IN the big scheme of things, T-mac's season away may make this team that much better when he returns. A team that doesn't rely on t-mac to fight is a great team. And when he is in there, a team that can benefit from his talents is all the better. If t-mac were healthy, we'd have beaten portland in 5 games, not 6. But in any case, it's not important. What's important is that he is able to get healthy and hopefully, everyone else stays healthy.
Excuse me. Could you, maybe, give me a little bit of your perspective on something? Your signature has a quote from Yao Ming about McGrady's value to the team. Your opinion's as good as anybody else's, but I thought I'd ask why you use it? Haven't the Rockets proved that they're better off without McGrady? That he's more trouble than he's worth? Aren't you worried that something like that sends the wrong message to...somebody? Yao and the other Rockets are nice guys and good teammates. You think they're just taking the high road in not slamming McGrady?
Great post. I think we are on the same side, but just said it differently. We both know that this team greatly improved under RA and Morey instead of JVG and CD. I just think that if you were to ask ANY NBA coach, player, or even GM, they'll tell you Tmac, when healthy, is as dangerous as anybody on offense and is capable of playing shut down defense. His rebounding is also very underrated for a guard. Injuries can stop any player. It could've stopped Jordan, Hakeem, Shaq, Kobe, Lebron, Wade, etc... Some players get injured early, some get injured later on in their careers, and some stay relatively healthy. Now I know people say Tmac doesn't work hard, BUT the NBA is too damn good to not work hard and win scoring titles, and be a top 10 MVP candidate for multiple seasons. It just doesn't happen that way. Even Wilt, back in the old days, although he was 7'1, 275lbs, he could leap and run like a track star and he still developed moves to beat the new rules made because of his dominance. He also improved his passing. So if even the MOST dominating player in the history of the game had to work hard at his game to be that good, what makes people think Tmac didn't work hard at his game?? It just doesn't make sense to me. Sure, he is a little too blatantly honest sometimes, he is prone to complaining (although also Kobe demanded a trade just last season, but nobody makes a big deal about that.), but he doesn't deserve all of this. I mean, he's a great citizen off the court. You NEVER hear his name in the news outside of basketball. He embraces the team game. He's not selfish, and finally, he's one hell of a talented player. I just understand why people judge him the way they do. I agree with some of it, but to say he's garbage, and that he wouldn't make our team better is just stupid. Those people just don't know basketball. If coaches, players, and GM's read some of the crap written about him on this board, they would be laughing their a** off...
I don't know if I believe that's actually true. This team had Artest with good role players. If we had Artest last year with a more mature brooks and lowry to back him up, do we not think we would've beaten the Jazz? This year he wasn't healthy all year (his stats is significantly worse that years past) so the sample is biased. I think the question isn't if we're better off with McGrady (we're not) but rather will the Rockets get a healthy McGrady back (After SF3 situation, I'm having a pessimistic 50/50). If he isn't healthy, he's only valuable as an expiring contract. If he can't get back to 90% of who he was last year, this team would be better served in having him in the line up. Do you still want trying to get a fronted Yao the ball in the 4th as the offensive plan or run an PnR with with Yao and T Mac?
You know... ...I asked a writer for the Chronicle in his blog what the rest of the league thought of Tracy McGrady, in light of Dwayne Wade's comments about how hard it was going to be for McGrady to come back and rehab from two injuries at the same time, just like he had to. The columnist told me that the rest of the NBA has a great deal of respect for Tracy McGrady as a basketball player. And I just about wet myself when I read that. I thought everybody had McGrady figured out for the phony he is, except some of us morons in Houston.... But that reporter went on to say that most players in the league felt that McGrady didn't play with enough anger and aggression. Most guys playing against McGrady don't want to make him mad. Not because McGrady would do anything to them, but because if he's ticked off, he's almost impossible to guard. Most people think that McGrady should play with more aggression. Funny thing is, that's what almost everybody here says he should do too...in between insults. Playing with some anger could make you focus a little bit better on what you need to do to win. And McGrady does lack focus from time to time. But leopards don't change their spots. People are who they are, at the end of the day. ...unless, UNLIKE leopards, you DO change... I'll find you the link to that post....
I'm sorry, good citizen. I wasn't being serious. I take it you didn't the other memo about me being a McGrady apologist, either, did you? You've been warned...
you can argue that he's "immature" and sometimes say the "wrong things" before thinking it through. but he is a great citizen "off the court." his philanthropy is something you should admire, and the greatest athlete philanthropist of all time deke said the same thing.
