DD, tmac WILL try his hardest out there. a dumb fool can predict that. he's clamoring to play and proclaiming he's back. and he's playing for a new contract. look for him to have his "playoff" intensity all year, whether it's here with us or somewhere else. so i dont' think effort/intensity will be a problem. the question is: is he REALLY back? can he still play at a high level? that question is crucial. if he's no longer the player we know, then it's not very useful to give him even 20-30 minutes a game b/c he doesn't help this team. we should "kind of" francis him. however, if what grover says is true, there is NO WAY tmac is not going to try out there. he busts his butt all offseason to do what? limp like he did last year? and again, it's not very hard to play better than ariza or shane right now offensively. not very hard at all. all he has to do is "try" and he'll be better than them offensively. as long as he ain't limping and moving fine, he'll prove he's still the best perimeter player we have. however, i think (as it should be) adelman will start him off the bench and have his minutes worked up gradually. he wants to see what kind of workload tracy can handle and the players tracy best fits with. i think he might start soon b/c the starters struggle a lot at times (due to the offensive ineptitude of battier/ariza/hayes) and we rely too much on brooks.
Agreed. I want to see energy and 5 man basketball. I don't want to see the rest of the team standing around watching TMac because he has forgotten anyone else is on the floor. I don't want to see him loafing on defense because his offense is not working. I don't want to see players like Jamario Moon abuse him. I want to see energy, enthusiasm, passing the ball, moving with out the ball and not just walking it up the court. I want him to understand that when he is on the floor he is apart of the offense not "THE" offense. Honestly I think we will see a lot of TMac sitting uncomfortably on the bench watching the Rockets and moping because he is not in Ricks rotation.
defense is all about effort to tmac. i have agreed with you that his effort during the REGULAR SEASON wavers on that end. but i wouldn't worry about effort with tracy right now. that's the last thing that should be on your worry list. what i worry about is how good he can still be. if he's not, we should sit him. if he is, we could get something good for him.
I think Tmac has some "coming to grips" to do with his situation first. He has been coddled his entire life, and now, for the FIRST TIME IN THE NBA, he is not being catered too, and he is stomping his feet and sucking his thumb and tossing around a tantrum. Hopefully, he will use this as a growing experience, but some guys never learn....look at Iverson for example. Let's hope Tmac grows from this.... DD
tracy simply wants a chance to play and prove he can still play. iverson wants to start, get big minutes, get his stats... i never throught a healthy and motivated tracy was selfish. if you guys think so, then carry on/
Tracy McGrady is a good defender, the only reason Shane Battier had the chance to call him out last year because Tracy was injured. Take it in your own perspective, if you were injured could you really defend a person well? Tracy McGrady is one of the most underrated defenders when healthy.
Not true, Tracy is a good defender when "he wants to be"....the problem is that he rests on defense. I am not convinced that a guy with a bad knee, and bad back fits into this team anymore. We need guys who run, cut and move off the ball.......I have not seen that from Tmac consistently, well....ever...... Again, if he is healthy, and can beat out the guys ahead of him, great....let's see it. But, if he can't........then this will get REALLY REALLY UGLY. DD
True, only he knows his physical capabilities. However, I don't think RA and Morey are as concerned for that as they are his metal maturity and his willingness to play the team's style. As we all know, McGrady plays a slow game. Is he quick? Yes? Can he run? Yes? Will he run? This is the question. Obviously, he hasn't run well in "practice" yet or they would give him the green light. Also, the team, while they need a closer, obviously has been sharing the ball A LOT. Let's say he shares in practice? Will that translate into games? I would love to see T-mac playing with everyone but I think RA and Morey are right to have trust issues.
SPOT ON.... Add to that, will a guy playing for a new contract play the team oriented game they are playing now? I think Morey and Adelman are 100% doing the right thing for the organization, maybe not for Tmac's fans...but for the Rockets org...yes...100%. DD
it really looks like he doesnt have a choice now.. the guy is on the verge of becoming another marbury/iverson. his stock is that bad.. so i think he has to shut it up and do whatever is reqd of him.. if he doesnt do that.. he will be jettisoned ..
Yes you guys are all right, but according to Rick Adelman, you will be seeing Tracy McGrady in the future whether you like it or not. I believe Tracy will do the things he said, he has never been through a more intensive training in the summer like this one. He finally stopped training with his personal trainer and went to the best. “You don't just take somebody who has been out a whole year and suddenly just throw them out on the court. It's not about Tracy at this point; it's about our team, what's best for our team. He's part of that." -RA
He's 30 and entering his 13th year in the league. His growing/maturation process is done. He is what he is and that isn't much if you value maturity, consistent effort and lack of ego. If he comes back to this team expect the complaints about minutes and touches to start within 10 games or less. The guy has not changed he's just desperate now because he sees that last payday slipping away and maybe, just maybe he has some concern about the legacy he leaves behind him. Unfortunately, even if he is concerned with his legacy he thinks the way to prove that he is an all time great is by coming back from this surgery and getting his stats and his touches and his minutes. He doesn't get it and that's a problem that no rehabbing can correct.
You think his game play hasn't changed at all? Dude that happened when he first came here. Tracy McGrady is a great passer, when he came to the Rockets he finally had people to pass to, people that could make shots or post up. Ever since Tracy McGrady has come to Houston he is expected to be the star of the team or part of Yao and McGrady team. This year his role will change and he will adjust. If Tracy McGrady hasn't adjusted, do you think Rick Adelman would even consider Tracy McGrady "a heck of a player." Rick Adelman believes Tracy to be part of this team this year, if Tracy hasn't changed Rick Adelman would have said so.
Where have you been or where are you currently? The organization has been saying since September that his return would be on or around the 23rd of November pending the MRI. The only thing McGrady deserves is what he's getting. The front office has heard T-Mac saying he's ready before and this time they aren't falling for it. Neither are the some of the fans, but obviously not all.
Oh let me add that, do you think the Rockets would resign Cook for 3.5 MILLION DOLLARS FOR ONE YEAR?! Negative, player option FTL!
By the way what does "Deserves to play" mean exactly? Shouldn't it be "The Rockets deserve an employee being paid $23 million dollars to tow the company line"? DD
