Someone please show me an interview or article where Rafer has called out a player because I don't remember it. I have seen him say things referring to the team but this board chooses to assume he was talking about a specific player. So what exactly is Rafer doing wrong by stating the obvious?
I think it was during the Knicks-Rockets game. He said T-Mac was being lazy or something. I'm not 100% sure, but I also recall Alston calling out T-Mac. T-Mac is the only player in my opinion you are allow to call out on, in this team. He is the only player that has been lazy and non-motivated.
People can keep on pretending the obvious isn't taking place: Tracy's estranged himself and upset a lot of his teammates. Artest's not impressed teammates either. The guys that are showing up everyday, coming to work, playing good team basketball are irritated to all hell with McGrady and somewhat with Artest. Adelman isn't keeping things under control, so guys like Rafer feel they have to air things out to the press to put pressure on McGrady and Artest to quit screwing over the team with crummy basketball and absentee defense. If McGrady decides to check his ego, check his star, and be a teammate instead of the team itself, things can get better. If he decides to play defense and give up a couple of me-on-3 possessions, things can get better. If he decides to attack the basket at least once for every 20+ foot contested jumper, we'll be fine. If Artest decides that he doesn't need to heave endless 3s as the only way to help out the team in the 4th, we'll be fine. But the LAST thing that is hurting this team is Yao and Rafer and even Artest griping about the issues plaguing this team. All-Talk-McGrady needs to start listening. Evan
I wonder who will be the odd man out come the 19th and will that person that will be traded be the one that has caused the most friction on the team?
Yep, both Battier & Yao contradicted McGrady there in that article. I aslo noticed this recently. Ric Bucher has been writing these small pieces called "The Brent Barry Ticket Experiment": http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=+site:sports.espn.go.com+"brent+barry"+experiment Was Bucher's source Brent Barry? http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=160596
There was that NY article where he named tmac. But i dont exactly remember the details so i can be wrong. But most of the time, he doesnt name anyone, but you know he was thinking of someone specific in mind because of specific details in his comments. i dont keep track of those reports but im sure you could find them somewhere. also, wasnt there an interview when artest and tmac was out and rafer said that the team was playing aggressive and said that tmac and artest should do the same thing when they come back? something like that. what rafer is doing wrong is that he's openly lambasting the team as if he's the perfect player out there. here's a quote from another thread based on a chron report: now, i dont know about you. but if i was on that team, id be pissed off at rafer. what? does he think he's the only one who cares about winning? you practive every ******* day, it saps your energy. so you want the players to work 100% for practices and be 60% for games? and notice that he keeps using 'WE' and 'US'. but do you think he's actually including himself in those critiques of his? so you think he's saying he's goofing around in practice? of course not. he just uses 'WE' so he doesnt sound like a jerk dissing the entire team, but his entire comment contradicts that.
You can agree or disagree with Artest, but what's with people getting on his case simply for being honest? Do people disagree with the substance of his statement about T-Mac? Or are we just worried that someone's feelings might get hurt?
It's time for winning games, simple. Chemistry is about wins, I'm sure with this group won't be any problems if we win. But we need start winning consistently, and NOW. And would be better against good-solid teams in order to rise the confidence. Group has no true confidence on its possibilities. Besides this, I would give Ron 5-6 games more to fit with the offense. If he can't do it, then try a trade for Mike Miller. If he can, we'll be contenders.
That's the question. What he is saying is complete truth. How people can be angry at that is a mystery. It's just what I've observed and most of this very board have said too. McGrady has to play harder, especially on defense, because when he doesn't it hurts the team. What is wrong with that? It's the truth. Artest does have to play better himself, but Adelman hasn't been able to implement a system that puts Artest in situations where he can play to his strengths. Would we all prefer that the team did this internally? Yes. But the season is nearly 3/4's of the way through. We, the fans, have been waiting the entire season for something to give. Just for someone to acknowledge what is wrong with this team and someone finally has. In summary, is McGrady's lackluster play the only problem with the team? No. However, is what Artest said the truth? Absolutely. If the team is going to fall apart for people telling the truth, then that is just sad. This Rockets team has a chance to be great and that would not have happened if they had continued along the same path they were on a week ago. The team has to acknowledge its' faults. Not only as a team, but individually. McGrady has to do something about his horrible shooting percentage. Same for Alston and Artest. Adelman has to install some sort of offense, work on the defense immensely, and gain control of this team. Yao said a little over a week ago that he didn't know what his place on this team is. We are over half-way through the season and Yao doesn't know what his place on the team is? The team has so many issues that I just couldn't have seen coming myself before the start of the season. I believe they will be ready once the playoffs begin, but they have to actually make the playoffs with a good seed for them to make a deep playoff run like we all hope. The next two weeks will be very telling of where the Rockets are and, wow, am I tired of saying that. This time, it is truly a defining week or two for the Rockets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovRV5zPLD8o&feature=related can someone help me out. this was the interview with stephen a smith right after ron became a rocket. i can't understand what artest said at the very last 3 secs. "it's a failure...???" thank u!
How could Artest have lived with himself without your pass? People need to start expressing their opinions as that - opinions.
that brought us far in the past what 4-6 years huh? change is needed where do we start, your boy tmac aint doing shiet
Tmac can call out the whole team while nobody in this team can call out Tmac. Because this is Tmac's team.
This crap makes me miss JVG. He would call all the guys out so much in practice that they never felt motivated to go to the press and do it themselves. This kind of stuff generally stayed behind closed doors.
