And while the team struggled to 80 points against Detroit, they are a tough defensive team AND the Rockets shot like the mendoza line from the FT stripe. Is it that hard to remember that Adelman said during the losing streak that he tried to go back to more familiar sets because he thought the guys would be more comfortable and start knocking down shots??
i don't buy the argument that we've played a weak schedule. we've beaten these teams by a fair margin, it wasn't like we just squeaked out victories besides the orlando game. you're saying that if we had tmac we would be whooping our opponents by 20 then. i highly doubt it. we'd be winning by the same margin.
The rockets, with Tmac and a more efficient offense where role players are hitting their shots will hang with the elite. We've beaten San Antonio, Pheonix, Denver, Utah, LA, Detroit in which we had Tmac. The only games that were embarassing for us were the debacles when Steve Francis started for us (Toronto, Philly, Dallas) when Rafer was out. I think people forget that Rafter was out for a string of games and the Rockets looked like crap not to mention that McGrady did miss a little time with the elbow. Anybody who knows basketball knows that chemistry takes time. This team has developed chemistry recently and I think Tmac sees what it will take to win. This is his home and he will fit in. He will have a new found sense of trust in his teamates and in just watching the replay of last nights game Tmac was very enthusiastic about the game. He was cheering, high fiving teamates at timeouts, and looked happy. People needed to be more patient. We all knew this would be a good second half team with a new system, coach, and roleplayers needing time to gel. Tmac will help take this team to the next level, the level we all knew was achievable on paper. It just took an injury for him to see how really good his teamates in this new system by a new coach would be. He'll fit.
Some of you guys have referenced it, but here is the actual quote from Blinebury's blog... So to those looking for something from local media, there it is.
This has to be the worst time for this bbs. You guys must be crazy to think that we are better off without Mcgrady. McGrady is a superstar. Teams know his ability and will create open shots for his teammates. I think our team is shooting well this past 8 games and with the addition of McGrady we would be back in the top 5 west teams. You don't sit out talent like McGrady. You have to adjust a little to your superstars.
I'd like to know when and under what context that quote is from. If you had asked T-Mac when the team was 6-5 if he thought it would work I would have said "not if we can't make open shots." Perhaps this is what triggered Adelman to go back to the JVG stuff??
Imagine all those Yao kickouts to Bonzi, instead he kicks out to McGrady. Or, because McGrady is in that spot, they cant double Yao.
And please stop being curious. Pryuen asked almost exactly the same question last year when Yao came back from injury: http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=124240
For T-Mac to successfully integrate into the NEW system that RA is finally getting the team to buy into he must do the following ... 1. Take less shots, dish the rock and continue to share the ball. 2. The shots he does take, they need to be more intermediate perimeter or drives to the basket. Higher percentage, more efficient. Please take fewer 3's. Take them only at the close of quarters. 3. He must become a more complete stat filler. He's shown promise at times but he needs to be more cognizant of developing the all around game. T-Mac should be a walking triple double nearly EVERY night. When he can do that and become more lethal by what he does when the ball is NOT in his hands rather than hm having the ball then, he becomes a more consistent threat to contend with. 4. Become the facillator! Set up Battier, Head, Alston, & Scola! Work the two man game with Yao! 5. Shoot your DAMN free throws better. 73% are you kidding me? Should at least be 80%. 6. Only give T-Mac 25-28 min/game until say the last 20 games and then up him to 30-35 in preparation for the playoffs. T-Mac said all along when he first got here about how the numbers don't matter but that it was ALL about becoming a champion. Winning the title! It's time to put up or shut up about that point, T-Mac! Remember, IT'S TIME! Time for you stand up and deliver for your team and the City of Houston.
to answer the question...yes he will make the rockets better but he will also take away from rafer he is the only player that will have any effect from this even though you would like to think t-mac will comeback and play off ball and let skip run the show but to be honest i dont see anyway it can happen because t-mac has been dominating the ball for 10 years now i dont think 2 weeks can change much of anything
Hell YES!! The board is full of Tmac hate these days. OMG!!! Tmac is a top 5 player in the league, may even be a top 3. He is NOT selfish, and passes very well. He can adjust to any game plan quickly. When on a tight corner, he can take over the game. He gets defender away from Yao and others. Explain to me in a concrete way that he won't improve the Rockets when he returns. (and don't give me the vague term like chemistry, give me something real).
but he didn't make comments about yao's weaknesses like he did about tmac's in this thread, which shows his true color. but it's not like we need more proof he's pro-yao anyway...so please don't defend his bias.
Feigen cleared it up in his blog. That quote was from a few weeks ago. Later (after the Rockets started playing well) he said he thought it would work. Now isn't it funny how suspiciously similar that is to all the threads calling for RA's head b/c the offense wasn't working while we were losing, we didn't have "the personnel," etc.? Now, we're winning, the offense is working, and those threads have gone away. Mcgrady now believes the offense is working. So...now you guys want to skewer McGrady for saying basically what you guys have said...what a joke.
Basically when guys werent hitting anything T-Mac thought it wouldn't work. Can't say I blame him. And anyone using the T-Mac quote that the offense won't work is working off of old data. Something I'm not surprised that BlinDbury is doing.
