McGrady: I've been "deferring too much" to Yao in 4th quarters

Well, I think T-mac's game was there this 4th QTR where it wasn't before. Not sure if that's because he was "deferring" or not....but let's hope he is right....

 

I don't know if he's been deferring to Yao specifically, but he certainly hasn't been aggressive.

 

Didn't he have the same problem at the start of his FIRST season in Houston...?

DD

 

I think Tmac did a great job today.. I would really like to see him take over in the 4th quarter like he did today.. this is what makes him great...

 

I think the coach should decide.

Yao should always be the first option.

 

what if the coach is r****ded?

not in the 4th... Defense will be much more aggressive, officials will not give Yao the calls he deserves, Perimeter shooters will not be reliable in critical time...

4th quarter is Tmac's time.. period..

 

Best case scenario: we're the dynasty lakers. Shaq would dominate the entire game, but in the clutch it was Kobe time. This probably had more to do with the fact that Shaq couldn't hit free throws, but whatever.

 

Whoever's dominating the fourth quarter-- whether it be Yao or TMac-- should be dependent on matchups, not on who feels they have to take over at that particular time.

 

I guess he's sort of right. By the fourth quarter the opposing coach would've figured out Yao but not McGrady yet so it'll be his time to shine.

 

So does this make T-Mac our Ben Gordon then? Because if Yao carries us through 3 quarters and Tracy consistently has 10-18 point fourth quarters...that would really solve a lot of our issues.

 

I think he is saying when teams admantlt deny Yao by double tripple teaming him, he should be more aggressive. I think this is fine.
Also, I noticed today Tmac and Yao PnR almost every play, and led two wide open treys from Rafer and Head. This is a good thing. Because of Yao's stamina problem, we should mix things up like this instead of stubbonly send down low and let him play one against 3 in a hacking match. When we've got a guy has that much attention down low, our other players gotta make them pay.

 

Agree with the r****ded coach part. But seriously, the coach is NOT r****ded, just stubborn.

Disagree on whether 4th quarter should be Yao or Tmac's time. It depends on what the defense gives you, very simple.
- If they want to take away Yao, then it is Tmac's time
- If they want to take away Tmac, then it is Yao's time
- If they work hard to take away both Tmac and Yao, then it is the role players' time

Just like football. If defense packs up the middle to prevent the run, it is stupid to keep running. They give you the pass, take it, and make a big play. Likewise, if defense gives you the run by spreading out and only show 3 or 4 linemen, then by all means run (of course unless you have long yardage to go ).

 

Yessir.

Although I think T-Mac should be the first option in the 4th JUST based on the fact he's more mobile than Yao Ming. Nothing else. T-Mac can play anywhere on the floor against virtually any defender AND he can create for his teammates. Yao is still not GREAT at passing out of double teams down low and he naturally isn't as mobile.

Even if the play isn't called for T-Mac the ball should be in his hands at the beginning of the play, not Rafer's, not Yao's. If need be T-Mac can create for Yao. Sometimes T-Mac is the only one who can pass the ball to Yao correctly.

I know T-Mac isn't as good at free throws as Yao but he still seems to drill them when they really count.

 

tmac creates a lot of opportunities and keeps the defense moving, giving our guards the 3 pointer or the drive and dish. with yao, defenses can probably compensate by pushing him out of his comfort zone and making him take extra dribbles, making him waste time and rendering the offense stagnant. im more comfortable seeing tmac as the first option in the 4th q when the d gets tough

 

Last 4 games, McGrady looks to have gotten back on track:

Code:

[B]          MPG   PPG   RPG   APG   TPG   FG%   3FG%  FT%[/B]
last 4    36.8  23.8  6.3   5.3   2.5   45.2% 37.0% 79.2%
first 7   38    17.6  5.4   6.4   3.1   38.5% 22.2% 63.0%  

If we can continue to get that kind of production from McGrady the rest of they way, that should be pretty good.

 

Nice, 24,000 Posts...

 

And after he realized it, he started playing at an MVP-caliber level. Wouldn't mind seeing that again.

 

that's exactly what he's saying. i think t-mac would still give the ball to yao every time down in the fourth, if it's working, but when 2-3 guys are pushing on him, tracy has to turn into t-mac. they have to find a balance but luckily we're doing a good job of winning while still sorting many, many things out.

 

Yallmean and Fuzzy are correct.

That quote is kind of out of context.

In the fourth quarter of many games this year, Yao has been agressively fronted, doubled, beat up, sagged on...it totally bogs the offense down. There are creative ways of getting Yao the ball, and sometimes they work. But sometimes, it is impossible to get Yao the ball no matter how hard you try if the defense is determined to put 2 men on him. Yao is not a guard. You can't give him the ball up high and have him dribble drive. Yao needs to receive the ball in a certain area to be effective. And Yao ain't Dream, so he can't catch the ball everywhere...it has to be a good pass.

So combine all those factors with the new rules and TMac is absolutely right. Yao has been dominant. But in the 4th quarter of many games this year, including this last Knicks games, teams will beat up on Yao (and refs have let it go) and will make it very very very difficult to get Yao the ball. And the stubborn Rockets have made many a turnover trying to force the ball in when the passing lane isn't there.

So this last game, the TMac and Yao pick and roll was used a lot, and well. That play doesn't just allow TMac to drive, shoot, or pass, but it is also used as a decoy to allow Yao to slip down to the post to establish position for a quick double pass.

Basically, TMac was just saying in the post game interview that he played poorly in the 4th in recent games, and he just had to step up, because the team needs him. And he's right.