Fun little predictions thread: T-mac, Ginobili, Iverson, or Shaq?

I don't see why Ginobli made this list. Spurs are gonna pay him pretty well. They've always taken care of their stars, and he's still good. As for the other players...

 

add, nobody cares when ginobili has an off game throughout his career.

 

Not to mention gino dosent have double teams down he's throat on almost possession like tracy does due to having duncan and parker....

 

People don't mention it b/c it isn't true. McGrady doesn't get doubled as much as his fans think. Remember the 08 playoffs (his weakest supporting cast as a Rocket) against the Jazz? Single coverage.

 

I know right, it is unreal.

It would be interesting to ask NBA GM's whom they would want more, Manu or Tmac.

I would wager Manu wins....in that type of poll.

He is just a better teamate.

DD

 

You bet it is unreal.

 

when were you going to ask that question? NOW, last year? manu would win b/c tracy has been injured.

2 years ago, tracy would win (he was all-nba 3rd team after all).

in your opinion DD, A LOT of players are better teammates than tmac.

ray allen is a better teammate/winner than tmac too you know . he'll beat tmac nowadays if you ask GMs.

 

Don't know about that. 2 years ago (07-08 season), McGrady shot 42% from the field, 29% from the 3pt line, and 68% from the ft line (all percentages are rounded). He also took 20 shots a game and shot 5 ft's per game.

Compare this with Ginobili. That season, he shot 46% from the field, 40% from the 3 pt line, and 86% from the ft line. Additionally, he took 13 shots per game and took 6 free throws per game.

I would love for you to try to convince us that McGrady was a better player than Ginobili 2 years ago.

 

It's not that Manu has won as the No. 1 option. Who are Timmy and Tony by the way? His sandpit folks?

 

ugh, aargh.
teethbrushing.. Mcgrady
left-hand writting.. Ginobili
arm wrestling.. Mcgrady
..

Who cares!! Ginobili makes the right decisions at the right time.
That's why he has titles of all kinds..

 

teethbrushing, left hand writing and arm wrestling have nothing to do with basketball. And it has nothing to do with decisions if you can't make whatever you decide to do, and that's what rockets2's post was about, who is more consistent on different things. And if it was anyone else (including ginobili) except tracy, he wouldn't have continued shooting 3's in that 13 points in 33 seconds game, but he did, and with his decisions and also ability to shoot 3's, the play was made and t-mac had accomplised the greatest last-minute comeback in the history of basketball.

 

Manu
Shaq
T-Mac
Iverson

 

In other words, McGrady kept jacking up 3s and, fortunately, made them. Gee, I wonder how many other NBA players can jack up 3s without disregard

Anyone that is still sucking that "13 in 33" teat to this very day needs to take off their blinders, put down the jagermeister, and realize that McGrady is not elite anymore. In fact, even if he comes back, he's a couple of notches below Manu.

"WTF YOU TALKING ABOUT!??! YOU'RE F)(#@*$)#*$ WRONG!"

The McGrady apologists will definitely say that but here's a question for you guys: Which player, in their primes, relied more athleticism in their respective games, McGrady or Ginobili? Which player, as of right now, has had the most decline in their athleticism, McGrady or Ginobili?

To say that McGrady will be back to "TMac" form because he spent time with Tim Grover this summer is being in denial to the nth power. Before the microfracture surgery, McGrady had back problems. In between the knee problems and back problems, he had other ailments. For a player that has had to rely on athleticism all his career, he's not going to be the same player after microfracture surgery and everything else that has shut him down.

What's funny is that I have NO DOUBT in my mind that, if it were up to Rick Adelman and/or Daryl Morey, the Rockets would swap a "healthy as he'll ever be again" McGrady for Ginobili this very second and, yet, there are still people on this board that are blinded by "13 in 33". Hell, the only GM in the NBA that wouldn't do such a move would probably be Chris Wallace

 

he's never played more than 31 minutes per game in the reg. season. he's never played more than 33 minutes per game in the playoffs. so unless you have a well-rounded team that allows manu to be a 3rd option, then yes. he's one of the best 3rd options of all time.

PS - 06-07 and 07-08 manu struggled in the playoffs. the spurs had ZERO problems advancing past the first round, or second round.

and oh yea, manu can afford to lay an egg in any game and no one cares to criticize him. HE'S A FREAKIN' 3RD OPTION/bench player. think about that.

you're comparing a guy who has been a first option most of his career, with the added pressure, to a guy who's never had to lead a team ONCE in the NBA nor has had to handle superstar responsibilities.

but yea, manu is clutch late. well yea, he better be, he isn't asked to do as much as tim duncan or tony parker.

this is an unfair comparison b/c these are 2 different players, who have had different types of career. manu has had a successful career doing what he has been doing: 3rd option coming off the bench. we should applaud that.

and if you guys want manu to be here coming off the bench over tracy, that's fine. actually i would be fine with that. and morey would do this trade b/c tracy's an unknown. but manu will continue to have the same type of role he's been having: off the bench.

 

a better question: if pau gasol wins another ring, is he a better player than mcgrady through their respective careers?

pau goes from struggling to leading a team as the first option to one of the best 2nd options ever (could we switch manu from his role to the spurs and put him as the best player on a team?).

this type of thing is hard. all i know that leading a team as a first option is extremely tough. only the special players can do it. i don't think manu could ever do it (esp. over the grind of an 82 game season and having to play 35+ minutes a game facing constant double teams).

and let's be honest, manu is great at what he does. i cannot emphasize that enough. but his role throughout his career has been entirely different from that of mcgrady's.

and that's why i brought up pau. his career will now be elevated b/c he'll win a few more rings, playing as a 2nd option. is he better than a dirk? a chris bosh? i don't think so.

 

Why would we presumably need him to be the 1st option? If/when Yao comes back next season, would you want a player that can play within Adelman's system (like a Ginobili) alongside Yao or a player that, as Adelman quipped, someone that might or might not fit into the team that we have now?

Tracy McGrady upped his game every year in the playoffs and had ZERO problems getting the Rockets walking towards the first round exit door. What's your point?

Look at the past couple of games when Duncan and Parker were both out and tell me Ginobili can't lead a team he needs to.

And what has that gotten McGrady in the NBA? Just because he had a couple of GREAT GREAT seasons, INDIVIDUALLY speaking, in Orlando did that translate into team success? Has his "13 in 33" translate to any success in Houston? I'm not going to say those first round exits were 100% McGrady's fault (far from it), but if he is going to need to be labeled and recognized as the "first option", he's going to get the blame no matter what. To be fair, I think Manu has led a team to some form of championship...oh yea, the 2004 Olympic Gold with another Rocket by his side.

I like this. I like this a lot. In fact, I'm going to bring it up EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. when someone said that Robert Horry was clutch during his Rocket days because "he wasn't asked to do as much as Hakeem". PAGING TINMAN, PAGING TINMAN. We were all wrong in thinking that a player can't be clutch and be asked "to do much" at the same time.


BTW, for the uneducated:

Manu's PER every season he's been in the NBA

If that isn't a model of consistency, I don't know what is. Oh, for the ones that forgot because it's been "too long", Manu was a starter and made the move to the bench because San Antonio lacked scoring before Ginobili went to the bench.

Now, lets look at
McGrady's PER AS A HOUSTON ROCKET:


It fell off quite a bit from his Orlando days but it's still pretty damn good despite playing in a JVG offense. So what's the conclusion? That, because McGrady had to play 10 minutes more, his PER suffers to the point it can only equate to a person playing 10 minutes less (i.e. Manu)? I'm not even going to bring up True Shooting % because the numbers speak for themselves.

Again, Manu was a starter by the 2nd year he was with the Spurs. He went to the bench because the Spurs had no bench to speak of. Despite this, he still gets starters minutes (about 30 a game) and can still play effectively.


Many of you guys are in denial that McGrady will never be the same McGrady that came into town years ago. "When he's healthy", "A Health McGrady", "Once he's healthy", etc. It's all a mirage. You guys want to say "I just want him to come back injury free" but what you guys really think is "I just wish he can come back like the McGrady of old".

 

if you read my post, i wouldn't oppose trading mcgrady for manu right now. it would be a good move for us. manu would solidify the bench even more.

but morey is not going to do that trade b/c manu is never going to be healthy anymore either.

morey is looking for players who can actually play every game, and go all out every game. manu hasn't done that this year if you watch how he plays. he's trying to stay healthy for another contract himself.

 

then explain to me why manu's PER always decreases in the playoffs? he plays a few more minutes, a little more pressure... just maybe???

like i said, manu is great at his role. and i'll leave it at that.

 

Most players Per are reduced in PO because defenses are better.
Not to say that Ginobili got to the Finals 3 times, which is the est competition you can have, so it's understandable that his per would fall down a bit.

Ask any Spur fans, Ginobili has closed games since his rookie season, and look what happened last night when he didn't.

Not to say Ginobili was N1 offensive option against Detroit back in 2005 and has been N1 shot taker in every Spurs championship clincher since that date.