Tracy is are leader Tracy is my favorite Tracy is the 2010 MIP and MVP Tracy Is the Best He is going to return to do damage with whatever team he go to I LOVE TRACY MCGRADY
McGrady has helped the franchise most of his tenure in Houston. He helped win us a lot of games and I appreciate all he has done. It is a shame that he never got to gel with this year's team as obviously it was the best we have had in a good while.
I see now why Tmac made those "Its my fault etc." comments...for many people, Tmac cannot do any good or right in his life. Some people will simply not cut him any slack. I know he was ridiculed then, but I really do see what would make him just go off like that after hearing that for 7 years. Basketball - The man goes from being criticized as a lazy, bench warmer to a multi-time allstar. Yet, he's still considered a lazy, doesn't work hard, doesn't care, doesn't have heart, etc. -The Orlando Magic give Grant Hill a max contract, but he only plays 47 games with Tmac, and the rest of the supporting cast is just awful. Yet, he got them to the playoffs for 3 straight years, and almost won a playoff series with a rookie Drew Gooden as his next best player, vs. a #1 seed, while his team is a #8 seed. Tmac was also a top 8 MVP candidate each of these 3 years. -Some of the BEST players Tmac had through his 1st 3 years in Orlando were Darrell Armstrong, rookie Mike Miller, an old Patrick Ewing, a fat and drug rehabbing Shawn Kemp, and Drew Gooden. Compare that with the other great wings in the league who've had success: Wade had Odom and Butler...then Shaq, Walker, White Chocolate, Payton, Posey,Mourning, Haslem later on. His team WITH Shaq was swept by a young Bulls team in the 1st round, won only 15 games, and then lost in 7 games in the playoffs this year. Kobe had Shaq, Horry, Rice, Payton, Malone...then Odom and Gasol. When Kobe didn't have talent he didn't make the playoffs, and couldn't get out of the 1st round 2 years in a row. Pierce had Walker...then he got KG and Allen, and Posey. The only player who had comparable scrubs to Tmac was Lebron, but even Z alone was better than any help Tmac had in Orlando. -Orlando has a roster of Drew Gooden, Juwan Howard, DeShaun Stevenson, Steven Hunter, Pat Garritty, Tyronne Lue, Kieth Bogans, Reece Gaines, Andrew DeClerque, Britton Johnson, and a rookie Zaza Pachulia in 2004, and yet people wonder why the Magic went 21-61...this roster was a joke!! Maybe Michael Jordan and Lebron James gets them to the playoffs, because they have taken crap to the playoffs before, but I still wonder... -In 2005, Tmac finally gets some help when he's traded to Houston in the form of a developing Yao Ming. They win 51 games, and play a much deeper and more talented Dallas team (who finished the season 16-2). Tmac was a top 8 MVP candidate. We go up 2-0 on their home floor...lose 2 close games at home, and lose game 5 on a blatant bad call (Finley was out of bounds)...not to mention all the fishy calls of "moving screens" on Yao. Then in game 7, Tmac and Yao score 61 of our 76 points...yet Tmac gets all the blame for not getting us out of the 1st round... -2006 was horrible year for the Rockets as Tmac and Yao had major injury problems and we miss the playoffs. Criticism is warranted about their health. -in 2007, Yao is fully developed, and hits his scoring peak. Tmac is more than WILLING to defer to Yao, since that is the best option for the team. Then Yao goes down for an injury and is out for 32 games. With a roster of Deke, Juwan Howard, Battier, Alston, Head, Hayes, Snyder, and JLucas III, he leads us to a 20-12 record while Yao is out, while averaging 28 ppg, 7 apg, 7 rpg. He basically helped save our season. We finish with 52 wins, and get home court advantage for the playoffs. He was a top 8 MVP candidate once again. -We win our 1st 2 at home, vs. a deeper Utah team. We lose 2 games in Utah, one of which only 4 PLAYERS SCORE in the ENTIRE GAME: Yao and Tmac scored 50 points (their average) Battier and Alston score a combined 17, and thats it! http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200704260UTA.html In Game 5 Tmac has 26 points and 16 assists on 44% shooting, we win. In Game 7, Tmac has 29 points and 13 assists and 3 blocks on 48 % shooting...yet we lose by 4, and Tmac gets ALL THE BLAME ON HIM. I know he said "its on me", but this is a TEAM game. Our bench was outscored 17-10, also Chuck Hayes started and scored 4 points. http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200705050HOU.html In 2008, Tmac has more injury problems in various parts of his body, but with a more offensive minded coach, a new GM, and a much needed improvement and youth of talent, the Rockets are finally able to win a little bit without Tmac. All of a sudden people feel that it was Tmac's fault that we weren't winning before...although when he was healthy we started out 6-1, and ended up finishing the season 33-8 when he came back healthy from his injury in mid-January. By February, Tmac was fully recovered, Luis Scola and Carl Landry have developed, Alston has become a steady contributor, and the Rockets acquired a veteran back up point guard. We start on our famous winning streak. We reach 12 games, and then Yao goes down for the rest of the season. However, Tmac, who is banged up himself leads us to 10 more victories in a row. We finish with 55 wins and home court advantage. The fans at Toyota Center are chanting "M-V-P" every time he shoots free throws now...He was again a top 8 MVP candidate. However, Tmac reinjures his knee but plays through it. Battier injures his foot, but he plays through it as well, but is clearly limited. Alston sprains his ankle, and misses 2.5 games of the series vs. Utah. We lose our 1st 2 games at home, and although Tmac had okay games, he gets ALL the blame, even though the Utah defense is basically daring anybody BUT Tmac to beat them. They double and triple team him on every possession. Then the infamous "My fault" comments come from Tmac...he's getting even more heat for the losses now, even though everything he said was correct in his meaning. Then Rafer returns and we win 2 of the next 3 games. Then we play Utah in Game 6. We get out to a horrible start. Deke gets 2 early fouls, nobody EXCEPT Tmac is hitting their shots, and we end up down by 18 points in the 2nd quarter. Tmac goes on a scoring barrage and brings us to within 4 points by the half...he scores 28 points in the 1st half. just to keep us in the game! However, Rafer reaggrivates his foot injury and Bobby Jackson is once again asked to run the show for us, and thats when Utah pulled away. Tmac ended up with 40 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and a block on 50% shooting. The only other player in double figures was Luis Scola with 15 points. http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200805020UTA.html In 2008-09 season, he comes back early, and is criticized for playing through the pain. Doctors tell him to play through it, telling him it will get better, but it gets much worse as he plays. He hit rock bottom when he couldn't dunk a basketball at 6'8, a former slam dunk competitor...yet people claim that he was lazy, even though he had to rehab after 2 surgeries in the offseason. People claim that he was a wimp, even though he tried to play through the pain. People claim that HIS ABSENCE WAS THE MAIN REASON WHY WE MADE IT TO THE 2nd round...not that we played an inexperienced 2-man show who had no answer for Yao. Charity Work -Now, he goes to Darfur, uses his time and money on the effort, and is making a documentary, and people STILL manage to criticize him for that!! Its just unbelievable. They claim that he's doing it for attention and credit. I guess it is his fault that people are dying every day because of their race and religion. Its Tmac's fault that he has to make a documentary and use his celebrity status to help people realize whats going on there. Its Tmac's fault that Yao's foot didn't heal, its Tmac's fault that You ordered a Heineken, but got a Budweiser at the game, its Tmac's fault that for EVERYTHING thats wrong with the Rockets and their playoff failures. Its not the fact that JVG and CD put together an old, unathletic team, with no depth. Its not the fact that Yao missed a lot of time to injuries as well, ITS ALL TMAC"S FAULT RIGHT?? Even though this is a TEAM game... Do yall see why I think he gets too much criticism, blame and crap from the media and fans. Its simply not right!! Especially about his charity work...thats just beyond unbelievable to me that people actually criticize that...
1. for the 1000000x, Tracy In Orlando is overrated and means nothing to the Rockets. We got him. That Tmac in Orlando, that's the dude we got for Steve/Cuttino. There was Tracy in LA, or Tracy in Shanghai, it was Tracy in Orlando that we got. I'm so tired of people glorifying his seasons in Orlando, which were insignificant if you compare them to Shaq or Dwight Howard. 2. MVP Candidate?? Do you get a trophy for that? I liked it when we had a REAL MVP.
Quit being such a drama queen. Only like two people have said anything remotely critical of his charity work, one of which walks the walk himself (where's his pass, by the way?).
thank you I know tmac isn't perfect, I know his shooting % is down, and with that his efficiency, I know his health is always a concern, and his leadership abilities aren't exactly great, but why is everything HIS FAULT and HIS FAULT ONLY?? I just feel that he gets too much crap thrown his way that isn't warranted. enough is enough...
I'm being the drama queen?? You were one of the 1st idiots to actually criticize his charity work...I think you need to look at yourself in the mirror. I am willing to criticize tmac about the right things, but like I posted before, I feel that Tmac throughout his career has taken too much BS for many things he cannot control.
I was just trying to make a point that Tmac has been scrutinized his entire career over the fact that he hasn't been able to get out of the 1st round in a sport where its a TEAM GAME. I know what he did in Orlando isn't really relevant to the Rockets, but I was just trying to prove a point. No, he doesn't get an a trophy for being an MVP candidate, but the NBA obviously felt that he wasn't overrated, unlike you. Only a handful of players in each era can say they were top 10 MVP candidates for multiple years. Believe me, I'm as big a Hakeem fan as you'll EVER find...it sure was fun watching him school people. He definitely earned his MVP, probably should've gotten more if he had better teammates throughout his career instead of just 3 or 4 seasons.
I'm the only person who thinks Tracy was overrated in Orlando? ask the Orlando fan who never saw the 2nd round with their highest paid player. Ask the Rocket fan who finally saw the 2nd round when Tmac didn't play. Scoring alot of points does not equal MVP. Dominating both ends of the court and winning does. You saw Dream play? that's a REAL MVP and you know Tracy does not resemble anything like that guy.. EVER.
you didn't really criticize his charity work, so I do apologize for saying that...got you mixed up with somebody else who blatantly criticized his charity work. Howver, on pages 3 & 4 of this thread...you didn't really acknowledge his charity work as something great either. You say that people are using his charity work as a deflection from his criticisms on the court, which I think is the wrong way to look at it. You also sarcastically asked if we should give a multimillion dollar contract to the Dalli Lama and the Late Mother Teresa, which I found somewhat offensive (since Mother Teresa helped many in my parents native country of India)...they are great people, and probably wouldn't keep a penny if they could help somebody with every penny of that money. If I were a GM of a basketball team, I would find a way to get people like that money, because there are many more important things in life than basketball. I mean, hell why shouldn't Tmac be given a pass?? He's doing something thats MUCH MORE IMPORTANT thant the GAME of basketball. Its JUST A GAME...atleast you know he's using his money to help people. Thats why I would be willing to give him a pass IF he needed one. If thats so wrong, then so be it. In all honesty, I don't think he even needs it, for the reasons I mentioned in my long post I made earlier.
I find myself being fairly ambivalent in these TMac debates. I have a hard time expressing my opinion about something so meaningless as whether TMac ever WAS good, anyways. I only care if he's going to be good, and I don't even have a clue about that. That being said, I can't believe the usual suspects still bother! The definition of insanity, guys! I would have given up a long time ago.
Okay, who else can do the things Tracy McGrady can do on a basketball court?? Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, are the only 3 players who were better than Tmac at scoring, playmaking, and playing defense. Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, and Brandon Roy are about the same level as Tracy McGrady. Tmac in my view is still a better playmaker than all 3 of these guys though and MUCH better defensively. Joe Johnson, Carmello Anthony, are similar, but worse than Tmac overall on the basketball court. Melo is a comparable and more efficient scorer, but nowhere near the playmaker or the defender that Tmac was. Now thats only 3 players at his position that are better than Tmac...3 that are comparable and probably equal to Tmac, and 2 that are remotely close to Tmac... I don't think thats overrated...to be a top 5 shooting guard/wing player in the NBA for a good majority of your career. And since when was Tmac some HORRIBLE DEFENDER? He only started out as a defensive specialist in Toronto, and a pretty good one at that. Last I checked, last year was his first bad year playing defense, and that was because he was playing on ONE F****N leg!! Its people like you what irritate me about their criticisms about Tmac. He is talented, he does play defense, and he sure as hell wasn't overrated in Orlando...he had one of the best statistical seasons EVER in 2002-2003! As to your comparison of Dream...Only Michael Jordan compares to Dream, in that they were both extremely versatile on both sides of the court...Dream is a top 10 player of all time to me...I know Tmac aint close to Dream. Very few people are. Dream should've gotten more than 1 MVP.
I applaud TMac for apologizing to the Rockets and to their fans this past season. I hope he comes back to the former player not the latter. Prove us wrong!!!!
