TMac_Houston Not Top 2?

There is a TMac sticky on the top of the page

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=78144

 

and a couple other threads stating he wanted to goto San Antonio and LA.

 

This has already been refuted by tmac himself. He doesnt want to go to LA or SA, where the places are "already in place". He said he wanted a challenge, where houston has the coaching and low post player to take tmac to the next level or vice versa.

 

If he wanted a challenge he would stay the course. Don't get me wrong, I would like McGrady also, but a player who left his team to be the man, and now wants to leave because its getting rough has to be questioned a little.

 

That was old news...that was before he said Houston was his choice.

 

He's learning through experience. Nothing wrong with that.

 

Well, the article he says the Lakers/Spurs were his favorite choices was written 1 day before the one where he says the Rockets are his favorite choice. Not sure when he actually made those comments, but somethin' ain't right...

 

I always wonder if everyone thought he left Toronto to BE the man. I'm pretty sure money was a high motivation but I also remember that he went there with an understanding that Tim Duncan was going to follow suit. That of course didn't follow through and Grant Hill came. I'm pretty sure he thought Hill would anchor the team and he would play the Pippen-role.

But with Hill down, Mcgrady had to take his game to the next level. There was not another option for him. He had to basically score and do as much as he can because there was no one else.

As for a challenge...sure staying and playing with Okafur would be a challenge. But wouldn't going from an Eastern team ( where thigns are so helter skelter that any team can go deep into the playoffs (i.e. Heat) ) to a Western team and go up mano y mano with the big boys pose a challenge as well? Because with an addition of Okafur, I seriously think that Orlando CAN get back to the playoffs in the East...it's not that Okafur is that good..but it's that the East is that inconsistent. I'm also pretty sure that Mcgrady knows that great players don't make their name in 1st/2nd round of the playoffs...they make their name in the Finals. And the only viable way is to go West where the Larry O'Brien trophy has stayed for the past 5 years.

And I would doubt his character as well....the 'retirement' talk....the 'i'm doing all i can' talk....but the guy is what...24? That's a lot to put on a guy that went from primarily a role player in Toronto into a talent that MOST did not see coming. And he signed on to be part of a 1-2 punch with Hill that NEVER came into fruition. PLUS, orlando hasn't drafted particularly well (i.e. Gaines) and are cap-strapped that they can't sign any FAs. I think you really can't question his desire to win.

His team only won 21 games. I'm pretty sure if you put another SHOOTING GUARD of his caliber in Mcgrady's position, they wouldn't have fared better. His supporting cast, even in the East, can't be considered to be even average.

As for the 'issue' with his back, he was literally carrying his team on it. And DO NOT FORGET that he played in the Olympics qualifier last year...so basically it was 2 years of basketball without an offseason and we have all seen what that has done to players that play in the Worlds or the Olympics. A badbacked Tmac is better to have than no Tmac at all.

My only worries is that the time from now until july, teams will put together better, more attractive packages to Tmac and another team will get him. Or that he's just using houston as a leverage to go where he REALLY wants to go...because it makes TOO much sense to go to Houston...Tmac and Yao...i'm pretty sure GMs all over the leagure are worried over that potentially devastating combination.

/two cents

 

Why does everyone talk like Hill definitely thought Duncan was going to Orlando. The way I remember, Duncan never seriously considered leaving San Antonio. He and that city are tailored made for each other.

 

Sorry,

McGrady, or anyone for that matter thinking Duncan was leaving S.A.

 

i remember Duncan was courted VERY heavily by Orlando and wasn't convinced to stay until Robinson had a talk to him in SA and of course his loyalty to Popovich played an important role as well.

i just stated the Duncan reference to help with my point that I don't think Mcgrady ever thought he would carry the whole team by himself. Sure 'the man' mentality went through his head but i bet he thought Hill would recover so that each of them would help one another.

 

You may be right, I guess that I just don't really remember what was going on that year very well. I barely remember Duncan being courted by Orlando, but I probably wasnt' that interested at the time.

 

I wondered about the comment that McGrady didn't want to go to a team that was already established but rather wanted to go to a team that would be a challenge.

The question has to be asked, well, why not stay in Orlando? That's a "challenge."
But then I thought about it. If I was him, what would I want?

Well, I'd want a chance to build a team of my own. A team that I would lead. That I could call my own. I'd also want a big man like Yao that would help my game. The importance of a big man's presence is sooooo valuable in today's league. If you have a center that can block shots and just cause a match-up problems...well, that just makes my job easier.

Going to LA and play with Shaq and Kobe would be too easy. It really wouldn't be a team I could call my own. It's a prefab team. It's already in-place. That's like getting the "cheat codes" to your favorite console game. No challenge. So, bragging rights really doesn't have much weight. I mean, think about it. The Lakers won the championship with: Shaq, Kobe, Malone, Payton...big whoop! Yawwwn....I mean, the next thing you know, the whole friken All-Star team will be going to LA.

Here's the new Laker team next year (sarcasm):
PG: Kidd
SG: Kobe
SF: McGrady
PF: Duncan
C: Shaq
Coming off the bench will be Yao and Garnett.

Phil Jackson's acceptance speech? "I accept the title as the Greatest Coach that Ever Lived! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Of course I couldn't have done it without Kidd, Kobe, McGrady, Duncan, Shaq and Jordan...."

No sh*t Sherlock! I mean, give me a break!

So, I think that when McGrady says, "challenge" he doesn't mean "impossible (Orlando)." I think he really understands the importance of team work; he needs help. And he knows it. Pride in ownership is important too. Something that he was part of from the ground up.

 

well if Mcgrady goes to Orlando, there's no way in hell that neither shaq or kobe gets shipped off.

 

Sticking with the magic and trying to make them a contender isnt a challenge, its mission impossible. That team is going to have to be rebuilt with all the draft mistakes and bad free agent signings. They havent drafted anyone who has made an impact the last few years and the grant hill injury sunk the ship. It was inevitable that orlando would collapse like they did.

So why should a great talent like tmac waste away in a rebuilding process?

 

If I'm McGrady, no way do I go to L.A., where Kobe's got my job, I have to diminish my role, and I can take the team nowhere but down.

But S.A. would be seriously attractive, especially after the disappointing final games of the L.A. series. I'd have a chance to be the upgrade that took them over the top.

Houston would be attractive, too. Phoenix would not.

I would not stay. Not for Okafor, and almost certainly not for what the Magic could get for Okafor.

 

hmm, I would consider KG as the best Forward, so I will start him over anybody. Yes! include TD and T-Mac

 

You're right. I really doesn't matter. The talent pool is so deep.