The only thing MeMac is ready for is for some sucker er team to give him another big contract so he can underachieve again.
DD, who else was going to take shots on that squad? I mean, really. It had more to do with players vs style. Hayes couldn't shoot 14 shots in a open gym, shane will only shoot if he's butt naked and you really don't want rafer shooting that much. they lost because the team they played had more talent. The jazz won because after game 1, they found out they could single yao and tilt to tracy and no one else could creat a shot. In the playoffs, teams will not or try not to let the best players beat them. Remember maxwell going off in that critical game? What about the kenny smithor cassell showing up big in a ritical game? The stars are the constant, but the others guys need to step out the box and make their presence felt and the rockets couldn't do that consistently. Just like brooks and scola doing the blazers in, the rockets didn't have the personel to do it.
I was scrolling through the last couple of pages of the thread and had to respond to this quote. While I agree, DD, that Tracy jacks up way too many shots far too often, that 13 in 33 was a perfect example of what made him a great player, at least back then. Great players can have an off game, but come up big when it counts. What he did at the end of that game was impossible. He did it anyway. I don't care how many shots he jacked up during the game if he was able to do that at the end and win it. And the fact that he used to be capable of doing something similar on any given night is why he was always double or triple teamed. If McGrady and Yao had had this group of guys that we have today, we'd be polishing another trophy, in my opinion. Both were doubled and sometimes triple teamed but the "role players" couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. Our current team, entirely consisting of role players, could knock that barn down. Pretty frustrating, but as the French say, such is life.
Pretty much old man :grin: . I'm not going to say they would be polishing a trophy, but I'm sure they would at least be a conf finals few times. The rockets wasted their best years with short term guys and it hurt them big time.
Yes Deck, but the really GREAT ones are able to do it with a LOT MORE CONSISTENCY.... Tracy is only great occassionally, and that is the problem, because to win in the playoffs, you need more consistency. Tracy is very inconsistent in his efficiency, and when you rely on him to be great, and he isn't...well...game over. DD
Perception is reality, a new idea, eh? So, the best two things going on the McG front are (1) his ASG votes and (2) his endorsement by 'the man', Glover, hisself. These two things + 13 in 38; scoring titles; etc etc et alia make it easier for a GM to roll the dice with a McG trade because his fanbase understands risk/reward, and he'll be selling the reward. DM the GM will bring back tangible asset(s) for our missing link and the world order will be restored. Yao will come back. Now, let's not see Pau II (i.e. Bosh to Lakes, which I do not believe) or D-Wade/Bosh/LBJ wind up lacing'm up together...
I can understand when a player says that he is ready for a coach not to listen but when the trainer that trained him and has a good reputition around the league say that his guy is ready maybe they should listen.
You don't get it. The Rockets do not want McGrady, healthy or not. His attitude and style of play is not conducive to this team.
Ariza is better how? His attitude has been pretty crappy lately. His style of play is basically what McGrady did here. Your post should have just read: "You don't get it. The Rockets do not want McGrady, healthy or not." People want to point out his defense since McGrady doesn't really play much. Seems like the Rockets are more suspect to offensive droughts as opposed to defensive ones, even when Mac was playing they were one of the top defensive teams in the league (big part of it being team defense obviously). All moot...McGrady's time as a Rocket is coming to a close.
I dont see a lot of pullup 3's from Ariza. I don't see a lot of initiating the play at the top of the key by Ariza. I see more running off of screens than McGrady did. I see more setting screens than T-Mac did. But hey, Ariza is having issues with FTs, just like T-Mac did in '07-'08.
A. He runs the wing hard(Which is huge), and plays defense. B. He plays HARD every night. "His style of play is basically what McGrady did here" No, It's not. Nope, I think my post read just fine. Tracy Mcgrady does not run, or play defense. Two critical aspects of the game that Ariza (Despite his faults) does very well. And for 1/4th the price...
+1... It's nice to not see anyone that thinks they are too good to set screens. Essentially, we run Rick's offense much better with Tracy not playing, because Tracy refuses to do any unselfish, dirty work...
