Rockets scary with Yao back By Marc J. Spears Denver Post NBA Beat Reporter Article Last Updated: 03/11/2007 01:14:49 AM MST Tracy McGrady's sleepy eyes danced with championship dreams when asked about Rockets center Yao Ming being back. "I don't think anyone wants to see us in the first round," Houston's all-star forward said recently. Or the second round of the playoffs? "Or the second," McGrady said. Or the ...? "Or anybody at any given time," McGrady said. Don't laugh. "T-Mac" may be on to something here. Yao was averaging 26 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots per game before he suffered a fractured right tibia plateau against the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 23. The five-time NBA all-star scored more than 30 points in four of the five games before his injury. He was finally growing into the superstar he was projected to be after being selected first overall in the 2003 draft. Surprisingly, Houston went 20-12 without the 7-foot-6, 310-pound Yao and is now fifth in the Western Conference. The Rockets have a solid mix of role players in center Dikembe Mutombo, forwards Shane Battier, Juwan Howard and Chuck Hayes and guards Rafer Alston, Luther Head and Bonzi Wells. Houston has an impressive 38-24 record and coach Jeff Van Gundy is getting NBA coach of the year consideration. Yao returned to action last week, struggling in his first two outings averaging 13.5 points and eight rebounds, but he came back strong with a 24-point, 13-rebound performance in a 116-91 victory over New Jersey on Friday. Right now, Houston isn't better than the four teams ahead of it - Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio and Utah. But if Yao returns to his old form, the Rockets could be tough to stop. There is no center in the Western Conference capable of stopping Yao when he is on top of his game. Also, the double and triple teams used against McGrady when Yao was out won't work anymore. "I still feel in my mind that we'll be one of the best in the West," McGrady said. "I think we can be up there with them. It won't matter. They will still feel that we're the same. We have to prove it, though. "We haven't proved anything. It really doesn't matter how we pan out in the regular season. It matters how we pan out in the playoffs." The biggest concern for the inside-outside duo is just being on the court. McGrady's back is always a concern. Remember when he collapsed on the floor at halftime against the Nuggets in Houston last season after a back spasm? The seven-time all-star has missed seven games with back spasms this season and one with a sore lower back. Whether Yao can stay healthy also will be in question for the rest of the season. "I'm going to be healthy. My game? I'm sharp right now," McGrady said. "I just need my big fella back to relieve some pressure off me." McGrady acknowledged that Dallas, Phoenix and San Antonio are the powers of the West. But don't forget about T-Mac and Yao. If healthy, they can shake up the West. "They know how good we can be," McGrady said. http://www.denverpost.com/spears/ci_5405183
Love that quote right there. He doesn't say "I'm healthy", he says "I'm going to be healthy". Confidence = the best.
With yao back, the likes of tracy and head will have alot better looks now. i cant wait to see yo hit top form. i wanna see yao destroy Howard tonight or today so magic fans stop trying to put howard in yao's league. yao>>>>>>>>>>>>howard...
T-Mac needs to learn to keep his big mouth shut up. Twice he has basically called playoff series in the bag and both times he got his a$$ handed to him immediately after. He needs to just keep his thoughts to himself for once.
We're the only team in Texas not to win 10 straight Lets go on a 33 game winning streak including the playoffs starting now.
true sometimes tracy needs to shut up. if u know ur good, keep it to urself. no one cares until u PROVE it.
What complete bull****. Do you spend a long time making up such rot, or is it simply pulled out of your hat? I'm sure you would prefer that McGrady, and any other Rockets player, go timidly into the post-season, bowing and scraping to the competition, hovering in the shadows, and fearful of offending the sensibilities of the rest of the NBA, the media, and the fans. Confidence must not be in your vocabulary.
Look, the Mavs, Spurs, Suns, Jazz are all going to be shown this or see this or someone will tell them that "T-Mac said no one can beat the Rockets." Even though it isn't really what he said, it's how it will be interpreted. It's what Michael Jordan called, "refrigerator material." He would post these things on his refrigerator and then go off on someone. It is true that in the Pistons/Magic playoff series and the Rockets/Mavericks playoff series that both times T-Mac made this mistake and that both times his teams mysteriously were stomped out by the opponent immediately afterwards. ESPN will probably take note of it and spin it as "T-Mac said no one can beat Rockets," or whatever. He needs to learn from past mistakes already that you just answer these questions and don't make comments like yeah no one wants to play us. You just say hey we feel very confident and like our chances or whatever.
Yeah, no one wants to see us in the 1st or 2nd round sounds a little different than, "It feels good to be in the second round", while you're still in a playoff series with that team.
I agree with RD. For crying out loud, the Rockets are merely on a 2-game winning streak since Yao's return, and still trailing the top 4 teams in the west by substantial margins. Given the past playoff team records, McGrady doesn't have anything to back up his swagger. Neither does Yao. It's yet to be seen how dominant the supposedly best 1-2 punch will be in the remaining of the regular season and the playoffs. Self-confidence doesn't have to be outwardly displayed and discussed. Just shut up and play. And win.
"It feels good to be in the second round" is a very misleading quote,when he said that,the Nba had just gone from a best of 5 to a best of seven format,in the first round,he was not aware of the changes
Regarding Chuck's contract situation, I believe he has a shoe deal in China, right? Perhaps its in his interest financially to stay on Yao's team.
