well he was high 5 ing they other guys on the team. But I really have come to the point to where I vote YES on t-mac leaving. Thats just me
This is ridiculous. So T-Mac was not a cheerleader that game. Big deal. I've seen him in the past on numerous occasions where he cheers on his teammates from the bench. Whatever though. Tracy hates his teammates and wants to be iso'd.
You keep bringing up his injury lke he has torm ligaments in his knee or had some super-duper surgery to structurally repair the knee in the offiseason. Do you know what kind of surgery he had this offseason? Do you realize it was 8 months ago? Can you tell me what the term for his current injury is?
I'm a rockets fan come hell or high water. We know who is above criticism on this board and we know after a loss 10 threads are created about 1 individual. Don't believe me? Go check how many t-mac threads there are vs anyone else. I don't care who gets the credit or the blame, I just want wins and rings.
You guys are going to keep it up with the name calling and insulting Tracy until he will want nothing but out of Houston. He is hurt and when the knee stiffens up he just cannot play. Some of you will keep squealing to get rid of him and finally he will be unable to stay in Houston. Then he will go someplace and get healthy agian and kick ass. The you guys will be squealing even louder. He is hurt and some days he just cannot move welll. Encouragement works a whole lot better than ridicule.
Look the guy makes $21 million a year, and basically blew off rehab, and sat out preseason as well. The fans have every right to be dissappointed, and even mad at him for not being more professional, especially when we can see that this team has a ton of talent and has a real chance if everyone is healthy. TMac gets what he deserves, the fans will come around if they see effort, but watching him standing at the midcourt line in Toronto was beyond aggravating, if Tmac doesn't want to hear it, then all he has to do is compete and play hard. Is that asking all that much, really? DD
DD- I don't think he blew off rehab, but that's just me. I've said a few times that rehabbing you lower leg, while having a busted shoulder is different. I'm not making excuse, I'm just saying that you can't do cardio with a buster shoulder. If you can't do cardio and you need to strengthen your knee, what do you do? I always felt if shane was healthy at the start, he wouldn't have ever played the beginning of the season. Like atheletes always say, its better to not play if your hurt because you're always judged on production. Its better to sit and heal. That's why I didn't like the Barry deal either. I knew that if tracy needs to sit for injuries, he's not a guy that can play 20 mins or more.
Leeb, That is just not true, there are many types of cardio, he could have been in the pool doing the cardio, like his teamate Yao was... Do you honestly think the team did not design a rehab program that got him healthy for the season? Honestly? Battier overdid his workouts, but at least he did them. Yao did what he had to do to get back in time for the Olympics. To me, it looks like Tmac didn't do anything and hoped to get himself in shape during the season. Oh, well, lesson learned. Uh, no, that is opposite of what people want, they want him to play hard, and contribute what he can on both ends of the floor. If he is carrying a team it is doomed, he can not do it all by himself, but he seems to have a problem doing it as a member of the team instead of trying to carry it. We don't need Tmac to carry anything, we need him to play his role. DD
DD- I want to see you do cardio with your arm in a sling. You have to pump your arms for your legs to work. Now I know you're a smart guy and do think he couldve done something, but pool work to rehab a ankle vs pool work to rehab a knee with a busted shoulder is different. That why u never see people running with their arms on their side. Its all 1 motion. If you don't believe me, tie your arm up in a sling, put a brace on your knee and get in a pool.
people don't consider that. to do consistent cardio work with a busted shoulder is not recommended. that's why i don't judge him b/c i don't know how he rehabbed. and like you said, if shane was healthy from the start, i doubt tracy played the first 15 games and he probably would be much better physically right now.
You seem to have gone from possibility - to theory - to insinuation - to assumption - and now to established fact that McGrady did not rehab as prescribed. I missed where you provided the evidence of this. Would you please re-post it. Thanks
I agree all of those players have rings, but I only brought those players up to prove a point. There are plenty of other players who haven't won anything who won't cheer for anything. Even the greatest of players have their bad moments. Scottie Pippen freakin refused to go in the game when he wasn't given the last shot in a playoff game! That is something I almost consider unforgivable. Luckily Jordan came back in time to help them win 3 more titles. I can see why some people would be mad at tmac, especially after the Toronto game. But leave it with the on court stuff. Tmac isn't committing crimes (always been a good citizen), does charity work (took trips to Darfur), and he is an unselfish teammate since he's been a Rocket. He doesn't get into fights with his teammates. Therefore he should not get criticized for anything off the court. And lately, he has been playing with much more effort and is gradually improving. Give it time guys...still a LONG ways to go in the season. I've seen Tmac cheer his teammates on before. He doesn't do it often, but when theres a reason to cheer, he will. He's just not a very emotional player. If yall remember, his nickname used to be "sleepy-eyes". He's probably upset at his own play. I know Bill Worrell was saying that on Calvin Murphy's radio show (Calvin gets on Tmac more than anybody). He was saying, Tmac is really upset with himself at how he's been playing. That is probably why he is in a "bad mood". He wants to help his team. You think he enjoys losing in the first round year after year? He should be sitting out like he did last year, but he can't since Battier and Artest are both injured and Yao is not as dominant as in years past. But this year, Tmac is playing through injuries when he should be resting. You can't question his toughness anymore, or his effort. Its just not credible at this point and time. Any star athlete is upset when they play bad. Yao is downright disgusted when he has a bad game. Same with Kobe, Jordan, Barkley, and any other star player. Its even worse when its due to injuries. Your mind is telling you to cross the defender over, but your body won't allow you to. Its tough, knowing that you were once one of the most feared scorers, and now injuries have limited you to jump shooting big guard. I would be pissed too. Ask any athlete who's been injured they will all tell you the same thing. Why would Tmac be a cancer to this team?? He gladly deferred to Yao starting in the 06-07 season, when Yao was playing strongly. He was more than happy not to take on the load night in and night out. Then when he found out about the Artest trade, he said, and I quote, "There must be a God". That doesn't sound like a player who is going to be a cancer due to jealousy. I think you are just hating, in my opinion. He's said plenty of times, that he doesn't care for the attention or the individual achievements anymore. He just wants to win. He's made a ton of $$ throughout his career and has accomplished many individual feats. I'm not saying its right for anybody to have an ego, but for most successful people, its hard not to have an ego. I think the world would be a much better place without egos, but we all know thats not happening. With athletes, when they are stars, the ego comes with it. Its just how it is. Duncan and Nash are the only players I can think of who doesn't really have that among their own teammates. With that being said, Tmac is still the most talented and amazing player on the Rockets team and still a top 5 shooting guard, based on what he can do with a basketball in his hands. You can't deny that Tmac is a unique and special talent. Health is the only thing holding him back. Brent Barry does have a ring, but its not as if he carried that Spurs team anywhere. Before he got to the Spurs, he was playing on the Clippers and a at best decent Sonics team as a role player. He's never had to carry a team like Tmac or Yao has had to do. I'm glad we have him, but he was damn greatful that he had the opportunity to be a part of a winning team, instead of being stuck with the Clippers his entire career. Trust me on this, Tmac will be fine. The same thing happened last year. People were kicking him when he was down. Doubting him. I too was guilty of this. I though he was done for. Then during the streak and the playoffs, Tmac reminded all of us that he hasn't gone anywhere. Its just like the Spurs, they just keep proving people wrong. Tmac, is too talented to just become an average player all of a sudden. That will happen one day, but I don't think that will happen for another couple of years at the earliest.
That's why i say when competitive nature ain't in your blood, it ain't in your blood. That is why he doesn't fire up playing the game or show desire to win. It's time to trade.
Tell ya what, just go read all the articles in the chronicle and figure it out for yourself. Agreed on the wins and loses Leeb, but when the highest paid player is submarining the offense and defense he should be called out. Leeb, I find it very hard to believe that you a former athlete would not know that there are many ways to do cardio. The pool, a bike...tons of ways to work that knee that protect the shoulder.... Do you honestly believe the organization did not outline a program for Tmac to get his knee right, or that they just let it go? Seriously? DD
His role has been, since he has been here, to carry the offensive load whether it is shooting, making the assist or drawing the defense to him. Which, with his injury, is more challenging. As many of you like to refer to his salary, it deems that he has a larger role or impact on this team. As I have said over and over again, he has a knee injury and surgery. I know from experience that it is both psychological and physical. Anything that feels odd makes you question every movement that you make or don't make. Medicine is not an exact science. Those time tables are different for everyone and it is annoying to keep hearing people try to quantify his recuperation time like they are MDs. It's ridiculous. If you don't like T-Mac fine but just leave it at that. But no one on this current team, including Yao brings as much as T-Mac has. Yao needs his teammates based on his position at center. For me that is the big difference of the two. It so tiring to hear people judge Tracy's body language to suggest some of the things that are said here. This is an opinion based site so it is what it is. As for the quotes, people read what they want into them especially if the already don't like Tracy. Just be honest about it. If you are biased you can manipulate facts in how your present them. It becomes even easier when the audience that you are writing for already believes or wants to believe it anyway. Hold everyone to the same standards that you are putting on Tracy. Everyone needs to produce from Yao on down or be criticized to the same intensity.
I can't speak for everyone else, but I guarantee you I hold them all accountable....and to the same standards. It is just right now, one of the Rockets is causing his teamates to lose faith, and the team needs to address the problem. Hell, they should have addressed it back when Tmac said he needed 3 weeks off. I blame Adelman and Morey as much as Tmac...he is just like a kid that is getting away with what they are letting him get away with... DD
horrible thread. If anyone remember, during ralfer alston fight with nash early this season, did you not seem tmac's reaction, on how quickly he defended ralfer form branes and nash?