The number of centers currently who have starter talent in the NBA is probably in single digit. And Yao is one of them. Gone is the day when we could watch Dream, Ewing, Zo, Robinson, and even Mutombo all playing in their prime.
HP, all I am saying is that nobody other than Cato ended up with a dunk, frequently. I called it a Cato/Francis play because it was the final leg. It fact I would think that there are multiple originations resulting in that final leg, not just the pnr. And I am not talking about Flashing. I am talking about Francis coming down the middle and putting the ball up there for Cato to go and get it. Why the exact same thing was not done with EG or Willis? They were never put on the right baseline to receive those passes? Do you recall any? These are high % plays! I am not saying that CAto is the one to do it, but it seems that this final leg is available almost anytime Francis goes down the lane. To my untrained eye it looks like bread and butter basketball to me.
And I'm saying the l'il oop was tipped or fumbled at the same rate as Willis (or a PF in 2 PF sets) failing to convert a dish at point blank range, too. No one else is in the low post there because they set picks or spot up. The play is called 24 High. The 2 is the SG and the 4 is the PF. High refers to where the pick is. The play involves several options, primarily Francis or the Picker taking shots. It is not associated with Cato versus anyone else playing the 5. Any 5 (including a PF in 2 PF sets) takes the same role...to go to the basket if left. Let's not get off into logic that suggests we have fancy ball movement that often frees Cato for backdoor slams. The plays with Cato as a "last leg" are all set plays...all 2 of them. In those plays, Cato is not helping Francis get free to begin with on the FIRST Leg of the play, because the defense rotates off Cato in aggressive traps of Francis. Cato is so useless at offense, that the center will creep as far away from Cato as the rules allow, despite this fancy "final leg" l'il oop you mention. Cato's mere presense on the court disrupts ball movement because he can do nothing with the ball except this l'il oop thing, and that oop is no better success than dishes to anyone who is flashing to the rim left open.
OK, HP, let's take 24 High. What are the roles of the #2 and the 4, typically? Who is the picker? I know Francis is the 1, with the ball. What is the role of the 3 and the 5? I am asking because I am trying understand why when Cato plays the 5 he gets dunks off that play, although you believe that version of the play has a high failure rate, and when others play it they spot up, which is overall, a more success play for the team.
