I'm not for any trade that sacrifices the future for this season. With TMac's back, this season looks more lost every day. I only give up our draft pick if we can get a good young player now.
I know this is sacrilege, but maybe we should look at moving Tmac for someone Yao's age, or younger, if we are truly building for the future. Maybe for two good young players, to a team loaded with young talent, like a Chicago, or the Clippers.
They would have to be two very good players as it is very difficult to get a quality player like T McG.Who did you have in mind?
Just thinking aloud, maybe a Kirk Hinrich and a Luol Deng. They'd have to throw in Tim Thomas as fodder to make the salaries match up. I'm not necessarly saying trade for those two players or with that team, but to some team with two players with comparable talents and ages. Our great player for two younger promising players. Instead if trying to build a two-superstar team in the Shaq/Kobe mode, shoot for a more rounded team, in the Detroit or Phoenix mode. Of course, I doubt if this happens, as we have so much marketing wrapped up in Tmac. Plus, with his uncertain back condition, I guess we wouldn't get close to fair value.
Hinrich would make a great third piece, can make some dumb plays defending though. Deng has been losing games for the Bulls on vital plays in the 4th.
Okay, Einstein, do you have an intelligent response, or just a personal attack to state your position (whatever it may be)?
what can we do man..no matter how much we agree on the board..we see no change. a forum is just good to celebrate when things are going good. cant do much when we hate what jvg is doing. i too wish i could slap jvg and bowen's face with a frying pan.
More bashing. Hopefully they are going to do something about it. Rockets identify problem with team personality Roster lacking in tough-minded, assertive players By MOISEKAPENDA BOWER Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle The Rockets were without Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, so the assumption was things would improve upon their return. They played an extended stretch with David Wesley out of position at point guard, believing that when Rafer Alston returned to reclaim control of the offense, everything would fall into place. When McGrady, Yao and Alston overcame their injuries and returned to the starting lineup, a four-game winning streak ensued almost immediately. Fool's gold was on full display. "I didn't see it happening," Rockets forward Juwan Howard said after the Rockets' 89-78 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. "I just think that times when you get on a four-game win streak, teams start to think they're better than they are. We can't have that attitude. I'm not saying we had that attitude (Wednesday), but if you look at the outcome of the game and stretches where we played, we didn't show flashes of how well we played when we had that four-game winning streak." Instead of flashes of cohesion, the Rockets reverted to being the team that struggled through the first half of the season. With or without McGrady and Yao, the Rockets have on several occasions lacked passion and have been lethargic. Frequently they have been devoid of energy and enthusiasm, and with those traits apparent when the Rockets were healthy or hampered, the personality of this roster is suspect. "I am really, really surprised at the personality of our team," coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "We took some hits in the offseason with some of the guys that meant a lot to our personality, but we thought we'd be stronger internally to play with the same pride and passion that we exhibited from the time we made the trades last year. It's happened some, but not nearly enough. "We have great guys on our team: great people, nice people, community-minded nice guys. That doesn't necessarily translate (into success). Chemistry isn't about liking each other in the locker room, although it makes the job more enjoyable for the players. It's about having tough-minded competitors who have a singular goal, and that's to be killers on the court and tolerate nothing less than that from themselves. And if they won't tolerate in themselves anything less than that, then they can hold people accountable." The Rockets lost that tough-minded component when Bob Sura underwent multiple surgeries during the offseason and, to a lesser extent, when Scott Padgett signed with the New Jersey Nets. The collection of Rockets players is as cohesive as any team in the NBA, but is made up largely of like personalities — reserved, respectful, quiet professional types not known for rocking the boat. With their hopes of making a second-half push into the postseason dwindling, the Rockets would welcome someone who can spark their spirits. "Each team that's successful, something comes from one of the players," Wesley said. "That grit, that grind, that style that people feed off of, most of the time it's your best player or somebody that's a major part. Maybe it's a guy coming off the bench that has that grimy style, that hit-somebody-in-the-mouth personality, get in peoples' faces. With this team — I don't mean it as a knock, but we don't have that guy. "For our team to be successful, it can't always come from coach. You have to have the mix of him saying it and somebody else repeating it, emphasizing it or possibly getting in somebody's face. It hasn't been our personality for the year, and it makes it difficult to weather these types of situations." http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/3649274.html
Some of you guys have short memories. Tmac will bounce back from his slump. He gets in bad funk every year and every year he comes out for the next two or three weeks and dominates. Don't worry about his back, he has had the same problems his whole career and he has played through it. Yes, he does go through major slumps because of it, but he will not stay in it. Have some faith.
Dont give up on T Mac, he hasnt given up on our team. He is trying and his back will get better. When he is back to himself and scoring 26 a game you will look back at posting that and laugh.
This trading Tmac nonsense doesn't have anything to do with the point of this thread. Whatever changes may be coming - and it looks like they are on their way - certainly doesn't have anything to do with Tmac, Yao, and to a lesser extent, i would guess, Alston. Suggesting that borders on lunacy. The guy is playing injured, is in a slump, and is doing his best, probably playing with pain. So much for the soft label he used to carry. This only improves his value to the team. Talk about leading by example. Our problems lie elsewhere. Tmac is probably hurting because he has to carry all the load and all those old farts on his back. Help is probably on the way. Bogans is just the start, and even if we can't complete the overhaul this season, by next year we should have a brand new team. Bet on it. JVG is certainly rethinking his whole veteran role player approach by now.
I don't mind the bashing, but I think that article is mis-timed and misses the point. What is the point? Simple, your star player turns in one of the crappiest games of his career. Their star player does well, and their role player can't miss. It's that simple. I mean, Raefer really does add a lot to the offense. He was creating fast breaks where there weren't any before, and though that led to a couple of turnovers due to that mindset (one by him, one by McGrady - on just horrible passes), it is a step in what is in my opinion the right direction. But when the guy you count on more than anything else to just score doesn't do it, well it doesn't really matter who you're playing. To me, it's that simple. Take any superstar and make them have a horrible game, and their team is a lot more likely to lose. It's almost worse than them being injured because at least then you aren't expecting them to give you more. Not trying to bash T-Mac, but he's got to show up for big games - he normally does in the playoffs. As an aside, JVG was outcoached, me thinks. Granted, he can only work with the players he has, but when it's clear that Luther is incapable of boxing out George a couple of times, you got to get a better matchup out there. And Ryan Bowen on Kobe Bryant?? What was he thinking?
The ONLY thing that bothers me about T-Mac right now is not his recent slump, but his health. It's been documented several times that his back will ALWAYS be a constant burden for him, no matter how much rest or treatment he recieves. The problem is structural, if it wasn't, they wouldn't need to use the VAXD machine on him... That back of his may ultimately, and will probably, lead to an earlier than normal retirement. Let's face it, he has the oldest 26 year old body that one could have. As far as trading him goes, the only argument that would even slightly cause to me turn an ear is the "damaged goods" argument for another top 5 caliber player, Garnett, Duncan, Kobe, James, Iverson, Wade, etc. Anything thing else, would in fact be lunacy ala Weisbrod's initial deal for Francis, Mobley, and Cato...
I took CD comments as - We're trying to trade with other teams but they won't give us anyone that is worth their salary.
