Hey since things are getting boring let's chart up the Rockets Weakest Link! Let's figure out who's has the most trade value but has the weakest value to our club's future. Then compare other teams most valuable trade player and let's see what we come up with. I'll try to start it off, and I hope you all catch on. Let's start out by identifying our weakest and strongest positions. Weakest: PG. Why: We need a play maker who gets everybody else involved and make them better and who has a low turnover ratio. I feel this person don't have to be 1st or 2nd option to score. Strongest: C. Why: Yao Ming 7-5 , and Cato is a good back up, only thing is that he getting paid a starter salary; but with there being a short list of Centers I think the Rockets will hold on to Cato till a better player comes through. My Choice for Weakest Link in ranking order: #1 Cat Mobley SG: The Buddy Buddy Duo must be spilt up! Period, Since we drafted Ming he needs to become 1st, or 2nd Option; and since we need a legit PG. to run the show who don't turn the ball over that only leaves Francis to be pushed over to SG. To me Cat has the Most Trade Value but get pushes out to the new make up of the team. #2 Eddie Griffin PF: He really haven't develop in two years, but he still young and raw with a rare mixture of blocking shots and a little touch from the outside. Since his contract is in the middle rookie scale it makes him desirable. This decision could make or break the Rockets. Should they keep him or should they bait a team with a trade for him? If he doesn't come through then he will loose all his value and become a bust. #3 Glen Rice SF: I think Rice will become the odd man out: he's in the last year of his contract and still serviceable unless he gets injured, he'll become a throw in any trades the rockets will do. He really don't care for JVG and since we have Poesy and Boki, somebody will have to go. #4 Kelvin Cato C: Big Contract and a Big Under Achiever. But since centers are hard to find and he can block a few and lay down a few he can become attractive with a little make up, but we made have to get a big contract in return to make everything add up. Possible Teams Likely to Trade: Toronto, Miami, Chicago... OK I guess that makes sense....
If your not basing this argument on potential, the answer is clearly Eddie Griffin. Every game he plays, he is outmatched against a BETTER PF. Case closed
WORST POST EVER AWARD. I bet you meant: "In my opinion, Eddie Griffin is the weakest link. Every game I have seen him play, he is outmatched." If you didn't mean that, please say so. You can't say "...every game he plays...". I bet my left nut you didn't watch all 82 games AND all preseason games. You can't say "...he is outmatched against a BETTER PF." This applies to any player in any situation in any position... (don't all better players outmatch all worse players?) RELAX, dude.
1. Steve Francis - Tremendous trade value (high profile player, lots of television ads, all-star appearances, high flyer, stat hound, big enough contract to take back a good player), but overestimated value to the team (no defense, poor playmaking, undersized and not a good enough shooter for the 2, not quick enough, not a good enough passer for the 1, not meant to be a #2 option). 2. Glen Rice - He is a good three point shooter. Thats about it. His greatest value to the team is that he has a $9 mil expiring contract. The very definition of trade bait. 3. Eddie Griffin - I don't really want to trade him because he could be the next Jermaine O'Neal. He could also be the next Clarence Weatherspoon (once touted as the next Charles Barkley ) though. He is on a rookie contract so you would have to package him with Glen Rice. 4. Kelvin Cato - I really like what he brings to the team. Defense, rebounding, hustle eek: when did that happen). Unfortunately, for whatever reason Rudy felt he couldn't play the four. If Rudy was right (and he probably knows a bit more about Basketball than I do) then we should trade him for a PF in a deal that helps both teams. Maybe Malik Rose, if Pops wants to keep Duncan at the 4 after the Admiral is gone. I don't see anybody else getting traded. Nachbar hasn't shown anything to warrant getting anything in return. Morris will be a minimum value player if anything. Mo's contract is too big for his production, especially on the boards. Ming isn't going anywhere. Posey will either sign with us or he won't, but I don't forsee a sign and trade. I hope we keep him. Moochie is untradable . Mobley is interesting. I don't think we can get value back in return. I also think that way too many people underestimate his value to the team and would be willing to trade him for crap (I have seen late first round picks mentioned). The biggest knock against him is that Francis can't play pg. Once Francis is traded or learns to be a pass first player, most criticism of Mobes should disappear. Everone else is not worth mentioning. Ideally, we would send out Francis and Cato and get back Brand and Arenas, but I don't see it happening. I think even just the afoementioned Cato for Rose trade makes this team very dangerous under a new coach that won't put up with Francis's ball hogging though. 1 - Francis, Norris 2 - Mobley, Hawkins?, 3 - Posey, Rice, Nachbar, Morris 4 - Rose, Griffin, Taylor 5 - Ming, Taylor With the exception of Francis that starting 5 is very solid defensively. There are scoring possibilities at every position. I would take our chances in a 7 game seies against any team in the league, though San Antonio, Sacramento for a year or two more, and maybe Dallas and the Fakers would still be favored.
Now that Van Gundy is our next coach, the only thing left to do is sign a power forward who knows how to play. "Mr Burns also known as Les Alexander? A New Power Forward would make our team simply, "Excellent"....Mohhahhahahaaaaaaa
So our weakest position is Point Guard, so that makes our starting 2 Guard the weakest link? And you have chosen Cato as the 4th weakest link while listing him as a reason Center is the is the strongest position? Actually the 4 is our weakest position and YOU ARE THE WEAKEST LINK. GOODBYE! j
: Mr. Maddox. Somebody here looks more like a troll than a basketball player. You are the weakest link. Goodbye!
Not a good shooter!!!!!!????? Hes defenitly better than Payton, Marbury, and Kidd at shooting. What do you mean, Francis game is drbble through legs and jump shot, so he has to be a good shooter to become an all-star!!!! Hes an awsome shooter for a two!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IF FRANCIS MOVED TO THE TWO HE WILL BE THE QUICKEST SG BEHIND AI!!!! HES A FREAKIN PG SO HES GONNA BE QUICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!And Everyone says Francis's game is like AI's, and AI's strong suit is his quickness.
Yeah I put Cato At #4 even though I feel the Center Position is the strongest due to the fact of Yao Ming, and Yao ming only! Only reason I have Cato at #4 due to his large Contract and he don't start; but as a back up he's more than decent and there's not that many quality centers.
i think there's no really "weak link" to the squad. they just really need to play REAL BASKETBALL and not STREETBALL/"HOGBALL". they already got all their bits and pieces needed to be an elite team in the west, they just need to follow the "battleplan". they look like an army, but they all fight for their own cause in the battlefield and unity is playing a small part for them. they just need to PASS THE BALL and have confidence to their teammates.
Absolutely correct and thanks for having the guts to tell the truth. Your observation has been my consistent opinion for four years. (and I have been bashed consistently for stating it) I would much rather retain Mobley than Francis. IMO, from a team standpoint, Francis is our biggest problem not our greatest asset as many believe.
Not when the many are idiots. Payton, Marbury, and Kidd are all point guards. Being better at shooting than them has nothing to do with being a shooting guard. He is an all-star because the fans voted him in. Stephon was right, he was the real all-star, and the coaches most likely would have picked him over Steve. I never said Steve would not be quick. The problem is that AIs quickness only gets him to about 39% FG and Steve isn't as quick as he is. We have a 2 guard who can score against 2 guards and defend 2 guards. We have a PG who can score against PGs and defend nobody. While some think the solution is to trade the guy who has proven that he can do the job he has got, and is doing it for half the money, I say we either trade the guy who can't hack it, or teach him so that he can. BTW, Steve has a worse FG% than Gary Payton and Stephon Marbury.
Mobster, We all need to feel important. I do admit, I was a little confused hitting the Preview Reply button repeatedly and only a broken image symbol appeared. Hey, if you hate me so much, just delete my account. Heck, I need to be more productive anyways. And I thought, I was going to make it to being a senior member. If I don't make it, you will know why hahahahahaha. On to more important matters. Spurs are going to dominate the next game. Spurs played like crap in the first half of game 1, prepare to see the Spurs play even better and be more dominating in the second game.
If they go for Van Gundy he is by far the weakest link. My prediction: Within a year or so Steve wants out, Yao is underacheiving and Van Gundy is fired. This is a very bad decision made by a NY owner for a NY coach. Terrible....
You havent seen that Laker game where Francis played two most of the time and Kobe was running in circles after him. Ya he scored 44 in that game. SO he can score over sgs, even the best of the sgs, 44 of them infact. Did Mobley ever score that much on Kobe ever!?!?! BTW Francis averages around 7 free throws a game. THats top ten there. Pgs dont go on the line as much as sgs. Face it Francis would be a better sg than Mobley. Btw in the middle of the season Francis averaged 44% from behind the arc and Peja averaged 40% behind the arc. So using your logic, Francis is a better shooter than Peja right???
No, because I don't look at only one point in the season right after someone has a hot streak. That is rediculous. It is like saying Derek Jeter was batting 1.000, so he must be the best hitter ever, just because he got a hit in his first AB and then went on the DL for a month. Look at their season stats. Also, I don't judge off of one game where Francis scored 44 points. He also passed out 10+ assists IIRC. Does that mean he will consistantly be putting up those numbers? No, it does not. Francis will have less advantage againts SGs on offense than he does against PGs, he will also be at a greater disadvantage on defense. It isn't as if Mobley has not had big games against elite SGs anyway: 35 vs Finley 40 vs Pierce 39 vs Allen But he also has had big games on DEFENSE against the likes of Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson. The next time an opposing PG is shut down by Francis will be the first.
