Yeah, but league average points/shot is higher than that. The past 4-5 years, it's been around 1.23. That's well above McGrady' PPS as a Rocket (1.16 excluding the past season, worse otherwise). He draws pressure because he's a talented offensive player who is capable of getting himself a pretty good shot in one-on-one situations off the drive.
Durvasa, You are a honest and a very good poster but I would like to ask you a question. Would you rather trade McGrady or keep him and see what happens? This team has tons of talent.
It has to depend on what we can get for him. I don't think it helps to trade him for someone else's bad contract (e.g. Baron Davis). I do think that McGrady in a contract year will be a net addition to our team next season. If another deal comes along that improves us to a greater degree then I'm all for it.
It seems to me that folks are overestimating the value of T-mac's expiring. The value is only if we eat someone else's bad contracts. I doubt we going to get an offer of 2 great 3 year contracts for T-mac's expiring. Most likely a team might give us 1 decent player and at least 1 terrible contract. Since that's most likely the best offer we'll get until T-mac plays, I expect everyone's going to want to see him play before deciding what to do. For everyone who is addicted to points per dollar stats, I think we'll pass on a Heinrich contract or something like that.
I agree. Yet, disagree on this account: IMO, it was slightly his attitude that let him down. Sure, the injuries were there, but mentally you gotta be able to fight thru that. Easier said, than done? Of course. It is what it is, though.
Right, and the tendency for teams to double team him as well as his ability to pass out of double teams helps the team's offense no? I really would love to see a healthy t-mac play with a healthy Yao and a solid group of role players like we have now. It would be so interesting. It has yet to happen in his career I think. I guess only time will tell.
Smooth, I think that depends on the situation, I agree they should not give Tmac away in a fire sale, but I do think his expiring deal is worth a lot to teams that paid a lot of money to good players who did not necessarily work out. And now they may want to start over, and get out of multiple years of those contracts. The Rockets might be able to use those players in a more complimentary role than they are currently in.... At the end of the day, I think we can all agree that Morey will do the right thing.....and no matter what it is.....we will probably come out better off in the end. DD
Do you have some examples of players who didn't work out that don't have terrible contracts? I can't think of any good ones, especially if you add an injury-prone exception. Players like Baron Davis, Magette, and the like also have a long history of missing time with injuries. Their contracts are pretty bad too. It's possible that a great deal might come along with a superstar and a terrible, long contract or two for McGrady + filler. Maybe that's worth the risk. A team only looking to clear salary for 2010 takes a big gamble if they can't land the free agent they want. Instead they may prefer to trade a superstar for young, credible talent that's still on a rookie scale contract or something like that. I'm a fan of McGrady because I don't buy into the supposition and rumor and look at his performance and effort when healthy, which in my view has been great. I don't get caught-up in personal slights such as one Jamario Moon dunk. I trust those in the closest position like his teammates and coaches to evaluate his attitude and effect on team chemistry. In the end, maybe for once we're almost in agreement. If a great deal comes along (not Magette), aka Chris Paul + bad contracts for McGrady and filler then sure. Otherwise, I'm on the McGrady comeback bandwagon as that is the most likely and lowest risk scenario for a successful '09-'10 campaign.
Of course you would. What would I do? I wouldn't do any of them. Not my thing (lol). I don't play GM or Head Coach anywhere near as well as you do, my friend. But I would tend to keep something like team-building simple. What I think you do is make sure that, if you decide to move McGrady, it's to make the team BETTER. Not just to get him out of here because he's ruffled a few feathers. Consistently, true...but that's not enough of a reason for me. You also don't swap players for him, especially if you're trying to cement away the argument that the Rockets are better off WITHOUT McGrady. Which would mean, to me, that some of the guys here have earned that particular pay raise that McGrady's been stealing from everybody. So to give it to guys who haven't "earned it"... but may seem to fit well based on stats or gut feelings or just a need to do something different...would seem to undermine that whole "...we've got good players now so we don't need McGrady lowballing us anymore..." point. I understand you want to replace the hole in the roster McGrady's contract and situation have the Rockets in, DD. And it makes more sense to do something than nothing. But I'm ducking the question you asked, aren't I? I would see what's left of McGrady. Physically and mentally. If it's something I can use, and I trust my coach to make it work, I roll the dice AGAIN and see what happens. If McGrady isn't doing anything more than healing for the balance of the season, I move him for any relief I can get. The spur in all this is McGrady's contract, anyway. Not his health, right? If people want the contract, and I'm committed to getting whatever I can out of it, then it doesn't matter to me who McGrady's personal trainer is. He's gone as soon as I can get somebody to take him. And I'll take the magic Beindrens and be merrily on my way. But see, DD, here's the thing for me...McGrady has talent. And a lot of it. Still. On one leg. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, in light of everything that's gone on over the past five seasons, but you just don't throw away TALENT like that. And no, I don't mean what McGrady can (or can't) do by himself. That wasn't going to work anyway, even if McGrady was Michael Jordan reincarnate. The talent I mean is the talent that makes the game easier for EVERYBODY. The talent that opponents respect enough (or too much in some cases), to skew their whole defense into something that guys at the YMCA could score against. The talent that greases the gears and offers more glue than Shane Battier's Elmer's glue impersonation. The way Doc Rivers used Paul Pierce when the cavalry of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen rode into town. The way Phil Jackson uses Kobe Bryant, not that the Lakers are a team Bryant whined and cried enough to get put together. You guys say it yourself. These Rockets found ways to win as a team. They were resolute. They were dedicated. They were together. All nice things to have from Boy Scout Troop R. But boy, how much of a difference would a guy who'd been spending most of his time making chicken salad out of chicken poop have made this postseason...? Even money says McGrady's here till the deadline, DD. Over says McGrady's gone before camp starts. Me? I do what I always do. I wait and see what happens.
No way to Maggette...his own team turned on him earlier this year, he is the ultimate ball stopper and me first player, we dont need him on this team at all...i'd take ellis and beidrens but never maggette...plus he is always injured.. Chilcutt
a 60 game tmac + a 60 game yao will probably yield a 55 win team. add along this past year's group of role players, we'll contend for a #1 seed easily (IF HEALTHY, HUGE IF). the group of role players was worse in previous years and we still got 50+ wins just fine in the competitive west.
ellis + biedriends yes. anything with maggette is a hell no. he's been a stat guy everywhere he's been and hasn't done jack to help a team win, just in the reg. season.
Is Maggette a member of your family or something? You are a one man bandwagon for that guy. He's a ball hog, has mediocre handles, is indifferent on defense, is often injured, and has a terrible contract. Other than that, he'd be a great addition to the 2009-2010 Houston Rockets. Biedrens... definitely a solid backup big. Pretty sad statement about centers in the NBA today when 12 and 11 gets you 9 mil per. Still, he's young and could improve.
If we are healthy next year, I can see us winning over 60 games. Big if of course. But on the positive side, i think the worst of the injuries are over. Seems like t-mac's knee should be ok. and Yao hopefully will be free of freak injuries in the playoffs. crossing fingers.
I would do this trade in a heart beat (assuming Mcgrady is unhealthy). ...but...what's in it for the warriors? Ellis and Biedrins are the only players they really value for their future. The warriors would have to be complete idiots to move a 22 year old big man who averages a double double. We have to stop thinking about these dream scenarios, there's a reason why keeping Mcgrady is even an option. Because of the size of Mcgrady's contract, any deal will likely involve atleast one bad contract. In the warriors case, probably Jamal Crawford. I fear that we'll have to sweeten the pot with our underpaid role players (Brooks, Scola, etc.) to get anything that would significantly upgrade our rotation.
What a novelty! You can't really suppose that anybody in the league wouldn't give us gold for McGrady's broken-down self at the drop of a hat, would you? You're taking the fun out of all this, you know. It doesn't make any more sense to pray for McGrady to be healthy and drag the team down the postseason toilet again, than it does to hope somebody wants desperately to make the Rockets a better team at their own expense. Times are tough, though. And stranger things have happened. Most of us would prefer the strange to the tough, it seems...
