Trade him at the first opportunity to get an All Star player that would fit in with the current Rocket's players. Do not resign TMac under any conditions, remember the termites!
Exactly. Cassell once said he hoped that Dream would get double teamed because it meant he (Cassell) could get 20 points that night. Steve Kerr, with the game on the line, told Jordan that if he got an open look he would hit it. And they did. Because the stars have to step up, but so do the role players.
DD, I'm not bashing, but do you really truly believe that? I know Doc Rocket alluded to that on this board last season, but still, this looks to be you are believing it to be true to fit your agenda. There has not been any concrete indication that Yao is "tired" of McGrady's act. If anything, they respect each other a great deal. I don't know if Yao actually harbors any negative feelings towarrds McGrady as a teammate.
sam cassell is one of those players that make superstars better. he made KG better. he made ray allen and glenn robinson better. he made elton brand better. i think we might have that in AB as we saw in the playoffs last yr. players like these WANT the ball, and yet they know their role.
NEW SEASON NEW TEAM NEW T-MAC Don't expect to have the T-Mac from years ago. Forget about what he has said and done/not done. No sense talking and talking the same'ol crap. It is like kicking a dead Mule. Patience is the key. Lets just wait n see guys. You never know, you may be back on the bandwagon again soon.
There was something going on between the two last year. But, Yao being a mature professional dismissed any problems between the two to the media. Dosen't mean there was never a problem, but some things are better left behind closed doors.
Very simple to determine who wins the bet? You want to make a bet that he'll play at an all-star level, but not necessarily make the all-star team. How exactly do you expect to accurately gauge that? Note that in your original post, you said he'd be an all-star which is what I was disagreeing with in the first place. And I win if he struggles and has a negative impact? He'll obviously have a positive impact because he'll be the best player on the team. Him playing on the roster guarantees a few extra wins which implies a positive impact. The parameters seem heavily weighted in your favor. Do you plan on giving me odds? No matter what we decide, I'd like the verdict to be made by the clutchfans through a poll. Is that acceptable? Maybe start a poll at game 50 and ask the clutchfans if for the past 30 games, has McGrady been playing at an all-star level.
I read this board when Doc Rocket alluded to that last year. However, it was never confirmed. Would you expound on what that "something going on between the 2" was exactly? No Doubt Yao was a professional, but isn't it possible that if there were negative feelings at the time, it was only during that stretch when McGrady was hurting the team with the in and outs? My point is that could be construed as a run of the mill disagreement and all that is genuinely behind them now. DaDakota implied that there could be irreparable damage in the relationship between Yao and Tmac.
the all-star voting ends around end of january. tracy will return late nov/early december at the earliest. you don't make the all-star team in 2 months of play. i said he'll play like an all-star and you can determine that b/c you'll see an allstar when you see one (coaches will call him one, national media will call him one...). tracy missed the all-star games the past few years but people still called him an all-star and he stll made the all-nba team when years end (excluding last year). so no, it's very easy. uh, from the majority on this board, tracy might disrupt the chemistry, stop the ball, worsen the defense, so no, there is the possibility to most on here that he will hurt the team. secondly, the best player does NOT always help a team, if that best player doesn't play up to his capability. allen iverson, on paper, was technically the best player on the pistons last yr. he had a NEGATIVE impact. marbury was technically the best player on the knicks and he had a NEGATIVE impact. if tracy played like tracy last yr, he'll have a NEGATIVE impact. all i'm saying is tracy will return to play at an all-star level, and he will help the team more than "just a few wins." he'll be considered an MVP CANDIDATE at year's end. let's add that to the bet. PS - i'll donate the money regardless if i win or lose. this is for a good cause. i've been wanting to donate anyways.
This would work for me. If he comes back and plays the right way and is healthy then this would be a great idea although I'll bet he never goes for it. I'm willing to bet he wants a 4+ year deal worth around $15 million per year. I know he won't get that anywhere but I still think he might opt for a 4 year deal worth about $30 million. I know people are saying "but he can make more money over the long term by taking one year deals." To those people I reply: this is McGrady. I believe he wants the big, guaranteed pay day so he can relax in his final years of his career. Forget all that practicing and staying shape nonsense.
why not just retire? he's made more than $100 million from basketball. and he still has a lifetime endorsement with adidas. so he will make millions annually long after he retires. you don't think there's just that possibility that he doesn't like people thinking he's done. and he wants to be a great player again? he was all-nba 3rd team just 2 years ago. you don't think he cares about that?
They had differences. I'm not sure what. This might help http://www.basketball.org/yao-wants-t-mac-out/- http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2009/01/yao-ming-has-had-just-about-enough-of-t-mac/
To you or I that might be more money than we could ever imagine spending but to these athletes (and rich people in general I think) they always want more. That's why we see athletes who are filthy rich arguing over a couple of million dollars in a long term contract. I do think the criticism bothers him. I do not think he will continue to be driven once he proves them wrong (whatever that means). I see a scenario where he comes back this season and average2 something like 22/6/6 with the Rockets making the playoffs and getting eliminated in the first round. I think McGrady will consider that redemption. After that, I think he will try to cash in one last time and coast through the rest of his career. If he has an off year (even if he is healthy) I can see him possibly retiring but I wouldn't bet on it. I think even the guys who are not known for their love of the game still love the lifestyle and all the perks that come with it.
from watching his workouts, i think he's beyond bothered by the criticism. he's been criticized his entire career about being lazy (by his first coach), unable to lead a team... but i think he's more pissed and angry now if you see how he responds to questions about him not working to be the player he has become and he's a selfish player who just care about stats. unlike you, he will want to sign with a CONTENDER (hopefully it's somewhere else b/c we're in a youth movement). he's not like iverson who truly cares about stats at this stage of his career.
this is not true. I would love to sign with a contender but I barely made the team in high school and I have played only once in the last 8 years so my chances are slim. but the passion is still there
- I couldn't help but to notice he was awfully chummy with the celts after the game. walking around like he is one of the guys. That kinda pissed me off for some reason.
thank god you're not a laker fan. kobe ALWAYS talks w/ the opponent before the game. did you not see lebron laughing with dwight howard in orlando before a game in the playoffs? jesus, how dare him? they were down 3-2, he should have been more focused. no wonder they lost. man, no wonder tracy isn't competitive.
