Foggy memories of the T-Mac/Yao era. Couple of questions...

Your memory isn't that far off.

I went to that 06/07 game 7.

In the last minute, down by 2, Okur missed a 3, Harpring rebounded, Okur missed another 3, Boozer rebounded, Rafer had to foul with 19 seconds left.
30 seconds before that Okur missed a 3, Boozer rebounded, Okur made a 3... the Rockets were only down by 1 before that.

Meanwhile, Yao scored 7 from 4 minutes left to 1 minute left, but also turned the ball over once. Indeed he couldn't grab the rebounds, but at that point his rebounding strengths and weaknesses were known. Great at boxing out. Gobbled up rebounds near him. Not athletic enough to rebound and get em.

McGrady went scoreless from 6 minutes left until a layup with 9 seconds left in the game when they were down 4. Though he did have an assist in there.

They were mainly failed by their defense and defensive rebounding. The Jazz had 83 points with 6 minutes to go and finished with 103.

The Jazz hit the Rockets where they were weakest. Yao only had 6 rebounds that game. But their starting PF, Chuck Hayes, had 2. Everyone loved the Chuckwagon. But he really wasn't that good. Boozer dominated that game. And Okur pulled Yao away from the basket.

It wasn't a bad TMac game... but by that point, especially since TMac wasn't exactly driving a ton down the stretch and also couldn't hit a 3, and hadn't made it out of the first round, people started getting a bit tired of it.

At the end of the day, the Jazz had a much better roster. Deron Williams, Boozer, AK47, Okur

 

Chuckwagon was good but only for 1 game or 2.

He should not have been a starter or a major bench player IMO just insurance.

The lack of height is just too much. I am grateful for the summary.

 

Yep. Great 10th guy off the bench. Somehow he started 244 games, including all 82 games one year.

Random.. but I think Yao would "struggle" in today's NBA.

The best comp I can think of is Jokic, except Jokic is "way" more athletic laterally from a defensive perspective. I guess Gobert, but even Gobert is much quicker in terms of lateral speed in the lane. And even then, we all know Gobert struggles mightily against the Warriors and struggled against the Rockets.

Sure, offensively, Yao would have developed a solid three in today's NBA and be a great passing big, ala Jokic. But I wonder how much time he would get on the court because he'd struggle so much more defensively in today's NBA. Against the Jazz, Okur brought him out. Boozer was too quick for him.

Imagine him getting switched onto Curry, KD, Lebron, Kyrie, Harden, etc. Sure, these are all-nba type players, but almost every team has a player like this, and ballhandlers with speed. Meanwhile increasingly centers and power forward pull the bigs out.

Why Capela excels and is so important to the Rockets is because he became VERY good, for a big, at guarding today's ultra quick, ultra good 3 point shooting guards and wings.

 

T-Mac had very little help, and by the time he finally got some, his body was done

I wish things had turned out differently...now he’s just a salty fool on the Jump...sad

 

Facts. Tmac took accountability, never disrespected the franchise or players and when he was done we turned our backs against him.
Wouldnt be surprised if this happens to Harden.

 

That team was a Game 6 Yao injury vs the Lakers from winning it all.

Tracy was a GREAT player pre injury ...But had a difficult time coming back physically from the back...Toss in the knee..It predictably ruined his J..

And...he just couldn't handle the mental side/reality of it all.

It became Chinese water torture for ALL.

 

Dude this is all T-mac's fault . He got a max salary and he didn't work hard.

Harden was talking about working out to keep his stamina. Kobe was relentless in keeping shape.

T-mac was lazy. He relied on his talent but didn't realize father time can take that away fast.

 

T-Mac is like a rich man's Wiggins. His main problem was leadership; never was a leader, never wanted to be a leader, and never even tried to be a leader. Yes, he wanted to be the man and treated like the man, just have none of the responsibilities of a man. Harden wasn't a leader when he first got here. He's taken steps each year to become a better leader, because that was what his team needed him to be. Substitute T-Mac with Harden and there is no way we never make it past the 1st round IMO.

 

I watched that game from Venice, Italy, over a dial-up connection. Cost me over $100 for 3 hours worth of Internet. I hated myself and the Rockets for days afterward.

 

Plus there was that whole Budweiser/Heineken debacle.

 

BSPN will continue praising Mac for being 'Hella Famous in China'.

 

What I don't get is Tmac fans here NOT BLAMING Tmac for ANYTHING

while TMAC says "ITS ON ME"

The most famous TMAC QUOTE OF ALL TIME

"IF WE DON'T GET PAST THE FIRST ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS..

ITS ON ME!"

To Clutchfan's FAVORITE ESPN person
Stephen A

@Zboy

 

JVG never figured out how to get the ball to Yao in the post consistently. That was extremely frustrated. By the time Adelman came, Yao and TMac were almost never healthy at the same time.

When Yao went down in that 2009 Lakers series, it was the final nail to the coffin of that era.

 

Yao was a dinosaur. JVG ran him into the ground trying to make him ‘show’ on PNR defense, having him sprint out to the 3pt line to try and block a guard’s jump shot lol. His body wasn’t meant for that, and we should have run more of a zone or switching defense.

But can you imagine him trying to defend the offenses of today?! It would have been an even bigger liability. The minute we drafted him we knew that our franchise was going to be capped from winning a title while he was here. It was a guaranteed cash cow for Les and Stern, and one that was completely dissociated from actual postseason success. The NBA threw us as little of a bone as we needed, and Chinese fans around the globe just lapped it up and didn’t even ask if we could have more. 1998-2012 were the true dark ages of basketball in Houston.

 

I remember that series vividly. The problem was absolutely zero contribution from the bench. The team had its matchup weaknesses, but that’s not why they lost. And T-Mac definitely wasn’t the problem either.

Just go back and look at the nonexistent production from everyone not named McGrady, Yao, Battier, and believe it or not... Alston.

 

When you think about, the Rockets have struggled to find a serviceable PF-size PF (not SF/PF hybrid) since years before Morey's tenure. It's crazy. Scola was the best one we've had in 20 years.

 

The depth on those teams is a tragicomedy. My vivid memory is the game where only 5 players SCORED. And 10 years later people still want to make quips about McGrady. Nuance is a lost art.

 

I thought it was FOUR players (not five player) scored in a game. That has got to set some kind of record.

 

And Scola wasn't even young, athletic or the tallest back then. 6'9 above average to average size.

He was just so skilled though.

 

Man Les should have reimbursed you for this