How did I say he wasn't that good?? He did EVERYTHING for those Orlando teams, include lead them in rebounding and blocked shots one year as a Shooting Guard! Hill's injury took the Magic salary cap hostage, just like Yao and Tmac's injuries have taken away our flexibility in free agency and trades. So that lack of talent doesn't allow Tmac any talent to help him. Sam Cassell's Clippers won 47 games. That doesn't sound like a 2nd worst team in the league, and neither was their talent. Sterling actually spent $ that offseason and Baylor didn't mess it up for once. Sam Cassell had MUCH more help than Tmac EVER had in the playoffs. Brand, Kaman, Mobley, Maggette, Radmonivic, Q. Ross, and Shaun Livingston. Thats 1 great big man, another good big man, 2 good/athletic perimeter defenders, a 3rd option scorer, and a young, athletic back up point guard. Tmac NEVER had all that in ANY playoff series he ever played in. I actually did feel sorry watching Jordan in 86, averaging 49.5 PPG and still his team got SWEPT 3-0! He even had a 63 point game in which he lost in overtime. I don't really like Kobe, but the man played his heart out in 06 and 07, but he couldn't get out of 1st round because his teammates sucked...felt a little bad for him. I felt bad for Bird cuz back injuries basically took away 3 years of his career and ultimately ended it, but he was on talented teams for most of his career...Red Auerbach was a great GM and Fitch and K.C.Jones were good coaches. Bird's last 2 seasons, were hard to watch since the talent around him wasn't too great and he was severly injured. I've never felt bad for Magic, because he was on VERY talented teams throughout his career. I also felt bad for Dream, because in 87, 2 players were suspended an entire season for drugs of all things, Samspson had major injuries and was traded a year and a half after their finals run... Then from 88 to 92 it was 4 straight 1st round losses and the team missing playoffs altogether in 92, with Dream being accused of faking his injury. Dream played his a** off, yet there were no results to show for it...guess it was ALL Dream's fault right, even though he had a horrible supporting cast until 1993. So yes, I have felt bad for some of the greats...none of them can do it all alone...even Kareem has led teams which didn't make the playoffs in his prime. Theres only so much ONE PLAYER can do...this is basketball, a TEAM SPORT...if Tmac was a golfer, swimmer, track athlete, tennis player, etc. then it would be his fault...but he plays basketball, so its not ALL his fault.
I also forgot to mention Dwade and Lebron's teammates letting them down this year...they did EVERYTHING for their teams' but it still wasn't enough....felt bad seeing that too, cuz there was nothing more they could've done to help their team win.
Dwade=Finals MVP Lebron=MVP, been to Finals I don't feel bad for them, they represent their team and fans very well and have brought much greater success than Tmac ever did in his career for any team Tmac has played for.
That's because he's not a freaking leader. Cassell's leadership and confidence shows. His teammates love him, that shows. Every Rocket fan who was excited by the Francis trade, little did we know it was the ORLANDO MAGIC who made the finals before we did. The Tmac Era is a crappy 4 hour Michael Bay, Jerry Bruckheimer movie, with lots of noise and whistles, but the ending still SUCKS!!
Okay...lets not judge a guy on a season where he was crippled and could barely jump...He has always been a fighter for the team... And anyways, for half the season young guys will get his minutes, if they do better than him, then he'll have less minutes, its not like the day he comes back adelman will give him 48 minutes... You are totally right if he does the same things this season, but he is worth keeping and trying out in a seson where we are rebuilding
Dwayne Wade made it to the Finals WITH Shaq still averaging close to 20 ppg Alonzo Mourning off the bench Udonis Haslem Jason Williams running the point Gary Payton backing him up James Posey at the 3 Antoine Walker backing him up Thats a VERY experienced, playoff tested, and skilled supporting cast. What did Dwayne Wade do when he had Shaq the year after? His team got swept by the Baby Bulls...Tmac's NEVER been swept, especially by a lesser and younger team. But that team was injured, including Dwade and Shaq. Therefore they lost. What did Dwade do when his talent was gone and he was hurt? His team that he led, won 15 games. It wasn't his fault though, because he had serious injuries and that supporting cast was HORRIBLE. This last year, Wade had an MVP level season, just like Tmac did his 1st 3 seasons in Orlando and in 2005 and 2007 in Houston, but the talent around him stunk, so they lost in 7 games in the 1st round. Lebron, is a damn good player...he routinely overachieves with crap surrounding him...thats why I feel he's the best player in the game today. But I NEVER said Tmac was as good as Lebron though...that statement would be crazy. But even one of the most historic playoff runs in NBA history couldn't get him to the finals this year...what else could he have done? He averaged 38, 10, & 8, vs. the Magic.
Tmac in Orlando? scored a bunch of points against soft eastern conference teams so he can win the scoring title. Most over glorified 3 seasons in the history of the NBA. PERIOD. doesn't his lack of success in Houston say anything? 23 million dollars, half a season. no championship, no 2nd round, nothing. Not even the tmac fans greatest accomplishment.. a scoring title.
The Magic didn't make the playoffs for 3 years after they traded Tmac...NOBODY knew that Hedo would become an all star level player, NOBODY knew that Jameer Nelson at 5'10 (reason why he dropped so far in the draft) would become an All Star, and Howard was a project straight out of high school...it took him about 4 years to really develop, and 5 years to become a beast. They got Hedo for 5 million per year, they had Nelson for under 2 million per season (rookie contract), they drafted Courtney Lee and J.J. Reddick, 2 solid shooting guards who both produced. They signed Pietrus for cheap. Gortat was chump change this last season...who knew he would be anybody in the NBA. They drafted well, signed players for cheap, and went 2 straight years without making the playoffs, then they got swept in the 1st round, THEN they finally made it to the 2nd round. It took them time too, and they didn't have the type of injuries we've had, after 2004, unitl this year with Jameer Nelson. You can be the greatest leader in the world, I'm not so sure Dream would've been able to get Tmac's Orlando teams out of the 1st round, same goes for Kobe, Wade, Shaq etc. Cassell had a BUNCH of talent anytime he's made it past the 1st round: Milwakee: Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson were 2 big time scorers to help shoulder the load. Plus Lindsey Hunter and Tim Thomas were their role players. The very next year, they didn't make the playoffs, the year after they lost in the 1st round Minnasota: Kevin Garnett (MVP season), Latrell Sprewell, Troy Hudson, Wally Szcerbiack, A very talented team once again, with an MVP on his squad The very next year, the team implodes, and misses the playoffs. Clippers: Brand, Kaman, Mobley, Maggette, Quentin Ross, Corey Maggette, and Shaun Livingston, Radmonovic. Very talented team. The very next year, they miss the playoffs, but they are the clippers... Believe me, Sam Cassell ain the reason why these teams were great for one season. It was a combination of overall talent and good health. Tmac has had Yao at his peak for ONE season...he had a rookie Scola for ONE season, other than that, what help has Tmac really ever had?? Cassell was blessed with talent around him from his 1st day in the league (Dream)...he had a couple of rough years, but he managed to end up on teams where there were plenty of talent, and he didn't have anywhre close to the responsibilty Tmac had for Orlando and Houston. If you don't think surrounding talent matters...go talk to KG. He couldnt get out of the 1st round for years, had one good year with A LOT of talent around him, but then they left and he didn't make the playoffs ever again in Minnesota (2 seasons) Then he goes and joins Pierce and Allen, and they win a title in their 1st season and DOMINATE the league last year...what a difference supporting talent makes!
We know BlackKnight, we have seen you post about it....a lot....it is all Tmac's teamates fault...we get it. DD
Dwayne Wade didn't have any success in the playoffs this year...is he a complete failure or is it his GM for not getting him better players? He won a title with a GREAT supporting cast. Honestly, Compare Kobe and Dwade's, KG's supporting cast when they won and when they couldn't make it to the playoffs or get out of the 1st round...and compare Tmac's talent in the playoffs...his look more like those guy's supporting cast when they couldn't make the playoffs or get out of the 1st round Dont you understand the TEAM CONCEPT of basketball??? Maybe you should go watch golf, tennis, track and field, bowling, billiards, or the spelling Bee since you seem to think ONE MAN can win it all.... Your basketball IQ is pretty horrible to be honest.
All I'm trying to say is it was never his fault ONLY. Anytime your on a losing team, you get blame...he and Yao should get a little bit more because of their salary and talent, but its not fair to get ALL the blame, especially considering his talent around him in the playoffs.
A beautiful and logical post. Thank God that T-Mac hatred hasn't blinded everyone... I agree that this is very likely to happen and I wouldn't mind seeing it. Not sure what we lose by seeing how T-Mac can do out on the floor. He'll be playing for his career/future which will make him more valuable if they wanted to do a trade later, and that can be good for us. Also, if he comes back as normal/semi-normal T-Mac, then that will be good for us with our currently "star-less" team. Not a T-Mac lover, just want what's best for the Rockets and if they can't get something worthy in a trade now, no reason to get desperate. I'm sure Morey and the organization will make the right moves at the right time when it comes to T-Mac, I trust them to do that, and I don't think the right move is to just dish him out for anything because he's "bad for the team" or because people are tired of his constant injuries. Be patient...wait until McGrady returns...
I know you get it, but apparently Tinman doesn't. Although you don't like Tmac as a player, you will atleast admit that he was a very talented player...I can respect that. Tinman won't even admit that...thats just mind boggling to me. I can understand people for being frustrated with him after last season...he had an injury plagued horrible season... but to say he's done nothing in Houston is where I gotta step in and just post a few facts to make sure people know what they are arguing against.
This is where your crusade goes off the rails, no one has ever said it was ALL his fault, you took that stance..... He was like the QB, the highest profile player, it is not enough to put up stats yourself it is about making your team better, and sometimes it is about letting them have the ball. It took Dream years to learn that, in fact, it took an injury, a players coach, and a 15 game winning streak without him for Dream to learn his teamates could play ball too. TMac, for all his amazing ability, still does not trust his teamates to make the decisions late...and because of that, and him being an inefficient player he is not good enough to win enough playoff games to advance. It takes a team.....and trust......Tmac has not learned that yet....... DD
I thought he trusted his teammates in 2007...he didn't shoot that well, but he was more than willing to pass 16 assists in Game 5 and 13 assists in Game 7. In 2008, without Yao, and with Scola being the only one consistently stepping up, it seemed like he had to take more shots. I do agree, Dream had many years similar to Tmac in Orlando, where management/supporting cast, were pretty bad, not really good coaching either, and he felt like he had to do it on his own to escape criticism, but even his great #'s couldn't keep the media from criticizing him.
It seems like people are blaming it ALL on Tmac, as if he's supposed to magically beat teams 1-on-5. Nobody ever mentions the lack of teammates helping out, or Yao/ Rafer being out in 2008. Thats why I took that stance...thats the vibe I was getting from many posts
Haha resorting to name calling? cause you can't find a logical reason why Tracy McGrady has failed everywhere he's gone. You say Tracy McGrady and Team in the same sentence, not even Stephen A Smith would say that. My basketball IQ is beyond yours pal. Maybe you should try watching some basketball, preferably Houston Rockets basketball.
Where did I call you a name?? I said your bball IQ is bad...since when was that name calling?? My basketball IQ is pretty good too, and I watch EVERY ROckets game for your information. Along with most games on ESPN Wednesday and Friday nights, and TNT games on Thursday nights. If I could afford and had the time to watch league pass I would buy that too, but unfortunately school keeps me pretty busy. Tracy McGrady does play team ball...Kobe Bryant was more selfish for a long time than Tmac ever was...Kobe took bad shots WITH a PRIME Shaq on his team...watch the 2004 Finals, they just showed it on ESPN Classics a couple of days ago...
No. Dream had zero years similar to Tmac. there were some losing seasons, but nobody questions this guys heart and effort and work ethic and durablity. Dream took the Rockets to the Finals in year 2. Maybe you didn't know that or you NEVER KNEW that. The Rockets started losing when the half the team went on drugs and Sampson couldn't play anymore. The Rockets quickly rebuilt knowing that Hakeem could take the Rockets back to the Finals cause HE DID IT BEFORE. Tmac NEVER did that. They didn't stick Matt Harpring on Dream to shut him down. Dream never pulled up for 3 pointers on a fast break. Dream was NEVER like Tmac, ever in anything, ping pong, or even chewing gum.
