I also included the Dallas series, where they went 1-2 at home. The Toyota Center shouldn't be confused for Cameron indoor stadium or the Boston Garden.
that blog was updated with video from Feigen. He emphasized that Ron and Battier are seriously hurting. http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2008/12/mcgrady_sits_artest_steps_up_w.html
But if I had the choice between them busting their asses (and playing their stars big minutes) trying to get a top 3 seed... versus ensuring health in April, even if it means dropping a couple of spots (and possibly not having HCA), I'd take the latter. I'm not saying they should be shooting for a 6-8 seed. Just saying there's not much difference in a 1-5 seed if they're fully healthy in April.
Here is the problem with that scenario. 1. There is no guarantee that they will ever be healthy 2. There is no guarantee of making the playoffs, we are closer to the number 9 seed than the number 1 seed. DD
They can attempt to ensure health by limiting their stars minutes in some games (no reason for Yao to play 46 minutes last night... especially since he was ineffective/gassed in the 4th and first OT). And there are still enough bad teams out there to the point that their record will be good enough to get into the playoffs... likely as a top 5 seed. If last season taught you anything, it was that this team can be as hot as they want to be in January-March. But if they're not at full strength in April, it won't matter.
Sorry, it is a balancing act, get to the playoffs, and play with who you have. If the cards fall in line and you are healthy, great. But if not, strap em up and get to work. There needs to be time to grow together as a team, and this team has had none of that..... My expectations have been lowered, primarily because of Tmac..... DD
That can be overrated. Last year's team grew as a team like no other regular season Rockets team in history, and still came up woefully short because they didn't have the man power come playoff time. They can sing songs and hold hands together all they want... but if they don't have the necessary bodies and health in the post-season, forget about it. Yes, I'd rather have T-mac rest all the way till April and have him in better shape than he is now, rather than have him struggle through it, sulk, gimp around, and play... all for the sake of "growing together as a team." Of course, he'll come back before then and likely will show us a semblance of what he once was in stretches. This is a veteran team. They know the simplified offense. They know the energy level and intensity needed to win (which T-mac can't provide right now). They also know that this goes up 10-fold in the playoffs. Heart only goes so far... they need health/talent more. Last year is the perfect example of that.
he hurt the team v. the cavs and hornets. i think if he had played tonight, he probably would hurt the team too with his current condition. again, injuries or whatever is playing with his mind. i think tracy should just sit out until he's 100% confident he's healthy enough to play at a high level. some nights he's spring and moving great; others he looks terrible physically. just get his rest. he's gonna get criticized REGARDLESS. so just get his rest, get better health and confidence in his health, and then play. he's in a no win situation with the media. so do what is best for him at this point so later he can help the team.
Even Feigen, who basically speaks for Les, says TMac should be playing all the games and finding a way to be effective even if he's not 100% healthy.
I know, but people fail to see the truth, and for some reason Tmac has it in his head that rest will help. It is not rest he needs but strength, all that rest over the summer has screwed him for this part of the season. DD
we all know he's not strong mentally when it comes to his health. just hope he'll break out of this funk real soon (looks like the struggle with his health ala 05-06). hopefully he can find a solution soon b/c it is frustrating seeing the inconsistent play and going in and out of the lineup.
Hey, I get the playoffs are the ultimate goal. And if you're injured, fine, sit out, get better, awesome. But by the same logic, maybe Yao should half-ass it the whole season. He's injury prone, he should avoid challenging people in the paint, let those rebounds go, and save that energy. Artest has been playing injured, he should stand around the 3 point line and just take 3's. Save his body for the playoffs. Let that guy drive around you on the defensive side and save the hustle for the playoffs. Where does it start, and where does it end?
Look, if he wants to rest than rest. He took 3 weeks (but actually only took 2) and said he needed that and they gave it to him. We did fine. We floated at the top half of the W Conference. If he wants another 6 weeks to rest then take it. I am with people who say that he needs to be at 90-100% by playoff time. BUT, keep in mind the chemistry of the team. Despite our record, our offense is not smooth at all. The only reason we won against Utah is because we went to the most basic play, pound it in to Yao and Artest and have them post up inferior players (but Ron was truly inspiring last night). If McGrady is out for the majority of the regular season, it's going to be hard for this team to gel and I can guarantee he wont be scoring 35 points a game like you all thnk he will in the playoffs. He'll be jacking up shots and playing just like he is right now. I really wonder if McGrady can 'impose his will' on games. We see that Artest surely can. His ankle is the size of an orange and he just played on adrenaline. I can't imagine how much he is hurting right now. Personally, I don't think McGrady is capable of imposing his will anymore (or else he would've done so by now). We should be a little bit scared of the implications of his playing.
Especially when the doctors tell him he should play....THE FRIGGEN DOCTORS TOLD HIM TO PLAY !!!!!! Play and stengthen your knee.....the DOCTORS TOLD HIM TO PLAY !!!!!! That can not be said enough. DD
No point in playing Tmac if he doesn't show any effort. Walking around the court and jogging will not help him get in shape. He deserves the criticism for these past couple of games. He's a liability until he decides to put some effort into it and therefore he should sit.
It starts with not getting overly concerned about players who are injured/ineffective NOW... like T-mac... when it matters more what happens in April. It ends when you start overly limiting players now at the expense of wins. Ron and Yao are still clearly effective despite their injured/injury-prone states. Thus, they should play. But, should they play 40+ minutes every night? Doubtful... unless you want them to be torn and tattered in April. It isn't that hard.
