[CHRON] McGrady: Rockets' success hinges on team, not him

TeamHOUSTON, not TeamUSA

 

i feel the same way - not that he said anything wrong.

last year's "it's all on me" comment was silly though, win or lose. i was frustrated first time i heard that.

 

I'm not worried about McGrady performing at a high level, I'm totally confident he'll excel. It's the other guys I worry about:

Remember how Juwon Howard stepped it up in the reg. season last year, and then suddenly disappeared in the playoffs? That killed us. I don't see Scola dropping off this year though, I think he's gonna step his game up big time. He's got tons of international experience in huge, huge, games for him. I don't see him wilting under the pressure one bit.

Battier was a compelete non-factor on offense in the playoffs last year. He's gotta give us more than defense this year.

Rafer--ugh, don't get me started about his play vs. the Jazz last year. But this year we've got options, particularly in Jackson, who hits big shots and has TONS of experience.

Then there is Brooks, Landry, Novak and Harris. A big upgrade over last year.

Plus, there is a coach who is flexible and creative.

All in all, this adds up to a much much better team. Still w/o Yao, it's an uphill battle all the way.

 

that's not true. plenty of people have brought it up here. and yao should share some of the blame.

lack of supporting cast is a legit reason for being unable to advance, be it mcgrady, yao, kobe, or kg. the national media... well, we all know the way they portray things are laughable often times. mcgrady should not be singled out. what i read from the chronicle today of what adelman said is really a good assessment of what is fair and what is unfair.

what i worry about is mcgrady losing the inner fire of competeing. i'm not saying it is the case and have no way of knowing if that is the case or to what extent. but everytime he speaks to the media, i worry. it's like he never learns how to talk in public.

 

I just hope he would play as hard as humanly possible and drive the ball into the paint when the game is on the line.

 

luckily he isn't shooting less than or equal to 30% this year...

I think people get this idea that tmac intentionally speaks out more than any other rockets player, he doesn't. Reporters always ask him questions about how he feels about things and he is known for being very candid. I don't mind that people don't like or agree with what he's saying but he can actually be fined for not speaking with the media, its part of his job.

Everything he and Adleman said in the report was true. What's wrong with making a correct statement?

 

If the D decides to home in on him and double or triple him, he's not getting in the lane anyhow.

That's the problem with not having a Rudy Gay or a Brandon Roy to pressure the defense.

Instead we have Chuck friggin Hayes and Rafer Alston

 

I must be one of the few that didn't have a problem with him saying "it's on me." I really felt like this year was his year to get that monkey off his back, and then Yao went down. The last couple of series he's had here were better chances to advance than this year.

As he said, at least he has a chance to try to change it again. It could have just as easily been a lottery year.

 

For the record, I didn't think saying "it's on me," was a big deal either.

Now, "I was tired in game 7," or "the depth perception is wrong," that was bad. Really bad.

 

see now this time...t mac won't be blamed for...he won't worry about the playoffs that much anymore...


seriously, what if kobe said that it was a team effort....


we wouldn't believe him rite??

 

I've been trying to figure out what you think he said that was wrong.

Inquiring minds would like to know.

 

I was also worry about the same thing. I agree with the team ball, but don't reduce yourself to a role player. If he does, then it's a cop out. There's a time to get your teammate involve and a time when you have to step up and deliver. MJ perform this to perfection.

 

what's wrong with what he said?

this team does depend on more ball movement this year. we have won with tmac not dominating. we have won with him and yao out or anybody. we're more team-oritented. it's not on him.

HOWEVER, he has to play better than he has so far htis year. he's simply an all-star this year, not a superstar (he was for a 3-week stretch when yao went out).

we need tmac to play at the superstar level and be that closer that we need.

but we also need the role players to step up and not disappear like last yr.

basically, everyone has to do their part for us to advance. other teams are more talented.

 

Just a thought...

Is the whole feeling of "It's on me" perhaps a result of Tracy growing up seeing the greats, Magic, Bird, Jordan, Dream, etc. making it appear as though it was on the strengths of one player?

I would imagine a lot of guys get the wrong vibe from watching the greats in that past... not because the greats carried themselves in such a way, or even said that it was on them alone... but just because of the sheer magnitude in which they played.

Players like Dream and MJ made you remember that it was all on them, by way of their heroic play, when in reality they still had great teams around them.

This stand out quality, that makes your refer to the teams of past greatness as "Magic's team," or "the Dream years" tends to be what every new comer to the league is striving to do.

Shoot, we even ruined a guys career by labeling him "Baby Jordan."

I'm not saying it's the fans faults... no way... but this society, this sports culture is always looking for the next big star...

And can you blame Tracy, a fresh-out-of-high-school mentality (and literally fresh-from-high-school) when he entered the league, immature in many ways, still a kid by a stretch, being handed an NBA contract for not feeling like he was the next MJ, or person to be talked of in similar terms? As in, "T-Mac's team" or the "T-Mac years?"

The system we live in, the sports culture told him, taught him that he was supposed to shoulder the load.

Meanwhile, the true team mentality players -like Detroit that came back to beat him in Orlando- kept right on realizing it's a team game, and kept winning.

I never saw Duncan putting the "it's on me" persona out there... in fact no champion outside of maybe Shaq has had that attitude since...

We see what it's gotten Kobe so far... but even recently Kobe has relearned the importance of team.

So, to sum up, I too am glad that Tracy seems to be realizing all of this...

But for some of this realization, maturity must be given credit. And most players that become the "[name here]'s team" caliber type players mature into that role.

Remember Dream took several years after '86 to get to the finals again... and MJ was several years in the making. Very few get there as soon as Magic and Bird.

 

Luke: "What's in there?"

Yoda: "Only what you take with you."


Haters see what they want to see. Nothing new here.

 

Team USA, I wouldn't be so quick to label people as being "mentally defeated" when you exude so much negativity in your posts about a team you are supposedly a fan of. Enough "alreadyl." McGrady plays hurt, often plays brilliantly and has led his team to two 50 win seasons in a row despite a rash of injuries. You complain of him shooting too much, yet you whine about what he said in this article which basically is him promoting team basketball. Needlessly bashing a man's character because your little feelings get hurt when a team you follow does not meet your expectations (and despite all evidence to the contrary) shows *your* lack of character. For all I know you may a 13 year old kid and haven't had the life experience and parental guidance to keep sports in perspective. If you are, sorry I am coming off as harsh, but you need to grow up. If you are an adult and you really are this petty, go root for the Lakers. You bring Rocket fandom down with this crap.