That line of thinking would lead us to believe that Yao is a born loser as well as McGrady. Both can be argued. Both are wrong. We've endured through a plethera of injuries, and once we overcome our current handicaps we'll set our sites on becoming elite. Don't forget that this team was comprised of scrubs until recently. We had no Brooks or Landry's or even a Von. We had Ryan Bowen, and David Wesley. I'm want some good old fashioned perseverance in my life. This team has not overcome all of this heartache only to cash out before the main event. This is the team we have waited all these years for. Let us, at the very least, see how they handle a little adversity. How can you expect this team to have the spirit of champions if they can't even squash a few in house arguments. As for DD, you are a good man/fan. I couldn't hate on a Rocket either, unless he was a real SOB.
Man, sometimes you sound like a credible fan and other times I just don't know. I guess, at the end of the day, haters are going to hate no matter how smart they are.
Like last year's slogan said: It's time. Everyone's tired of f&^king around with this. I say let him sit through the end of February. We've got a really favorable schedule and should be able to win 60%-70% of our game between now and then even without McHancock. Let's get that knee rested, then get him back in game shape (*make* him do diligent training), and get ready for the playoff run. In the meantime, watch Yao's minutes and give Landry, Brooks and Wafer lots of PT.
If it's not working, it's not working. That's all there is to it. If you accept that then it's time to break up the core. The Rockets finally have talent this year and they're still mired in mediocrity. And again, are we talking about just minor quibbling and a few arguments on the team? This latest two week absence just makes me think that there's something going on behind the scenes.
I don't hate at all. If you think I hate Tmac, you are wrong, what I hope is that he grows up and learns that the sum of the parts is better than the individual. I think Tmac passes the ball quite well early in the game, but looks to impose his will late, and I also think every other team in the NBA knows this, so that whenever it gets late, they can ignore everyone but Yao and Tmac, and that is ultimatly what causes the failure. Until we get role players that can be trusted, or are trusted to hit important shots (like the one Wafer hit against Boston) the team will flounder. I believe that Tmac has the ability, just not the trust. To me...this entire thing is all about trust, or lack of it....does Tmac trust his teamates in crucial situations? Does he trust Adelman's offense? Does he trust his knee to hold up if he pushes it? Trust, you get that, you get EVERYTHING.....and chemistry flows from there. DD
with just yao and roll players, this is going to get ugly fast, both for the rockets and this board. we've been winning because we played scrub teams like the nicks, thunder and a slumping celtics. our next opponents are the lakers, nuggets, jazz and heat. it would be somewhat of a miracle if we win two games in the fortnight stretch. rafer would have to be less like rafer, and someone else would have to step up big time... as in all-star, 20pt 10rb big.
Maybe this is not just about Tmac proving a point, but managment proving a point to the players and us fans as well? That united they can do a lot, but divided they fall. The team needs all of it's players to succeed. DD
true - bit add the fact that we've been in a turmoil as well. never under-estimate the importance of good team chemistry. example? our own 22-win streak of last season.
Stop with the ifs. If it. It is working. It has worked, and it will work even better going forward. You seem to want to tear it all down very quickly, and I don't understand why? Right now you have me thinking that you are either Stephon Marbury, or very bored on lottery night. We've had our entire team healthy for like two games. Give it half a chance before you bail out. Hell you should be even more understanding considering just how much time we have put into this current team. This is their greatest opportunity. Let's see what they are able to do with it. Winning cures everything and once we get everyone back we will win. We just havent won as we were supposed to and everyone is VERY VERY bitter about that. I'm not fool enough to believe that the regular season doesn't count, but in all honesty it is meant only to prepare the real teams for the real season.
I'm positive that we'll do better against the Lakers without T-Mac than we would have with him. Which is not to say that he's worthless to us, just RIGHT NOW he is. Every year he shows up in the playoffs though, and we've had these lows with him before. They've never been THIS low per se, but I'm not ready to give up on this year by giving up on him yet, because face it that's what you're looking at if you've given up on T-Mac. We aren't winning in the playoffs without him. Period.
Are you kidding me? I can count about 3x where he has passed to Battier for the game-winning 3, he hit Alston for a game-winning 3 against the Sonics last year, passed to Head against the Sonics in 2005 to send the game to OT, he is ALWAYS looking to get Yao a touch down low...the guy is often TOO passive in clutch situations. If you are talking about frequent T-Mac iso's in late game-situations, that's a strategy nearly every coach uses with their best perimeter player. T-Mac is the only player on the team that is dangerous off the dribble as both a scorer AND playmaker (Brooks might be an exception, but he still doesn't have the decision-making to be that kind of player). That is why he gets the ball in late-game situations.
DD you got to be kidding me, you wanna say T-Mac doesn't trust his teammates. This is probably the worst thing I have even read...
I actually thought it was the smartest thing ever said on this board. That post was on point all the way.
I honestly can not believe that there are still posters gullible enough to believe this has anything to do with an "injured knee." It's been well over eight months now! http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/5759867.html This was the simplest, best case scenario scope you could hope to have on your knee! NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. They flushed out the debris that caused swelling and soreness in the knee. THERE'S NOTHING ABOUT THE KNEE THAT IS INJURED. McGrady puts in his time to get the knee strengthened back up and himself back into playing shape, and we're good. Full recovery should have been the very beginning of August. But hey, maybe you don't heal as fast as the average guy. Maybe you need an extra month. No? Skip preseason then to get one more month. EIGHT MONTHS LATER..... I mean COME ON apologists. Every doctor that saw the knee told him it was fine and he just needed to play on it to get his strength and timing back. This is not about McGrady needing time to "get healthy" The GM, coach, and teammates do not repeatedly sit you down and confront you when you're not healthy. I hope McGrady gets his head on straight. I hope this doesn't continue to play out exactly like Vince Carter's final months in Toronto played out. I know that when motivated and willing, he's our greatest asset on offense. But he's more than worthless to us, he is detrimental to us, so long as he is a wishy-washy disruption. Evan
Who could forget that pass to STEVE NOVAK FOR THE 3 FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE WANT STEVE!!! NOVAK THAT IS!
It is not a black and white deal, that pass is a great example of my point, Tmac tried to take it all on himself, and only passed it back to Novak because he was shut down, had jumped in the air and had nowhere else to go. The pass was not even on point, it was in the vicinity, but it worked out great. But, this is what I am talking about we need more of that, for so many many reasons....one is for Tmac to trust his teamates, the other is for his teamates to trust him, and feel they are an adequate portion of the team. Everyone can point to examples where Tmac passed it late, but if you watch ends of quarters, and ends of games, he takes a very high percentage of contested shots rather than passing to role players. If we actually step back and think about it, imagine you are Tmac, and you have been playing with lesser players your entire career, you have been the one to carry the load, to make the big shots, to basically be the team. Now, after 11 years in the league you finally have talent around you and you feel you are not getting your touches, your shots, you are a little off because your role has changed. Wouldn't you bristle a bit about it? Kobe did, Hakeem did...everyone did.....but once they all break through that and realize that others on the team can do things to help win games too, it makes your job easier. I truly believe that Tmac is struggling with playing with better teamates, you would think that would be easier, but not if you are the guy that has made every decision for 11 years and are now having to defer in crucial situtions. That is what I am talking about...trust......he has to trust that others can do it, and the team has to trust in him as well. DD
I really don't think so. I'm not positive that he qualifies as a "superstar" for one. We'll say star with the option to be super. I would say the following stars (super or otherwise) are more willing passers / unselfish teammates / look to involve others: LeBron D Wade Duncan C Paul B Roy and I REALLY hate to say...but even Kobe Bryant. The last season and a half, he's let go of the "I'll pass it to you but you better pass it right back" junk that he rightfully got eaten alive for. The Lakers have a team offense that features him. It's not a broken, dysfunctional thing like it was. He works with his guys on a level that McGrady isn't right now. I'm not saying McGrady is a selfish ballhog right now. I'm willing to say he's "among the stars most willing to pass the ball in the game." He's not a Carmelo or Durant or Iverson. But he is obviously out of synch with his teammates and is playing like an individual more than he is a facilitator within the offense.
