"Yao actually checked in at the scoring table with about 3 minutes to play in the fourth period, but after Mo Taylor hit a jumper to put the Rockets up 91-85, he reported back to the bench. Based on coach Larry Smith's comments about how fatigued Yao,he obviously wanted to save Yao from playing more minutes if he could afford it. " I fullly agree with above abservation. There is no way to start Cato as long as Yao stay in ROX.
What? Cato only had 6 rebs in 33 minutes ? That's well below his average per 48 minutes, he must play poorly last night! Yao had 11 pts and 2 blocks in 15 minutes? Wow!much better than his average! I love to have him has that poor performance every night.
While Cato has been playing well.. Ming should still start. Ming is a better center than Cato, and there are advantages to starting Ming. Cato has been very consistent this season, we know what he can do and he does those things very well. But Ming needs to start, rox need to see how he's doing, if he seems fatigued while playing, if he's making shots grabbing boards and getting his hands up on D. If he isn't.. give him less minutes, but spaced throughout the game to see if he finds his rhythm: Give Yao maybe close to 20 minutes, the majority of the first quarter to evaluate how he's doing, some of the second quarter if he's doing poorly to see if he can turn things around. If he still doesn't pull him out for Cato and give him halftime to pull things together. Then start him in the third, and if he still shows that he has an off night, Cato takes over the rest of the night. If Ming is on his game then great! The Rox have a good inside and outside presence. If he's off his game than the Rox will have a better chance of winning with Cato, a good rebounder a good defender who takes only those shots that are almost always guaranteed two points, and have their offense run with the guards. But Ming needs to start. Cato is the perfect fallback.
Without Yao Ming,Rockets cannot enter into playoffs.Why Rockets has such improvements this year?Only Steve,Cat,or Cato?
Yao starts. Cato has found his niche. Good complements to each other. I would like to see them paired with MoT at the 3 against certain line-ups, for example when Mason is on the court in Milwaukee, some against Portland, Utah, Memphis, and Denver. Also, against Lakes in Western Finals.
The issue is not whether Cato should start or not? It is whether Larry should turn back the clock and ask Yao and the whole team to play IMO. Of course, Yao will and has been struggling with that system and Cato will play well. It is simply Cato's the only-low-post power plays fit IMO system while the current Yao does not. The problem is, even if Cato plays well as he should in the IMO system, we can't go any further. Unfortunately, that could mean the end of our playoff run. As Rudy has tried so hard to inject the passing game with Yao as the pivot, he was obviously at the edge of great success before he took the hospital route. Yet, once Larry took over, Mr. Mean has turned back the clock to thirty games ago. That hurts. Rocket has not done well since then, whether Cato is playing well or not. So, why do we raise such a pointless discussion in this thread without looking at the cruz of the matter.
I don't think that Larry Smith lost confidence in Yao. From what he said in the Houston Chronicle article, he thinks Yao will rebound tonight against the nets, he's benching Yao because he wants Yao to rest up and save him for the last stretch of the games.
Yao should continue to start the games for the Rockets. Do you think his confidence will get better if he sits on the bench? If the Rockets want's the playoff spot, they will have to get Yao's confidence up. And the only way he will get his confidence back, is by playing. And let Cato come off the bench with some energy and hustle. That's what we need. Francis+Mobley+Posey(Rice)+Griffin(Taylor)+Yao(Cato)=Playoff
Yao and cato should both start, Cato as a power forward.At this time of the season. Eddie should ride the pine until he improves his shot selection and defense while Mo can give us a spark from the bench. That would give us rebound, shot blocking and scoring from our frontcourt while Steve dished the ball. That would work out well.
While Yao has had an incredible impact, the fact that you are ignoring the fact that Steve and Mo missed most and all of last year says to me you know nothing outside of Ming. You should check out some of the other guys on this team, you might just like them too.
