# Is Mutombo done?



## kisstherim (Jul 15, 2004)

Right now, Deke seems very ineffective in backing up Yao at C. When TMAC was out, no Yao=no offense. Last season, Deke could at least make some dunks/easy layups/FTs and was always awesome on defense. But now he looks kinda out of shape and is no better than Bowen offensively, he is also allowing more easy baskets and picking fouls much quicker.


Will he pick it up late in this season like he did last season or it's just his age is showing and he's almost done?


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

I don't think so. He's still doing a pretty good job on the defensive boards. He hasn't reallyhad many opportunities to shine.


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## jdiggidy (Jun 21, 2003)

I'd consider packaging Deke into a trade for a SF or PG.


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

He's no longer the best backup center in the league, but he's still significantly above average.


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## Pasha The Great (Apr 9, 2005)

Uh hes not out there to score, hes out there to block shots and get rebounds and hes still doing a great job at that.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

jdiggidy said:


> I'd consider packaging Deke into a trade for a SF or PG.


Trading Deke would be the wrongest thing to do


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## Rocket (Oct 26, 2005)

I wouldnt tolerate trading Deke just because of the circumstances but I do feel he has regressed in his backup role...I think he should be seeing 10-12 minutes per, and for Swift to play the other minutes at backup center...the game now salutes the younger, more athletic centers instead of the old brutes that Deke used to embarrass nightly...


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## debarge (Nov 13, 2005)

Billy The Kid said:


> I wouldnt tolerate trading Deke just because of the circumstances but I do feel he has regressed in his backup role...I think he should be seeing 10-12 minutes per, and for Swift to play the other minutes at backup center...the game now salutes the younger, more athletic centers instead of the old brutes that Deke used to embarrass nightly...


As much as I do not like the turn the NBA has taken towards true big men like Yao Dke and Z, most teams are going with quicker more atheltic centers and power fowards. But I blame David Stern and his referees, they penalize big men for being bigger or slower. A foul is a foul, a block is a block no matter whose the player. 
Right now Dke has lost a step which is understanable, he's over 40. If he could only play like the 10 minutes at the end of quarters that would be enough. We actually need a real back up center, as we see Stro is nobody's big man at all. I really think if Jeff could play 'Spoon' all last year, he could be playing Lonny Baxter. But I don't think Dke needs to be traded at all. He's a leader, you shouldn't trade your leaders. Alot of this is the GM's fault the problems we have with so many old players.


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## Mavericks_Fan (Apr 19, 2005)

Yao Mania said:


> Trading Deke would be the wrongest thing to do


Trading Deke would be the right thing to do. Houston is old, man, old. The Rockets have no shot at a championship this year (I am not trying to insult, just saying, so don't take it personally) and Deke is at the end of his usable basketball lifespan. If you have the opportunity to trade him off for promising youth then you have to do it and build towards the future runs next year and thereafter.


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## CrackerJack (Jul 2, 2005)

Mavericks_Fan said:


> Trading Deke would be the right thing to do. Houston is old, man, old. The Rockets have no shot at a championship this year (I am not trying to insult, just saying, so don't take it personally) and *Deke is at the end of his usable basketball lifespan*. If you have the opportunity to trade him off for promising youth then you have to do it and build towards the future runs next year and thereafter.


so who would take him? who would want to have a grandfather for a baby?


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## jdiggidy (Jun 21, 2003)

Well I would certainly like to trade others on the team for something of substance in return but, we really don't have anyone that would warrant a decent player. Deke is just about the only guy that could spark any interest.

At 3 and 12 would we really miss Deke at this point? Before everyone responds, the answer is "YES" but, that would be in the playoffs. HAVE TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS BEFORE WE CAN WORRY ABOUT DEPTH AT CENTER.


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## Mavericks_Fan (Apr 19, 2005)

CrackerJack said:


> so who would take him? who would want to have a grandfather for a baby?


Probably nobody, which is why I said "If you have the opportunity to trade him off for promising youth"

But the point is that at this point I say if you have any opportunities to shake up the roster and get someone with potential you have to think long and hard about it. Maybe something could be worked out for someone with Deke's expiring contract? (This is the last year of his deal, right?)

And again, don't take this personally, but this is why so many of us said before the season started that the analysts putting Houston on top were full of crap. You've got Wesley (older than crap), Barry (older than crap), Deke (older than crap), Sura (older than crap and injured), then give up Mike James who was a guy proven to be able to light it up on any given night when others aren't scoring (which you could really use right now) and add Anderson (older than crap and always injured), Alston (head case and offers nothing to help the bad perimeter defense), and Swift (the guy is just flat out stupid, period). It was a recipe for disaster from the very beginning. And just sitting on all these guys saying "oh we can't get rid of them" isn't gonna solve anything because they aren't going to get any better between now and next year...only older.

And sorry, I don't mean to sound harsh, but I'm really disappointed in what this organization is putting around their two all-stars.


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## darknezx (Apr 13, 2004)

I think trading him is wrong, he's a locker room leader, and you don't get rid of your leaders when times are hard. Doing so only shows that you're desperate, and in panic mode.


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## TracywtFacy (Mar 29, 2005)

He's an old man... he's just pacing himself for a long season. He wants to have something left int he tank when it comes playoff time (if we get there)


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## Demiloy (Nov 4, 2005)

> He's an old man... he's just pacing himself for a long season. He wants to have something left int he tank when it comes playoff time (if we get there)


That sounds like Shaq.
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## darknezx (Apr 13, 2004)

Demiloy said:


> That sounds like Shaq.
> <!-- / message -->


 Except Shaq is not 80 years old.


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