Very strange and clever by Rudy. You wonder why Rudy seems to make changes slowly. This sheds light into how Rudy's coaches. Let's look at the moves: 1. Walt is sucking 2. Rudy starts Cat in the 2nd Half beginning 12/14 (Golden State), 3. Rudy benches Walt on 12/30 for Moochie and claims that Dallas goes with 3 guards 4. Rudy does the Moochie thing again and claims Minn plays small as well, then the Cleveland game also (Huh?) 5. Walt goes back temporarily for a start against Det 6. Walt gets the flu, Moochie isn't really cutting it as a starter and Mobley starts against Utah for the first time, Walt doesn't play, 7. Today against Toronto Mobley starts and Walt has a good game (no flu) Is Mobley starting for real, now? Remember this order of events. This is Rudy. This is how he operates. He's the type of coach who does not respond rashly to bad times. He does not replace starters on a whim. He does not change styles rapidly. He does not change rotations in a revolving manner. Some of us hate this, and would rather him make immediate changes, and think it is a lack of understanding the immediate situations. Some coaches agree with you. And some coaches have revolving doors. And somes coaching seats are revolving doors, too. As enigmatic (or drunk) Rudy is in interviews, we can know one thing about him; he does not change starters until the starter fails himself, and he knows why he's benched. Rudy patiently and slowly benches Walt, and talks to him about him. Cuttino doesn't get the start right away, so doesn't strut like the change is because of his play. And what do we have today...a benched starter having one of his best games, and the replacement, as well. No dissension. No complaints. Rudy is the underrated! And Phil's Lakers are falling apart.
It is classic huh? People are to hard on Rudy. Like heypartner said, a starter is benched and both he and his new replacement have great games. Meanwhile Kobe is still starting, jacking up the most shots, and scoring the most points and he's STILL destroying the team! That's why we have good team chemistry and harmony and the Lakers are one smart ass remark away from total anarchy! ------------------ "I have a scale at home and it only goes up so far, I love that scale!" - Charles Barkley TNT Studios
HeyP, I thought it was a situational thing since the starting job was flip-flopped a few times, but with your clear explanation of Rudyisms maybe we'll see Cat starting soon. I don't remember, but what was the pattern with KT getting his first few starts last year? (I know we had injuries, but didn't he play one or two then on the bench again and then start again?) ------------------
Great Post HyPartner, great insight into the genius that is Rudy, if Cat continues to play well then I would assume he keeps starting, cause from your own logic regarding Mooch, if Cat doesn't play well his first few starts then you can go back to the bench and his old rotations. Tonight it was great to see Cat score well in the first half, that is against Starters, which is a criticism most people have against him that only scores his points cause he plays against second unit. ------------------ CUT Tino These Heaves are just getting Ridiculous!
This biggest benefactory of this gradual change may very well be Shandon Anderson. He recieves more minutes at the three while developing a newly regenarated continuity with Francis and Mobley. I like it! ------------------
I agree with ROCKETBOOSTER. I think that alot of it has to do with how well Shandon has been playing at 3. That is why Shandon is my 2nd favorite player on the team. He took Walt's starting job playing out of position. Starting Steve, Cat, and Shandon may be small, but it is our most dangerous combo. ------------------ Kenny Thomas had a foul called on him in the Western Conference Finals.
You know it is not really a 2 or 3 thing, imo. Cuttino played Vince on both sides of the court, yesterday. Cuttino made Vince work on D and got him into foul trouble. Isn't Vince their 3? [This message has been edited by heypartner (edited January 10, 2001).]
Sounds like a plan to me. Until ´Reef arrives, that is ------------------ "I have posted so much that what I say must be true"
Starting regularly would wreck Mobley's chances at 6th man of the year and we all know how he relishes individual glory. ------------------
great point bobrek. that crossed my mind too. As a starter, Cuttino is just another player this year, but as a 6th man, the award is his. I´m sure he is well aware of that. ------------------ "I have posted so much that what I say must be true"
you know, that spurns something that i've been meaning to post on for a while now. is it me or is cuttino's defense not nearly as bad as some people make it out to be? i mean, no, he's not going to shut vince down, but who does??? what he did was force vince into tough, tough shots - some of which he hit. but what more could you ask? truthfully, the person whose value on defense is slightly misplaced, IMO, is shandon anderson. not that he's bad, but he's not the joe dumars some posters make him out to be. ******************************************************* btw, i hope it is official. this unit, IMO, forces teams to adjust to the rockets style of play - SMALLBALL. and as long as we can continue to develop that old seattle supersonics (sorry antisonic, if you're here) style of defense, we'll be a load to handle.
verse, Yes, I've said that, too. Cuttino's off-ball shielding and help defense has definitely improved. He's very active. He's not the best at lateral movement for one-on-one, but I'll take a bunch of off-ball and help defenders like him, especially if we can get a shotblocker in here.
Rudy doesn't BENCH players he transistions them He moves them there slowly over time until one day they realize it was a Jedi mind trick .oO I'M NOT STARTING!! . . I'M ON THE BENCH HOW THE H*LL DID THIS HAPPEN . . . HOW DID HE GET ME TO AGREE TO THIS!!! . . .. . RRRRRUUUUUUDDDDDDDYYYYYYYYY Oo. <-- what's going on under Walt's Headband Rocket River ------------------
Mr. T: heard you been tellin' some jokes about me! Eddie Murphy: no you didn't. Mr. T: maybe i didn't. i'm gonna go beat up that fool that told me them lies! ------------------
I'll agree that Cuttino's defense is getting better. To me defense (unlike offense) is 90% desire. Sure there's an athletic component to it, especially when you're playing against a guy who's exceptionally quick. Matt Bullard's never going to be a good defender because he's too slow to stay with his man, and can also be overpowered inside. But most of the time it comes down to smart positioning and having the gumption to stick with your man (fighting through picks, etc.). As for Cat over Walt, I think we have yet to see the last of the issue. To me it doesn't matter anyway, since we know that Cat will always be in there in the 4th quarter, and WW will get his 20 to 30 minutes somewhere. ------------------ "Thirty-seven?" -Randall, Clerks www.clutchtown.com
Hopefully Walt will get his 20-30 minutes somewhere else. Walt is angry that he has moved around so much because teams only use him as a three point shooter. He is turning into Matt Bullard because he is so inconsistent offensively. I like Wiz, but he has got to go. One Bullard on the team is sometimes too much. If Langhi doesn't start getting some PT he will turn into Walt, which leads to him turning into Bull. ------------------ Kenny Thomas had a foul called on him in the Western Conference Finals.
