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

OK...that's what i was saying...he has played progressively worse every year.

For what ever reason (probably the shoulder or the knee) he has shot the worst he ever shot during his career in the past few games. It's not about 'stepping up' if he just can't do it and i don't see how that is any reason to blame him. Practice doesn't cure injuries either.

Also, cutting him would be a much worse investment because they would still have to pay him.

I think people are just frustrated because they see him playing terrible but there's really not much he or anyone else can do about it. He is declining physically and he has current injuries that have obviously been hurting his shot. There is nothing anyone can do about this. Its just a good thing he is such an able and willing passer because we might not have made the playoffs without that.

 

You forget to add that great players adapt themselves once they became old, but T-Mac still thinks the way is hogging the ball at top of the key and shoot an off balance 3 pointer.

What makes me mad is that you can either say you are at top 5 level and show it on court, or you can believe you are declining and start turning a more team oriented player (team oriented means run, set screen, run again, set screen, catch and pass, catch and shoot, NOT ONLY GETTING ASSISTS).

For what i´ve seen he has a coach that will favor him if he wills to became a more team oriented player (ALA Rip Hamilton or Manu Ginobili players who run around the court setting screens until they get the ball) if not he will continue disrupting at times the flow of this offense.

The positive thing i saw this last game is that he fed Scola a lot, and not only to get the assist but also to put Scola one on one, if he realizes he can trust in Scola i think he will also be reliefed and play better.

 

He has adapted since he has started declining. He has just become less efficient and less of a scorer just like any other injury ridden player (remember Penny).

he obviously has not been running the offense the way Adleman has run it in past years, though. I'm pretty sure if Adleman had a problem with the way they get the ball to tmac and let him read the D, then he would have changed it by now. I think Adleman, atleast for now, wants tmac to get the ball early in the offense wait for the double and get it to an open player or a player in a position to score. That is the rockets' most productive go to play.

I don't think he's ever really just looking to get the assist but looking to get the rockets points. In addition to that, his shooting slump and lack of speed would definitely make him much more inefficient at catch and shooting off of screens than those players. At this point Tmac is most useful as the semi-PG because he can't shoot well right now.

We pretty much have two different offenses right now. Tmac is at his best when he does what he does, Battier is mostly a spot up guy on offense, Deke can't run much, and Scola is efficient at both styles. The starting lineup runs an offense based on tmac getting it to the open man and the bench runs an offense on cuts and screens because they are alot faster and atheletic.

 

On the other hand Yao averages a consistent 50% or better in scoring efficiency each season. He doesn't jack up heat checks. He doesn't hover around the three point line and throw up shots from the parking lot. He doesn't overshoot the ball. Those are McGrady issues.

Yes, Yao has his own issues as well. What player doesn't? But the correct response to criticism isn't to say "That other guy misses shots too". It's to buckle down and correct any flaws. Any other response looks a lot like trying to change the subject.

 

You guys? What you guys? When have I said anything bad about Tmac? Quote it for me if you can, otherwise just stop lying in in order to hide your 'only-fan' lame mentality. Oh, ou can't, right? Why? Because I love every single Rockets player and I have never dissed Tmac like you morons try to diss Yao in order to talk up your hero. That's what make you look stupid here. You fits the definition of a "only-fan" to a 'T'.

 

seriously do you never get a point, Im saying both Yao and T-mac are equally at fault. I have never bothered to open a thread dissing Yao in any way. The fact of the matter is that Game 7 last year was nothing close to T-macs fault. It was the entire teams fault. Noone ever seems to ever get that point. You can bring up Tracy Mcgrady choking all you want. But the fact of the matter is Yao was just as bad and so was Rafer Alston, Shane Battier, Juwan Howard. There you go, all of them were horrible. Happy?
I love the whole team, and its obvious that people here don't. Openly dissing one player without making the other players accountable. I only bring up Yao because he is the only player on the same level as Tracy Mcgrady but he never gets the same type of blame that Mcgrady does.

 

Support your hero and speak up for him. I applaude you. But please do NOT do that at the expense of the other Rockets players. That's low. What about trying to learn to love every single Rockets player, not even one of them? I support every single Rockets player. I hope you can do that too. There is a reason that I call you a 'only-fan'. Can you see it now?

 

Um, guys I think the point trying to be made is that criticizing T-Mac for not doing enough in game 7 but then letting Yao have a pass that game is not fair for any true Rocket fan. Thats the kind of thing you expect from people that are blind Yao fans. T-Mac couldnt drive to the basket because he was being double teamed. Early on in the 4th quarter they WERENT doubling him. So he took it hard to the rim, got fouled a few times, made some buckets, and some free throws.


Oh, and he only took 2 jumpers the whole fourth quarter. If the TEAM gets more defensive rebounds the Rockets advance. If the guys knock down any of those shots he creates for them down the stretch, the Rockets advance. The attack on T-mac is not driving. Well, when you are being double teamed, you can try to force it, leading to turnovers and charges. Yeah, thats a great strategy. Or you can make the defense pay for cheating over and doubleing you. T-Mac made the right plays. The Rockets missed wide open shots the last half of the 4th quarter.

 

Yawn...

This is exactly the sort of thing I've come to expect from McGrady. Yes, he's already looking for an escape route from the taking of any responsibility for whatever is to come in the series with Utah. I find it amusing that JVG is still getting slammed (and paid the ultimate price) for losing the Utah series while Tmac (along with the rest of the team) slipped quietly away from his "It's On Me" bravado. You don't say something like that half-assed and then fail to back it up but that's what we've got here in Houston. Let me put it this way: Does anyone here think that they are having this discussion in PHX about Nash or Amare? In SA about Duncan, Parker or Ginnobli? In Utah about Okur, Williams or Boozer? Or in LA about Kobe? The very fact that we are still talking about what kind of "superstar" player we have in McGrady should tell everyone here all we need to know about this subject.

 

Kobe hasn't passed first round since Shaq left, that's true. But he has what? Kwame? I mean, it's an insult to Yao if you compare last year's failure to theirs.

If Lakers melted down this year, then you have a legit case. And for god's sake, Gasol isn't as good as Yao.

 

Last time I checked I didn't say I didn't love every single Rockets Player on the team. In fact I was digging for Shane Battier to do more during the series. Read what Bucman 55 said, thats exactly my point. Im calling out T-mac too, he didn't step it up in the 4th, but honestly noone turned up in the 4th of Game 7. NOONE. His to blame, but his not the only one to blame. Basketball is a team game, It takes 5 to win, it takes 5 to lose.

 

Exactly....he's injured and declining....just like the other cursed Orlando wing players: Penny Hardaway and Grant Hill

 

Actually, being aggressive and penetrating is a great strategy. Especially if the jumper isnt falling. And if he refuses to penetrate due to fear of turnovers, then he should be traded for someone who doesnt have that fear.

The point is, if tmac plays aggressively, then he wont get criticized regardless if we win or lose (assuming he performs well at the free throw line).

 

yes he will
and you know he will
they will go he has too many turnovers and his born a loser and etc.............
He also has to get the calls (if your assuming he gets the free throws)

 

Get a basketball. Put up a basket. Get one person to stand in front of you and play defense. Go around him and lay it in. Now, put a second person there and see how easy it is, and see how many times you run the guy over trying to "create contact" There is this thing called a charge, and this season especially refs seem to give T-Mac even LESS than the usual benefit of the doubt regarding a block/charge.

If it was as easy to defeat the double team as you describe then other teams wouldn't do it as much. They already expose themselves to the dangers of leaving one man open. Why do it if it has little to no effect on the player you are doubling?

 

Honestly, if I never hear another "it's on me" statement from T-Mac I'll be very happy.

 

I do share the sentiments too

 

You do realized the guy you quoted said the exact same thing right....

 

The objective of being aggressive isnt trying to create contact. Its trying to score. Plenty of players can get to the bucket without getting called for charging. How many times do you see kobe get called for charging? lebron? iverson? wade? how many times do you recall shaq getting called for lowering his shoulder?

Unless its a blatant charge, the officiating will generally favor the aggressor.

 

How many times have you seen Kobe drive to get clutch free throws in the past three seasons. Im pretty sure his been winning with jumpers to be honest. Wade is a different story, he drives hard gets the calls. But I've noticed many times he gets the benefit of the doubt. Case in point against Dallas the very last play of that game 6. If you go to True Hoop you can see how much the call went in favour of Wade, he fouled at least Josh Howard and Devin Harris ON his way to the basket before getting fouled by Dirk.

Lebron is just way too strong, his on another level when it comes to getting into the lane. His body size and strength is on a centre level but in a swingman body. He doesn't get many free throw calls either.

At the end of the day I think Kobe said it best. The league is more like a jump shooting league for players like him. I've noticed it too he tries to finish alot of games on jumpshots. Thats not excusing Mcgrady from not driving, its just the fact of how the are sorta officiating. It really depends on the referee i suppose and the player in question (Wade vs Kobe vs T-mac vs etc...)