I honestly just don't understand how you guys can compliment a writer for bashing your team... <br> It's beyond me.. <br> But, whatever.. do continue..
Not only that, but we effectively handicapped ourselves by hitching our wagon to a known underachiever.
I don't know how any sane person can argue that that trade was anything but highway robbery on our part.
A_3P0 Just one question: If there has not yeilded the desired results, [getting out of the 1st round] , how was it Obviously good for the Rockets SF3 Rockets = 1+2+1 TMac Rockets = 2+2 They all equal 4 . . . . Rocket River
This article is stupid, even if you take away the self-pat-in-the-back tone. We were better than Orlando the year of the trade and every year in between up until now. The worst you can say is we didn't get much better from the trade. And btw, where is Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato now? Given the choices to do it over, I would still have made the trade. Guess people didn't tell those morons down in Florida that if you're gonna gloat, you better be right.
1. Most Rockets fans couldn't care less that Tracy didn't want to play with Howard. That's more of an issue for Magic fans. Not wanting to play with Howard vs. Yao was the final straw that caused the trade to happen. 2. In JVG's offense, McGrady was the best thing that ever happened to Yao. Everybody talks about how great Yao was against the Mavs series, but nearly everything he got was by playing off McGrady. (In Adelman's offense, it's more complicated than that because both Tracy and Yao stop the ball cold). Over the last 3 years but not so much this season, there were times when it seemed like nobody could get the ball to Yao but Tracy. I couldn't disagree with you any more strongly about which player is better for Yao. Some guys just aren't programmed to play with low post scorers and Steve Francis was definitely one of those guys. McGrady's game is perfect for playing with big center. Compared to Tracy, SF's passing skills aren't even worth mentioning.
I'm sorry, pgabriel, but that's nonsensical. What they've done since without all 3 players they traded for is beyond irrelevant. Look...Luther Head is a flawed player. I can point out his flaws all day long. We might trade him. We might trade him for cash to another team. Can you imagine how idiotic it would be if Richard Justice wrote an article trashing Luther Head and talking about how we got over on the team we traded him too without once mentioning what it was they traded to get him? Trades don't happen in a bubble...there are 2 sides. Each side gives something. To talk about how Houston didn't due its "due diligence" without mentioning that the 3 players we gave up for him amounted to basically nothing is to speak incompletely and out of context. No one is arguing that the criticisms of T-Mac aren't justified...they are!
Thank you! And that's in a much stronger Western Conference over those years...and it's Orlando's success now with all 3 of those players they traded for (and the GM who pulled the trigger on the trade) distant images in their rear view mirrors.
The Rockets were at mediocre when the trade was made. If they had kept SF, Cat and Cato, they would have gone down. That team was stale. You may disagree, but the on-court chemistry between SF and Yao just didn't work, the main reason being SF was a low-IQ ball-hog who didn't pass well. As it turned out, the Rockets team improved because of the trade but, alas, they still haven't gotten out of the first round. Last year, I have no doubt they would have beaten Utah if Yao and Rafer had played. Probably in 5 games. But as you say, the bottom line is the Rockets remain "0"fer in the playoffs for the last 12 years.
For those that don't know and is arguing about the mcgrady trade, they do know francis is still on his max deal? Alsofor clarification sakes, grant hill was killing the team. They got hedo for mle as well as pietrus. They got ny to take cato and francis for penny's contract. They couldn't sign lewis until grant hill was gone because they had to extend howard.
<br> So are we basing the T-Mac trade on his 5th year and disregarding the other four?? <br> Give me a break
yes, four great years of 3 first round exits and another year in 05/06 of whining about personal issues. look, don't force me to criticize his tenure here because they wasn't the point of my first reply, but it hasn't been as most people thought it would be. but alot of that is on the organization, this is the first year he's been surrounded by a true champion contender outside of yao
We've had a piss poor supporting cast up to this point. This is the First year we've had a team like this surrounding our stars, and it's not even close.
Ah, the old supporting cast argument again.....meanwhile Dream led a bunch of cast offs to a title, Jordan had some crap teamates helping him too, and Lebron led a bunch of nobodies to the championship round. Great leaders bring UP the level of play of their teamates...make them better, not point the finger at them for their own personal failings. I am not saying Tmac had all star talent around him, but if you have a healthy Yao and Tmac....you have a heckuva head start...and should be able to get out of the first round with HC advantage....twice... DD
TMAC APOLOGIST Rule #1: When in doubt. . .throw his teammates under the bus. [Not unlike TMac himself] rocket River
Listen pal. Have you already forgotten the awful officiating during the Dallas series? JVG got a massive fine levied on him for speaking out against the refs screw job of officiating Yao Ming. I certainly hope you're not trying to pin those losses strictly on McGrady's shoulders because he hit an absolute home run in the Dallas series, but it was Yao who came and went although somewhat unfairly due to the Refs. McGrady also demanded to cover and shut down Dirk during that series. We lost a hard fought series to Utah, but that team was truly better than our own. Our bench was garbage compared to what it is now, and that's not even including Ron Artest. Lebron was in the east and it is far easier to have postseason success over there. Maybe you don't know NBA basketball and are merely wrapped up in your Houston's ROckets. If our team had been in the Eastern Conference all these years then history would be different. Dream and Jordan were part of another era. Both of those teams had better players than the past few Houston teams. You're in denial if you feel differently . Was Pippen the crap teammate? Perhaps Rodman? Noone compares to MJ either. Look where you were forced to look to. Doesn't that say something? You come up with past champions, and two of the games greatest of all time for your argument. We have something great here DD. I'm telling you brother that we can still win it all this year. That is not some pipe dream I foolishly believe in. My heart and my gut both say that it's ours for the taking.
Screw you man. I feel T-Mac is fully to blame for how our season has played out so far, but I am not foolish enough to believe we can win it all without him. Maybe you want Ryan Bowen and David Wesley on your squad. I'll take Scola, Brooks, and Landry. Hell give me Wafer before you throw those scrubs on my team.
What gets me is these are, more often than not, the same guys who think Steve should have led the league in assists playing with Shandon Anderson, Mo Taylor and baby Yao.
