Mutombo to Rockets almost done

[slinslin]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1873684

Griffin, Piatkowski, Wilks for Mutombo.

Whew looks like their bench got even thinner.

 

[Freddie]

Yea, well I have news for you.

Dikembe Mutombo is lke 45 and he sucks.

 

[Yuma]

This is one of the worst trades I have seen this year. Piatkowski by himself is worth more than Mutumbo! Shooting is at a premium right now in the NBA, and Piatkowski can hit a 3 from the bench with his warm ups on! Dikembe needs a walker to report to the scorer's table! Geez! This had to be a salary cap deal, right?

 

[Joe Mama]

Oh, you guys couldn't be more wrong. Sure Mutombo isn't anywhere as good as he once was, but 7-2 shot blocking, rebounding centers are at much more of a premium than shooters. Even at 100 years old or whatever his age is Mutombo is a better backup center (20 minutes or so) than anyone else in the NBA has.

BTW, Piatowski is the only loss here for the Houston Rockets. Losing those other guys hardly weakens their bench.

Unfortunately, this is a very good move for the Houston Rockets.

Joe Mama

 

[Freddie]

Oh, you guys couldn't be more wrong. Sure Mutombo isn't anywhere as good as he once was, but 7-2 shot blocking, rebounding centers are at much more of a premium than shooters. Even at 100 years old or whatever his age is Mutombo is a better backup center (20 minutes or so) than anyone else in the NBA has.

BTW, Piatowski is the only loss here for the Houston Rockets. Losing those other guys hardly weakens their bench.

Unfortunately, this is a very good move for the Houston Rockets.

Joe Mama

Hmm. If he were that valuable, you'd think that more teams would be after him. He may able to do all the things you listed, Joe, but he also clogs the lane and can't play with a run-n-gun team. He'd be an excellent fit for the Pistons and possibly the Pacers.

 

[Yuma]

Oh, you guys couldn't be more wrong. Sure Mutombo isn't anywhere as good as he once was, but 7-2 shot blocking, rebounding centers are at much more of a premium than shooters. Even at 100 years old or whatever his age is Mutombo is a better backup center (20 minutes or so) than anyone else in the NBA has.

BTW, Piatowski is the only loss here for the Houston Rockets. Losing those other guys hardly weakens their bench.

Unfortunately, this is a very good move for the Houston Rockets.

Joe Mama

Well, why didn't the teams that had him the last three seasons let him get off the bench? If you have such a good 7 foot center, why not play him? Especially in the playoffs, where his teams refused to give him minutes? Personally, I have liked the Houston moves this offseason, but this one puzzles me.

 

[PetryJr]

Hmm. If he were that valuable, you'd think that more teams would be after him. He may able to do all the things you listed, Joe, but he also clogs the lane and can't play with a run-n-gun team. He'd be an excellent fit for the Pistons and possibly the Pacers.

Well, Houston plays the same type of game the Pistons and the Pacers do, so he should be an excellent fit there too.

Wilks wouldn't get any playing time anyway, Griffin didn't work in Houston, and Piatkowski became expendable with the Sura signing. I think that's a good trade for both teams.

 

[SweetD]

I am all for this trade Houstan doesn't have a bench and if they keep trading more of their bench away they will not be able to stay on top of the West. The key to the Rockets is going to be Yao if he does better that his first two years they can go far.

 

[Freddie]

Well, Houston plays the same type of game the Pistons and the Pacers do, so he should be an excellent fit there too.

Wilks wouldn't get any playing time anyway, Griffin didn't work in Houston, and Piatkowski became expendable with the Sura signing. I think that's a good trade for both teams.

I disagree. Yao is able to play in the high post and he has the ability to hit a jumper--Mutombo doesn't have these skills. He would clog the lane and prevent Mcgrady from having an open lane to the hoop.

 

[elindholm]

He would clog the lane and prevent Mcgrady from having an open lane to the hoop.

Mutombo can be effective even if he never crosses the half-court line. His value is on defense. If Houston commits to a running game and to taking advantage of McGrady's individual skills, they can easily afford to play 4-on-5 on the offensive end some of the time.

 

[SweetD]

He would clog the lane and prevent Mcgrady from having an open lane to the hoop.

Mutombo can be effective even if he never crosses the half-court line. His value is on defense. If Houston commits to a running game and to taking advantage of McGrady's individual skills, they can easily afford to play 4-on-5 on the offensive end some of the time.

True but the problem is Mutombo want to be part of the offense when he is in. Just like in NY he was not happy because they would not give him the ball. Again I am all for Mutombo going to Houstan.

 

[slinslin]

New Jersey thought the same.

New York probably as well.

 

[George O'Brien]

One set of guys who won't play for another guy who won't play. Yawn.

 

[SweetD]

One set of guys who won't play for another guy who won't play. Yawn.

True but Mutombo would be more of a cancer than the others.

 

[F-Dog]

Wilks was the Rockets' second-best PG last season. They probably won't miss either of the other guys, though.


Mutombo's teams have a pattern of going away from him; I think the distaste is mainly aesthetic, since he makes the game ugly on both ends. The Rockets might not have any choice but to use him, though.

He'll probably be out there trying to hold the fort for most of the 12-15 minutes that Yao is on the bench every game.

 

[Lars the Red]

I agree, Pike is a solid three shooter and will hustle. He will likely give more minutes and points that Mutumbo too. But have any of you ever met Deke up close? His simply huge. I'm big, not huge, but big, and that guy made me feel like a dwarf. He's not just 7'2". He's 7'2" with freaky long arms, huge, square shoulders, damn big mitts, and a basically pissy attitude. I'm 6'8" 270ish and he kind of freaked me.

He may not be a great pick up, but he'll play hard (because he's always in shape) and you won't come in the lane without a challenge.

 

[Joe Mama]

I'm sorry, but I really can't believe some of what I'm reading here. Would somebody please name one backup center in the NBA who is better than Mutombo? Who cares how many points Mutombo is scoring? He's not there to score points. He's in Houston to play defense and rebound for 15-20 minutes per game. Mutombo's game has never been about scoring. Besides, even with a cane in one hand he is every bit as good offensively as say our own Jake Voskuhl.

BTW last season your beloved Eric Piatowski scored 4.1 points per game shooting an amazing 37% from the field (35% from three-point land). He played 14.3 minutes per game to Mutombo's 20 minutes per game. Yes, I'll bet Jeff Van Gundy and the rest of the Houston Rockets are weeping his loss.

Philadelphia and New Jersey got rid of Mutombo because he was making a fortune with them. He's a good backup center and would be a good starter for many of the teams in the NBA, but he isn't worth $16 million per season. I don't really have to explain why Isaiah Thomas got rid of him. Isaiah Thomas is a fool. Let's not forget that he got rid of Mutombo in an effort to severely overpay Jamaal Crawford who makes little to no sense in New York. That was just another in a long line of ******** moves on his part.

Joe Mama

 

[slinslin]

Right now give me Greg Ostertag over Mutombo...

 

[George O'Brien]

Right now give me Greg Ostertag over Mutombo...

Dikembe Mutombo
New York Knicks
Position: C
Height: 7-2 Weight: 265
College: Georgetown '91
Player file | Team stats

2003-04 Statistics
PPG 5.6
RPG 6.7
APG .4
SPG .26
BPG 1.89
FG% .478
FT% .681
3P% .000
MPG 23.0

Greg Ostertag
Utah Jazz
Position: C
Height: 7-2 Weight: 280
College: Kansas '95
Player file | Team stats

2003-04 Statistics
PPG 6.8
RPG 7.4
APG 1.6
SPG .38
BPG 1.78
FG% .476
FT% .579
3P% .000
MPG 27.6

It is hard to tell from the stats. Ostertag has never been especially mobile and Mutombo has lot a lot of mobility issues.

 

[Joe Mama]

OK slin. I would probably also rather have Ostertag, but it isn't a huge advantage for Sacramento. He is also about the only one I can come up with who might be better than Mutombo. There are some young players who might be better in the future, but I can think of any backups better than him for 15-20 minutes per game next season.

Joe Mama