Indeed. Talent levels are different. Talents in general are different. T-Mac is special but he could be really special, if he had "the heart of Kobe". I've not really seen that from Ariza, although I'm not saying he can't develop into a better player now that he's going to have more minutes.
Look as as far as us not getting out of the 1st round, what more do you want him to do?? Look at his stats, and ask what more could he have done? Game 7 2007, he had 29 points and 13 assists, while Yao had 29 points, but only 6 rebounds and gave up 35 points to Boozer. I'm not knockin Yao, but he could've gotten more rebounds as our center that game. Game 6 2008, Tmac had 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. We lose by 22 points. Scola is the only other player in double figures with 15 points. Yao is also out with an injury, so is Rafer, and Battier is limited by injury. Tmac can't do it by himself. In 2005, Tmac and Yao score 60 out of the 76 points scored by our team, we lose by 40. What else could they have done? In Orlando, a big chunk of their salary went to Grant Hill who played 47 games in 4 years for them while Tmac was there. His best players to support him were Darrell Armstrong, a young Mike Miller, and a rookie Drew Gooden. Try getting out of the 1st round with that. Kobe couldn't get out of the 1st round with a more talented Odom playing alongside him. As far as individually he is a 2X scoring champ, he's finished in the top 8 in MVP voting for multiple seasons, has been All NBA for 7 years. Has had 7 All Star game appearances. The man has accomplished many things in the NBA. He had one of the best statistical seasons ever in 2003. He was no doubt a talented player. I really do think that he gets too much pinned on him for the TEAM's failures in the playoffs. He shows up every series he's played in since 2001. But MJ showed up in 86, averaging 49.5 ppg, including a 63 pt game, but his team got swept. Only so much ONE MAN CAN DO for a TEAM.
I understand his frustration. T-Mac is one of the few players that consistently has a more productive playoff season than regular season. So, in that sense, yea it is hard to ask what else could you ask?! However, what largely separates T-Mac from being one of the elite is the intangibles he fails to obviously bring.
I mean, if that somehow translates to Tmac and Yao being healthy, then ya, but other than that I don't think so. I mean, That more than anything else has derailed us: Injuries. Maybe Tmac's will and desire keeps AK47 from flopping in Game 2 of the 2008 series. Maybe it keeps Rafer and Battier healthy for the entire series. Maybe RA puts in Mutombo for the rebound on the free throw in Game 4. Also, our bench being non existent in 2007, I don't know if Tmac's hard work could magically get them to score some points, I mean in Game 4 in 2007, only 4 players scored in that game! With Yao and Tmac scoring 75% of those points. Luther Head and J. Howard just disappeared that entire series. Maybe Tmac's will and desire could've told JVG to stop bringing in old, has beens from the Knicks and add some athleticism, then maybe we beat Dallas. Maybe Tmac's will and desire stop the NBA from focusing on Yao's "accused" moving screens which weren't called in Games 1 and 2. Maybe the refs see finley on the baseline when he stole the ball from Barry. I mean, Tmac's will and hard work can only do so much. Everybody can only do so much. At the end of the day, everybody is responsible for their production on a team. You can't question Tmac and yao's production. But to answer your question, no, that wouldn't have made much of a difference. WIll and hard work, and desire can't prevent injuries to yourself and others, and it can't make other players shots go in. Only so much ONE PLAYER CAN DO
Kobe had his best individual seasons in 06 and 07 and he couldn't get out of the 1st round because of his supporting cast. Lebron has been the only one in this decade thats been able to carry a team of junk to the finals and to 60+ wins. Thats why I feel he's the best player in the game, but thats just my personal opinion. Brandon Roy couldn't do it this year vs. the ROckets and he played his best in his career this year. Wade by far had his best season this year, but his talent was pretty bad around him. Yet he couldn't get out of the 1st round. But you know what, that team he had around him was much better than what Tmac had around him vs. Detroit in 03. Plus that Detroit team was much better than the Atlanta team Dwade lost to. I mean, theres a big difference with a 1-8 matchup and a 4-5 matchup. Yet, both of them ended up losing in 7...Orlando had no business being up 3-1 on Detroit that year.
PAX, son. PAX. I already knew all that. Just having some fun. But I am glad you cleared it up for me. For a minute there, I was starting to believe that all it was going to take was a guy WANTING to win to put him over the top... And since you're on a roll, riddle me this, Batman: When is a team NOT a good team?
Oh I know, I was being sarcastic about it lol. I was hoping you got that. I'm sure if a Tmac hater answered it, it would be more of a serious answer... Well a team is always better than an individual, but the only "bad" team I can think of is the Jailblazers or 95% of the teams the Clippers threw out there, or any team run by Kevin McHale or Isaiah Thomas, lol.
Ah-ah-ah, BlackKnight. See, it's stuff like this that gets you in trouble. You start blaming a TEAM for not winning in a TEAM sport, instead of laying it all on one guy... ...you start to look like you're playing favorites. Nobody around HERE does anything like that....
will me posting the quotes solve anything? there are tons of them out there, if you talk to the right people. even if i posted them, all you'd do is say "ok, now tell me who said it" or "it was misquoted" or something along those lines, because clearly you are defending him past the point where you have any evidence. no. everything i have heard is off the record, and it will stay that way. tracy's deteriorating game is my evidence. his deteriorating body is my evidence. the lack of respect he has within every locker room he's been in, that's my evidence too. the fact that this year's rockets team, that bunch of guys that overachieved through hard work, the fact that they didn't even want him around during the playoffs . . . all of that is my evidence. but it is the truth. tracy is his own worst enemy. he will always be a "could have been" until he's a "has been" or in some people's eyes, a "never was".
How am I picking favorites? Both Tmac and Wade lost in game 7. All I'm saying is Wade with a horrible team like Tmac lost in a 4-5, vs. a 1-8 series. There were more odds vs. Tmac and Kobe than vs. Wade and Brandon Roy. In Dwade's defense, Tmac also has lost 2 4-5 matchups, 1 in which his team was favored to win. Why shouldn't you blame a TEAM for not winning a TEAM sport? I've been saying for years that Tmac and Yao did not have help in 2005 and 2007. This isn't the 1st time I've said it. I think its amazing what Lebron was able to do, considering how well he played vs. another team with very little help. Thats all. I'm not trying to pick favorites. I'm sorry if thats what you thought, but thats not what I was trying to do. Just look at MJ's 86 series vs. Boston, he averaged 49.5 ppg, and had a 63 point performance, but his team got swept...what more could he have done?
Why do you assume that I won't acknowledge these "quotes". I haven't seen it. I told you I've seen one by Horace Grant. I would love to see thses. I'm all for debating. I know I won't win every debate, especially if there is evidence against me. Plain and simple. If you don't want to post those quotes, then thats fine, thats your choice. As long as you have a reliable source with a link, then I'll be happy to agree with you. I'm not saying Tmac is the hardest working player ever, but it does take hard work to become that good. As far as his decline, are you blaming Hakeem's decline on lack of hard work? He had his struggles with injuries starting in 97, his 13th year in the league. Barkley had trouble by his 10th year in 94. Drexler had his problems starting in 96 by his 13th year. Larry Bird by his 9th season in 89 began having SERIOUS back issues. David Robinson had a major back injury in 97, his 7th season Scottie Pippen began having back problems in his 11th season in 98 Patrick Ewing began having knee problems by his 8th or 9th season in the early 90's. Are you telling me that all of these players breaking down is a result of them not working hard. Players break down due to injuries for various reasons. Some are more durable than others. Jordan, Kobe, Lebron, Magic, Duncan, Kareem, Malone, Stockton, etc. were all incredibly durable during their careers. But the guys I listed were some of the greats, but they just werent that durable by a certain point in their career. I think Tmac, who is in his 13th year now, is just breaking down. He isn't as durable. Hell, it only took Dwade 3 years before his body broke down. Same with Amare. When all of those players began getting injuries, their game suffered along with their bodies. THat goes hand in hand with each other. Tmac's deteriorating game is because of injuries. Athleticism was a big part of his game, what would you expect? Remember 2 seasons ago, people wrote off Dwade. But please post some of these quotes, and I will believe you...until then you have no evidence and thus no real argument.
part of the deal with having quotes that are off the record is that you can't assign sources to them. that's how it works. but if you'd like me to post the quotes as anonymous i can share a few for sure. tmac is not "just now breaking down" either. he hasn't had a healthy season since 2004. since we are all human beings, and all are different, i can't comment on why any of those other players broke down. what i do know, and please note the use of the word "know", is that tracy has not taken care of his body the way a person in his profession should, and that this is a major cause of the neverending string of injuries he has suffered since his days in orlando. in other words, this conversation is not about everyone else and why they did or didnt decline. just as you can point out these players who physically declined because it fits your argument, i could bring up players who played for a long time without falling apart as tracy has. it would all be anecdotal though, so its not really worth doing.
Look I really don't feel like getting into a T-mac argument because I really don't like the guy anymore. The reason being is because of his lack of heart and his belief that he is always going to be as good as he once was, without him putting in anytime, or work during the offseason (like Kobe, like Lebron, like DWade). He is a lazy, cocky, heartless player who has become spoiled with the skills that he once had. Don't get me wrong, he WAS one of the top 3-4 players in the nba, but just as you said time is catching up to him and he is just realizing that he is going to have to put work in to continue to be one of these top players. Unfortunately I don't think his lazy a** has that type of dedication or love for the game to put in that time. Every training camp for the past 3 years he has come in, out off shape and about 10-15 pounds over weight. I mean come on, how is that NOT going to lead to injuries. No Dedication, No Heart = Tracy Mcgrady.
"After having arthroscopic surgery last year, McGrady was sidelined again this season with a knee injury and had microfracture surgery in February. McGrady will likely miss the first half of next year, but he said the rehab is going well. "I already feel better now than I did last year," McGrady said. "It's hard to tell (how far along the recovery is) until I get out and start playing, but I'm not too far off." http://www.newschief.com/article/20090711/NEWS/907115053/1023/SPORTS01?Title=T-Mac-is-Back
