I think of McGrady as the only Rocket that can single-handily win you games...on a consistent basis. The man has his cold stretches, but when he's hot...he can beat teams just by himself. The problem is, when he gets cold, he really does sink the Rockets. What looked like Mac-tasitic shots a game ago, when he makes them, starts looking the dumbest stuff ever when he starts missing them. I guess he's just like the double-edged sword, but the edge pointed towards Rockets opponents is just way too damn sharp for you to put the sword away. The good thing is though that the Rockets seemed to have found themselves some closers and also some bang with Yao's posterizations, so Mac is less essantial. Still, make no mistake, the man is a force to be feared. A force that needs to be used.
The difference in the team playing better is that with McGrady out you now have freed up another 20 shot attempts per game. It stands to reason that the more guys are shooting the more they (the team) becomes involved. Coincindence that the team is gelling better while he is out? I think not. This is a team game... you can't run the offense through TMAC and YAO every single time down the floor. That leads to guys standing around. Thus the problem with this team.
I agree with the OP that McGrady being out is most certainly NOT the reason the team is playing better (although I am kinda glad he missed these games... I bet the confidence level with these guys is sky high now). I disagree, though, on the real reasons we have improved. I think by far and away the main reason is that the team is finally understanding what Adelman is teaching. Sure, we haven't played the toughest teams, but we have beaten most of them fairly convincingly, and on the road, too. And yes, the rotations are different, but they have to be when a heavy-minute starter leaves. This is simply not true. McGrady is one of the smartest offensive players in the game. Even when he is shooting a poor percentage, he is usually taking one of the best shots the team could have gotten in that possession. If he isn't, he will find someone else who would. That is the reason why the Rockets both started and finished last season very strong, in spite of very poor shooting from McGrady. The thing is, though, he won't HAVE to take nearly as many of those shots anymore now that the team appears to be starting to click with Adelman's system. As a result... he won't. I think you are thinking of Allen Iverson or Gilbert Arenas.
Honestly, our recent games are not indicating anything subtantial related to playoff. Our current team without TMac has been playing quite sloppy and looked shaky at times even against the lowly Knicks. Though the sharing of balls and movements were there and these are encouraging signs, we have yet to be tested strongly against an elite team in the west who played with great intensity without little sloppiness and will pressure and exploit our sloppiness to the max. I would be safe to say if this team without TMac can get a win from Dallas or SAS with solid performance, I would be slightly feel more confident. However, having to say that, the atmosphere in playoff is just different and the high intensity and pressure can make certain players like Head, rookies like AB and Scola disappear (Missing In Action) all together.
Who's elite in the west,lakers,spurs, mavs,suns maybe. The lakers got owned by the cletics both games when healthy,while we nearly pulled the game off in boston. We played the spurs tight without mcgrady at their place a few calls here and there we win that game.We beat the suns with mcgrady and we should have beaten the lakers both games with and without Tracy. Bottomline win or lose we are playing harder,we are playing together and we are fighting + moving the ball. The important aspect of our game now is we are competing and not giving up which we were doing with Tracy.
Rockets have beaten the Pistons, Spurs, Suns, Lakers, Jazz and others with T-Mac. The Boston game was VERY decieving...they were up by 20 and we didn't make a run until they benched their starters. What does it say about our role players if they are giving up with T-Mac on the floor? And again, we are 5 games over .500 when T-mac doesn't leave the game with injury, and it was against a ridiculous schedule. People act like the team was 8-28 like Miami.
That may have something to do with they all get enough touches in the games. Very few are pure microwave type of shooters -- I mean, only touch the ball several times a game, and will be able to make a 40%-50% parameter shooting with only that few touches. Now they run the games better: the ball goes through the whole team most time of the game, everyone is truly involved, it is easier to shoot better that way.
No game is decieving,Don't say that to back up your T-mac love becasue we played hard,no excuses we lost but we played hard and we competed.It shows that when he was playing we were playing like him lazy and negative attitude and if he was playing in that game we would have mailed it in down by 20. Bottomline again we are playing harder and together win or lose even the players speak of how hard and together we are playing with T-mac out. They would definitely know being out there with him and now without him, they see the difference.
While McGrady can still be somewhat effective with his passing, when his shooting goes out, like pretty much any volume shooter, it gets ugly REAL fast. Besides, tell me you haven't seen McGrady pull up for fadeaway threes with 20 seconds on the shot clock a bajillion times.
Just like he mailed it in when we were down by 16 to the Jazz in game 7? No, he single handidly led the team back and into a position where we should have won (and no, we didn't lose because he didn't take over...we wen 4-5 in the final 4min...it was defense and rebounding that sealed the deal). The team also played extremely hard without Yao last year and went 21-11 under the leadership of T-Mac. In other words, let's wait and see what T-Mac oes when he comes back.
I believed the elite teams are teams that stand a chance to win championship. These teams are consistent though may lose a few. We should win if Tmac or Yao is out or anyone is out. That's one of the indicators of an elite team. Our current roster still played with sloppiness. I hope these sloppiness will be eliminated with more practise and focus. TMac will definitely with this talents help if he get the right role and play the right game and this is on the Coach. As for playing hard and with determination, again, it's the coach job to bench anyone who is off or don't feel like playing with great intensity. I say it's all down to Adelman. He is the responsible and has the ultimate power.
Good post. My observation is that the teams we beat in this streak dont have a constant penetrating guard or wing that disrupt Rocket's defense, which allowed our back court to do more damage on the offensive end. Our defense took it over in this strecth. Offensively, ball movement and assits are beautiful but still not crisp at times. Way too many TOs.
The guys are learning how to play without him.They are developing some confidence in themselves,but we need him back quickly.
To me, law of averages. Either the shooting will level off to their averages, or they will dip back down and rollercoaster up and down. The shots are the same shots man. Rafer is taking the same open 3s and the same driving layups/teardrops. Even some of his 3s are contested, and he's still hitting them.
T-Mac > Head - at our starting 2 guard! T-Mac = Go to guy at end of game (if he's "on") T-Mac = Great passer when he's "off" T-Mac = Low trade value, low return. I believe keeping McGrady is a LOW RISK, HIGH RETURN decision.
The Rockets outscored Boston in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarters. Did the starters not play in those quarters?
