http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6191744.html TORONTO – With Raptors forward Jamario Moon in full flight, heading to a knockout punch of a fast-break slam, Tracy McGrady slowly jogged along as if providing a secret service escort, stopping before he might accidentally get in the way. At that moment, the Rockets had finally achieved something. They had gained admirable balance. They were as useless defensively as offensively. In a game in which they seemed determined only to surrender, the Rockets ran their offense with a combination of clueless and careless, often with a defense to match, until the Toronto Raptors smacked the Rockets with a humiliating 94-73 loss Friday at Air Canada Centre. "(Effort) is something we’re obviously not giving right now," said McGrady, who finished with four points, his third game in single-digit scoring in his past five. "For whatever reason, at both ends of the court, offensively, especially defensively, we’re not executing. We’re missing assignments. It’s all of us." The Rockets managed to outscore the worst offensive game in their history by just seven late points, largely because Von Wafer came in to roll up 18 in the fourth quarter. They still had their fewest points this season, with worse shooting (34.1 percent) and more turnovers (22) than in any game, even with the Raptors clearing their bench for the entire fourth quarter. McGrady made two of nine shots for his eighth game in single digits this season, with several possessions on Friday in which he barely made it through the mid-court circle. In the past five games, McGrady has made 15 of 45 shots, averaging 10.2 points, but said he grew discouraged on Friday because he did not get more shots. "I got a little frustrated at times," McGrady said. "It’s kind of hard to get in a groove when you touch the ball once every five minutes. I took four shots in the first half. It’s kind of hard to get in a rhythm. It was frustrated, especially when I know there are some times I feel I could go one-on-one, but our spacing isn’t good. We’re all out of sync." The Rockets’ greatest problem, however, was unquestionably a lack of effort, particularly in the third quarter when they were getting pummeled and chose to take the beating. "Yeah. We just talked about that after the game," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "In this league, you have to find a way to get yourself out of that. Either come together as a group or you don’t. We have to decide on how we want to play. It’s one thing to get beat. It’s another thing to just be outworked and I thought we got outworked." Asked specifically about McGrady, Adelman said, "I’m not talking about individuals. I’m just talking about our team." Adelman, however, kept McGrady and most of the starters on the floor through the third quarter, as if to teach them a lesson. "You respond," he said of what he expected. "You respond when you’re getting (whipped). At least you start playing harder, even if you’re making mistakes. I wanted to find out what we were going to do. "If you’re going to get out of this, you’re not going to be able to do it by just giving in." Just two games after Adelman declared the first half against the Wizards the worst of his tenure as coach, the Rockets put up a first half to rival it in ineptitude, then followed it with perhaps their worst quarter. Trailing by 10 at halftime, the Rockets made just four of 22 shots in the third quarter, still finding time for seven turnovers as they operated their offense as if they never met, McGrady made one of five shots in that quarter, while Yao Ming missed all three of his and Ron Artest committed three of his six turnovers. In his 29 minutes, Yao had 14 points and eight rebounds, never finding a way to handle the perimeter games of Andrea Bargnani and Chris Bosh. After a loss a year ago in Toronto, Yao ripped the team as a whole. On Friday, after a 13-second pause to weigh his answer when asked about the team’s lack of effort, he spoke instead of his own play. "Right now, I think I need to look at myself, see what the problem is," Yao said. "I’m one of the main guys on the team. The team looks to me. You can’t say, ‘We need to make shots.’ I need to point to myself. I need to do better, putting layups in the basket, run back on defense, rebound, help. That’s what I need to do right now." The Rockets have lost four of six games and have seemed splintered. "Coach said in the locker room, in this league it’s easy to keep chemistry when everything was going right," Yao said. "Right now, we know we played games at home...just like tonight. We need to fight together." Asked if this team is on the same page, Rafer Alston said, ‘Not one bit. Not one bit. This is embarrassing. Again. We had this happen the other night in Houston. We had it tonight. It’s sad and it’s unfortunate."
But there def is some rumblings goin on, we've been speculating, but there RA and Tmac are having some issues
Everytime he touched the ball,he just held on to it and walked the ball.He wasn't running the offense,standing and waiting and demanding the ball in his hand,then what?He just said like that everybody out of sync?Spacing's a big problem for us the past few games,but his fg percentage slumps as well being a big problem. He should stop talking and start attacking! The whole team goin' haywire.
Enough talk. Do something about it. If T-Mac played poorly because he didn't get enough shots, I am dissapointed. He can't cry about not geting enough shots, he needed to take over the game. Demand the ball and take it to the whole. Send a message that way, don't go into a shell. Adelman was trying to be deplomatic in his Press Conferance. I would have called T-Mac out. The only way to get to T-Mac now is too talk to him behind closed doors. It is time for a heart-to-heart with the entire team.
did you read the whole article? he's not the only one who is saying they look and feel out of sync....... sounds like we have a coaching issue here.
sorrie, i actually had the "pleasure" to watch the whole game...and t-mac has only himself to blame for "not getting enough shots" lol.
I noticed him doing that too when I went to the Bucks game. He just stands out there behind the 3 point line, passes it, then remains standing in the same spot.
I don't know why Tmac is comlaining about the lack of shots when he's been looking to pass the ball every chance he gets.
Tmac has been whining about needing more shots all year....yet, he wanted Artest to help get the pressure off of him. I guess he misses the old "Tmac has the ball and makes all the decisions" days. Well, he doesn't deserve it. Bench him. DD
How can anyone who spends half the game at the half court line expect to get more shots............... Play defense, show some passion, help your team out once in awhile and you will get/be rewarded with more shots, play like you have the past few games, I would be more worried about getting off the bench.......
Exactly the guy needs to be traded and it's due because he knows the teams real direction 2010 and it makes it to where he don't give a damn.
Interesting he'd say this. I'm not trying to excuse the guy, but he is a player who needs to dominate the ball to be effective. So is he just not able to play when he's not the focus of the offense? Maybe he really thinks standing around the perimeter and waiting is what he's supposed to do? (Insert Rafer joke here)
So if TMAC isn't more involved he's going to take his ball and go home? Sounds very mature. And yeah, if you can't make shots consistently you shouldn't expect plays to be run for you. Still, you don't see that stop Rafer from looking for his shot and Wafer got his shots in relief to TMAC. I'm not buying the excuse.
