Sorry to post another TMAC article... let's pile on Degraded: A Rough Moment for Tracy McGrady January 11, 2008 11:16 AM There are various advantages to being an NBA superstar. One of the big ones is money. Beyond a nice house and cars, NBA superstars have money to do things like build much-needed schools in Darfur. That's great, and life-changing for all involved. Then there's the fame part, which can cut many different ways. Let me tell you something about this world of ours: if you're famous as an NBA player, then pretty much no matter whereTracy McGrady you go for the rest of your days, people will judge you not by how many schools you build in Darfur, but by how much you have won. More specifically, they will judge you by how important you were to the winning team in exciting nationally televised playoff games. And by that second measure, Tracy McGrady's career is -- more than a decade in, and at an age when he ought to be peaking -- still stuck in first gear. Much worse than wondering whether or not he can lead a team to a title, the conversation in Houston has degraded to the point where the discussion is about whether a healthy McGrady helps his team at all. (And when we noodled around with ideas about how he might be traded, there were no obvious scenarios that made sense -- who wants to give up a player close to his quality for an injury-prone guy who makes all that money?) After the Rockets beat the Knicks the other night the Associated Press quoted Yao: "The team has more confidence playing without T-Mac right now," Yao said. "That doesn't mean we don't need him. You have to face those games when you don't have him. When you miss him, you still have to play. We're finding a way to play without him right now." "The team has more confidence playing without T-Mac" can be read two ways. By "more" does Yao mean "more than without T-Mac?" Or "more than all the other times Houston has played without him?" With his clarification, and knowing Yao's generally careful way of speaking to the media about his teammates, I'm nearly certain it's the latter. One of the team's closest observers, however, Fran Blinebury of the Houston Chronicle, writes on his blog that the team, having just won six of eight without McGrady -- is probably better with Tracy McGrady than without him. But it's complicated. It is no coincidence that the Rockets have blossomed as Yao Ming's teammates have grown around him. Over the past seven games, five different players have scored 20 or more points six times. Rafer Alston (20 at NY), Luther Head (24 at Washington), Aaron Brooks (22 vs. NY), Bonzi Wells (25 at Boston), Rafer Alston 22 (vs. Golden State) and Luis Scola (22 vs. Memphis). Those are the kinds of numbers the Rockets have been seeking since training camp. It is the kind of support and balance that can open things up so much for Yao in the middle. But can those numbers -- will those numbers -- continue when McGrady is back in the lineup, commanding his touches, taking his shots? Will he be a turbo-charger on the Rockets' offense? Or a brake on the offensive movement? ... Despite what he says publicly, McGrady does not appear comfortable with the offense and, based on some things he's said privately, may not be fully committed to making it work. In response to various comments seeking clarification, Blinebury explains that McGrady has "told some people that he doesn't really think the offense can work." Another commenter on Blinebury's blog, JoethePirate, writes: I am also inclined to think that he falls along the lines of a shoe endorser, highlight reel maker & numbers compiler (like Francis & others in the NBA) but not the guy that's going to win it, make a team better or win a title. To which Blinebury responds: "Amen, brother." This is the team, ladies and gentlemen, that ESPN's John Hollinger picked to win the NBA title this year. Hollinger has a pretty good track record with this kind of stuff. Yet at the moment they're in tenth place in the West. There's a lot of talent here. Can they turn all that talent into winning team basketball and playoff victories? Maybe. Whether they do or don't, however, depends entirely on whether or not Tracy McGrady and has learned a new trick: how to be, instead of a great player, a key part of a formidable team. http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-29-39/Degraded--A-Rough-Moment-for-Tracy-McGrady.html
If McGrady can't fit in he's got to go. The more playing time he can get in before February the better.
OK, honestly, HALF of these threads are really repeating the same tripe over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over...
Man, the rumor mill is running at full capacity right now. I hope this isn't a case of perception becoming reality. I'll say it again, come back soon Tmac and put an end to all of this noise.
T-Mac sucks. I heard he once punched a small child then when asked if he would stop doing it in the future, he replied, "Why would I need to adjust?" He has GOT to go.
I think we are all jumping to conclusions here. Remember last year when Yao got hurt and TMAC carried the team and it's new open offense? Everybody was questioning Yao's worth - if he could fit into the open offense without "slowing down the team". Let's give the whole team, including TMAC, a chance - it's only been 6 wins...
if t-mac learns RA's offense , learns it starts with yao and doesn't take those crazy jumpshots we will be fine
Any people who wants T-Mac out is short-sighted... Yao wont be able to get it down alone. I remember too many times Yao was fumbling the ball or could not snatch a rebound for his life in late game time. We need a go-to guy in the final minutes, and Yao is not the one. Mark my words on this.
Yao is being clutch by NOT shooting everything in the 4th lately. The go-to guy theory is overrated by TMAC.
One thing is clear, TMac needs to lose the "celeb on tour" mindset and get down to business. Playoff series are won and lost in the regular season. It is worthless to cry about it then, when you are not going all out now, injuries or no injuries. This is a bruise, is that right? A bruised anything doesn't seem like it would take weeks to heal. He is in his twenties. TMac is appearing more and more like a bit of a head case. He is Jordanesque in talent, but not in tenacity.
Why is ESPN using the blog comments of a guy named "JoethePirate" on a national article. If they want to use the thoughts of fans, good thing they didnt use this board or else they would be championing a TMAC for Daequon Cook and JWill trade. We are 6-2 in this stretch without Tmac. Dont read into anything more then that is a nice 8 game run. Remember we were 0-3 without him this year before this run. Should we have not thought about trading him then, but definitely about trading him now.
T-Mac needs to realize it is not all on him and he should stop thinking that way. He should embrace the TEAM concept and RA's offense schemes. He should not bring the ball up the court but run down for easy scores or get ready to run a play.
Spot on article and all true imo. I just hope Yao meant the latter and it's the truth about the team because if the team feels less confident with McGrady on the court then he's got to go.
If it was as easy to get the ball to Yao in the fourth as it is to get the ball to T-Mac, then he would be shooting a lot more.
Saying T-Mac doesnt think the offense will work is an old quote from two months ago. But it helps paint T-Mac in a negative light so he keeps using it. Typical BlinDbury.
Because Henry Abbott's "Truehoop" IS a blog BY a basketball fan. It's not being used as a news story.
T-Mac does what is asked of him, if he doesn't, Adelman yanks him. T-Mac doesnt think the offense wont work. That is an old quote that BlinDbury keeps using for ratings purposes. T-Mac DOES think the offense can work. He has seen it with his own eyes.
why do people seem to make such a big deal about the ITS ALL ON ME comment ? to me all he saying is if they dont win, he is going to get all of the blame, which he does....
Because it's one out of quite a few comments McGrady makes that he hasn't been able to deliver on. And that happens, especially from your team's best player, you can't help but to be pretty irritated.
