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[Kelly Dwyer Blog] Don’t fault McGrady for his one-and-done legacy

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by moestavern19, May 3, 2008.

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  1. moestavern19

    moestavern19 Member

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    Don’t fault McGrady for his one-and-done legacy

    By Kelly Dwyer, Special to Yahoo! Sports


    It has become a cruel tagline, an unfortunate addendum to a player whose living tombstone should read much better. Yet there it is: Tracy McGrady, the Guy Who Can’t Get Out of the First Round.

    While that hardly summarizes his accomplishments in a manner befitting his talents, it is an easy sell and the perfect catch-all anecdote for cable television chat shows to reference without bringing up context. And, as it usually is with too-simple career summaries, it’s not at all fair.

    No, Tracy McGrady has not made the second round of the NBA playoffs, despite seven tries. Yes, basketball teams often can ride the hot hand of a certain player in order to win three games out of five or four games out of seven, and McGrady seemingly would have the talent to be that singular, driving and, eventually, winning force.

    It has yet to happen, though. And that makes us wonder if the whole ideal behind a team sport that can be changed with the work of one man actually works.

    After all, Michael Jordan couldn’t make it out of the first round of the playoffs for his first three seasons, and though NBA fans might remember Jordan’s historic turn in trying to take down the eventual champs out of Boston in 1986, they probably don’t remember a much quieter bow out to the Celtics in 1987 or a first-round loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1985. Jordan’s teams managed just one win in 10 playoff games over that span.

    Kobe Bryant gave his rather limited Laker teams a fightin’ chance in the wake of Shaquille O’Neal’s departure from Los Angeles, but they couldn’t move out of the first round in 2006 and 2007. LeBron James needed seven games to down the Washington Wizards (not exactly world beaters) in 2006, and he benefited greatly from Washington’s injury woes in the two years following.

    So the idea of the lone gunslinger throwing in 40 points alongside a healthy dose of rebounds and assists and saving the day doesn’t really translate in reality, much less lead to opening-round triumph. And once you throw in the context of who Tracy has taken on over the years, it’s a small wonder that we aren’t bemoaning this guy’s run of bad luck above all.

    His first venture into the postseason came in 2000, as a sixth man on a Toronto Raptors team that was dealt the defending Eastern Conference champs out of New York. Further complicating matters, Raptors coach Butch Carter decided to initiate a lawsuit against the starting center of the opposing team not long before tip-off, and the young Raptors eventually were sent home. Lawsuits aside, they lost to a much better team.

    Moving on to Orlando the next year, McGrady emerged as a star worthy of his new max contract, and he led a Grant Hill-less team to the playoffs. With Hill’s comparable contract taking up cap space, however, Orlando’s rotation beyond McGrady and his injured co-star was paper-thin, and the team lost in the first round to a Bucks squad that eventually ended their season one win away from the NBA Finals. Another loss to a much better team.

    In 2002, the Magic lost to a deeper and more talented Hornets squad. McGrady’s team was good, the other team better. A pattern, you’ve noticed, already has emerged.

    When 2003 rolled around, the first round expanded to a best-of-seven contest and McGrady famously showed relief and enthusiasm at moving on to the East semifinals even while his Magic team was up only 3-1 to the Detroit Pistons. While that was an embarrassing faux pas, it doesn’t detract from the fact that the Pistons were a much better team than the Magic, even at that point.

    After a trade to Houston, McGrady’s Rockets lost a seven-game series to Dallas even after shooting up 2-0 to start the tussle. While the idea of blowing yet another first-round lead may fuel the fire of his detractors, one has to realize that the Rockets – made of McGrady, Yao Ming and a whole host of aging and/or soon-to-retire parts – were not two games better than this Mavericks team.

    This is important. It’s a team game and there will be some deviations from the norm, but let’s cut out the pretense here: Should the 2003 Magic have been up 3-1 on the Pistons? Were they even in Detroit’s league? And though the 2005 Rockets boasted some formidable talent, and while it’s easy to rip a star whose laconic nature makes it seem as if he’s sleepwalking through games, can you really compare rosters and say that Houston was at Dallas’ level – much less two games better?

    The same goes for Houston’s opening-round loss to Utah last season. Yes, the series went seven games (something that denotes equality, usually), and yes, the Yao-less Rockets took the Jazz to six games this year, but there’s no way Houston’s roster was anywhere close to being on the same level as Utah’s last season.

    Anomalies in a short sample size shouldn’t force us into abandoning common sense, and common sense (as well as a good look at all the teams in question and the rotations at hand) tells us that McGrady’s teams never have lost to an inferior squad in the first round. Far from it.

    There haven’t been any upsets, McGrady hasn’t let anyone down, and critiquing him for not making it out of the first round is akin to ripping on Pau Gasol for failing to make it to the second round with the undermanned Memphis Grizzlies in the face of competition out of San Antonio, Phoenix and Dallas. Save that vitriol for the top-ranked tennis pro bowing out against an unheralded opponent in the opening rounds. This is a team sport. Treat it as such.

    That said, McGrady hasn’t exactly put himself or his team in position to pull off the upset because his offensive arsenal is lacking at times. The third quarter of Houston’s Game 6 loss to the Jazz on Friday was the perfect example – while the Jazz defense swarmed, McGrady was unable to contribute offensively by making himself a decoy off the ball. When he did get the ball in the low post, far from his comfort position, he missed a series of shots that other great wing scorers would have connected on.

    It’s that way of scoring, far from pretty but awfully effective, that separates McGrady from the best of the bunch. Outside of driving to the hole, or if he’s not crossing over and pulling up for the 20-foot jump shot, McGrady is pretty lost. And that’s why he consistently has been unable to put points on the board late in games, once his tired legs fail him.

    That’s a blown recipe for overachievement, however, and it’s hard to consistently criticize a guy for not playing over his head. The fact remains that, seven times since the year 2000, Tracy McGrady’s teams have lost in the first round to outfits that were better than his own. And though an individual can have a big hand in taking down another team in this league, it still is a team game.

    And this guy hasn’t had the team. That’s a shame, and that shouldn’t be a reflection on McGrady.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------


    Pretty good read here as always KD, I don't think its fair the media sensationalizing T-mac as a failure in the postseason.

    "It is what it is"
     
    #1 moestavern19, May 3, 2008
  2. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

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    TMOF

    Knee Jerk Responce of TMOF: Throw all his teammates under the bus

    Rocket River
     
    #2 Rocket River, May 3, 2008
  3. durvasa

    durvasa Member

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    I've used the same excuse many times in the past to defend McGrady: he's never lost to a better team in the playoffs. But even if his team was a 3-to-1 underdog on average in each series, after 7 tries he should still be expected to win at least a couple.
     
    #3 durvasa, May 3, 2008
  4. Easy

    Easy Boban Only Fan
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    I'm just curious. What if McGrady was on a great team in his rookie year and won a playoffs series as a bench player. Would that somehow lifted him from the stigma?
     
    #4 Easy, May 3, 2008
  5. Northside Storm

    Northside Storm Member

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    Well, it's easier to write a title like "Never been out of the first round" rather then "Never been out of first round except when he was on the bench for that team which was really talented and thus McGrady had nothing really to do with the win after all."
     
    #5 Northside Storm, May 3, 2008
  6. durvasa

    durvasa Member

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    I don't think it would. The focus would be on what he's done since he's become a bonafide star. It is interesting how Grant Hill never has received the criticism T-Mac gets. He was 0 for 4 in Detroit during his superstar days.
     
    #6 durvasa, May 3, 2008
  7. Classic

    Classic Member

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    Wrong. It's being objective. Your point of view doesn't allow you to see that. Basketball isn't golf. It isn't bowling. It isn't tennis. It is a highly complex team game where an individual(s) can have a great impact, but not the sole impact like the other sports listed. People try to make comparisions and draw judgement on individuals in this team enviornment as if it is an individual sport and that's not quite right.

    Example:

    Let's say Tiger Woods and the US Ryder team gets beat 15 years in a row in international competition, would it soil his reputation for being a great golfer? Of course not. The good thing for Tiger is that he plays a sport where he, and only he, is responsible for the outcome of the game. Too bad all great basketball players can't be judged on this type of plane for any shortcomings (that are out of their control) they've experienced in their careers.

    Actually, what's even more funny about all this refering to the above post, is that Grant Hill's teams are I believe 0-9 in first round series. Why doesn't he get faulted? Oh right, he wasn't even playing. Looks to me that hurts the team more than a guy playing would.
     
    #7 Classic, May 3, 2008
  8. t_mac1

    t_mac1 Member

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    tmac will eventually advance. houston is slowly putting better teams each year. we have better reg. seasons each year. it's a matter of time.

    houston just needs to get the #1/#2 seed and face a team that would completely overwhelm.

    it's coming soon. we all know it.

    i don't think tmac is down at all. he knows the development of his team. he knows his shortcomings offensively and i'll think you see a better tmac next yr.

    he'll utilize his mid-range game much more next yr.
     
    #8 t_mac1, May 3, 2008
  9. Easy

    Easy Boban Only Fan
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    But the statement "TMac never advanced to the second round" would not be true. In fact, I suspect that this silly "never advance" thing would never have been a big deal if he rode the coattail of a good team to win a series.

    Look, if Malone's Lakers team won that year, we would never be able to say that he's a choker when it comes to winning a championship. Same with Barkley with the Rockets. See the absurdity of using team winning to gauge a player's accomplishment?
     
    #9 Easy, May 3, 2008
  10. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

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    Sorry
    but The Rockets were the more INJURED team this year
    but
    They were NOT less talented than the Spazz

    Rocket River
    I will not just make it seem like Scola, Landry, Rafer, Battier, etc are just a big ole bucket of Crap so folx can feel better about T-Max
     
    #10 Rocket River, May 3, 2008
  11. t_mac1

    t_mac1 Member

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    yes they were.

    deron > rafer
    ak > battier
    boozer/okur > scola

    our players are talented or else they wouldn't be in the NBA. there's nothing wrong with saying the team we played against is more talented.

    talent does not make you better. denver has a lot of talent, but are they better than us? i can say with 100% certainty that we are better than denver.

    tmac could play better than he did. if he had shot better, he could have easily avg 32-33 ppg in this series with the amount of fts he had (9 fts a game and taking 24 shots a game). he has to be more efficient.

    as a team, we failed. no need to single out any players for praise or criticism.
     
    #11 t_mac1, May 3, 2008
  12. TTRocket

    TTRocket Member

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    What should we say about the star players that can't even lead their team to the playoffs?
     
    #12 TTRocket, May 3, 2008
  13. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

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    Yet and still you TMOF continue to criticize every other player not named T-Mac

    'oh he had no one to player it'
    'oh every other team in the playoffs has more talent. . including the atlanta hawks'
    oh .. . t-mac plays with scrubs and bums'

    Rocket River
     
    #13 Rocket River, May 3, 2008
  14. t_mac1

    t_mac1 Member

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    they do have more talent. what's wrong with saying that? talent does NOT win in this league. the reason everyone is so proud of this team is b/c we play with heart, passion, and refuse to lose mentality.

    tmac wasn't perfect in this series. he still should deserve the blame out of anyone b/c he's our best player. he should shoot much better than 42%. he should shoot much better than 60% from the ft line. he should improve his stamina so he wouldn't tire out so easily.

    again, our players are talented. outside of head/hayes, none of them are scrubs. but what's wrong with saying other teams are more talented?

    look at the nuggets. they have top 3 talent and see where it got them? talent does not mean anything if you don't play the way we play.
     
    #14 t_mac1, May 3, 2008
  15. tigermission1

    tigermission1 Member

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    As I've said before, I do not and can not in good conscious blame him for the team losing this series. I can and will, however, blame him AND Yao for their choke job last year in Game 7 against the Jazz, especially in the last 2 minutes of the game when we were up by 5 and all but had the game -- and the series -- in the bag, if it wasn't for a few 'mishandled' defensive possessions and missed rebounds that turned into back-to-back Okur threes. McGrady played great for the first three quarters of that game, was even efficient in doing so, with a double-double, then completely disappeared in the fourth on offense, instead just deferring to everyone else. Yao had sucked the first three quarters and then stepped up big time in the fourth on offense, but when it most counted he choked like no other in securing rebounds that, ultimately, were the deciding factor in the series.

    In short, both our stars need to work on their 'clutchness', as far as I am concerned their careers are on the Chris Webber track until they prove that they're capable of stepping up to get their team over the hump when the moment calls for it.

    So yes, I place partial blame on him, especially for last season when he had the best chance to advance, but I do understand it's not fair to place all blame on one player. And it's hard to do so this year considering not just how banged up the team was, but how banged up he was too.
     
    #15 tigermission1, May 3, 2008
    Last edited: May 3, 2008
  16. BigM

    BigM Member

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    at any point that mcgrady has been in the playoffs he's had a rocket's team that would EXTREMELY EASILY have dispatched of any single one of lebron's cav teams. yet he's won multiple series and been to the finals. luck of the draw.
     
    #16 BigM, May 3, 2008
  17. rocketsregle

    rocketsregle Member

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    tigermission that a very good post.

    I think the team took strides this year in mental toughness. Something that was missing in last year's series. It takes a defiant attitude to go from two games under .500 to being number one seed in the west at one point. Adelman did a great job of not allowing players let leadership be delegated to just the sidelines. It did wonders for our team spirit on the court.

    I personally prefer not to focus on just McGrady. I don't care what was done in Orlando or in Toronto. The core of our team hasn't been out of the first round. But I'm not worried because we grew as a team this year. I am confident Adelman is too good of a coach to never get out of the first round in Houston.
     
    #17 rocketsregle, May 3, 2008
  18. blender

    blender Member

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    From the original blog entry:
    I have no question that McGrady will one day be on the winning side of a playoff series. But what Kelly Dwyer describes here is what worries me about our star player.

    Is this a limitation of his game that will ultimately be the limitation of this team's aspirations for a championship? If so, can we overcome or compensate for it?
     
    #18 blender, May 3, 2008
  19. Shroopy2

    Shroopy2 Member

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    McGrady's teams have either been up in half the playoff series, 2-0, 3-1, or at home for the possible deciding game to advance. But didnt get it done. THATs whats troubling about it. Its not right maybe, but criticism is fair. At least ONE of those should have been advancement.

    But blame has to go to Yao also, and Battier...it is a team game. McGrady himself cant make up the point differential, its darn near impossible without a little help.
     
    #19 Shroopy2, May 3, 2008
  20. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

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    You don't win 55 games [more than alot fo the so called 'Superior talented' teams]
    Without TALENT

    [even more than the Spazz]

    Rocket River
     
    #20 Rocket River, May 4, 2008
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