In 2000-2001, T-Mac averaged 33.5PPG/6.0RPG/4.0APG on 63.5% shooting against the Rockets. In 2001-2002, T-Mac averaged 30.5PPG/11.0RPG/6.0APG on 46.5% shooting against the Rockets. In 2002-2003, T-Mac averaged 27.5PPG/4.0RPG/2.5APG on 41.7% shooting against the Rockets. The only season you can really say T-Mac played poorly against the Rockets with Orlando was in 2003-2004 when he only shot 35% against them in 2 games, but for the better part of 4 years he was far from "shut down."
True Rocket fans at least appreciated the 2001 Rockets team that whipped the Eastern Conference like a stepchild. AntiSonic, I believe the rookies are offended that I referred to the fact that the Rockets stuck Cuttino Mobley on the all might Tmac in Orlando and he didn't play well. They don't love the Rockets of the 80s or 90s, and not even the Steve Francis era Rockets. I wonder why they are even here on this board!
Again, even if you include that last season with Orlando, T-Mac still averaged 28.5PPG/6.3RPG/3.8APG on 46.2% shooting in his 4 seasons with Orlando. That is playing very well, and far from "shut down." I don't know what it is about Rockets fans and their dellusions about how good the "Francis era" really was.
You Tmac fans love Orlando days.. This is what I remember Paper: Houston Chronicle Date: MON 04/07/2003 Section: Sports Page: 1 Edition: 3 STAR Rockets dress for success / Red, gold look good in win over Magic By JONATHAN FEIGEN Staff Now there is no way the Rockets will want to go back to the stripes. Actually, they would have had no interest in ever putting on their pajama-like uniforms again - even without spending a night in their red-and-gold throwback jerseys. But as long as the Rockets were going to dress like champions, they marked the occasion by crushing the last team they played in the old uniforms. In a nod to their 1995 NBA Finals sweep of the Magic, the Rockets wore the old colors on Sunday and whipped Orlando 114-93 before 15,335 at Compaq Center. They moved the ball well, rebounded better and shot from the perimeter better still. But as much as there is at stake in their race with the Suns for the Western Conference's last playoff berth - the Rockets moved within a half-game of Phoenix after the Suns lost in overtime to the Lakers - they said they were inspired by their past. Never underestimate the clothes of a champion. "We were feeling good in those unis," Rockets guard Moochie Norris said. "We knew we had to respect the uniforms. Even before the tip, we felt good. They won championships in those uniforms. We had to live up to that. I wish we could keep wearing them." They can't. Tuesday against the Trail Blazers, the thick stripes and Rocket with the gritting teeth will be back. But the Rockets ran so completely through their checklist of how they say they must play, they were convinced they could play as they did on Sunday even when they dress as they have the past eight seasons. The most obvious quality they so often talk about was the ball movement that led to balanced scoring. The Rockets not only made their first four shots to immediately take an 11-0 lead, burning the zone the Magic employed on Yao Ming, but they also had assists on all four. Topping 100 points for the sixth time in their past eight wins, the Rockets led by as many as 27 before clearing the bench. If the score itself was not enough of an indication of how great the mismatch had been, the Magic had one player, Tracy McGrady, score in double figures before Steven Hunter mopped up the last few minutes; the Rockets had seven. McGrady had 28 points but just four in the second half. The Rockets' seven players in double figures were led by Cuttino Mobley's 23 on 6-for-11 shooting and Steve Francis' 21 (7-for-10). "We all know what we can do," Francis said. "We know how we can play. It's just that we have to be consistent. If we continue to play together, pass the basketball, hit a guy when he's open, (then) we'll be straight." But even when the Rockets were not shooting as well, they outworked the Magic, who were playing the second half of a back-to-back. "Houston played harder than us," Magic coach Doc Rivers said. "They played like they were fighting for the playoffs, and we played like we were already in and that's not the case. This was the first night in years that I thought our team just caved in and gave up." The Magic rank seventh in the playoff standings in the NBA East. The best example of the Rockets' hustle came late in the first half. The Magic had briefly pulled back from their 11-point deficit to a tie and trailed by just eight in the last minute before halftime. But Maurice Taylor poked the ball free from Hunter and then chased down the loose ball with a dive across the court. Taylor sent a pass ahead to Norris, who flipped a high-speed behind the back pass to Mobley for a layup that sent the Rockets to the locker room certain they were on their way to an easy win. "We needed a play, a big play," Norris said. "Mo knocked the ball loose, then made the extra effort. It was incredible to me to see the big guy get on the floor and beat a guard to the ball. I saw Cuttino hustling, so I set up (Pat) Garrity, kind of froze him and passed to Cuttino." They really blew the game open when they added Francis and Yao to their offense. Yao scored on a hook and a layup set up by Mobley. He then flashed a spin move to blow by Shawn Kemp - a considerably less mobile 300-pound center than the 1995 Magic center, Shaquille O'Neal. Yao finished with a two-handed slam, and soon ended his 27-minute night with 14 points and eight rebounds, and another completely sold opposing coach. "He is going to be a great, great, great player in this league," Rivers said. "He can do so many things. I'm jealous because Houston gets so many great centers. When are we going to get one?" Yao's most Hakeem Olajuwon-like moment might have been a backcourt steal from Kemp. But it was only natural that Rivers think back to Rockets glory days. Reminders were everywhere. "It was definitely a different feel," Taylor said. "The last time I saw the uniforms, Dream and those guys won the championship. We couldn't disrespect the uniforms and lose with them on. A lot of us would prefer to wear them every game the rest of the season. "We know what this team is capable of doing. But it's always good to get a win when you're playing well. That's how you start streaks."
That's adorable and all, but it doesn't refute your ignorance to what is reality and fiction, especially when it comes to the Francis era. BTW, in case you were interested in how Mobley has "shut down" T-Mac since being traded, T-Mac has averaged 26.0PPG/5.7RPG/6.6APG on 43.0% shooting in 7 games against Mobley (as both a Clip and Magic)...all above T-Mac's regular season averages the last 4 seasons.
I remember Cuttino shutting him down during a game, Cat played with heart and confidence! Dude I know my Francis era Rockets.. unfortunately
Actually, what I meant to say was how can anyone be nostalgic of the Steve-Yao era where they only made the playoffs once and lost in 4 games (ie SWEPT) against the Lakers. And Cuttino shutting down Mcgrady back when he was in Orlando? Law333lz!!!!!! Thats f**** hilarious. No defender could "shut down" the Orlando Tmac back then-one on one atleast.
Well, since you alleged that Cuttino 'shut down' Mcgrady back when he playing for Orlando, I had to argue that point-has absolutely nothing to do with my allegiance to the Rockets. And just because I'm a fan of Tmac doesn't give you or anybody the right to judge us or discriminate against "us." Like many rational Tmac fans here I give him his dues but I also realize his downside(s). Btw, this thread should be allowed to just naturally rot away like the Anne Hathaway thread (still can't figure out what the deal with that thread was either) , but a select few (in this case you and AntiSonic) just won't let it go. Just move on.
maybe they love the team as currently constructed? that shouldn't be an indictment. i'm all for educating new fans (we all were new at some juncture). when yah confuse that with meaningless ethic & political rhetoric there's a hitch in the welcome wagon. Rockets' lore gets lost in your political perspective. Rocket truth becomes obscured. true Rocket fans welcome Asians, have no Asian bias, and invite all new fans to share our rich Rockets history. Yao is integral to our quest for greatness.
