In 2004-2005, when he arrived here, McGrady had a WICKED left elbow post-up jumper that he'd take, usually off a fake, spinning CLOCKWISE. I can't recall ANYONE else that has ever had this shot (granted, I don't know what his percentages were on it, but it looked sick when he took it). Jordan and Kobe and Karl Malone all had great traditional ones from the right elbow spinning counter-clockwise, but I've never seen anyone else regularly take the shot that McGrady came here with. After 2004-2005, the shot disappeared from his repertoire, never to be seen again. Why? My best guess (without watching tape) is that it required a good amount of elevation to get off without being blocked, so his injuries kept him from being able to get it off comfortably/safely, but I don't really know where it went. Any thoughts? p.s. At any rate, I'd rather Scola's J from there at this point, as I'm sure it's more reliable.) p.p.s. At the risk of inciting the standard silly argument here, I thought this was neat. http://www.wagesofwins.com/Magic77-09.html Tracy McGrady is ranked 4th in the history of the Magic. As one can see, once upon a time McGrady was a very productive NBA player. That is no longer the case today. With the Magic he posted a WP48 [Wins Produced per 48 minute] above 0.200 each season. He has not done this for the Rockets since his first season in Houston. And now that he is 30 years of age, we might suspect that McGrady is not likely to reach the 0.200 mark again.
How efficient do you want our wing players to be?? McGrady was putting up great numbers. Bonzi was putting up great numbers ( once in a while ) they werent that efficient but should that matter? Really?? who cares as long as we win that's all that should matter really. I mean there are times when you are going to have an off night.
Exactly. What small forward in the NBA is stronger than him. Ron needs to be forced to play on the low block when Yao sits. I could be wrong but he seems very productive down low and he's got very good passing skills.
Great numbers to me does not mean PPG, it is about efficient scoring etc, somewhere north of 44-45% and 80%+ from the FT line....with a good points per shot ratio. I would not consider Allen Iverson to be an efficient player, though he put up points, Tmac is better than him at getting others shots, but they are of the same ilk in that they need to dominate the ball to get their points. Agreed about the off - night, but if you are going by numbers - and we have to assume Morey is - then you look for efficient scorers who attack the basket and draw fouls getting the team in the penalty earlier in each quarter to take advantage of our good foul shooting. It is why Lowry is better than Rafer even though he is not a good shooter, he draws a lot more contact and fouls. We need something similar from the wing position....right now Artest and Battier are great on D, but don't get to the line often enough. I do agree that winning is all that matters, but you can make winning easier by being more efficient. DD
Ron sucked on the low block this year, unless the low block is refering to how easy it was for the other team to block his shot...low. DD
Well Matt Harpring is pretty strong. So i wouldn't go ahead and say Artest is the strongest. Just because he is big that doesn't mean he is strong.
So Matt Harpring and him are a toss up in strength. What about the other 29 teams in the league? Artest is big and he's strong. In my eyes Ron's at his best on the block, I would rather see him down there instead of taking an off balance 20fter.
I wouldn't say Lowry is better than Rafer. They just play 2 different styles of ball. I wouldn't be so quick to say McGrady isn't an efficient scorer. How efficient can you be if your hurt. If your knees hurt or your ankle is sprained your not going to be able to walk properly. Anyone for that matter.
She's short and skinny but she is strong ! <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VY4tw7egGn0&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VY4tw7egGn0&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> DD
Well this is not street ball. Ron can not bully his way to score. The refs are quick to blow their whistle now a days. Also last but not least i don't know if you seem to notice but players FLOP now. Offensive foul. Turnover. Ron Artest will be gone b4 you know it.
Lowry fits better in that he plays better D, and draws more fouls, thus getting our team into the penalty more quickly and allowing Yao to get to the FT line more often when fouled, heck the whole team for that matter. McGrady has not been an efficient scorer for years, and you are right about his injuries, so assuming he still has those, then all the more reason to trade him now for a more efficient player. DD
And McGrady is always hurt, which is another reason he isn't efficient. Thing is, he just didn't settle for awful jumpers over and over he'd be incredibly efficient with his above average passing skills.
Basketball is 5 on 5 sport not 1 on 1. Im sure if he is on the block and is backing his man down a help defender is going to come. By saying that we all know how Ron is. He is going to try to dribble his way out in which he will turn the ball over.
I'm completely on your side in regards to efficiency...completely...so much so that I've come to the conclusion that it is almost impossible for an inefficient star player to lead his team to a championship - in all of the years of the NBA, it doesn't seem to have happened yet. The books have turned on AI, a lot, but I still think at the end of the day, he will be overrated. That said, the one area of his game that I think will always be underrated is his ability to get others shots. The guy has a 6.2 apg career average (for comparison sake a guy like Nash is only at 8.0 apg career average), and had a stretch of 5 years in a row where he had more than 7 apg. Allen Iverson has always been a ball dominating, inefficient volume shooting scorer, but he has nonetheless been able to be pretty good at getting others makeable shots. Considering some of his teammates in his early years, that's saying a lot. I'd agree that T-Mac is fairly adept at getting others involved, especially since he doesn't dominate the ball as much as AI does. But in either case, both players are way way way way way too inefficient in today's NBA.
Ron Artest was not signed here to replace Tmac, he was here to bring defense and a strong mentality to the team. -he has done that Tmac was brought here to bring us back to glory. -he has not done that Ron Artest has played with the Rockets for exactly 1 season Tmac has played 5 I already know what you are going to say, so I'll save you the trouble. Yao Ming was drafted #1 by the Rockets. He is injury prone also, however he was here as a rookie and given the benefit of the doubt to develop into a good player. Tracy was brought here by trade as a heralded and hyped elite player. Whatever you think of him, you can not deny he has not delivered and he is our highest paid player. With his salary and a fantastic crop of free agents coming up, it's time to call it an era.
Rafer plays defense. Don't under-estimate his defense. Lowry's body is just built more than Rafer's. But like I said. They have 2 different style of play. That's why we were able to get into the penalty quick. Lowry's style of play. But that doesn't always work. You see what Aaron Brooks was doing. The same thing Lowry did. Drive and try to draw the foul. Thing is the refs aren't always going to blow the whistle.
That is true, but you need players that can take on the contact or score more efficiently, Rafer was certainly NOT that player, he bent his body every which way to avoid contact. DD
What Defense did Ron bring here exactly?? Please tell me? From what I've seen every person Ron as guarded as blown right by him. Ron Artest's defense is declining. He is not the same defensive player as he was.
I agree Rafer wasn't that player but Rafer played his role when he was here. He ran the offense. His job was to set others up and he did that. His shot may have been inconsistent but Rafer wasn't that bad. You always say McGrady and Artest doesn't fit together. I doubt that we don't know they haven't played together long enough to determine that but you can say McGrady and Rafer doesn't fit together. I always found it funny how once McGrady was always out of the line-up Rafer would always play great ball.
