Where are the rumors coming from that Steve and Cat aren't as close as they used to be? Is there any substance to them? I can't see the Rockets being able to move Cat unless his relationship with Steve has deteriorated. That is unless the Rockets have made it plain to Steve that he is no longer the franchise, but is second in line to Yao. Although I think for the long run, it would be best, I don't think the Rockets are gonna remove the franchise label from Steve. If so, then they would naturally seek his blessing on any proposed deals involving Cat. And if he and Cat are still tight, Steve would nix them. But if what has been rumored is true, that Steve and Cat are no longer as close as they used to be, then Cat could be moved easier. Also, I was under the impression that Cat and Odom were big buddies, not Odom and Steve. Does anyone know about their relationship? If Cat and Odom are big buddies that want to play together, I would question any deal that involves the Rockets sending Cat to the Clippers for Odom. Are Steve, Cat, and Odom 3 amigos? Although I think is is close to impossible, I'd still like to see all 3 running the break in Rocket red. I think they would be great together. We complain a lot about the combination of Steve and Cat, and a lot of people have complained about Cat. But realistically, what SG's out there are a significant upgrade over Cat, outside of the untouchable, Kobe, TMac, Pierce (really a SF), and AI. I'm talking total package here, shooting, passing, slashing, and defending. I just don't see any SG's out there besides the superstars that are significantly better than Cat that it would pay us to trade out Cat for them. Yeah, we could replace Cat with a better shooter off screens and picks, but all those guys are slower than Cat, they don't have his first step, and they are weaker defensively. For instance, Reggie Miller, would he be an upgrade? I don't think so. He is slow, can't jump, and now that he is old he is even having trouble getting off the screens anymore. Is he a better shooter than Cat? Definitely. Is he better at moving without the ball and getting open? Definitely. Is he an upgrade over Cat? Nope. He would hurt us defensively much more than he would help us offensively. Same with Brent Barry. That guy can't defend. He's a tremendous shooter, but he can't check anybody, the little guys are too fast, and the big guys have better hops. I'm not saying Cat is a great defensive player, but he is a fair to good defensive player. And against the scorers in this league, you gotta have some defense or they will run over us for 50 a night. The combination of Steve and Cat causes problems because both of them lack true playmaking skills but they are both really good players. I think if they had a 3rd playmaker on the floor, they would be awesome. It would really be awesome if that 3rd player was a playmaker and a great defender, but I don't think there is anybody out there like that. But Odom is a taller 3 that can handle the rock extremely well, distribute, and can cause mismatches at that position, plus a combination of him and Posey could be effective defending the bigger SG's and the shooting SF's. Does anybody have any solid information on these players relationship?
Steve keeps getting quoted that he wouldn't mind playing the 2 next year, so unless Mobley wakes up tomorrow as the second coming of John Stockton, you have your answer.
I have said it before and I will say it again. Putting these three together will spell DOOM for the development of Yao Ming! If we get these three together, which wouldn't be bad in of itself but we will never play the Big Mans Game.
Shut up about this "Big Mans Game"! You know, I know, the motherf ckin' world knows that we have to get the rock to Yao better than we did last year. Another thread going on is talking about the '94 team as the worst champ EVER, using what your logic we'll have a carbon copy of it without the dominant big man (Yao is a ways away if he ever becomes one). What we need are guys who can score and make opposing defenses have to cover Yao solo. Lamar Odom would only help develop Yao's game and fuse that game with Steve and Cat. Go back to England chump!
Okay.....all three wouldn't be good. But Bonzi Wells would be better than Cuttino Mobley. Steve Francis would be a better shooting guard than Cuttino Mobley. That's why........get Odom. And Alvin Williams. And PJ Brown. And maybe Brian Grant...and Jerome Williams.
no way. It wouldn't work. With Steve and Yao being new best friends.... Cat and Odom come from the same schools and seem to be friends. I think this could cause a rift within the Rockets.
I could be wrong, but every time I hear people talk about Odom in this forum, he is considered a future "point forward". I just don't see the Rockets being a contender with Odom pushing the ball up the court every possession. We need a true PG, and Odom the PointF is not the answer.
Comments:- Firtstly why would I go to England? Secondly your limited vocabulary is rude and abusive. Reply:- Dont you remember prior to last season this is just what Francis and Cat Mobley wanted instead of Yao Ming. If this was true then its only logical to question as to wether such a liaison would work. This Team [if we dont make any substantial roster changes] would do well to learn from the tapes of our 94 team. They knew how to play and win a Championship! PS I am all for Lamar Odom just not with Cat and Francis.
Steve keeps getting quoted? As in he keeps saying that over and over? Where and When are these quotes that he keeps getting quoted?
Tell me why you don't see the Rockets contending with Odom bringing the ball up. Can he not bring the ball up? Can he not distribute? What is the problem with Odom bringing the ball up that would make this team not a contender?
See there. I don't think Steve and Yao are best friends. I think they are both professionals who realize that it is beneficial for each one of them to work with the other one. So, I think they have worked on developing a relationship. But I don't see any evidence that they are best friends. Just because Yao buys him a bottle of wine or something. They are professionals. I started this thread to find out what really is the relationship between Cat and Steve and if it has cooled this season because of the entrance of Yao and the realization that changes are needed on this team for them to go to the next level. If indeed they were tight and now they are not, then obviously Cat is on the block. If they are still tight, then it is gonna be hard to move Cat and keep Steve happy. Which is it? Does anybody know?
Wells is not better than Mobley, and suffers from many of the same problems of bad shot selection, and not passing. He also is a free agent, and someone will pay him more than he is worth. I belive he has some character issues also. I take Cat over him, plus Cat is a clutch shotter which counts alot. Exactly! I believe this could work. This would give us a long athletic creative team. This takes the some of the point duties off of Steve and still gives us a miss match at the point and center. I like getting better aposed to adding older players on the end of thier playing lives. Getting older with average players may help you slightly for now but cripple your team development. If we added players like A. Davis or B. Grant we may get some solid vetren help but its not enough to make us contenders. They will end up like Rice too old, too $$, and too unproductive. The temp. help will give us a step foward and then three back. We need to look at pieces like Odam who are younger and who can grow with our stars and team. Dallas, San An, Sac, and NJ (just to name a few) added good young talent and then let them grow together and have teams that will be good for awhile.
For those of you who think that Lamar Odom would not benifit this team, I've got five words for you. You don't know jack squat.
<i>Steve keeps getting quoted? As in he keeps saying that over and over? Where and When are these quotes that he keeps getting quoted?</i> He's probably refering to stuff like this from the 4/5/2003 Chronicle: Before the comparisons with Allen Iverson began, Steve Francis emulated the Sixers' guard . He mimicked Iverson's crossover dribble and became an explosive scorer, fitting somewhere between point guard and shooting guard . But Iverson was moved to shooting guard ; the Rockets needed Francis to man the point , the position he preferred. Now, however, Francis said he would like to copy one more move. <b>"I wouldn't mind," Francis said of a move to shooting guard . "Would it help my team? I don't know. I would love to be more of in a scoring role. But I've got to do what I've got to do. They want me to move the ball around, and that's what I do, and score occasionally. </b>
After last season, I'd like to see anybody run a fast break for the Rockets. How many times did we see James Posey, after a steal or long rebound, take off flying down the wing, only to be all alone, looking back and wondering where his teammates are?
Thanks, Aelliot, for digging that up. I seem to remember that around the All Star game if February he first came out with this, saying he might not mind playing the 2. There have been several threads on his quotes in this forum after he has come out with them.
So, is this the quote we are using to say that Stevie has cooled off towards Cat? Or is Steve just saying he wants to be free to shoot first? That's a lot different than saying, that he wants to play the 2 and get Cat off the floor. I think what Steve is saying is he wants more shots. He feels hindered by having to think about getting the ball to everybody else instead of just creating and let everybody else play off him. I agree with the points on Cat being as good as or better than Bonzi Wells. Bonzi is troubled and probably will wind up overpaid.
