IIRC Tmac has the biggest jump in PPG all time from regular season to the playoffs. Some of his Orlando teams were just atrocious, and the two man front with barely him and Yao taking on the Jazz, with probably the worst opposing frontcourt for Yao in a bonafide 3pt shooter and Boozer who could take him out to no mans land didn't help either. I won't forget what Tmac did. My first NBA playoff experience ever on a sunday morning was him with his bung shoulder/knee going Yaoless against the Jazz, he did everything he could, sometimes it just doesn't work out. he handled himself very poorly on his way out, but I've no doubt he still had that superstars mindset in a rapidly declining body. It is what it is, is only sport.
People forget the sacrifices he did make. How hard he did work and the effort he put forward - he wanted to win badly, and he played many many games in pain. His exit was not graceful, but I think it's sad that many can only hold onto his failures and forget what T-mac and Yao almost brought us despite having a very mediocre cast of characters to help them.
So tmac had bad teams his entire career? Cause it just wasn't Houston that he failed leading to any playoff success. So Yao Ming was trash right? So was Vince carter? Tmac fans are the funniest people, they can't see the obvious .
Dude get out of here he leads all guards in contact/fouls what's this be more "aggressive" you speak off. Your a troll get out this is stupid you clearly just look at this with blind eyes. In not taking shots a McGrady he was a great player 2nd best at one time. But he also was not a winner and his career was shorter because of injuries. Carmelo Anthony is a stud and has way more accomplishments in the playoffs and look at his reputation? Bad. Now you wonder why tmac gets flack he didn't do anything but put up numbers on under performing teams. for whatever reason it's the truth and it will be the reason he doesn't get in the HOF. IMO. Harden scores with the best off them your nitpicking about jumping higher or whatever that means. Does KD jump high on shots? How about dirk or Paul pierce? Nuff said get ur facts straight
"Alex, I would like "Something Stinks" for $1000." - McGrady fan "McGrady had bad teammates his entire career"- Alex "True" - McGrady fan "Please rephrrase as a question" -Alex "What is True?" - McGrady fan "Sorry, the correct response is "Why was the midget Derek Fisher able to guard McGrady one on one?". - Alex
Since I respect you as a Rockets fan and a poster, I will reply seriously to this one. I honestly don't remember any "sacrifice" that T-Mac ever made. It was always about him. Let's talk about how hard he worked first. We must have been watching T-Mac's from different universes. I NEVER got the impression of hard worker from T-Mac, just a player coasting with his talents and gifts. In fact, accusations of lazy work ethic has plagued T-Mac for every team he franchised for or contributed majorly towards. What was this hard work and effort you speak of? He wanted to win badly? EVERYONE WANTS TO WIN BADLY. The fact is, he did not win and when playing at his best doesn't win, he simply needs to play even better. That's what all the greats did. They do whatever is necessary to make their team wins. T-Mac has never won in the sense that he never made it out of the first round on any team he was leading. That is not a team issue anymore, that is a T-Mac issue. He played games in pain. There is some truth in this, but not in the way T-Mac fans are remembering. He tried playing in pain because that's what he needed to do in order to properly recover. Multiple doctors told him this. They also advised against cortisone shots that he insisted on. Then he went and looked for a doctor that would recommend surgery as a first option. That's is not playing with pain IMO. That is running away from pain. Finally we reach "sacrifice." I am sorry, but this one truly makes me laugh. What sacrifice has T-Mac ever made? Sacrifice was Ron Ron putting himself back into the game lineup because T-Mac took himself out at the last second, even though Ron Ron's ankles were swollen bigger than most hip hop music video female dancers' rear ends. Sacrifice is Yao re-injuring himself and coming back in. What did T-Mac sacrifice? Sacrifice would have been attempting to be a leader instead of just completely blowing it up. Sacrifice would have been playing through pain. Sacrifice would have been offering to take less money to get better teammates. T-Mac was brilliant in terms of talent and gifts. He was also lazy, selfish, soft, and the ultimate diva. It was always about him and when he couldn't walk the walk anymore, the management and coaching and fans grew tired of his antics. Did you ever wonder why he was booed in Toronto, Orlando, AND Houston? This was a trend, not a coincidence.
If you restrict it to their play as a Rocket, then the answer is James Harden. As a side note, can you imagine what would be going on here if Harden had Tmac's 35% usage?
Harden is a better scorer than T-Mac but T-Mac is better at every single other aspect (defense, playmaking, rebounding, blocks, etc.)
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/2005.html this is the 2004-2005 houston rockets team. http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1995.html and its the championship team. http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/2014.html the current team. i know t-mac isnt known for his leadership or reliability but you should give him a brake. I remember that bob sura-david wesley-juwan howard era and it still annoys me that those scrubs were starters in a playoff caliber team. now you cant even find a starter less than top 30 in their position. parsons jones and beverley are arguably between 10-20. And we also have 2 starting caliber bench players in Asik and Lin. The 1995 team was the championship team and they had valuable parts. I was young back then (and im not american) i couldnt actually watch games but as highlights indicates they were good. The point is, 2005 team (and T-mac) did everything they could and took the first round series to game 7, but they lost it. They were a lesser team and they lost, nobody to blame.
The Rockets are a SINGLE team. When the same player has the same problem on multiple teams that he was supposed to lead, there is a problem. That is no longer a team issue, but a trend. Again, it wasn't just the Rockets, but every team he was a franchise player for.
Also, when T-Mac leaves a team where he was a star, they immediately find post season successes to some degree. I wonder why that is?
T-Mac had a height advantage which allowed him to make straight line passes far easier than Harden, but Harden is a creative passer. Overall I would say they are quite comparable, and Harden certainly has room to become even better than he is now in terms of playmaking.
What are you talking about. Every team which he supposedly lead was filled with scrubs, except for Yao who was injured a lot of the time. Judging players according to what they've won is a very slippery slope, there are just too many factors you have to take into consideration. If you replace prime TMac with Harden on this team, he would have gotten out of the first round easily. Do it the other way around and that team is still a first round exit.
Again, you can use that excuse only so many times, not for every team you are the star for. I also recall Iverson taking a comparable team all the way to the finals. You can use ****ty teammates for an excuse one or two times, but to honestly use it for every team T-Mac plays for is laughable at best. At that point, you have to wonder, how does that keep happening to him? This goes far beyond simply having bad luck.
after mcgrady left in 2003, Orlando Magic couldnt made it to the playoffs until the 8th seed in 2007. 2008 was the last year mcgrady play as a rockets (over 40 games) and left in 2010. We made it to the playoffs (last seed again) in 2013 what do you refer as post season sucssess? Draft or training camps?
He's comparable to T-mac. He'll be accounted better before he's done. Drexler is the reigning King until another 2 guard helps brings a ring.
