Carter, Artest, Yao Would have been great. Artest and Yao was enough to get us to the 2nd round and decent games against the Lakers. If Carter contributed on a positive note, regardless of how little, things could have been a bit different.
It would have made it a bit more interesting against the Lakers that's for sure. Those situations where the Rockets couldn't hit a damn thing maybe (just maybe) could have been changed if Carter was on the team.
Brooks, VC, Artest, Scola, Yao .......... Battier, Landry, Lowry, Wafer, Deke, Hayes from the bench.... Damn it TMAC
The Mouthpiece also stated multiple times in his chats prior to the RonRon trade that "Coach Adelman does not want to coach Artest again"
How many people here view that move as a blessing in disguise? Would you rather have T-Mac's expiring deal now or Vince Carter on last year's team with Artest and no Yao? Then, with Carter on this year's team, maybe Brooks and Landry wouldn't have developed into the players they are now. At least not as fast as they have leading the team by themselves this season... In hindsight, I for one am glad that deal actually didn't go through...
While this is very true (and I'm glad that Landry and everyone is getting an opportunity to shine), it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth knowing that a player most of us had supported through good times and bad times had put his own selfish wants ahead of his team which, unfortunately, turned out to be the worst move he could have made. Instead of getting heavy minutes in Jersey (minutes are still minutes people! :grin: ) and actually have an opportunity to play his way into a contract somewhere, he ****ed not only the Rockets over but also himself. "It's on me" That's right, Tracy, it's all on you.
How does this confirm anything? I'll be the first to say that from what I know, I'm very much against anything that's McGrady right now. I think that THIS year, he's done nothing but put the Rockets in a bad light and that I'm sure he's still complaining about pains with his knees (up to you whether you believe me or not on this), yet make a big deal out of not getting playing time. However, this article claims that he's "heard" from a source about blocking the trade. For all we know, he read something here and wrote that article to make for some good reading. I'm sure that he's hurt last year. Other than the ridiculousness that a person would go through a career threatening surgery just to avoid being traded is stupid to say the least. I also have to believe that he's had more than surgery on his knees. I think the timing was convenient for him to avoid the trade, but I believe that at least one of his surgeries was legit. On that note, PLEASE find a way to trade him. At least keep our salary cap at a place where we can continue to trade and keep the contracts.
I just came back from a friend's birthday party, so I'd like to prevent this post from becoming a drunken tirade. Still, considering all we know, and with the rumors we hear that are likely true, all that McGrady has given us in the last 1.5 years is a separation between those of us who are Rockets fans, and those of us riding his jock. Not...much...else. Tracy, I think it's safe to say it'll be a happy day in Clutch City the day you are gone as long as we don't have to endure Eddy "touch it" Curry's contract in exchange for your departure.
But Leeb told me that I was wrong... that no trade was in place for Carter... that it wasn't true.... Well... I know what I am talking about...
For all intensive purposes, while the fact that Vince Carter didn't become a Rocket subjected the Rockets to additional diversity during last season, given Vince's current performance, it may very well be a blessing in the skys.
I would much rather have the championship that we would have won after we beat the Lakers and the rest of the league with an additional star in the lineup.
That is the irony of the situation isn't it... I just can't believe this is all ending this way, when I heard we traded for T-Mac back in 2004, it felt like I won the lottery... I even donated to the Clutchfans Tipjar because this site gave me the breaking news... :grin: I expected to win at least a couple rings, and now this soap opera... what a shame.
Jonathan Feigen is a spine-less little rat, always afraid to write something that may upset his pay masters. He is an "embedded writer" writes whatever Rockets organization want him to write. Oh, and he works for Chronocle.
While we're speculating on things we have absolutely no direct knowledge of, perhaps someone would like to speculate--if this report is not true--why T-Mac made the strange move of announcing surgery on his website instead of through the team. It just slipped his mind that "shutting it down" was actually team business?
I doubt we would have matched up well against Dwight Howard without Yao and Deke in the Finals unfortunately. The WCF vs. Denver seems winnable, but we would have still had to beat the Lakers in LA in that Game 7 first, no small task there either...
