The shooting numbers you cite are definitely unreasonable. He's not going to transform into Ray Allen all of a sudden. And McGrady will never be a great low post player because he doesn't have the right body-type or strength for it. He can be (and has been) effective in the mid post. Other than the dumb heat checks he throws up from time to time, his shot selection is alright. McGrady has been a below average finisher around the basket for a number of years, while being one of the best mid-range shooters in the league during the same span. So the shot selection isn't as big of an issue as people think. Hopefully, if he's more physically fit and explosive this year, he'll be a better finisher and we'll see more drives as a result.
I'm guessing this is hoopsworld. LOL @ "early Orlando days" on the basis of pre-game whatever-the-hell-it-was-he-was-doing.
Probably referring to this video: <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/peQG_1FfCak&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/peQG_1FfCak&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> Around the :29 second mark.
Are you aware that we're talking about the Rockets/Mavs series in 04-05? What relevance does the 05-06 season have to our conversation? Lewis and Turkoglu were too tall for Varejao and Lebron? Are you aware that for that series, Howard averaged 25.8 ppg? Lewis averaged 18.3 ppg and Turkoglu averaged 17.1 ppg. Howard also averaged 13 rpg. You claimed that nobody had heard from Wade since Shaq left. Obviously, since he came in 3rd for MVP voting, you were wrong. Nice job trying to change the subject, but you seem to forget that people can just scroll up to see your original words. Funny kid....
He shot a respectable percentage from the 3 pt line in 2003 (38.6%) and last year (37.6% - may be irrelevant b/c his shooting form was altered by his injuries). I said I wanted it to be "around" 40%. The 29.2% he shot in 07-08 just isn't going to cut it. I think 85% from the ft line is very reasonable. But then again, it takes a lot of practice to do something like that. I think you misunderstood me. I don't want for him to use his post game as a staple in his offensive repertoire. I want him to use it when he's being guarded by a smaller player (maybe around 6'4-6'5). IMO, he settles for perimeter shots far too often. I hate seeing him take jumpers one foot inside the 3 pt line.
The main reason he shoots such a low percentage, is not because he is not a good shooter, rather he just takes bad shots and "hero" shots. His free throw numbers aren't going to magically shoot up in one season. Tracy McGrady rarely posts up, and you know that. And in the rare occasion that he does, he likes to back his man down once and then turn around and shoot a quick fadeaway. I think his jumpers off of screens go in a lot more than his half-assed driving attempts.
Free throws are a product of practice and repetition. Look at Karl Malone. In his rookie season, he shot 48%. After a few years, he was shooting 76%. As his athleticism declines, he'll need to find alternative ways to score. Given his height and length, as well as his ability to shoot fadeaways, developing a post up game seems logical. Especially when he has a height advantage of 3-5 inches on his defender.
Ok. If you are shooting 48%, then it is improveable. However, once you start to get into the 80th percentile range improvements, if any at all, are going to be very subtle. Shane Battier and Yao have the greatest work ethic that Houston has ever seen, but I'm pretty sure their freethrows haven't improved by much over the course of a few seasons. Tracy McGrady is statistically more effective when facing up. I'd rather he deal with all this post up nonsense later, rather than now. Regardless, it won't matter because he'll be long gone after this season.
Over the years, Yao's ft% has gone from about 80% to 86%. Since he's been a Rocket, Battier's ft% has fluctuated from the mid 70's to the low 80's. However, since he takes less than 1.5 fts a game, I'm not too concerned with his percentage. In the 2007-2008 season (played 66 games), he shot 68.4% from the ft line. There is no excuse for that. That's absolutely terrible. By developing a post up game now, McGrady could save his body some of the wear and tear that a face-up game causes. I hope you're right.
I have to disagree with a few of these points. McGrady will never be a Ray Allen type of 3 ball shooter, but he can become a better shooter from there if his shot selection was better. Its about shot recognition with Tracy and reall with all shooters or want to be shooters. As far as him being a better low post player has 0 to do with body type as it does footwork. You dont have to be the biggest or strongest to function well down there. Especially for a guy like Tracy that is basically 6'9 or so. He can have some of the same basic moves that all post player have like jump hooks and step thru's. Getting in position or the sweet spot has more of setting the guy up and selling the play. Kobe has repeatedly backed shane down because shane is giving ground to prevent the drive. Then he gets where he wants and shoot a jimmy or up and under or whatever. Its like anything else, its technique. It all comes with moving and setting guys. When the defender is watching and tracy is setting a pick, then boom, he seals and has a good look close. When he's trying to post, he doesnt have to be on the block, but if he can get to about 15ft mid post like he did against Utah, all his percentages will go up. It would also help if the ball didn't get to him with the shot clock running down because someone is scared to take a contested shot.
Wow Wekko, you just dont get it. I am practically floored by what you perceive a valuable player to be. You claim you to want 40% 3pt shooting and 85% ft shooting. His career averages are 34% 3pt and 75% ft, but in his WORST season(last year) his numbers jumped as close as ever to what you want them to be. (38%, 80%). The point is, his percentages are not what determines how well he is playing, but how well he sets up others. Your expectations are flat out unreasonable and plain ignorant. By your standards, you would be happy with a Michael Redd. Guess what, there is a reason why Redd is labeled a scrub. Here is what you are missing, let me help you out. We don't have people who create for others, we just don't. When someone creates, they create a scoring opportunity for someone else because the other teams defenders have to hone in on the creater. Brooks might get there one day, he sure has the tools to break down defenses, but hasnt developed the ability to present opportunities for his team mates when defenses break down. With McGrady, the other team is forced to double team which creates a wide open layup or 3 pt shot for someone else. McGrady can't create an open three point shot for himself, he just can't. Open shots are what drive up percentages, for obvious reasons. Furthermore, Tracy often has to salvage broken plays where Yao is unable to get free in the post, taking off balance shots which would otherwise have been shot clock violations. So you want him to develop a post up game? Uhh what? Why would we want to post up McGrady when we have 2 powerhouse post up players in Yao and Scola already, with possibly Landry/Andersen on the verge of becoming great post up players. Why in the world in an offensive set would we chose posting up McGrady over Yao or Scola, that makes ZERO sense. The only time McGrady should post up is when there is a vast mismatch of defenders and a PG ends up guarding him and guess what...he does. He has a sweet little up and under move he pulls on his post ups. Finally here is your double standard: Wade. You claim Wade ending up on MVP voting but his team not doing crap is ok for him, but not ok for Tracy. McGrady did the EXACT same thing in every playoff series he has been in with the Rockets. It has practically become an automatic response for haters to say "Yea but we never got the second round" when people praise how well Tracy has played in the playoffs. Teams win games, NOT individual players.
ur right link: http://www.***************/Story.asp?story_id=14013 here's a post on Mr.Feigen's blog But is an earlier return more possible now that it was few weeks ago? And please tell us how Tracy looks in his practices, basketball drills? Because few people from Houston have already said he has looked great. One even said that he looks as great as he did in Orlando. (Unless games are shortened to a minute and a half, his longest stint of playing time in one scrimmage so far, he has not done anything that would rival how he played in Orlando. I've seen him taking jump shots. They seem OK. -- Jonathan) Posted by: McGrady at October 10, 2009 06:13 PM http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2009/10/magic_113_rockets_104_no_yao_n.html
Last season's shooting percentages are an aberration due to his knee injury. His shooting form was different than prior years. Also, if you read my post in its entirety, you'll see that I went beyond mere statistics. False. If he is shooting poorly, defenses will allow him to keep shooting. There will be no help defense of any kind, and he will be unable to set up others. In order to become a better facilitator, his offense needs to be more reliable. Unreasonable? Here's a list of players who shot >38% from 3pt and >85% from ft last year: Anthony Morrow, Jameer Nelson, Steve Nash, DJ Augustin, Mo Williams, Kevin Durant, Roger Mason, Raja Bell, Steve Novak, Kevin Martin, Wally Szczerbiak, Ben Gordon, Ray Allen, Chauncey Billups, Jose Calderon, Danny Granger, Derek Fisher, Chris Duhon, Eric Gordon, Daequan Cook, Kyle Korver, and OJ Mayo. You're right, for the upcoming season, there is no one to create shots for teammates. However, in the past, we've had Yao, and McGrady could never really capitalize on it. On average, how often do you think this happens? Once a game? Less? Yao is out for the season. Scola is not even close to being a powerhouse post up player. Landry has thus far shown no potential to being a decent post up player, let alone a great one. And you really think Anderson is on the verge of becoming a great post up player based on a few baskets he scored against the other teams' bench players? Right. You misunderstood my post. I said he should develop a post up game so he can take advantage of mismatches. Lets say Ben Gordon finds himself guarding McGrady. I would rather McGrady post up Gordon himself as opposed to forcing the ball to Yao. Basketball is a game of mismatches. I simply want McGrady to take advantage of his. Perfect sense. Don't kid yourself. More often than not, he'll settle for the jumper. OP said that no one heard from Wade after Shaq left Miami. I pointed out that last season, Wade finished 3rd in MVP voting, so obviously some people noticed him. Reading comprehension ftw!!!
How come there are no videos of T-mac training with Hakeem? Even though Kobe is elite, he manages to seek out Hakeem to work on his post up moves. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=175461. http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/sports/090926_olajuwon_works_with_grizzlies_thabeet
McGrady finished top 10 in the MVP votings when Yao went down, but no one cared, its about the team. Someone obviously "noticed" McGrady, but no one really cares if we're not winning. Wade is one of few players with the most favorable referee treatment, but no one really cared about him last season besides the league (who kept trying to advertise him). Why? Cause he wasn't winning. He wasn't the topic of blogs, articles etc. He was only the topic of NBA advertisements. So yes the OP was absolutely right to say no one really "cared" about Wade. Afterall, what is there to care about when his team isn't doing jack. Interpretation for the win? (Quite annoying when someone implies their own victory isn't it?)
The only misinterpretation is coming from you saying no one "cared" about Wade. That's not what the OP said. How about going back and reading the original post before commenting? Also, why do McGrady apologists keep bringing up McGrady in this Dwyane Wade tangent?
IMO, I think the following are needed by McGrady upon his return: 1. Lockdown D 2. Rebounding 3. Moving the Ball 4. 4th Qtr scoring when games are tight 5. Last but not least go to the hole and get to free throw line and shoot 75%+
If I changed the word "care" to "heard" (directly from your quote), does that make you feel better? Oh and why is it that McGrady haters assume anyone who disagrees with them is an apologist? There is a grey area in life isn't there?
