Artest, maybe, because he goes off the game plan on offense. Battier? For what? Playing his heart out while injured? If T-Mac hadn't slacked on defense, quit on the team in Toronto and thrown the offense out the window maybe his teammates wouldn't have had to call him out. Now the stuff has hit the fan and there's drama in the locker room.
I think T-Mac understood that. That is why he took 2 weeks off, to just work but also think about it. Now he knows he has to play hard.
Who knows if just playing hard is going to be enough? What do the Rockets do to get their chemistry back?
tracy was part of a team with great chemistry last yr. outside of artest, everybody was on this team last yr and knows what tracy will do when he's healthy and motivated. that's why you saw the bench's reaction the way it was when tracy dunked on thomas. carl landry, brooks, yao, scola, battier, rafer and basically stood up in awe. so in terms of tracy, regaining the team chemistry with tracy won't be a problem. artest is an unknown. he's shown times and times again he doesn't like to pass. and he still hasn't improved on the offensive end. tracy in the past few games has shown to play within the offense and seems more motivated. artest just isn't showing any signs of playing with this team. v. memphis, he literally ignored every player and just went on his own. literally.
Awww that's b.s im sorry. But when McGrady goes all out in the playoffs and puts it all on the line and no one else steps up what do "the fans" say then. Also its not hurting T-Mac's image. You know the media is going to go after Artest hard about this. Artest who somehow damages and breaks up teams. Hmmm what is he doing now. Opening up his mouth telling other guys to play defense when he isn't doing it himself. Suppose 2 be a top 10 defender but he isn't playing great defense himself to be telling someone else to play. Rafer Alston also. He is letting other point guards blow by him which breaks down defenses and allows other teams to score easily. Once guys start pointing fingers and opening their mouth about what other player needs to do I dont care thats destroying team chemistry and will result in problems.
b/c of his inconsistency, being in and out of the lineup, and lack of defense. alston has no problems with tracy personally. u know why i know that? remember that bulls game? tracy makes 2 shots and alston was celebrating ON THE COURT AS THEY WERE STILL PLAYING. who would do that if you really dislike the guy? alston and tracy have a great relationship. they're always talking to one another on the court and looking for one another. but let's be real, tracy has been in and out of the lineup so much it frustrates anybody. it's like your best friend always flaking out on you. now tracy's back. i don't see any problem. artest is the only one still talking isn't he? ALSO, HE'S SAID SEVERAL TIMES THE PAST FEW WEEKS ABOUT NOT LIKING HIS ROLE OFF THE BENCH (hint hint)
Its funny how this was the same person who we traded for said I'm willing to do anything they want me to do. I'm down for doing anything to help this team. HMMMM we need your help Ron with coming off the bench and now its a problem. Lol in baseball they say manny being manny well this is ron being ron. It never goes away. Ron has the reputation to damage a team. Its funny how Tim Leghler(sp?) said the same thing that Ron has ways of ruining a team. It has begun but I hope I'm wrong
good point.. Tracy has been a slacker throughout this season. but after those 2 weeks.. the guy seems motivated and is playing within the scheme of things.. only Ron seems to be the one complaining.. and the timing was real bad considering Artest is playing worse rit now.. Yao said this.. “I understand … why somebody may be frustrated on this team,” Yao Ming said. “I’m a little bit frustrated on this team. We go up and down. We played good last night, but I don’t know about tomorrow. The team plays inconsistently. When that happens, somebody may point … but I would say we have to look at ourselves, what we can do for this team, for this group, to try to make the team better". tsk tsk.. something happening for sure.
So it's okay when Alston calls out T-Mac in the media, accusing him of being lazy or whatever, but when Artest does it it's a problem? My suspicion is that things are not hunky dory in the Rockets' locker room.
Hmmm if im not mistaken Alston called out the whole team talking about their lack of preparation for games at shoot around and how they joke around. Artest just singled out McGrady and no one else.
The great players go all out in the regular season too, maybe not every game, but certainly more than Tmac. Tmac is a great great talent, but he does not play hard enough, and that is the problem. He wants to turn it on in the playoffs, but by not playing hard all season, the team is usually in a 4-8 seed spot and has a tough first round matchup, if he played hard all season they could get a 1-2 and play a patsy in the first round. And the chemistry would be established all year long. This year, has been agregious, Tmac owes the team and the fans a refund, coming into camp, fat, out of shape, and then taking time off to get IN shape was a sham. I love his talent but...come on.....seriously? DD
Alston's ripped on the team on any number of occasions, but the most recent on was after the NY game where he accused the team of playing selfish ball. This was right after McGrady rejoined the club. Coincidence?
Tisk tisk tisk.. DD when will you learn? well not just you everyone else on here. The seeding spot in the playoffs mean absolutely nothing. I don't care what anyone says. 1-8 anyone can be beat. Dallas a number 1 seed lost to a number 8 seed. They had the best record in the NBA. So that logic right there about being in the top seed is squash. As for T-Mac playing hard for every game. Whats the point of him doing that if his body can't take it. Kobe didn't play hard yesterday and they still won. Why because other guys stepped up. McGrady doesn't play hard and he gets bashed by the fans and called out by teammates. Did Kobe get it by the fans or his teammates cause he was sick noooo. Guys on this team need to stop pointing fingers and just step up. T-Mac is a great talent but doesn't play hard enough?? Hahaha that was funny who cares how he plays in meaningless games. Yeah he shouldn't show that side but when the games count the most that's all that matters. Who cares how he plays in the season. When games count and he is playing like he does in the playoffs thats all that matters. Play hard when the games count and he has a history of turning it on when the games matter. Guys on here need to get off his back. Seriously. Its getting old.
Hmmm so if your saying that he ripped on McGrady and Artest. I was at that game and Rafer was playing selfish himself. Hmmm coincidence??? Maybe cause Rafer and Artest were home?? Maybe is it because Madison Square Garden everyone or better yet most of guys try to impress the crowd. We lost that game and thats that its over with. McGrady and Artest was called out. Rafer had a horrible game himself so he shouldn't say nothing.
bc alston has been playing every night, playing hard every night, and has done so for THIS TEAM the past 3-4 years. artest has just gotten here for what, 4 months? he's been just as injury prone, just as inconsistent, just as bad, just as dramatic... so no, artest can't call out another guy when he sucks just as bad.
