I got to thinking about the Rockets and the Lakers and why the Lakers are a more cohesive unit, and I started to compare the two best big men of both teams and they are very similar in my opinion. Pau Gasol is a talented but finesse player for the Lakers. He's an All-Star player, but he is clearly the 2nd best player behind Kobe. Yao Ming is also a talented but finesse player for the Rockets. You don't hear Yao and physical in the same sentence. To me, Yao is a bigger version of Gasol, an All-Star player, but IMO not a player that can be the centerpiece of a championship team. Since that is my opinion about Yao, then I think McGrady should be the go-to-guy on the Rockets. The problem here is, unlike Kobe, I don't think T-Mac wants the pressure of an opportunity like this to carry the Rockets team to the next level. That's the way he is acting anyway. Can you imagine Kobe playing with Yao Ming? It would work because Kobe would clearly establish that he is the centerpiece of the team. McGrady has the talent to do the same, but he doesn't. He gives up. If shot attempts are the issue now for T-Mac, then he needs to regain control of the Rockets and play like he wants to be the No. 1 option. That means you show up to work every game, play through pain, and stop whining to the press.
Yao IS the centerpiece of the Rockets You can compare Yao and Gasol, but Yao is more skilled than Gasol. You don't see teams doubling Gasol every time he touches the ball. But when Yao is even about to receive the entry pass, people swarm to him. Artest and Lebron have the same body type, and close to the same height. But why do people double LeBron and try to contain him as much as possible? Comparing Yao to Gasol is like compariing James to Artest. You can make some similar points, but at the end of the day, James is better. Yao is better. No one is arguing that Kobe on this team would be better than Tracy on this team.
yeah i agree, yao wont be the go to guy on a team. he's still a very good center and much better than Gasol. he is a complimentary superstar. tmac can't be the go to guy right now. people have a similar sentiment about mac and i wont bring that up again. there are only a few guys with a killer instinct out there...roy, wade, bryant, williams, etc. these are guys we need to find a way to sign in 2010 after we let mcgrady go.
Yao is the center piece do to pocket change for both Grady and les and imo this is why Les has a bad ear !!
I really do believe he is doing this on purpose just to get Rick Adelman fired. Hopefully, like DD said, they can work things out and both be on the same track. But McGrady still has the ability to be the #1 option (a la playoffs), but hes CLEARLY frustrated with something that Adelman is doing.
I agree. unfortunately he doesn't have the desire or "want-to" to say, "This team is going to run through me." The Rockets have Batman and Robin, but they don't know who is Batman and who is Robin. The Lakers know who is Batman and who is Robin, if this makes any sense.
Adelman has nothing to do with it. If Grady is complaining about shots then it's his lack of leadership to "demand" the ball for more shots. Adelamn just lets the players play it's up to the player who wants to play is my point.
I pray that Adelman and Tmac will kiss and make up. If not, we need to get rid of Adelman yesterday. There is only one Tmac and he is our only bonafide superstar. We've all seen how Yao is helpless without an effective Tmac. We've witnessed how a Tmac-less Rocket team struggled against lottery-bound teams. I mean a 20+ points loss to a crappy team like Raptors shows you how important Tmac is.
He is, until the 4th quarter when, most of the time, his jump hooks and turnarounds come up short. Yao needs to do a better job of making shots in the final minutes of games. This should be a concern.
I really agree with this. I think sometimes when a guy is the best player on your team or the best shooter people tend to inflate his worth. Yao is a great #2 guy, Ron is a great #3 guy...we're missing something here. I wouldn't pick this Tracy Mcgrady to be a #15 guy but if he could ever get "healthy", he WANTS to be the #2 guy. If we want to be a great team we have to hope Mcgrady leads us in the playoffs because i think when Yao tries his best he is still incapable of doing so many things.
I think deep inside we all know that Rockets will go as far as Tmac can carry them. There is no Batman-Robin scenario in Houston. Even Yao knows that.
A big man can not be a go to guy. But a big man is always a centerpiece. Kobe can not win champs without O'neal until Gasol come. Dream can not win champs without Draxler. But most champion team have a good big guy like SA, Boston. Chicago is an exception, MJ is god.
Wasn't McGrady the one who said before the season started that this team will go as far as he takes them???
I think T-Mac needs to go to Adelman and say, "This is MY Team!" This would be music to Adelman's ears. Yao Ming is a gentle giant, and wouldn't have a problem being No.2 C'Mon Tracy! Take back control of this team. The Rockets need a Batman.
