I still think there's a hangover from last year. Last year there was no MoT, barely any Rice and Steve went iffy before he went out, and there was certainly no Yao Ming. This team is so different than our team 2 years ago and unrecognizable from last year. Yet our prejudices hang on from those years. I've been called a Cat "hater" when I never was, but I haven't seen the reasons to knock him this year that have been resounding in our ears over the previous 2. I didn't understand how Cat was having so many subpar games (IMHO), but I haven't seen a reason to knock him this year. Everybody disagrees about what will get the Rockets into the playoffs, but last week I would have said it's a lock if Steve and Cat were healthy. Cat offers a possible 40 pt. night the NBA doesn't ignore, and that is a bonafide presence. This team is evolving at such a high rate of speed I have no idea what we really need. I am far from a Cat lover, but this guy is someone we need healthy and around when it get's really important. To be honest, right now, I don't think Cat's absence is going devastating. It will hurt continuity, and all the things I've been griping about in the offseason I simply haven't seen as far as Cat (or Steve) is concerned. The Rockets win the lottery, get a center from Mars, and the team starts passing, and Rudy gets confirmed as a bad coach. There was a lot to be worried about with Cat, but in 11 games I never said get Cat out of there. This thread is all about overreacting. I am too. Other than Cat there isn't really a veteran tradeable commodity in the new GM luxury tax era. The key here is to give these guys some time together. Who does what well with whom? We're still 20 games away from knowing. Does anyone really think Cat's not in the mix right now? Senior members with gimpy left knees (like me) have an opinion, but juniors are witnessing something I haven't either. Cat, I care about more now than ever, and I've always rooted for this guy, but right now he is a big component of something larger than that. The bar is set higher for the Rockets and Les will never understand Houstonian sports frustration. Cat as Cat isn't someone thats's shut our offense down this year. I don't recognize our offense from 5 games ago. I think Cat will when he gets back. And Cat's publicist, nor Nostradamus will need to tell him his basketball life just got a hell of a lot easier.
Cuttino Mobley is better as a backup with less minutes than a starter with a whole lot of minutes. The Rockets quite possibly had their best team game of the year, and it's no surprise that Cuttino Mobley was sitting out with a bum ankle. Now, trading him and getting fair value would be hard. With Ming emerging, Francis being a star, and the power forward position being manned with both a good scorer (Taylor) and a player that will need some playing time to become a very good starter in the league (Griffin). They also have a PG that is completely lost in Moochie Norris, but he can't be traded, at all. The odd man out here is definitely Kenny Thomas. He is in the last year of his contract, and he is the most expendable piece that this Rockets team has. Trading Kenny Thomas for a SG that can pass and defend would be ideal. One player that comes to mind is Shandon Anderson. I won't go into exact deals, but that is what the Rockets need. The mpg lay out would be sorta like this, give or take a minute or two: C-Ming (26)/Cato (22) PF-Taylor (26)/Griffin (22) SF-Rice (22)/Mobley (9)/Griffin (9)/Hawkins (8) SG-Unknown (28)/Mobley (10)/Hawkins (10) PG-Francis (40)/Mobley (4)/Norris (4) Over time, Ming and Griffin would get more minutes. Nachbar would also take the majority of Rice's minutes, but Rice's minutes would be split between Hawkins, Mobley, and Griffin, too. I think this would be the best case scenario.
