I don't put stock in numbers, and that is why I am no Tracy fan. Attitude, leadership, heart, hustle. If am going to war, I do not want Tracy covering my ass. For all their flaws, I want to go to war with Kyle Lowry and Shane Battier and Ron Artest and Luis Scola and Stephen Jackson and Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird. I do not like Kobe Bryant, but that is a soldier that I would want beside me in a war. Same thing applies to basketball. Disclaimer: We might have enough warriors on this team to win and thrive with a player like Tracy. Who knows?
I'll apologize right now if I gave you or anybody else the impression that I compare Tracy McGrady to Hakeem Olajuwon. There are only a HANDFUL of players I compare Hakeem Olajuwon with. McGrady is not one of them. Nobody currently playing in the league is on a par with Hakeem, to me (Kobe Bryant is close, LeBron James may get close, that's it for me). I only mention Hakeem and McGrady in the same sentence because the situations mirror themselves at some point. From 1987 to 1992, Olajuwon was on some pretty bad teams. He played with everything he had, but the Rockets still struggled, and he got most of the criticism. Olajuwon didn't handle it particularly well, either. But Hakeem did improve his game (if you can believe it) and his attitude and approach. His teammates got better, too. Both things HAD to happen for the Rockets to have a chance to win. The two most memorable moments for me as a Rockets fan of the past four years both happened in the '07 Utah Jazz series, for me, AntiSonic. There were maybe 6 or 7 minutes left in the game. The Rockets have a small lead. McGrady is on the bench. Jeff Van Gundy comes over to McGrady and asks him if he's ready to go. McGrady stares into space and doesn't answer. Van Gundy asks McGrady if he's ready to go again, and McGrady still looks like a man going to the gas chamber. Right then, before the game was even decided, I knew that McGrady was missing the confidence he needed to make sure that the Rockets did not lose that game. Maybe he could see the writing on the wall, that the Jazz just had a little bit better team. Maybe he just didn't care. I don't know. The second momnet came after the game was over. In the Rockets' locker room, McGrady is sitting with Hakeem. I don't know what the two were saying to one another, but the only thing I could figure that Hakeem was telling McGrady that he understood ho he felt. He'd walked a mile in his shoes himself. People do handle situations differently. But it doesn't change the situation at all, at least not in sports. I honestly can't say that McGrady would handle his situation any differently that Hakeem eventually did. Nothing says that he would. I've never had a problem with anybody criticizing McGrady. I just did it myself. And you're not being honest if you think a second round appearance would have kept you or anybody else off McGrady's back. He is who he is, and he gives people more than enough reasons to dislike him. I'll finish this thought a little later. But TEAMS win, sir. I thought that was the only point I was making....
that's not the reason he's not out of the first round, not even close. and he's NOT the only star who does that.
Oh, and uh, I have league pass, and I don't want Stephen Jackson for EXACTLY the same reasons I don't want McGrady. A guy who dominates the ball and takes stupid shots....and is not all that efficient. Give me a guy who fits more into Adelman's team oriented concept over a guy who dominates the ball, takes bad shots, and takes too MANY bad shots to boot. Stephen Jackson....woooboooy...some have jumped the shark with that one.... You guys are missing the point about Maggette, it is not that he fills the same role, but that he fills a new role that fits under Adelman. I watched the Warriors games late all year and kept watching him cutting off the ball and going to the hole and thinking...man...that would be great on this team. Still think that way. DD
That is all I have been saying, get a better TEAM player for him....... Look, I will freely admit that Dream struggled for years because he did not trust his teamates, it was only when he went out with an injury and the team won 15 games in a row one year that he realized his teamates could play some too. When he came back he trusted them early in the clock and late in the clock and the result was true team ball and 2 championships. If your argument is that McGrady can get to that level of trust after watching the team succeed this year without him than I could possibly see that. However, his history has not shown it, and I am not all that keen to go to war next season HOPING he is healthy, I would rather take a lessor player that is healthy and is going to be there from day one...... To me, it is all about getting the best value for your money...and hoping the highest paid guy on your roster can come back is not good business strategy....IMO. DD
How many people have to tell you that Maggette isn't a TEAM player before you believe them? He's a ball hog and a stats guy. And he doesn't make anyone around him better. If health is your concern, then definitely don't grab Maggette, who misses more than his share of games. Again, none of the reasons you cite work for Maggette. He's a negative. I'd rather have the cap space to find a guy or guys who fit the system than a waste of space like that guy.
DD, I don't think it is or was a matter of trusting teammates. I think not having lateral movement and basically being injured, to him less movement was better. I think when you have guys like chuck hayes, shane battier, and rafer alston starting, its hard for anyone to trust those guys to make shots. I think with brooks and scola its a lot easier. Not only that, adelman probably trust him with the ball more anyone. In a perfect world, the offense would be fluid and in the 4th qt or close moment, he would have the ball to make plays. That's the ideal situation to me, but I think the ship has sailed. I think they need to move forward and trade him and try to get some good value.
you WOULD want mcgrady if he was healthy. if morey knew for sure he was relatively healthy, mcgrady would NOT be traded next year regardless of what off court issues he did last year. the injuries and the "unknown" factor are the main reasons tracy might be traded. every team NEEDS that playmaker. you can't just expect to get guys who cut and all that...b/c down late in games, you just give it to that guy and let him make plays. stephen jackson might not be a top 20-30 player, but he has that ability. if i'm going to lose tracy, i want another guy who can kind of do what he can do. orlando is a team that shares the ball, but down the stretch, they ignore everything and give the ball primarily to hedo. the balanced pistons did the same with chauncey. and we kind of did the same with aaron brooks when yao was out. even every adelman team had that guy, despite his balanced offense (with clyde and then cwebb). for us to elevate to that level, we need a legit playmaker.
Point is, just because Kyle Lowry has a 1.3x point per shot stat doesn't mean he will bring us a title or that he will revolutionize our offense. By the way, he shot a higher percentage with the rockets than Maggette does with the clippers. Kyle Lowry isn't the key to making us champions, neither is core maggette. Maggette is selfish, injury-prone, a ball hog, a terrible jump-shooter, a poor defender, a terrible passer, and not the best ball handler. Plus, he hasn't played in many big games. For you to advocate getting this guy in a trade with t-mac just because of a 18% difference in points per shot considering all the other negatives is ludicrous. I mean, absolutely unbelievable. I mean, if you actually named someone good, that would be one thing. But when you put Corey Maggette up there, me thinks you made a mistake and are now just having trouble admitting you are wrong. I bet you wish you could redo that one. C'mon, you can do better than corey maggette. We don't need to trade one injury prone superstar for an even more injury prone superstar.
To me Sam there is a clear difference in roles, Maggettes role here would be TO SHOOT the ball, to get to the hole and be the scoring guard, that is not selfish, it is HIS ROLE. Again, Maggette is not my number 1 choice, he is just a guy I think can be had, and can help the team......especially with his ability to get fouls called, Morey has stated repeatedly they are looking for players to help get the team into the bonus and take advantage of Yao and the rest of the team's FT shooting. Maggette does that, in spades....and he is an efficient offensive weapon...we need to get away from Ron and Shane on the floor at the same time, they are redundant.....we need more offense from one of the wing positions. DD
I don't think he is selfish, I think his role is to score, he has had injuries, I will give you that, but none major. Nope, that is his role, to score the ball, he is a closer....big difference. Really? No, he is not a good 3pt shooter but his midrange is very good. Not his strength for sure. Not true...he can pass adequatley enough, he gets about 2 assists per game...and he can handle ok too....his role is to score not facilitate. Tmac doesn't play defense, is a poor shooter, and does not drive the ball into the lane either, and HE IS INJURED..... I believe Maggette would fit into this team like a glove, and would fall in line because of the strong leadership and work ethic displayed by Shane, Yao and Ron.... DD
Wait? Corey Maggette is still getting talked about? I would've thought that would've died down a month ago.
we already complain about the stagnant offense at times, you'll see more of that with ron, yao, corey, AND von on the same team.
I am on my Corey Maggette Island.....LOL. Not sure why it is even an argument, we are all dealing with opinion, and Morey will or won't trade Tmac for probably someone else.... I ain't changing anyone's mind and they ain't changing mine.... DD
So his role would be to be selfish with the Rockets? Have you noticed that it's 3 point shooting that extends a defense away from a big man, not mid-range jumpers? And Corey Maggette is no Turkuloo He averages more turnovers than assists. T-mac has a 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio. His D is just as good or better than CM's. He has driven the ball into the lane, and will again on a healthy knee. He is injured but expected back for training camp He might work when Yao is out of the line-up, but him and Yao together would be a disaster. You are talking about a guy who you put the ball into his hands and that's it. He's not going to pass it into yao or help yao get open looks. At best, he's a guy who yao can pass to out of a double team - and that might be somewhat effective in the regular season, but against playoff defenses it's going to be Mike James re-incarnate.
No, his role would be to score the ball in an efficient manner. He would be moving around off screens and shooting quality shots and attacking the basket...which is what he is good at. 3pt shooting is nice, but so is midrange, it is not about getting the man away from Yao but getting efficient scorers AROUND Yao....more than one way to skin a cat Lou. What healthy knee? See this is where we are NEVER going to agree, I don't think taking a chance that his knee might heal is a good move, you get what you can for his contract NOW.....not hope...hoping is bad business.... Oh, really? That is interesting, because in all the Morey interviews he says that is the BEST case scenario, but that recovery usually takes around a year. And, history shows that McGrady has not been a fast healer.... You are guessing, as am I.....I see him as taking advantage of all the fronting defenses Yao is getting. Doesn't matter anyway...the argument is moot......unless we get him, no one will be able to prove anything....but knowing the Spurs wanted him too, does speak volumes to me. DD
I'm not on that island, but 'm drifting there. But - for different reasons: 1 - CM could possibly be flipped. 2 - he'd likely come with Crawford which means a - there would have to be additional positive 'considerations' in a deal and b - Rox would have @5mm TE. A very nice asset in a plunderational time
