http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/4366104.html By JOHN P. LOPEZ Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Complete Rockets coverage Jeff Van Gundy was sitting in his office early Tuesday evening, shaking his head and smirking in disbelief about what Tracy McGrady once was. More specifically, what McGrady once was thought to be, back in the days of Orlando, perceived pouting and alleged selfishness. "That whole, 'Me-Mac' thing," Van Gundy said before the Rockets beat Minnesota 82-75. "They all want to believe 'Me-Mac' because that's a better story. People want to believe the negatives. "But I never believed this guy, he won't pass. We have a lot of limited offensive players. They need the table set for them. When a guy sets the table for you, it makes everyone better. McGrady is that." Team-Mac. This was McGrady's worst game of the year. And his best. This was McGrady hearing calls from the front rows behind the Rockets' bench for him to "dunk it," to "take over" and, once from a raucous fan seemingly angry at McGrady, to "do what you do in the commercials." The hard sell This was not a commercial. But it should have sold everyone in the building. On an off statistical night, when his shot wasn't falling, his side ached from a brutal collision with Minnesota's Mike James, and the Rockets again seemed intent on losing, McGrady affected the game as much as anyone. Shane Battier was the shooting hero down the stretch, knocking down five 3-pointers for the night. Yao Ming was consistent and fluid, showcasing the ever-increasing assortment of moves and shots in his game. The Rockets protected the ball down the stretch, committing just 11 turnovers for the game. But the Rockets pieced together another nice win, overcame the Wolves and often themselves, and should command your attention at 10-4 for the season because there was Team-Mac. McGrady finished with a season-low eight points on 4-of-14 shooting, playing just 12 minutes in the first half after James elbowed him in the lower abdomen. "Every time I tried to get some lift, I felt some pain," McGrady said. "It was tough to fight through. I thought it would get better as the game progressed, but actually, it got worse." If you thought this season's Rockets were constructed differently, better-suited to withstand McGrady's not being on the court, it became clear after his injury that would be the wrong assumption. Missing more than points When McGrady was forced to the locker room shortly before the half Tuesday and looked sluggish and slow early in the third quarter, it was clear the Rockets miss his presence for other reasons. The Team-Mac reasons. For long stretches with McGrady either on the bench or affected by the injury, the Timberwolves sandwiched Yao down low, forcing awkward shots. No McGrady? No threat. The Wolves packed themselves into a zone and forced the Rockets to find and make a shot. The offense went stagnant, and the Timberwolves charged back. It was then when McGrady picked up the pace and took over. He knocked down a long jumper after the Timberwolves hit their third 3-pointer in a row, pulling the Rockets' edge back to 64-58. McGrady hit Yao with a terrific skip pass from deep behind the arc for an easy hook. And after Minnesota charged again to tie the game, the final three minutes became a showcase for McGrady's most effective ineffective game of the year. Battier knocked down back-to-back 3s as McGrady drove the lane and swung the ball outside. Rafer Alston stood in one corner behind the arc, and McGrady drove toward the opposite corner, lifting high as if to shoot and firing a perfect pass, which Alston converted into the clinching 3-pointer. "There ain't too many people who can make that pass," Van Gundy said. "It's really ridiculous, when you think about it, how one man can be so gifted." There was a time when all the basketball world believed all McGrady wanted to do was show off all his gifts, win scoring titles, make commercials. Be Me-Mac. Norman Vincent Van Gundy McGrady could laugh through the pain about it Tuesday night. Van Gundy could feel good about how this team is playing and where it is going, even comparing himself to power-of-positive-thinking philosopher Norman Vincent Peale. The coach recalled how McGrady came to him after last season, all but making demands about how he wanted the Rockets' offense to change. Gimme the ball? I need more shots? What about me? It was none of the above. McGrady asked Van Gundy to try to find more shooters and perimeter scorers so he could break down defenses easier and find them. "He made the point, 'Well, the lane's congested,' " Van Gundy said. "Not many people are blessed with his basketball IQ. He's smart. He understands." It's getting a lot easier for the rest of us to recognize Team-Mac more now, too.
nice read haha i still hope tmac begins to take over more offensivly, we are really going to need it from him later on in the season and especially teh playoffs
We're winning so im not complaining at all and i feel that later on during the season and in the playoffs he will be more assertive as far as scoring so i am not worried about that, everything is looking good to me so far as long as the team keeps improving collectively
