One thing about Cato is whether his salary will worth his contribution regardless how much improvement he has made this season. If the answer is yes, I would love to keep him. If not, we should do a trade from both business and court sense. For example, my read is EG is not a typical power forward. He should try the small forward position. If that is the case and if Cato will help us to get a real power forward, go for it. Otherwise, the other question, will trading someone else like EG will get our team better than trading Cato.
Washington and Orlando will both have cap room this summer, the former about $6 mil (and more if Stackhouse opts out, which would be a stupid thing for him to do) and the latter about $5 mil. Miami will also have about $5 mil. Now, I don't know if Washington and Miami would use their cap space on Cato, but Orlando might be enticed to do so, as they need a shotblocker/rebounder in the worst way. Maybe free up some cap space and get a draft pick for us while strengthening a crappy EC team.
I have a tendancy to agree. Why don't they start him at PF, sign a cheap backup center, and trade Eddie, Mo, and Rice for a big time 3 like Odom? I can't see Eddie ever being able to match up with the big 4's defensively. He's just not big enough. Duncan, R. Wallace, Webber, Brand, Malone, Amare, Zach Randolph, Garnett, Nowitzki, Jermaine O'neal, Kurt Thomas, Brian Grant, Antonio McDyess, Ben Wallace just seem too big for him. Cato has legit size. And he is getting that "Mr Mean" look about him on the floor. Can he guard out on the floor? Well, probably not very well, but if I had a choice, I'd rather Duncan beat us from 18 feet than from 2 feet. Have TMo as our backup at the 4, and somebody like Dale Davis, Tyrone Hill as the backup 5. And then trade Rice, Eddie, and Mo for a legit big time 3 and another shooter or draft pick or something. We are wasting Cato playing him 10 minutes a game. And I do not understand why Rudy didn't give him more minutes alongside Yao. If we ain't gonna play him, then trade him, Rice, Eddie, and Cat or Boki for Brand and Odom. Brand can give us everything and more above what Eddie and MoT are giving us. And Odom would give us the point forward that would be the perfect complement to Stevie, taking some of the ball handling pressure off him and letting him run the wing on the brake with Odom coming up the middle of the floor ala Magic Johnson, Paul Pressey. Eddie may indeed blossom into a superstar. He may hit the weight room, put on 25 lbs of muscle, develop a post game, learn to defend 1 on 1. He MAY do all those things. And then what does he become on this team? The third option???????? Behind Yao and Stevie at best. Will he ever become the first option or the second option? I don't ever see that happening. Now, if Stevie or Yao is gone, then it is possible. But is Stevie or Yao leaving? That means realistically, at best Eddie could develop into the third option, he could develop into a 10 board, 15 ppg player for this team (that is a big IF he develops all facets of his game), while he may develop into a 25 ppg, and 12 board player for some other team that does not have Yao and Stevie eating up touches. So, if Eddie is gonna just be the 3rd option at best, why not let Cato have the PF slot, and trade Eddie, MoT, and Rice (or some combination of 2 of the 3) for something of value that fits around the main cogs on this team better? Or trade Cato and some of the others for missing parts. Cato's value has gone up considerable. It is going to be an interesting offseason. I'm sure that teams will be hunting the Rockets down about Cato and Eddie.
NO. SCOTT POLLARD IS NOT ONE OF THE BEST ANYMORE. He is the best 3rd stringer center though. They have Keon Clark and Vlade Divac both now. That's way too good. Definitely all those centers are better than Cato. EXCEPT OKUR. What? Cato is still one of the best though.
Blockbuster Trade...lol? K Cato/G Rice/C Mobley to Atlanta for J Terry and T Ratliff both teams get a good deal and we get true PG and backup C
If Cato played on the following teams last year I think he would at least get half their C minutes. The ones with * are teams where Cato would probably start for as well... *Boston *Miami (Grant moves to the 2) *NY (Thomas moves to the 2) NJ (b/c Dik was injured) *Orl (they have been playing Kemp for Pete's sake) *Phily (split with Coleman--who really is a 4) *Wash (split with Haywood) Chicago (probably split w/ Curry) *Milwalkee (they suck at the C spot as bad as the Magic) Toronto (b/c Davis was injured) Denver (split with Nene) *Utah (split with Ostertag) GS (Cato is about = to Foyle or Damp) Clips (b/c Kandi was injured) *Pheonix (their C's suck, see Orl and Milw) Seattle (James, Drobnac and Cato all about =) Teams I think would be modestly interested in Cato as their starter and who Cato would provide some valuable interior defense and size. This list excludes teams with young C's in the same ball-park as Cato right now but whom should only get better (Curry, Heywood, Nene) or with multiple Cato like centers (Sea, GS) who. The *started teams could really, really use Cato... Boston **Miami NJ (if Dik is done) **Orl Phily (especially if FA Skinner, a lesser but cheaper Cato, signs elsewhere, or if Coleman does) **Milwalkee Clips (if Kandi leaves perhaps interest) Pheonix (Tsakalidis health a question) Now take a look at high quality FA C's or PF/C: Brad Miller, J. Oneal (get away with C in the east), PJ Brown, Nestroric, TD, DR, Kandi, & Clarke. ---But none of the above guys will he had for the MCE--and most of the above teams will be over the cap, those these guys are all but unattainable for them via FA. So now we look at the 2nd and 3rd tier FA 5s (or 4s who could play the 5 in a pinch)--and guys possibly signable for between the MCE and the minimum. Elden Campell (but real drop off in Sea--not sure what is wrong) Mark Blount Stepania Burke Kemp Skinner Cory Blount Don Reid Gadzuric Bateer Woods McCoy Ndaiye C. Anderson Collier Moiso Samake S. Williams Ruben BB Dudley IMO--if you look at these guys had for less than the MCE Cato is better than all of them, especially in the Cato is a much more physical presence on defense. So ask yourself this-- if you are Orlando or Milwalkee, teams with huge holes in the 5 spot, would you rather do a modest trade for Cato or try to sign one of the following as your starting center (the best or most promising from the list)-- Mark Blount, Skinner, Gadzuric, Ndaiye and Ruben BB--and hope for the best? I think a reasonable trade for Cato might be the way to go--and then you also sign a Gadzuric or Blount in Milw case or hope that Hunter develops as a back-up to Cato in Orlando's case. So in sum, Cato should be of some interest to a few teams--but certainly not too much because if Hou asked for a lot the desiring team would balk and just go with Blount, Skinner or a few others slightly lesser but cheaper players and see what happens.
If we can get something decent for Cato, then I'm all for dumping him. He's been awesome this season as a backup to Yao, but I have no faith that this guy will continue to be this aggressive. I say trade him if we can, but I'm not sure the rest of the league thinks as highly of him as some people on this bbs do...
Houston trades: C Kelvin Cato (4.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.3 apg in 17.1 minutes) SF Terence Morris (3.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.5 apg in 12.9 minutes) Houston receives: PG Sam Cassell (19.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 5.8 apg in 34.6 minutes) SG Michael Redd (15.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.4 apg in 28.2 minutes) Change in team outlook: +26.6 ppg, +0.4 rpg, and +6.4 apg. Milwaukee trades: PG Sam Cassell (19.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 5.8 apg in 34.6 minutes) SG Michael Redd (15.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.4 apg in 28.2 minutes) Milwaukee receives: C Kelvin Cato (4.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.3 apg in 73 games) SF Terence Morris (3.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.5 apg in 49 games) Change in team outlook: -26.6 ppg, -0.4 rpg, and -6.4 apg. TRADE ACCEPTED Due to Houston and Milwaukee being over the cap, the 15% trade rule is invoked. Houston and Milwaukee had to be no more than 115% plus $100,000 of the salary given out for the trade to be accepted, which did happen here. This trade satisfies the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. They can have Boki instead of Tmo if that would do it .
Whether or we keep or trade Cato, what do we do with Rice, should re-sign him or can we get anything for him? He is the only TRUE shooter on our team.
I mentioned shopping Cato before the trading line for Eric Snow because of the Sixer's need for a center.We need a backup PG to make things easier for Francis.Unless we can run the team better we will be stuck.Getting a backup center other than Collier will be nice. Cato will have to be packaged in a deal and I think Posey and he could be a tempting idea. Trade Rice. He is a pure shooter but he isn't going to get better and has an expiring contract.
You make a point with Jerome James and Jeff Foster, but if Cato gets traded who else do you want backing up Yao? Its slim pickins after that.
Guys look at the list above--Cato is better than the available FA for the MCE or under--but not tremensously. Guys like Mark Blount, Skinner, Gadzuric, Ndyie, Stepania are available as fill in starters or backups. That gives Cato a little value but not a lot of value--thus someone isn't going to trade either a player like Cassell or Redd (a decent player with a good contract) for Cato. What you could get for Cato is maybe a mid to late first round pick to go along with salary filler (Caffey, Ervin Johnson) or a decent player at a not so decent contract (e.g., Tim Thomas as the center piece though we would have to include more). Personally I am fine with Cato back--but if we lose him because an advantagous deal is out there that isn't a huge deal. Yao's minutes should increase, Mo can play some spot 5 minutes as most teams don't have an offensively potent center, and we bring a cheaper poor mans Cato like Skinner or McCoy or the like.
Rose-undersized 4, not a center Willis-12 mpg, played less center than Rose Sabonis- I'll give you this one Foyle-More minutes, less rebounds than Cato Okur-WHo? Scott Pollard-only 23 games (already stated) Bradley-he's just Bradley. Had a decent year, but he's always going to be Bradley Mohommed-only good for 13 minutes a game Wright-I actually like this guy, but he's a starter and could only pull 28 minutes a game. James-stiff, should have been their starter this year but he's just a stiff. Foster-10 minutes per game-doesn't even belong on the same list with Bradley That puts Cato in the top 3 backups (at least on this list). What guys on this list can you actually see starting for anyone? Cato starts over every one of them except maybe Wright. j
KEEP CATO!!!!!!!!!!! There is a drought of centers in the league. We have 2 of the better ones. Why trade? Its almost like having a pair of Aces. Would you rather a Yao/Collier team? Cato has been playing with defense intensity and meanness that Yao is yet to posses. Nasty flagrants (to put teams in their place), Vicious dunks and Alleys, and Rabid Dog blocks... These are things we will miss in Cato. Cato has gotten mean, and I would hope Yao wouldnt be the only one improving next season.
Cuttino Mobley/Eddie Griffin/Kelvin Cato/2nd Round Draft Pick Antonio Davis/Morris Peterson/1st Round Draft Pick They need Cato. BUCKS DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE CATO. "Houston trades: C Kelvin Cato (4.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.3 apg in 17.1 minutes) SF Terence Morris (3.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.5 apg in 12.9 minutes) Houston receives: PG Sam Cassell (19.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 5.8 apg in 34.6 minutes) SG Michael Redd (15.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.4 apg in 28.2 minutes) Change in team outlook: +26.6 ppg, +0.4 rpg, and +6.4 apg. Milwaukee trades: PG Sam Cassell (19.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 5.8 apg in 34.6 minutes) SG Michael Redd (15.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.4 apg in 28.2 minutes) Milwaukee receives: C Kelvin Cato (4.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.3 apg in 73 games) SF Terence Morris (3.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.5 apg in 49 games) Change in team outlook: -26.6 ppg, -0.4 rpg, and -6.4 apg. TRADE ACCEPTED Due to Houston and Milwaukee being over the cap, the 15% trade rule is invoked. Houston and Milwaukee had to be no more than 115% plus $100,000 of the salary given out for the trade to be accepted, which did happen here. This trade satisfies the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. They can have Boki instead of Tmo if that would do it ." I would definitely do hat if I were Houston. HA. ACCEPT MILWAUKEE. Then they resign Payton...even though he is sucking in the playoffs right now. And that means Cassell should leave. And then they decide Desmond Mason is better...And they really need a enter who can rebound and block and is quick. CATO. I wish.
