and what kind of shots does he create for himself? far too often it's contested jump shots. and when he hits 2 of them in a row, you just know he's going to attempt a 30 foot 3-pointer. in both cases where the shot is contested, or its a 30 foot launch, he can do something better and pass the ball to someone else. Just because you can get your shot off doesn't mean you should do it all the time.
i did read your previous post which was why i was so puzzled by your follow up post, since we seemed to both agree on that lol nods, he should have just sat out the Orlando game. Tracy's body language is easy to decipher, if he could hide it better, then I definetely want him on the court as a decoy but his mindset is just not built that way.
There is no problem with a superstar jacking up shots, but when you can't make shots playing "injured", then please, put the team first before one's own stats. I mean, if T-Mac was playing hurt, why the hell did he jack up 10 shots in half a game? huh? If he was having no lift on his shots, what makes he think that he can dominate the ball? It's either he's exaggerating the extent of his injury, or he simply puts me in front of team and wins. Either way, it shows no leadership.
Nobody will deny that T-mac always has the capability to become a chucker sometimes... but more often than not, he sets up his teammates (especially when they are HITTING THEIR SHOTS), and feeds Yao in the post when they're not denying him, or finds him wide open from penetration. His offense hasn't changed all that much in the years we won 50+ games. Its when our other players aren't doing anything, or Yao is being fronted mercilessly, and he has to attempt to do everything BY HIMSELF. The solution to your ills... get more consistent role players that will come to play EVERY SINGLE NIGHT, and then T-mac won't feel the need to try to take over games by himself since nobody else can hit the broad side of a barn.
The guy gave it a go... and it didn't work out. I'm pretty sure his elbow wasn't a 100%, but he was able to adjust his game to play through it when he first got injured. Same thing doesn't apply to your legs... which are far more vital than your arms. He has no elevation on his shots, isn't running well... what kind of a decoy could he be (even if his mindset was "built" that way). Teams would be laying off both him AND Chuck... forcing Yao to be triple teamed. That's not good for the team. And regardless, the situation has never called for labeling T-mac a "faker" or a guy who just can't "play through pain."
This is the part I don't understand about the situation. He shoots more than when he was under JVG. Is it because Adelman tells him to score more? hotballa was right in pointing out that both JVG and Adelman raved about the passing ability of T-Mac. So to claim that he can't pass or like ISO offense is simply not true. In fact, IIRC, T-Mac was sometimes criticized to be too unselfish in the past as a Rocket. People (I don't know if they were the same people who are hating for his "jacking up shots") wanted him to be more scoring-minded. Also, it is not true that he can't play off the ball. When the play is designed for him to curl off picks from the baseline and catch and shoot, it is always money. What we need is a passer who can shoot (to keep the defense honest) so that more of that catch and shoot play can be run.
And if he passed up those shots, people would have blamed him for not being aggressive and not caring. And when the counter came that he was injured, people would have said that he shouldn't have even played if he wasn't going to compete. And if he didn't play, people would say he's quitting on the team, and he's not really hurt that bad, blah, blah, blah. It's all very predictable. As long as we're losing, and he's not playing at a superstar level, he's going to get torn apart by fans regardless of the state of his injury.
What utter nonsense. He could NOT run. Maybe you weren't paying attention. The VERY FIRST time the Rockets came down the court, you could tell his gait was completely abnormal. I knew immediately he wasn't going to finish the game. McGrady is never going to be confused for tough. He's fragile, some players are. But to say he isn't injured is just silly. He's not getting an MRI because when they examine him there are no laxity of ligaments or clicks, e.g. it is unlikely that he has torn a ligament or a meniscus. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean the knee doesn't hurt like a motherf%^%$%r. I hate when McGrady takes silly shots and doesn't play in the offense. I'm not apologizing for him. He does some absolutely infuriating things at times. I hope he learned something by watching that game last night. But the guy is hurt. Period. Right now we look bad enough as it is, but face it without him we have NO CHANCE at all this year. Oh, and now we're starting to take anything Clyde says seriously??? Worrell, yes, but Clyde? C'mon.
Tmac's a quiter and has no heart, it would take alot more than a small injury like he had to keep player like kobe, wade, james, iverson or melo or any other superstars out of a game, i think he wasnt haaving a good night like he wanted so he gave up just like when he gave up against sacramento when we got blown out. when he isnt shootin well, he gives up instead of trying to do somethin else like defense or rebound or pass to help the team, he is all about himself and like magic said on tnt last night one of em has to go and tmac should be the one. we need someone who has heart tmac is doin what he did in orlando and is giving up already. he sad his goal was to play all the games this yr thats BS. he even smiles when were losing
I am shocked at TMACs attitude as a pro and a franchise player. Now I understand how in his last season in Orlando, they lost 61 games and TMAC did not play the last 12 -16 games because he was injured, according to him. When TMAC looses confindence is a team, he packs it in. He plays no D, no intensity and starts faking injuries. He has never been know to be a vocal leader on his teams as great a player as he is. What is more baffling is how you can get close to a quarter of a million per game as a franchise playerand you dont every try, you just have to wonder if he really has a conscience. I believe TMAC gave up on this team totally the night we played Phily. He slightly turned his ankle, and saw the team was falling apart, he decided it was time to pack it in. When MJ and Battier got into it, he just turned away, totally ignoring them. TMAC has not desire anymore because he just does not believe in this team's anymore. He said in the response against dallas that we are not an elite team, meaning if we cant compete with the elite teams in this conference after 4 years here, I dont think we are going to be able to move past the first round, MENTALLY HE HAS CHECKED OUT. He is faking and magnifying the injuries and laughing when games are over. He said in the game against denver last night that "This team currently has no identity and searching for one". This is a direct jab at RA's system, its not working and the frankly cannot be executed with this current roaster. I believe he is also angry with Les and Morey for not having better foresight as its now obvious that letting JVG go was mistake, Moreys decision to sign Francis and James is looking really bad right now cause both have not addressed the teams greatest point of weakness last season at PG. Rafer is still starting, and still not making shots and plays. He is clearly frustrated the team cannot make shots when he or yao gets doubled. So he starts to fake injuries, I believe either in a bid to get Les to make some changes, trades or TRADE HIM. TMAC knows that if he does not win a championship in the next 2 years, his window will probably be closed. He also said in the post game interview against dallas that it makes no sense for his to play great, which he can, if its not a team effort, meaning " I have carried teams all my life, especially in the post season, my individual post season stats show that, but its gotten me ONLY first round exits in all my tries. I dont want to do that anymore, find me real REAL help or trade me". Quite frankly, TMAC does not care about the season games at this point in his career, he believes in his abilities and that if he is on a great team, championship caliber-type team, an elite team, it does not matter who you play in the first round, you should be able to beat them if you want to win it all. So it is really all about the post seaon for him now. He clearly does not want to risk playing hard every night and risk injury on a team that right now looks more like a lottery bound team in a tough Western conference where teams like the blazers are winning 9 in row!!!! JVG really inspired TMAC, he said hes the best coach he's ever played for. JVG made TMAC play Defense, we will remember the dallas series where he guarded Dirk, so we know what TMAC is capable of doing, when he is into it. Right now, he really wants a team where he can coast during the season and play in April. He has said his goal was to play all 82 games this season, but when the team started going south, he decided he would just let the team figure things out and he can take some time off. If TMAC was the one who got hit in the head like battier, who quickly got 4 stitches and came back to work, TMAC would have said he had Brain/skull damage and he would be throw passes into the crowd claiming he is seem 8 teammates out there instead of 4. Thats TMAC!!! Clearly like Magic said, I think its best to trade TMAC, but I would say do it at the end of the season. He is still a great player, and I think if we wait till the end of the season and just ride it with our current cast, we may have a chance to get KOBE. He still wants out of LA, even though they are playing well now, the still cannot win a championship with their current cast, and I dont think he wants to go to Chicago or NY anymore. Bring back JVG will might get us more wins but probably no more than another first round exit, it will also cost more to fire RA and bring back JVG, Les' pocket has got to be hurting right now. If the current young players on this team can develop, while TMAC plays his injury game all season, when he plays feed him so that we can raise his trade value, we might still get the 8th spot or just go to the lottery and get a great pick for the future. Lets face it, we cant get any great trade values for him right now cause teams will know the Rockets are desparate again, just lik e at the beginning of the season. I say play through it Yao and the young players, learn RAs system better, Play TMAC only when he really feels like playing so that we can increase his trade value, and lets wait for the offseason to see if we can get Kobe. Trust me, Kobe will want out again after another first round exit in LA!
maybe he doesnt want an MRI because it may show something serious, which would lead to a doctor "recommended" hiatus from playing. he's got a weak bone structure, we can tell from his chicken legs and his lankiness...aint his fault. i still believe in his heart. (and not, like some idiot at the beginning of this thread said, because of his highlights and sports center moments...)
If there actually is something serious, it would come out at some point anyway. I don't really think that argument holds water.
This is one of the best posts about TMAC's mentality. You should be his psychologist. TMAC is just fragile both physically and mentally.
mcgrady is being weak minded right now...but he has been that before and bounced back to play great basketball...
Agreed, maybe him being out and watching how well the team played in Denver etc will inspire him to see that the team is not that far away. DD
The problem is you never know when he will feel like quit again. Imagine another game 7 when rox is 15 pts behind at half time, do you have any faith in tmac will lead us fight back?
The thing with Tmac is he is not a team player. Hence the nickname Memac. Watching Rox games, I have seen Mcdyess from Detroit almost break his ankle and return to the game. I have seen Camby fall face first to the ground and come back. I have seen everyone on the Rox take hard falls and come back to compete. How come it is always Tmac? No one else gets these weak injuries and decides to call it a day. When has Battier ever had a sore knee and decided not to play? Anyone else on the Rox? That sprained ankle was BS. BS. I played ball (not saying I was any good) and I sprained my ankle all the time. If it was that bad to keep you out of games, Tmac would have been writhing on the ground, not standing up then running back to goaltend a shot. NO WAY. When have you EVER seen Tmac take a charge? I see Battier get run over by mac trucks, Yao get pounded by the entire front line, Bonzi take it to the hole with reckless abandon, Chuck taking charges and banging with the big boys, even skip handles the grind better. Tracy was limping around against Orlando like he broke his leg...especially when he was going 1 for 10. Coincidence? Maybe his knee was sore, but I bet there are a lot of NBA players that play with way tougher injuries. Anyway, When your "leader" bails out as the team is getting blown out...ala Philadelphia, then I would question him.
