Same ol stuff we've seen from him since he's been here. He doesn't care enough. It's obvious. He's a prima donna. Basketball's not even his favorite sport...I think that says the most right there.
I dont care about the flopping. Manu rocks. Anybody would love to have that guy on their team. Tmac for Kobe i would do reluctantly but for Manu i would do it with a big smile on my face.
I think tmac is a good defender... he knows how to play defense ... hes just lazy and chooses not to play defense
Don't forget about MAXWELL!!!! Paper: HOUSTON CHRONICLE Date: WED 10/30/1991 Section: Sports Page: 1 Edition: 2 STAR Rockets' Maxwell rising into some rarefied Air By EDDIE SEFKO Staff He has been called the incomparable Michael Jordan. So, Don Chaney says, let's compare him. As far as Chaney is concerned, His Airness is not so far removed from one Vernon Maxwell that the two cannot be mentioned in the same sentence. With an NBA season ready to explode into action, Maxwell is ready to explode with it. He's primed to storm onto the scene with all the fury of a Jordan tomahawk dunk. The Rockets believe they have the next Jordan clone in their midst. "He's no Michael Jordan," Chaney said Tuesday. "But I'd have to say that I've seen Michael Jordan quickness and I've seen Michael Jordan aggression offensively and defensively in him throughout training camp. "He's much more aggressive on defense than Michael is. And lately, the way he's been exploding to the basket and dunking on guys, he's been as aggressive offensively as Michael is. "I mean, that's vintage Michael, when you can lull the defense a little with the dribble, then explode to the basket. And that's what Vernon has done. "I think he's watched Michael very closely the past year." Not only that, but Maxwell has become very much the complete NBA player over the past season as well. When he lines up against Magic Johnson on Friday in the season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, Maxwell will be starting what he considers the first season of the rest of his life. Maxwell has always had the ability to fly to the basket in Jordanesque style. But he is only now realizing it and refining that ability. He spent the first two seasons of his NBA career twiddling his thumbs and growing up. Last year, he scratched the surface of his talent level, leading the NBA in three-point shots made. Now, the rest is yet to come. Maxwell, who averaged 17 points last year, feels he can rival the league's best shooting guards this year. Except for one -- Jordan. "Michael is at another level," he says. "But I feel I can make things happen and create on the floor as well as anybody else in the league. "I'll never forget two years ago when Isiah Thomas came up to me and told me to get my act together and grow up. He didn't even know me. And I don't know what he saw in me. "But he must have seen something because he told me there was no limit to how good I could be if I'd just grow up some." The growing-up process took some time. Maxwell has had the talent all along. Wanting to maximize that talent took some doing. His mistakes at San Antonio included several off-the-court problems. Those followed his admitted drug problems at the University of Florida. But during the past year, Maxwell has been befriended by John Lucas, who has been down his share of bad roads with regard to drugs. Last weekend, Lucas dropped by The Summit and said he was leaving town for a few days to help administer a Continental Basketball Association substance-abuse awareness clinic. But he said he would be back by Friday. "I've got to see my son play," he said. Lucas was referring to Maxwell, who has become almost a live-in relative with Lucas. With Lucas' help, Maxwell has embraced a less-exotic lifestyle and stayed close to the simpler pleasures. He hopes this mindset coincides with a physical high point this season. "I feel like it's going to be a big year for me," Maxwell said. "It's kind of nice that it starts out with a big task against one of my old friends (Magic Johnson). What better way to start off the season?" Johnson is listed as doubtful for the opener because of the flu, but in the past, he has been about as pleasant as a virus for Maxwell. During 11 meetings since April 1990 (seven during the playoffs, four during the regular season), Johnson has averaged 20.1 points and 13.5 assists. In other words, Johnson has done to Maxwell what he has done to every other defender in the league. But it is Maxwell's defense that has the Rockets fired up about his potential this season. Last year, Maxwell was having a decent season, but it took an upward swing in March when the Rockets scored a 10-point win at Chicago. Maxwell stared Jordan in the face during a tense portion of the game and created a situation from which he has drawn. He and Jordan bumped elbows, among other things, and neither of them liked the close contact. Jordan took exception, and Maxwell responded with a not-so-gentle shove. "A lot of people thought I was crazy, going nose-to-nose with Michael," he says. "But it was a certain time when I had to do what I had to do. "But after that, people started respecting me a lot more. The Rockets still have a hard time believing they got Maxwell for a paltry $50,000 from San Antonio in February 1990. "He's one of the fastest people in the league going end-to-end on the court," general manager Steve Patterson said. "But he's also brought an element of toughness to us. Anybody who can go nose-to-nose with Michael Jordan in Chicago Stadium like he did has to be tough.
Does Tmac have the balls to do this?? Paper: HOUSTON CHRONICLE Date: FRI 01/29/1993 Section: Sports Page: 1 Edition: 3 STAR Rockets stop Bulls, Jordan/Defense keys 94-83 victory By EDDIE SEFKO Staff Rudy Tomjanovich was ecstatic after what might become one of the most important victories of the season. Michael Jordan was slumped in disappointment. Yet they reflected on the Rockets' thorough 94-83 slamming of the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night, and came up with the same analysis. "We were very focused and very intense," said the Rockets' coach. "I just wish we could be that way against some of the sub-.500 teams. If we could, we'd be sitting up there with a great record right now." Countered Jordan, "Maybe if they played us every night, they would have a better record." It was just like old times. The house was full, the Rockets were rolling and the Bulls were beaten soundly. The Rockets knocked off Chicago in front of the first sellout of the season at The Summit, a gathering that included former President George Bush and a squad of stunned, lifeless Bulls. The Bulls lost for the fifth consecutive season in their annual visit to Houston. Only one of those five Rockets wins was a nail-biter. Overall, the Rockets have won five of six from the Bulls over the last three seasons. This year's two-game sweep was by an average of 12.5 points. Thursday's win was as dominating as one over the twice-defending world champions could be. Chicago needed to score the last eight points just to make it respectable. "This is the most unspectacular of all the wins Houston has laid on us," Bulls coach Phil Jackson said. Presumably, he meant the Bulls were at their worst. They certainly looked it, although the Rockets had plenty to do with that. Chicago shot just 42 percent from the field, had its second-lowest point total of the season and gave up 51 percent shooting to the Rockets. Vernon Maxwell led some of the best defense the Rockets have played by clamping down on Jordan. With Hakeem Olajuwon playing goalie under the basket, Maxwell was able to confront and, at times, agitate Jordan into 12-for-27 shooting. Jordan's 26 points were six less than his season average, and none of the other Bulls had their shooting lenses on. As a result, the Rockets humiliated the Bulls for much of the game. And they did it without Olajuwon scoring a basket in the second half. But he was ever the force with his shot blocking, intimidation and rebounding. When it was done, the Rockets had halted a two-game losing trend before it became one of those all-out streaks. "Obviously, this is a very big win for our franchise," Tomjanovich said. "We had our first sellout crowd and after the way we played those last two games, the timing was perfect to do this. "Our team needed to get back to this level of intensity." The Rockets did what they had to to stump the Bulls. They kept Chicago from getting out on the fast break by outrebounding the Bulls 46-33. The Rockets got good shots and they got to the free-throw line 25 times compared to eight for the visitors. And, of course, The Maxwell Spell on Jordan continued. Two segments capsulized the entire game. The first came at the end of the first half. With the Rockets up 38-34 2:53 before halftime, Scottie Pippen (17 points, 7-for-17 shooting) was called for an offensive foul under the basket. At the same time, Jordan and Maxwell got tangled up and pushed off each other. The pair exchanged angry glares and even more angry words. Maxwell could be heard saying: "You're going down. You're going down." Jordan responded constantly, although his words were inaudible. Maxwell said Jordan elbowed him in the neck. "I just told him if he did it again, I was going after him," Maxwell said. What followed was three minutes of impressive one-on-one battling. Robert Horry took a nice lob feed from Maxwell, who made the right decision by not trying to force something silly on Jordan, who was guarding him tightly. Horry was fouled and sank one of two free throws. Olajuwon connected after a Pippen turnover, but the Bulls came right back with a lob from Pippen to Jordan that resulted in a beautiful slam on a play on which Maxwell was fooled. Maxwell then worked on Jordan and was fouled on a move to the basket. That tied the individual score at 1. The next two possessions ended in turnovers. Maxwell forced a bad pass by Jordan, then Jordan stole a pass from Otis Thorpe to Maxwell. The Maxwell-Jordan scorecard stayed tied; the game certainly didn't. The half, which ended with the Rockets holding a stunning, and well-earned, 48-38 advantage, ended with a Jordan jumper and four Kenny Smith points. The Rockets finished the half with a 17-8 run. Jordan said the second period sealed the Bulls' fate. "It was frustrating when Houston had a terrible quarter and we had even a worse quarter," Jordan said. "They've got our number right now and Houston is playing extremely well. In the third quarter, the Rockets built a 15-point lead, then saw it reduced to 66-60 when the Bulls opened the fourth with a bucket. But the Rockets had avoided the pitfall. In the final two minutes of the third quarter, the Bulls were shut out. The Rockets got only two points, but they came in dramatic fashion. A bucket by Horry was disallowed when the acrobatic forward hung on the rim to fire in his own missed dunk. That's a no-no. But when Thorpe followed Scott Brooks on a fast break, it paid off because Thorpe got a tip-in at the third-quarter buzzer. That bonus bucket changed the tone of the game. "Scottie took it to the basket and got nothing," Jackson said. "Then they got a tip-in at the buzzer. That changed the energy." The Rockets buried the Bulls with a 12-2 run early in the fourth quarter, a surge capped by Maxwell's 3-pointer. The Rockets never had to sweat down the stretch.
Tmac needs some VERNON energy and fire. Paper: HOUSTON CHRONICLE Date: THU 01/30/1992 Section: Sports Page: 7 Edition: 2 STAR Jordan awaiting challenge/Maxwell expected to continue feud By EDDIE SEFKO Staff Michael Jordan expects more of the same bumping and grinding from Vernon Maxwell tonight. But the Bulls' star also believes he has one distinct advantage over the Rockets' fiery guard. "Vernon is a very competitive guy," Jordan said Wednesday. "He's a physical defender and he's trying to earn respect around the league. "Against Vernon, you've got to get inside his head. I've got to outthink him when he's guarding me. I've got to use my mental knowledge against him." Maxwell has shown in the past two meetings against Jordan and the Bulls that he can challenge Jordan physically. Last season, he stood up to Jordan after an exchange of elbows, an incident that fired up the Rockets for a win at Chicago Stadium. On Saturday, Maxwell was ejected from the Rockets' 114-100 loss to the Bulls at Chicago Stadium after referee Jack Nies called back-to-back fouls against Maxwell while he was guarding Jordan. That Maxwell tries to make a statement when the Rockets play the Bulls is nothing new for Jordan. Every defender greets Jordan with a sense of purpose. But Maxwell is setting a tone for his matchups with Jordan, which come only twice a year because the teams are in opposite conferences. "They've got a history now," Chicago coach Phil Jackson said. "Vernon shoots from the hip. When you've got unbridled competition like that in a young player like Vernon, sometimes he can come apart a little. "Vernon's the type of player who adds a lot to the game. And he takes away some things, too." In other words, you have to take the bad with the good with a player like Maxwell. The Maxwell-Jordan matchup is not a one-way challenge. Jordan said he takes Maxwell seriously. "It's true that I wake up every day expecting that sort of challenge, but it's still a challenge," Jordan said. "When I feel like a guy is trying to take some of the respect away that I've earned in seven or eight years in the league, then that's a challenge." Maxwell, who served a one-game suspension on Tuesday for his actions at Chicago Stadium, said this week he does not want to speak to the media.
Tinman, I could only wish Tmac had one of Maxwell's balls. Right now, Tmac is Dirk without the playoff success when it comes to cajones.
I like Tmac after that 11 points game. but I have to agree the point that he is soft. In all key games, 7th in playoff, his jumper is gone. I heard someone said: when we behind or lead more than 5 points, he can hit, otherwise, his jumper shots will not hit mostly. Strange. Tmac's body language is another thing I don't like. I can not see his passion....
This is the difference between: Tmac vs Kobe and Maxwell vs Jordan Tmac is trying to show off that he can do the same stuff Kobe can do, its entertainment for Tmac. Instead of trying to shut Kobe down. Maxwell and Jordan were throwing elbows at each other's necks and cursing at each other. Its physical and lots of technical fouls. At the end of the day (as my posts confirm) Jordan RESPECTS Maxwell for it. Maxwell has said that he has to come hard at Jordan cause Jordan's the best. Maxwell's goal is never to score as much as Jordan. His goal is completely defensive. Tmac's goal is not that, he wants to be top scorer. If we are going anywhere, he needs to sacrifice his offense and shut down players. Kobe on the other hand vs Tmac is trying to kill us. He has that Jordan/Maxwell mentallity.
For the record. . . Dirk is mighty Soft his d*mn self Dirk is probably the SOFTEST star in the league Him or Pau Gasol Rocket River
Until McGrady gets a teammate or coach that has the balls to challenge him he will always be this disappointing, non-leader, that comes off as soft and inconsistent. When he settles for those jumpers, goes 7-25, and doesn't attack the offensive glass- does anyone yell at him? Hell no. Of course not. Nobody dare yell at the great McGrady. Leave him on his pedestal. We needed Elie to sign as our assistant coach this year. He wouldn't back down. We needed to trade for Cassell. He would speak up. Any kind of player with the balls and experience to put McGrady in his damn place. I know high schoolers that play with more flair than McGrady. Oh and guys like Elie or Cassell have two things McGrady and Adelman have no clue about... When you cried at that press conference- you had us fooled
I cant tell you how i wish someone would tell him where to go. stop shooting those silly ass jumpers. please.
are you kidding me? Manu can start on any team anynight unless he is injured,he is used as 6th man in SAS ONLY because of tactic purpose and that's working perfectly well! Did you see his two 35+ game while starting? Despite all the comparison between t-mac and him, Manu is a superstar and a WINNER in BOTH NBA and FIBA! If you are talking about superstars, Manu is one guy you can never deny, nuts!
Some great articles and posts on here about Maxwell and Tmac. I especially love the quote stating if Tmac could have only one of Maxwell's balls! ROFL That said, let's not make the primadonna cry, we still need him to win! But if he continues to show that he can't get his ego past sharing the spotlight on this team with not only YAO, but Steve, Bonzi and Scola as well, then I would move to the dark side of trading him. I still blame it on Rick Adelman. He needs to get control of his team and players. He could start by making Tmac play against the players at his position and stop starting Battier just to protect Tmac from having to D-up!
