Do you guys/girls think that since there will be no more Mac the Rocket's rallying cry now will be somewhat affected? There had to be some added passion to find a way to make it work until he got back, and now that he's not coming back how do you think they will respond? The Rockets are a good team, not a championship team but a good team...a Cinderella story that the league knows all about and will not take as lightly as they did at season's beginning. What did we give up for team chemistry? If that is so important will the Rox settle for draft picks and roster fillers in exchange for Mac's contract, or will they go out and get an impact player who still might upset the obviously highly regarded team chemistry. The answer is likely 'best available' but I think the latter is unlikely. I have mixed emotions. Although a bit of a head case I thought T-Mac could come back and play his way into a role on this team, and I'm not really sure that Adleman allowed him to fully make his case. But, I'm still in that group that would rather see a hard working Rocket's team that leaves it all on the floor probably to go nowhere, than the fan that will second guess the administration for getting rid of a problem that could have helped us in the long run. I guess we'll see. Its just them now.
I think they will be relieved that the press will soon be back to talking about how hard they play instead of how large T-mac's vagina is.
I think they will be excited that the drama is over, and they can get down to just winning games and settling into a pattern. The schedule gets easier after January 6th I believe.....so we will struggle a bit until then, but after that.....onwards to 50-52 wins. And that is if they can't get anything of value for Tmac. DD
I think the team had already moved on by the time training camp was over. It's become clear that McGrady was never in the Rockets' plans for this season. Hard to believe the players wouldn't pick up on that from the get-go.
I don't think the players or coaches were expecting him to come back and be the player he once was. So I don't think the team will be affected at all. The coaches and players have seen a lot more of McGrady than the fans have since he has been practicing with the team. It was clear to everyone that McGrady couldn't run with the young guys or elevate like he once could. I'm sure the other players are glad that the most deserving players will now be on the floor.
IMHO it's been 'just them' since them reported to camp. Again IMHO I believe we will miss the talent McG will put on display elsewhere, but IMHO RA was anti-McG. With the team's performance to date this season RA had the stroke v McGrady. I am hopeful the return will be good; I absolutely do not believe this will be Pippen redux.
But even if not superstar T-Mac I thought that he could at least be what San Antonio had with Michael Finley.
I think that everyone knew Tmac would be traded and everyone is worried that they might be part of the package. Once Tmac is out of here, they will get more comfortable and just concentrate on winning games.
I think a lot of us rocket fans, including myself, are underestimating the impact Chase Buddinger has made and will make on this team. I think he is the "X" factor to our future successes.
Finley has averaged 18 minutes and 5 pts/game for the spurs this season. It would be great if T-Mac could accept a diminished role on the team and still make a contribution like Finley. However, I think T-Mac only sees himself as the superstar he once was. It's all rather sad really.
if your hoping chase will be dirk you are sadily mistaken at best chase is a brent barry and thats all he will ever be
I'm liking the question behind the thread, AB... but I think they'll finally be able to take center stage in their minds... As a team... This squad is on a mission to prove again that the NBA can be won by team effort and unity. I like the whole thing.
i think they know now what they can do...shouldnt hurt them...if anything it may actually make some guys more happy in a way because, guys like landry and brooks can continue to get theirtouches, they wont be worried , at least for now, about a change in their role.
Just so we're on the same page, Brent Barry was actually a pretty good player in his prime. I would LOVE if Chase was a Brent Barry.
I have mixed emotions too....I'm not the type to let beat writers and media outlet sway my opinion on the players I'm watching night in and night out. Tracy has his issues....i will give anyone that, but his issues are minor compared to other headcases around the league. To say that he would "mess up" the chemistry kinda throws me for a loop. How can the best player on your team, who is also your top assist guy and play maker disrupt the chemistry? Well, I know that answer of course but I for one didn't believe he would have and was NEVER given the real minutes to validate anyone thinking so. This is pretty much the same team that won 22 games in a row and 55 games a season and a half ago.....lead by Tracy. He was loved then....of couse until the team lost to Utah. He showed up during the playoffs...his numbers don't lie. I don't have a problem moving on, I guess I just have a issue how it's going down right now. It just seems wrong in some way....maybe on both parties. I mean, how can you get mad at a player for wanting to play more?? Usually fans are mad when a player doesn't want to play. I don't know anymore....I'm just along for the ride I guess. I wish him the best.
So theoritically anti-McGrady sentiment was a catalyst that perhaps unified them. It happens. Like the Sarah Palin thing, her rallying the party bases. Look at the board, bringing down a player unites and energizes everyone, why not the players themselves?
I don't think trading TMac was a certainty until the past few days. Yes, they knew TMac was a gigantic question mark. And they probably knew that he would not be a big part of the team. But whether he would be traded or left on the team was an unknown. According to reports, Morey was NOT aggressively trying to trade McGrady, until TMac's agent asked for it. So now that some kind of trade is imminent, I think it would be a distraction in that any one of the players not name Yao might be part of a package in the trade. That will be in the back of their minds until the trade actually happens.
Even worse, if you listen to McGrady he keeps talking about proving himself to everyone. At least before the injury he was trying to prove he was a winner because he felt comfortable with his ranking among current NBA players. Now, he's back to worrying about proving himself as an All Star. Wins are not his concern anymore. I never called him "Me-Mac" but I would say that's exactly who he is now.
