One of the main considerations in having a Playmaker Point Guard for a change is so that we can use players like Yao, Landry and Novac to their maximum potential. I have been suggesting about T Mac/Point Guard for two years now.
You want to increase Landy and Novak's potential while decreasing T-macs? That's real smart. Tmac is a 2 time scoring champion, a player that dropped 62 in a game before, a player that averaged 28ppg this last playoff series. One would think T-mac's role is to score points and accept the added benefit of his playmaking ability every now and then as an added bonus. Not the other way around. The bottom line is we need a true point guard not freakin Tmac a 6'8 scoring, swingman pretending to be something he isn't.
You guys can NOT be serious?! I agree with Asian Sensation. TMac is a scorer and he always will be. Next season he WILL still put up 25 points per game. TMac as a basketball player is NOT meant to be a point guard. He is perfect in the role he's in right now, I have no idea why anyone would want to change his role, especially when he's doing a freaking awesome job at it.
if... if tmac($2100) and yao($1500) reduce their salaries, there will be more possibility to get who the rockets wants i dont know whether i am right or not
Wait this makes sense. Slide Tmac to point where he can controll the ball. Then it would only be natural to move Yao to General Manager. Make Aaron Brooks center and Shane Battier can work an over priced vending booth. Put that team together with a group of ninja and you sir have a World Series caliber hockey team.
Ask Morey. As for me, I would like Maggette, Pietrus, Green.....at least 2 of those 3 would be nice. DD
could you have predicted the future when they signed those contracts? tmac came off a great year in 04-05 -> renewed his contract yao had superstar potential and nobody expected these injuries. if that was the case, grant hill would probably make the MLE right now and not $17 mil a year
No way do I want TMac playing PG. What the Rox need to do is put him in the high post where he is most effective, find him a decent back up, and restrict his minutes.
If you signed someone like Monte Ellis, I would move Tmac to the PG spot and let Ellis play the SG..... Then on defense switch Ellis to the other team's PG.... There are scenarios in which Tmac to the point makes sense. It is all about making the overall team better.... DD
Magic Johnson was the best point guard ever and one of the best SG, SF PF and centers too if that's where he lined up. But the conventional job of PG in the NBA is to 1. initiate the offense and 2. break down the defense with penetration. Using Tmac for #1 is waste and #2 just isn't a consideration.
On offense, sure, he could average over 10 assists a game. 2 problems arise however... 1. Taking T-Mac away from scoring the ball is not a very good idea. Our team has problems putting points on the board as it is. Without his massive scoring from time to time, who would pick up the slack? Yao is good for 22 and 12, that's great. But, with Battier, Scola, and Head/BJax rounding out our starting lineup, why would you want T-Mac as the main distributor? Also, it would push Skip to the bench and Brooks to the 3rd PG. Not to mention with Wells gone, who gets the backup SF minutes, Novak? Granted the draft and offseason haven't started yet, but our current roster can't afford the luxury of having T-Mac as our starting PG. 2. His defense on the opposing team's PG would be atrocious. He's 30 coming off of 2 surgeries, he might foul out every game... in the 2nd quarter...
I'll quote JVG himself for this: "Tracy Mcgrady's biggest strongpoint at this stage in his career is his passing" When I said he doesn't have to be a PG strictly, I meant that he doesn't have to guard the opposing team's point guard-they can just have him switch over to guarding the SG when we play small ball and in addition good team defense can compensate for that somewhat. Thats why I said we should trade Rafer for a reliable two guard , someone that can also play defense. I'm in no way bashing Tmac (hell, just go look at some of my previous posts). But even a big Tmac fan like me can see that he's never going to shoot above 45% again (and btw, he never has never shot above 44% in all his years here in Houston so far) and he won't get any younger. So why not take advantage of his biggest strongpoint at this stage in his career? That doesn't mean he should always bring the ball up, guard the opposing team's PG, etc. However he can still start the fast break as well as any other PG simply because of his size and passing ability - just think of Kevin Love and his ability to start fast breaks by himself simply because of his size and passing ability. And just because he's focusing on facilitating doesn't mean he can't still score. He can easily score 20+ points, but this way , he doesn't feel he has to chuck up shots after shots to get himself rolling. I just think if we continue keeping Rafer and having Tmac handle both loads at the same time so often, our offense will always take the risk of Tmac holding on to the ball too long etc.
What is Tmac always the one who has to change? Hasn't he done enough? Just because he is versatile dosen't mean he can do everything. What can't we put him at the position where he's most efficient? We have all seen how effective he can be when he played off the ball with Rafer running the offense. His midrange jumpers were deadly when he came off the pick.
No of course not what I have suggested is that T Mac could in a couple of seasons revive his career by being our starting Point Guard.
