What are our other options outside of T-Mac? Whom can we trade for that can make this team better and not worse? If you get rid of T-Mac, you have to get two (not just one) very good players to replace what he does for this team: 1) A pure PG and floor leader who excels in running the half-court offense (not many are out there who fit the bill, period). 2) A go-to reliable scorer that can take the pressure off Yao, or else Yao will always be triple-teamed (a Ben Gordon type of player is needed here). You're not getting Kobe, Wade, or Lebron. So what other perimeter player would you want? Oh, and if we aren't having some kind of playoff success by next season, Yao will be equally blamed for it. If Yao is our best player as most on this board would attest to, then he will and should be getting a healthy chunk of the blame for it. I think they both would feel the heat if we don't at least get past the first round. Regardless, McGrady has three more seasons and then he's free to walk away or we're free to let him go and look elsewhere. If Yao is still healthy and playing he should still be in his prime and we will have a chance to pair him up with possibly another star player, although that will be difficult to do. But seriously, just think about how hard it is to have one of the premier players in the league on your team. We lucked out with McGrady falling into our laps, and we lucked out with Yao falling into our laps in that draft (it was very unlikely for us to get the #1 pick in that draft, but somehow it worked out; I think it was meant to be). So again, what other superstar can we get if we trade him away?
That's highly speculative and there is no way to prove it, but suffice to say that if it's the same exact lineup we currently have, it wouldn't make much of difference as we would still lose to the superior teams (Suns, Mavs at least). Kobe is great, but I think some of you guys completely exaggerate how much better he's than McGrady or Lebron or one of those guys. You can say he's better, but he isn't much better whereas he would be the difference in beating the elite teams. We still wouldn't have the necessary talent/depth to do it.
Are you freakin kidding me? T-Mac wanted to come to Houston b/c of Yao, which he thinks will gives him the best chance to win a championship. Neither cares about limelights, attention,toches..etc...where the hell have you been since the two stars been together? Both are very unselfish player and will refer to each other to win, its just that they can't find the right balance right now and thats expected with yao being out for soo long. Awful noobie post and I couldn't disagree more...
Stupid on what? Give out your point when you call others stupid, please. He is telling a fact, a fact what disturbs Rox. He tried to be humble, but you step on his toes. Go Rox does not mean that Rox will go with the concerns of our Duo. I have no answer for this. t-mac played great along with JHo and kept us in today's rank. We need him play as great as before along with Yao. I said it before: if JVG can not figure out the solution, or we can not get into 2nd round, his contract renewal will be questionable. No trade talk for either one of our superstars. Only coach can be the scapegoat.
Tmac immaturity is showing up again, the same thing that occurred in Orlando when I lived there and watched him. Tmac took leadership courses at the Univ of Cen Fl. and also was mentored by Disney executives on leadership. It doesn't help if you don't have the Capacity to lead and Tmac doesn't. Rafer is a better leader than him or Yao. Tmac will never be a leader.
There is nothing preventing Tmac from driving to the hole. Yao takes up space, but Yao also attract the opponents' centers out and about. Yao is also pretty good at blocking the opponents centers out if they try to front him. In fact, a great scheme will be this 2-man game. If opponent fronts Yao, Yao blocks out and Tmac goes to the rack. If opponent doesn't front Yao, Yao gets the ball and shoot. Ok, I am being overly simplistic, but the point is, there are many things Tmac can do with Yao on the court. Just for some reason he doesn't do them much.
If Tmac can hit his shots, everything is fine. Yao can not play like that two games in New Orleans and Tmac need help us to win the 4th. I don't think they don't like eachother, it all about the win.
There is nothing wrong with TMac and Yao. The way they are playing, they compliment each other perfectly. When both are firing on all cylinders, we get the 50 point blowout of the 76ers from several weeks ago. Just two comments about TMac's game lately: 1) He needs to drive to the basket more come playoff time. I think he is coasting for now since Yao is back but when game 1 starts against the Jazz, TMac will probably be agressive and will be driving towards the basket. This is something we probably don't have to worry about. 2) The other issue is his FG% since Yao came back. If he maintains a high FG% (and Yao is playing well), we get the 50 point blowout of the 76ers and the game is practically over by the 3rd quarter. Whether he can get his shot back by the playoffs remains to be seen. Getting his shot and rythym back is definitely worrisome because he seems to be on a shooting slump lately. Rocket Zoom
i think its plain and simple what the problem is. t-mac doesn't try when yao's on the court. he gets complacent because he thinks yao can do most of the work. when yao was out we saw t-mac making all kinds of shots. now yao's back and he cant hit an open shot. im sorry but thats not a coincedence. yao playing makes t-mac feel he doesnt need to be at his best and he can afford to miss a shot or two. its been evident all season. the stats dont lie. 47% shooting with yao out and 30 something % with yao in. t-mac is a confusing guy. i just hope he brings it in the playoffs.
This is my first post, hope i don't get chewed up too badly. I never considered Tmac as a true "Go to guy". I think he is one of many by product of "Post Jordan syndrome". Prior to a couple of years when Jordan retired for the second time, it seemed as if all the up and coming 2guards in the league thought they could also average 30 a game and win six championships. Life time FG% for Tmac.439, Kobe .462, Ray Allen .446, AI .442, Stackhouse .410, Carter .446, as opposed to Jordan who consistently shot 49% to 54% in his prime. If you asked me, lauching unbalanced fadeaway throughout the game and averaging sub 45% from the field, ain't the most effecient way to use 20-25shots per game, except for maybe Kobe. Tmac would be best used if he played the role of Scottie Pippen. Pippen was a bit offensively challenged compared to Tmac, but he did bring far superior defense than Tmac. I think Tmac has all the prerequisite to become a great defender, but i don't think he can do that while he also has to average 25 a game. I do think Tmac can coexist with yao, but we need to bring in a reliable third scorer to achieve that. It would have been perfect if Bonzi could have given us 15 to 17ppg and allow Tmac to concentrate more on playmaking and defense, but i'm not sure if Bonzi ever put a serious effort on it. For this year, i think we should just concentrate on getting past the 1st round in the playoffs. "Rome wasn't built in a day", gradual improvements towards building a dynasty is not a bad thing, especially when your best center in the league is at the stage of his carrer when he has more to look forward than look back.
The different thing T-Mac did vs the Jazz was not starting the team off good, he took a lot of shots and missed instead of getting 3 quick assists in the 1st like he usually does, he needs to stop relying on his shot, when he isnt hitting he needs to go to the rack more and dunk on some people.
Rox win 20+ games when Yao was out, that was the regular season, rox's most pts are from T-Mac's jumpers and the 3pts line, in the playoffs, we will never hit so many 3pts, and T-Mac's jumpers is likely to be inconsistent, just like the Utah game. Yao will be the most powerful weapon in the playoffs coz other reams have no answer for him. T-mac should hand the ball, in charge of most offense, it's better for him to penetrate and pass the ball to wild open teammates or attack the rim by himself. T-Mac should take 20-25 shoots and 8+ fts. Yao should be more aggressive in stead of trying too many jumpers, like these two games recently, and get more ft chances. Yao should take 18-22 shoots and 10+ fts. T-Mac should lead our bench play in the early 4th quarter, Yao gets back in the court and play with our starters for the last 6min. Yao's 4th quarter problem is mainly because of his stamina, remember the game at Wizards, Yao performed as a monster when he rested well.
This is crazy...look at all the people talking down on T-mac after he just lead a sub-par team, with ALL role-players. to a top 5 nba team when yao went out...Now since he's in a slump everybody is talking about trading t-mac & sh*t...Some of these members make me naueous...While everybody is critizing the only player that has gave us a winning record, he gets put down....Yao mng is a great player, but if T-mac went down for 30 games this year, this team would be 5-25... If you are going to critize anybody it should be the Houston's bench & jvg As long as the rockets win these last 9 games, T-mac should be able to shoot 15% from the field without complaining..As ong as he shows up in the playoffs....He led us to a record that NO ONE though was possible without Yao ..no one can create their own shot outside of t-mac (except Yao).......The houston bench which has probaly contributed 10points combined, the last 2 games....Shane battier who plays good defense, but only contributes 10pts a game...... Rafer alston/Mr. Inconsistent...One game he plays like john stocken, then next game he plays like a middle school towel boy...Juwan Howard who hasn't hit the bucket since 93', and don't play defense... neither does Novak, so why not play Novak too?...Atleast Novak will hit the open jumper! ..Chuck/Deke & luther is the only 3 players outside Y & T that does anything...JVG has no idea what to do on offense without Tracy in the lineup.....He didn't play Francis/Derek anderson/Swift...now Bonzi wells, because he don't like their attitudes....If the can play, let them play.....Which player on the rockets team, beside Y & T are better than Wells?? All these members saying, "Trade T-mac" will be the same members that jump back on is nuts, as soon as he starting lighting up Utah in the playoffs.....SMH
Thing is T-Mac does compliment Yao pretty good, but the way he has been playing since Yao came back, doesnt compliment him. T-Mac is taking a load of shots, instead of passing it to the post for yao to get an easy layup, T-Mac just needs to drive and dish. Instead of being a 24 ppg and 6.4 apg person, I would rather see him be a 20 ppg and 8.4 APG person, he needs to pass a lot. When he gets a lot of assists he is very good.
I think it's more a matter of proper distrubution of floor space and shots taken than anything else. It takes time to work out. Shaq and Kobe had such problems. Just be patient, they got high basketball IQ and they goona work out the right way.
