Here's my take on the 4 spot problem. I hate to say it, but Maurice Taylor is the odd man out. I think MoT's been getting the "sympathy" starts, but for any of us who followed the NewOrleans game, his "productivity" has just been pitiful. If he can't score, and he's not known for defense or rebounding, why play him? Moreover, I don't get his attitude. Supposedly, after the big win against Philly, he didn't even bother to stick around with the team. Congregating with the opposition at halftime is kinda weird too. It's too bad he had that drug problem. But I tell ya, if he wants more minutes, he should clear his mind and start playing team ball. i Meanwhile, I think KennyT is winning my vote. He's got the stroke in recent games and seems more apt to playing alongside all the other sharpshooters out there. I'm not sure if he's the "ideal" PF for Yao, but it's working ok. KennyT plays more like a 3 at times. How nice would it be if he could slide to the small forward spot at 3? But Rice is still DA MAN for the 3 spot. If only Rice were five years younger with a better back... EG? I dunno. He seems like the best backup, IMO. Bottom line: we've got great 5, 1, 2, and a veteran 3. There's no room for selfish players on this squad. Rack up KennyT's minutes. JMHO
I agree, Kenny Thomas is the best option the Rockets have. I think Rudy is gonna start him from now on. He's cleary dedicated to improving himself, having lost weight so he could play the 3. Time to gain some weight, Kenny...
Clutch... Correct me if i'm wrong, but MoT's big pitch is "scoring in the paint". if he can't score, what then is his big contribution. also... is it me? or does he not seem like the MoT of old? With the arrival of Yao, EVERYBODY on the team has to adjust their roles to complement the other players. I see it happennign with the guards, I DONT see it happenning with the Forwards. While I like KennyT the MOST, it's like choosing the lesser of three evils, IMO. KT had a good game against New Orleans, but come clutch time, he had some gross mental lapses. And is KT really a 4? He seems like the equivalent of a "forward 3/4 swingman." Apart from that, we got two games in two nights and a little preview of what "squads" work and don't work. Personally, I was in stupor watching MoT in the opening minutes of the New Orleans game. Sure he's working hard, but only to come up short. I can't help but feel that that rare start was a "sympathy start." But it's his attitude, from his body language, that really really bothers me. StevieF and Mooch made comments not too long ago about "chemistry" being a sorry excuse at this juncture in time. Excluding Yao who came to camp late, I just don't see the chemistry working with MoT + 4. Where I do see chemistry is KT, Yao, Mooch, (tonite) CAT, and Stevie. add in a little Rice and VOILA! You've got chemistry. Moreover, I think a lot of the middle aged rockets, (5 years experience or less) who have played for losing teams need to shed their memories of former glory. Sure, MoT had more minutes with the Clips... but the Clips were a SUB 500 TEAM BACK THEN. It's easy to rack up big numbers on a losing team, b/c minutes are plentiful to come by. For those of you who went to the game, what'd u all see? I get the sense MoT is an unhappy camper. I really don't want to see him add controversy to this budding team and I think he might be a potential trouble spot. JMHO
1. Get rid of Mo Taylor. 2. Get rid of Mo Taylor. 3. Get rid of Mo Taylor. And.. finally..... 4. Did I mention get rid of Mo Taylor??? And, while we're at it... 5. Somehow build a time machine to go get Richard Jefferson back from the Nets and give them Eddie Griffin.
Hey Everybody. Great little piece here on our Power Forward situation... http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/1693721 Agree/Disagree??? Do Check it out! -Peace
If MoT is not hitting his shots, he's useless. The guy's shooting 34.8%. Either he's still not fully rehabed, not in shape or just expects to get playing time. The remedy to all of those? Pine. No, not Colin. I really hope KT can keep up this level of play. None of these guys has stepped up and KT's has had 2 great games back to back. As far as that article goes, I don't know if Rudy will be going with the hot hand. I think he's aiming for the consistent hand.
Hilarious how fast the tide turns with new fans. Or, benefit of the doubt intact, old fans with high blood pressures. Wasn't it last week that this board was full of Trade Kenny Thomas At All Costs threads? Wasn't it just two months ago that we didn't need KT or Mo because Eddie deserved to start this year? I wonder how many of you were back on the Kenny Sucks bandwagon at halftime when he was shooting 1/5. We have three middle class PF's this year. Kenny will rarely be as good a fit as he has been the last two games and Mo will find his shot. He's had 14 games in very limited minutes after a full season off. His offense will be back. And, with this squad, his offense is more valuable than KT's. As for D, Mo never had it. KT's more valuable there. For all of you who want to ditch Mo NOW NOW NOW though, I wonder how you think we're gonna move a 48 mil contract without showcasing him. Answer: we're not. If anybody goes via trade right now, it's KT. Personally I hope it's neither. I still think the three of them (with KT getting some minutes at 3 due to fouls or injury and EG and MT getting some at 5 for same) make us the deepest team in the league. Really gotta say it gives me a headache to get home late, having watched maybe the most exciting game of the year, excited to read the board, and find almost nothing but what we're doing wrong and who needs to be traded. And how we need Duncan. Or Brand. We don't. PF is maybe our weakest position right now (won't be by the end of the year), but that's because we have an embarassment of riches at guards and center. And our PF rotation's still better than the Lakers'. I fully expect Dale Robertson to be a reactionary nitwit. I used to expect better of posters to this board. Wonder if they're talking Iverson for Cat on the Philly board.
Tried to edit to add these points, but the function wasn't working. For those of you who think Mo Taylor's gonna ride the bench for four years at 6 million or be waived, dream on. For those who think it's a good idea to add Tim Duncan (or any other 20+ ppg guy) to this team, dream on. For those who think we have a serious problem with this team, after how they've played together after such a short time, going from a guard oriented ISO strategy (with KT as a secondary ISO option) to a totally new motion offense, playing with a dominant center, getting that center game ready having never played in the NBA and having played 2 years straight before coming here, bringing back seriously injured key guys in Francis/Rice/Taylor, and still ranking 3, 4 or 5 in what is still the more dominant conference (no matter what ESPN tells you)... For those of you who still think we have a serious problem, wake up. Wake up and enjoy the damn coffee. Earlier rumors not withstanding, this team rules. Yao is for real. Steve IS a point guard. And a great one. Rudy CAN coach something other than inside out with Hakeem. Plus, as a minor added bonus, we're running one of the PREMIERE defenses in the league. Enjoy it. A little. Please.
no we have to trade for kurt thomas, or stromile swift, or spreewell, or a tuna fish sandwich seriously, in my opinion we're the 3rd best team in the west. Sacramento, LA, and Dallas are light years ahead of all competition. The real NBA finals will be the western conference championships.
Batman-I actually registered a month before you on this account but I've been here nearly from the beginning. I've always been biased to KT, over Taylor anyway, since I live in New Mexico. I've never like Mo and have never understood the fascination with him, even when he's hitting his shots. He can't rebound, can't defend in the post and can't block shots. Nope, I wouldn't shed a tear if he was traded.
I think if KT had MoT's body, the Rockets would be ecstatic. Or if MoT played like KT with hustle and inside play (like he was supposed to) then it would be money well spent. But for now, it's PF by committee, with Rudy trying to figure out the presise formula for his rotation. I agree that it's a little ridiculous to trade people way before the rotations have begun to jell, but there is a logjam. And all three have been inconsistent. Hero one week, goat another. At this rate, the only question will be whether KT wants to earn pennies playing on this team, or earn more playing time on another team while earning pennies...
I've noticed the recent trade proposals on this board by far are for power forwards. I guess Cat's absence affected us in more ways than one.
Coming into this season, having missed the whole season last year, Maurice Taylor's attitude should be to prove to the Rockets and to the rest of the NBA that he can still play. He was given a huge contract, at that time when the Rockets had just drafted Eddie Griffin, and were exploring, though remotely, the possibility of signing Chris Webber. Now that he's behind Kenny Thomas in the rotation, Maurice Taylor should quit complaining and just work for the money he's being ridiculously paid. Imagine, someone like Matt Harpring, 6-7 forward of Utah, outperforming(currently averaging 16 points per game) a 6-9 giant like Maurice Taylor. Taylor should attend one of those positive attitude seminars of Anthony Robbins to psyche himself towards improving his game.
Rice is getting most of the '3' minutes. Someone will emerge to get most of the '4' minutes. Probably MoT. KT to get ample time backing '3' and '4'. Leaving EG, future All Star, backing up the '5'. Goodby someone? Cato. Hate to see ye go.
