http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/5270330.html "Rockets' offense flowing beautifully McGrady happy as offense affords plenty of space, time to maneuver By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle Tracy McGrady clapped his hands and rubbed them together with an exaggerated flair, as if he were about to reach out to pull a pot of poker chips to him. In a way, perhaps he was. McGrady had just hit the Utah Jazz for 47 points and then described the opportunities to drive to the basket he has seen in the retooled Rockets offense. A few feet from McGrady in the visitor's locker room, Rockets coach Rick Adelman had said there were many more openings that in time McGrady will discover, a prediction that had McGrady smiling hungrily and readying his hands for more. "I feel quicker, more open out there on the basketball court," McGrady said. "I can't tell you the last time I drove from way out there on the wing into the paint and got a dunk. I can't tell you the last time I did that. It's just open out there. I just seem to find my gaps and make things happen. "When you're out there making layups, getting easy shots in the paint, it gives you confidence. And it opens up the jumper for you. Once I get the jumper going, pretty much the defense is at my mercy at all times." McGrady made 17 of 27 shots Thursday and has made 57.4 percent of his shots in the first two games. But that drive and slam might be an ideal example of opportunities available to him. McGrady came off a screen, got a step on Carlos Boozer and took off to the rim. With Rockets forward Luis Scola about 16 feet from the basket on the baseline, Jazz center Mehmet Okur did not come over until it was too late. As with that drive, most of the openings McGrady has seen were on last season's play calls. There was a backdoor cut in Los Angeles and an alley-oop from Mike James in Utah that could be considered parts of this season's offense. Yet, even when running the same sorts of plays as in the past, in the first two games this season, when McGrady has looked toward the rim, he has seen paint in his way, instead of bodies of teammates and defenders. Driving lanes have been open, as opposed to filled with two big men on the low blocks and ducking in, along with their defenders, and along with McGrady and his defenders, all squeezing six bodies into a small space. But that is just the beginning. McGrady also will find times when he handles the ball on the elbow and turns toward the basket, opposing defenders will be left on a relative island against him or needing help from teammates who would have to choose between coming over or risking leaving cutters to the basket. The Rockets have not used that option much, but it is coming. "We have to keep working at it," Adelman said. "We have to find more spots where he can attack. We have to bring him from one side to the other, and not always the same spot all the time. We're just a work in progress. I'm trying to figure out what we can do and where we can do it. But we will clear out that elbow sometimes so he'll have more room to operate." McGrady aggressive Still, even with only a small part of the offense in use, McGrady has seemed more aggressive. Of his 47 shots in the first two games, 13 have come from within the paint. He made 11. The percentage of shots taken on drives has not changed much, though he has been more effective when attacking, with four dunks in the two games, including the one on Okur and a lefthanded slam on a break over Kobe Bryant. A better indication of how much more aggressive he has been might be his free throws — 26 in two games. It was not by accident. He told Yao Ming before Thursday's game he planned to go to the line 15 times. He took 14 free throws. "I don't know if it's the offense or not, but he's a heck of a player when he gets rolling," Adelman said. "What I liked about it, he had a really good mix. He made jumpers, he attacked the basket, he went to the free-throw line. "I'm just glad he's playing for me. He makes me a lot better coach. When you know you got a guy like that, you give him the ball. Not only is he going to score, he's going to make plays." But there is a sense he will find more room to move as the offense evolves. As the Rockets use the weak side of the offense more, opposing defenses will be further removed from position to help. As the Rockets become more effective with two posts at the elbows, they will use that more often and McGrady will find more possessions with a lane nearly as open as a run- way. Wide-open spaces "The court has more spacing for me out there," McGrady said. "I seem to be getting more easy buckets, playing off the ball. There's just a lot more movement. I can adapt to any system, but this is fun. I think we have the right talent for the system, and I'm having fun playing it." So much fun, he looked forward to more. jonathan.feigen@chron.com "
Damn right he feels quicker, when I saw him driving and running out there during the jazz game he looked quicker than Rafer at times. He mustve done a lot to get in shape over the summer.
it's great to see that adelman still has MORE plays for tmac. this is just the beginning of what tracy can do this year. but i would like scola to be more incorporated into the offense. he has some 1-on-1 skills.
Without a doubt it is a combination of the 2: - he is in better shape - there is more spacing as a result of the new offense. I am not sure which one is the bigger factor.
It has to be the former, spacing doesnt affect how much faster you run. He looks crazy fast driving out there.
Yes, but adequate spacing does give T-mac the green light to attack the basket with confidence. This is something that he did not have last year, and affected the intensity at which he drove to the basket. He is definitely appears to be in better shape though.
T-Mac has looked great, especially for so early in the season (he usually doesn't hit his stride until January). But it's only been a couple games. And neither LA or Utah were great defensive teams last year. I want to see if Tracy can keep it up at home. He tends to struggle in the Toyota Center, for some reason. I'd like him to be a strong home court player this year.
He also is quicker, he looks a lot better. Man I'm so excited about Tracy this year, not only Tracy, I'm excited about whole team
T-mac is so much quicker and more aggressive because he finally has had effective treatment for his back over a long period of time. This, combined with the scoring opportunities provided by the new offense, makes him really scary.
Agree. What makes him the best this year is his agressivness. When you're agressive you're gonna have more positions to score, more positions to drive, more open positions. That's what Tracy has been doin' and that's what I wanna see from every player
I think Adelman's "nothing is set in stone" mantra has really applied this season. In the beginning he thought this was going to be Yao's team, the offense would run through him, and the team would essentially start and end with him. He also thought Francis would be his starting point. Now, he is seeing that this offense is more tailored to T-Mac. It looks early like T-Mac is the clear #1 option, and it is more his team. And the Francis thing? Well, that's been beaten to death here.
Looks like Adelman likes McGrady and he's not the 1st option on the team, but do not undersnatd me wrong, we of coyrse need Yao and he will be necessary. I think Adelman needs to "learn" how to play with Yao, how to use him.
Man T-MAC loves to use that "The defense is at my mercy" phrase ALL THE TIME. I bet he says that to his girl at home too.
definitely he's in better shape. In last two years he is trouble by his back and I think something more bothered him mentally was the affair. In this training-camp, he looked much more athelitic and explosive than last two years. T-Mac back is no more but "T-Mac is back".
I think it had to deal with the extra weight he had put on to deal with the more physical play he would have to go thru and put up with in JVG system having the ball in his hands 70)% of the time
Since this is an article about McGrady the focus is gonna kinda, sorta be on him, mmmkay? Chill. The Rockets are gonna tear through the NBA like crystal meth through the tailer park!
T-Mac's fg% is gonna be very effective this season. Last year he got the ball 35ft away from the basket and had to work from there, often resulting in a tough shot near the end of the shot clock. This season he's getting the ball 20ft from the basket. Simply put, last year he was in playmaking positions, now he's getting the ball in scoring positions. Some might ask where that leaves Yao, but once Yao gets the ball he's always in scoring position and its up to him to read defenses and make something happen for himself or others(the cutters).
I really hope he shoots 46%+ from the field and at least 77-78% from the line. He is too good to be putting up AI shooting percentages from the field.
