[GRANTLAND] Bill Simmons: The Unfortunate Tale of T-Mac

I've ALWAYS said of McGrady, DAY 1, that McGrady is NOT a TEAM CAPTAIN. He is NOT a LEADER

And that the WORST mistake was DEPENDING on McGrady for LEADERSHIP. Its so BLATANTLY OBVIOUS.

The '05 Rockets gelled together because it was a bunch of secure mentally tough veterans like Jon Barry and Bob Sura. Players who could stand up to McGrady and didnt care about his prestige and talents. So then all McGrady had to do was lend his basketball SKILLS ON THE COURT. And the PERSONALITIES and RESULTS would take care OF IT ITSELF.

I actually thought for years that the Rockets MISDIAGNOSED McGrady's lack of leadership. But it shows that it was an an obvious enough issue they were aware of.

But just as you don't put Chuck Hayes in to be a stretch 3 point shooter, you don't put in a non-leader to be the spiritual force and team captain.

Sometimes no matter how hard you try to push it and threaten, a shortcoming is a shortcoming.

 

Well...he's a a good writer, who seems to be well connected around the league.

What else do you need?

 

The "Toronto Game" demonstrated how he gave up on a play which should be frowned upon.

13points in 35 seconds displayed total opposite and will to win.

Guess which one has been used to define his whole tenure as a Rocket? On this board at leasr.

 

He obviously is not the ideal leader but he could lead. He led the Magic without Grant Hill into the playoffs and to a 3-1 lead against the Pistons in 2003 I guess.
There is a difference between not wanting to be a leader and not capable of being a leader.
He just does not deal with pressure well, mostly off the court. Playing a game is ok to him.

 

We have a certain center on our team with similar leadership.... Uh traits?

 

You are saying that the reasonable position would be to define his whole tenure by 35 seconds of play?

 

Most on this board define his tenure by the Toronto game or a week span of how he dealt with the microfracture surgery at the Trade Deadline. He carried a GOD AWFUL squad for a few years here.

 

And no one complained about his lack of leadership when he led this team when he was healthy. It was when he started to deteriorate under Rick Adelman whom he never seemed to be on great terms with.

I think T-mac has some flaws for sure. But I think he would have handled things much differently if JVG was still his coach.

Sometimes being great has to do with luck (not getting injured) and just being in the right situation with the right coaches and players.

Anyway, doesn't matter at this point.

 

Carried to where? Utah?

Stand up if you truly believe he had "the heart of a champion" like Rudy T. talked about.

T-Mac had the nicest game in the league. What more do you want? A 21-gun salute?

 

Tmac's attitude could've made a big difference but it seems people give Yao a bye because of his attitude and not spread the blame evenly.

Definitely some frustrating years of what could've been, but people seem content bashing McGrady in order to make sense of a terribly unlucky era.

**** roster
-Bad injuries
-Poor FO decisions
--------------------
= The End.

 

No. I'm saying that's that's the logic that some are using on this board.

 

I agree with you 100.

 

I'm sorry but this guy Bill Simmons REALLY disrespected Yao in a big way in the article.

 

Easy dude. Yao wasn't even mentioned.... that's now disrespect?

 

"T-Mac spent the rest of his prime awkwardly meshing with 7-foot-6 lane-clogger Yao Ming, a wonderful teammate and insanely hard worker who was probably the most overrated good player of that era. Howard would have been a much better fit."

Disrespect if I ever saw it.

 

Could have been more embellishing but yeah... it's a valid theory that a top swing man could be more effective with a more mobile and athletic Yao.
Rather than Howard now.

 

The Jazz destroyed Yao in the playoffs. tmac delivered but it was a singular effort and you couldn't pin injuries on either in those serious. Of course the sputtering cast was weak to make them pay for doubling, fronting and hacking Yao, but can't say that level of excuse was ever given or conceded to tmac

 

If we go down that road, why not blame just everyone. To be fair.
Superstars were not enough, FOffice was bad, Reserve players sucked

The whole team constructed was just not cut to demoralize the old Utah Jazz

 

I think some have at least tapped the nail on the head. Tracy was not a leader. Adelman/TheOrganization wanted him to be. Don't we remember the, "it's on me" stuff?

We all knew he wasn't that guy. Seems like he even tried. But *if* (that word is probably the most used word in this thread haha) JVG were still coaching him...who knows...

 

You're making valid points except that you appear to believe that being named "team captain" enables McGrady to issue orders to junior officers and enlisted men, perform weddings at sea, and flog Rafer for insubordination, rather than being a more or less meaningless designation.

Winning cures all ills. If Yao doesn't get panted repeatedly by Boozer and Okur, or Dallas doesn't get an overt helping of home cooking in tight games, the passive sleepy Tmac would instead be characterized as cool and unflappable