Training Camp - 10/6/2002

Great report Clutch. Has Nachbar showed any of his great slashing/dunking ablility so far? Who looks like they will make the team. Mickeal, Torres, or Brown?

 

Yeah, Feigen has KT quoted as saying they had the movement in practice last year, but never could roll it out. It does seem contradictory to what he told you, though.

btw: I love the interview work. thx. If you could interview Goodrich this week, I'd be curious what he thinks of the movement versus other teams that he has played for, especially the Nets/Kidd experience he had last year. Where he thinks we are in picking it up?

 

I hope the Rocks keep Pete Mickeal and obviously Oscar, because they provide us with big guards who can play SF and provide much needed defense. Maybe Rudy should sit Cat for a few days, the last thing we need is another injury. It's good to hear about Nachbar. Hmmm, Barry like movements? I like Brent Barry, he's and underrated player, if Nachbar can do some of the things Brent does offensively or as Clutch says, running the floor, we're in great shape.

 

I brought up the Nachbar-Brent Barry comparison a few months ago ( you can do a search to find the thread). However, somebody ( I think Jeff) pointed out that Nachbar is way bigger. That should make a difference. For the first time in many years the Rockets have so many tall forwards in Nachbar, Griffin, Taylor, Morris and even Rice. In recent years we were always overmatched in height at the F spots: Ellie, Chucky Brown, Barkley, Kenny Thomas, Shandon Anderson... You have to go back to 1994 when we had Horry, Bullard and Thorpe as the last year we were not overmatched.

 

Clutch,

Do you have any official height & weight numbers? I'm especially curious about Griffin's progress. Has he actually gained weight or grown any taller? What's KT's new weight? How about Collier? Is Cato in Off-season, Preseason, or Regular season shape?

 

<img src="http://www.nba.com/media/rockets/thomas_hp_021004.jpg">

KT said in a video for media day that he only lost 5 pounds, leaner, stronger and quicker. He said he weighed 235 last yr, which would make him 230 now. Mo said he was 262. Cato said he was in "preseason shape" to Feigen.

 

Just out of curiosity, is Kenny T. your favorite player? It seems like he is as much your favorite player as Cuttino is The Cat's.

 

So, who is going to be the backup this season, Thomas or Griffin?

 

SJC,

Cuttino and Kenny are my favorite players because they are my favorite people on the team, as well. They seem to have more drive and will to succeed. Francis is close in that department, but the whole 3rd person reference thing has me viewing him as a phoney celebrity type..not that I don't want him on the team or running the show or anything...but, he just isn't my favorite player. I like the Carlos Rogers and Mario Elie types, more

Cuttino was my favorite player until the Shareef fight. Now Kenny quiet, all-business demeanor surpasses Cat because of the whole whining to the refs thing that Cat does, and his stupid quotes.

I do like the underdog. I also like players who are shorter than the competition, yet succeed anyways, because that is how I had to play. It's an empathy thing.

PS: now you have to tell me who your favorite player on the Rockets is, and why.

 

Exactly how did Nachbar of Team Gold pass off on the break to Torres of Team Blue??

 

For me, it is a bit harder to say because I don't get to see as many interviews with them as you do, but your reasons sound like they make sense. From the last interviews I have seen, Kenny Thomas did not make a good impression on me. Cuttino came across like a very nice guy. I probably like Cuttino and Francis the most, but Yao Ming has a very strong chance of becoming my favorite player, as does Nachbar who seems to be a very positive person (I just remember his little dance with the Comets and some interview I have seen). I guess liking a player is a combination of liking the way he plays/his performance and liking the personality as it comes across in the media. For instance, even if Collier is the nicest guy, it doesn't seem like he would be my favorite because he never plays. I liked Bullard, he seemed to be a smart and witty guy.

 

What's this about? I must've missed it.

 

Even though you weren't asking me, I thought I'd chime in.

My favorite player is Eddie Griffin. I like his demeanor, he is always calm, he shows no emotion winning or losing. Even when he is called for a horrible foul call, he just shrugs it off without a word. (I guess he's the only NBA player that realizes that whining will not change the outcome of the call) I think that's just cool. He's our version of Bagwell(facial expression). Oh yeah, he's really good too.

 

http://bbs.clutchcity.net/php3/showthread.php?s=&threadid=36804&highlight=boki+dance

 

So, did that dance give him the hernia?? He had surgery 2 weeks after that dance....grrrrrrr!

 

Hmm, interesting that they're not trying to split up the talent anymore.

 

Nikestrad, I noticed that too. Guess they're getting ready for preseason.

Just want to give out props to Clutch again for his work.

Hearing about TMo looking better makes me a little sad because I'd like to see him get minutes and succeed. But there's just no way in Hades that he gets anything more than garbage minutes this year without injuries (knock on wood). On the other hand, having so much (too much?) depth at SF now is such an extremely nice change from last year. Remember, going into the draft, the consensus was that the SF (and Center) positions were weakest. Now we're four deep at SF, all (potentially) quality ballers, IMO.

 

Clutch,

Everybody seems interested in Pete Mickeal and i wanted to ask if you could get an interview with him to feed us some info?

many thanks for all your efforts this week

 

Heypartner: Is that picture of KT recent? He looks to be in <i>incredible</i> shape. I actually hope that Thomas gets the start at small forward from Day 1. Having a power small forward would make for quite an interesting offensive scheme. Kenny and MoT could be a very poor man's version of Barkley and A.C. Green '94. I honestly can't see many small forwards being able to handle KT in the low block. Having him at the '3' also provides the Houston offense with a legitimate postup threat. On the other end, Kenny will certainly have his problems guarding the quicker forwards of the league, but I'll take my chances with Griffin and Ming waiting in the paint. Besides, Vince Carter, TMac, and Paul Peirce will destroy anyone we put on them. We might as well allow Kenny to roast the Fox's, Russell's, and Scottie Pippen's of the league. The potential positives from playing KT at the 3 far outweigh the negatives.

That's a very key point you bring up. It seems like for the first time in years we actually have respectable forward talent. Gone are the Pete Chilcutt's, Sam Mack's, and Walt Williams' and in are legitimate NBA players. In Thomas, Griffin, Taylor, and Nachbar, the Rockets have four forwards with unique abilities and all capable of shooting from the outside. I envision a Griffin/Nachbar forward duo potentially in 3-4 years resembling the athletic, versatile Kemp/Schrempf duo that gave the Rockets fits in their glory days. This is all untapped talent but this core the Rockets have assembled has dynamic potential.