his looming free agency status. Chances are that he will still suck, but at least it will be even more definite than it is right now. If Keon Clark can be a backup C for Sac, I think EG can be a backup C for us...
One more note to consider about Cato... How the hell would he fit in with our new supposed motion offense? Cato hardly moves away from the ball well, and obviously can't pass or shoot. Our 5-man motion offense, basically turns into a 4-man motion offense. At the very least, Griffin and Collier can hit a 15+ ft jumper. Cato doesn't provide anything that the Rockets don't already have.
Put it this way... Would Griffin more likely get abused by a Chris Webber (and the other great West PFs), or by a Jerome James? I'd have to side with Webber... I highly doubt that teams will suddenly use their scrub center as a go-to guy, once EG is guarding him.
How many minutes do you see Ming playing a game kidrock? What happens when he hits the wall? What if Rice gets hurt again and KT becomes a permanent fixture at the 3?
Funny how Cato turns into a decent player when fans wish to get rid of him....... ...but when reflecting on his entire Rocket career you determine that he is a mistake because he does not try, thus saying is he's not a decent player at all. Why would the Knicks want Cato? Try looking at it from their position. You should think harder before putting in a post like this.
