We waited for 4 years to see Fresh-and-Healthy-and-the-Winner Tmac and Yao already. Why don't we just wait 2 weeks more just stop bashing and keeping faith? Rockets office gave tmac a last chance. and we the fans, let's just wait and see.
If you turn him into a cancer, then he becomes one. We're stuck with T-mac for at least this year. Have to try to make him get his head cleared up enough that he can play with the team and contribute. I mean, what's the point is saying he is a big cancerous problem except to lower his trade value dude? We're stuck with T-mac...and right now you have to just be optimistic and hope he gets his head together and people accept him as a "Manny just being Manny" type of player who performs in the playoffs. I seriously doubt he will be resigned, and doubt Morey will move him for scraps because that's what teams will offer us for this t-mac. Nothing much.
Recap of Peter on 1560....... Peter: At his core, Tmac is a good guy but: Is not a hard worker, is a milingerer, and is not a leader. 1560 asks: if Orlando should have won in the playoffs with Tmac? "When Tmac came to Orlando it was a learning curve, he said people don't change, and that when the Rockets got him he anticipated all the same things would happen with Tmac, and that when Orlando got him Chuck Daly wanted to trade Darrell Armstrong so that Trady could be a leader. But they made a mistake, because Tracy is not a leader, he is more like Pippen....a great player but he needs someone else to lead... In Orlando they traded away their leader, and Tmac was not a leader....says look at Jordan, they didn't have a lot of talent either but his will carried them through...great players who are great leaders with a great will to win, will win. Tracy does not have that will, he is not a leader. Radio station says at time of article looked like sour grapes, but looks like you were right on....now they say his teamates don't respect him or like him anymore - what does this have to do with Tmac coming into the league at 18 and never actually having to mature, how much does that have to do with it...is he still the 18 year old that never grew up. Peter - Yes, that is exactly right, and the other variable is that Tmac grew up without a father, and needed a father figure to show him how to be a man....guys like that have issues...Tmac, Francis, Hardaway....have never learned how to be a man because they never had a father figure. Tiger woods as an example.....says this is something for psychologists to address but from his perspective, athletes that never had a father figure have a hard time maturing into men.....and you can see that in TMac's comments...he says things about his teamates etc.....and you wonder "Does he not know how he is coming across"......No he actually doesn't. When you get into the NBA, the culture is one of catering to superstars etc....organizitions cater to their whims and they get used to that, and if you are an 18 year old kid getting used to that, it can cause problems. If he went to college and had a father figure like coach he could have been better.....maybe even a leader, but now is going to be 30 in May...and thinks it may never happen. 1560 - says, sit him and let him come back, it is more about how he acts and reacts and that it is causing a problem behind the scenes between the team and Tmac....everyone on the team works hard, except TMac.....Does Tmac actually have a passion for the game....he has made so much money, does Tmac love the NBA enough to get a new contract. Peters - Very valid observation - his last year with the magic, he wrote that he had back problems....if you BELIEVE he had back problems it should be a huge issue in sports...either you believe he legitimately had back problems or that he was a milingerere neither is a good scenario...if he has a bad back...bad scenario if he was lying ..bad scenario. Does he have the passion? Kobe, MJ, hardest worker on team.....when your best player is your hardest worker you have some serious leadership, talking about Tebow being that for Florida (just covered them) says Tmac is just not a hard worker and not that guy. End of interview. Tired fingers.
the author of this article pretty much compares him to penny and steve franchise that played for orlando and never had "IT" he claims that because Tracy didnt have a father figure growing up he dosent know how to act and never had to grow up
When does it become not: if "YOU" turn him into a cancer........ but rather. Tmac turned HIMSELF into a cancer? DD
and yet, despite me saying this, doc rocket saying this, dd saying this, fran saying this, and now peter saying the same things . . . there will be people on here who say that tracy just needs time to rehab his knee and all will be fine. its starting to look like the battle for tracy's legacy as a rocket, and player in general, is going to go to the "haters".
4+ years is apparently enough for his teamates to give up on him...I guess some fans are a little more patient. I side with his teamates. DD
i want to win a ring. follow your plan and dump t-mac, and there goes any hope of winning a ring. Sorry man, I'd rather deal with a spoiled superstar and have a chance of winning a ring than getting rid of a player you don't like.
There is no hate, it is just annoying that people can't see the forest through the trees. It is plainly obvious what is going on...but for some reason, people look at the talent and go..."Well, maybe one more chance".... Ok...fine...how long do you wait before you realize that you are just sliding along a slippery slope and not really going anywhere...do you waste Yao's window too? Do you waste Artest's year with us? How long? As someone that runs companies, and teams.....I have seen what prima donnas can do......give me effort guys with 80% of the talent over cancerous prima donnas every day of the week. The rest of the team wants to play together, you can see it....Boston, Atlanta, New York, The lakers..... They played hard.....look at their body language when Tmac plays....they hate the guy...you can see it.... If the team accepts him back for one more go....fine....but I can forgive....never forget...he quit.....as soon as a decent offer comes along for him....he is gone in a flash.... DD
"Orlando writers are just bitter!" - and you mean to tell me WE weren't looking to say "I told you so" in regards to Steve when he left? Pippen when he left? It's like when you break up with a girlfriend. Sure, you've got raw feelings and focus on the negativity, but you still know that person better than anyone else. Another thing - everyone forgets about how McGrady threw Horace Grant under the bus when he found out Horace had anonymously griped to SI about McGrady's crummy work habits and defense. This isn't revisionist history - McGrady put in less than full effort in Orlando and then quit on the team. We were all WELL aware of this when we made the move. I also won't pan the trade - Francis was a poor fit with Van Gundy, we weren't going to get over the hump (45 wins and missing the playoffs or getting bounced in the first round), and this move did take us a step forward. Two major points I would counter with: 1. "arguably the best player" - best player? On the Rockets? In the league? I'm pretty sure McGrady has yet to finish in the top 3 of MVP voting, has made 1st Team All NBA only twice, and there was at most a 4 year stretch where people could *argue* that McGrady was better than/as good as Kobe. He's been among the elite for a stretch of his career, but saying he's been the best player of his era would very a tough sell. 2. I think a perfect counter example to your statement would be Charles Barkley. I would venture that he stands at least as high on the list of top (power) forwards in league history as McGrady does among swingmen, if not higher. His work ethic was undeniably poor, with Jordan openly stating that he'd never win it all because he didn't put in the effort off the court and plenty of reports out of Phoenix that he habitually blew off practice. Drexler had major issues with him as a Rocket, because of his tendencies to criticize harder working players on the team (sound familiar?). Barkley - one-time MVP, 5-time 1st team All-NBA, one finals appearance and decent playoff success (though it's fair to suggest he's been on better teams). With Hardaway it wasn't only about his knee issues. He was also locker room poison. He was a big factor in Shaq leaving. He quit on his coach, turned the locker room against him, and got him fired. He earned a rep around the league. Maybe he didn't "quit" - but he wasn't getting much love by the time they shipped him off to Phoenix (to form "the greatest backcourt of all time"!)
Fixed it for you. And the evidence of playing with Tmac does not get you any closer to a ring....0-7 in first round series...3 times losing homecourt advantage. The only way he ever gets out of the first round is as a secondary player...if he can accept that role then we have something if not...buh bye ! This team without Tmac...and with Artest is good enough to do it.....especially if you trade Tmac for a decent PG. DD
Yes.....I think the team with Artest and without Tmac is better than the one that won 55 games last year....especially considering the emergence of Landry, Brooks, Wafer, and the veteran presence of Barry. I think if you trade Tmac for a decent PG like Hinrich the team gets even better..... So, yes. DD
bottom line is that basketball is a team sport. the T in T-mac does not stand for Team. it stands for Tracy. that will never change. i wish we had mike singletary to give us a nice rant about benching him. "cant win with him, cant coach with him, cant play with him"
Thanks for the interview recap, DaDakota. However, all that "father figure" stuff sounds like he's talking out of his a**. Spare us the pop psychology and stick to basketball, Mr. Kerasotis.
He said as much....it was just an observation he made...but said he would leave that to pyschologists to make the judgement. Makes sense though.... He talked about Jordan, Shaq, Kobe ...etc.....all having father figures...guess he forgot about Lebron. DD
DD Thanks for the recap. Go take some Advil for your fingers after all that typing. That Orlando dude (Peter?) is spot on. Very sharp. Especially since he confirms what I was thinking.
