Everyone knows McGrady is pretty soft, and calls him that... but here they are expecting Mike James to bring "toughness" and "attitude" to the team to get them over the hump. Didn't work the first time. Frankly, Mike James' talent-- being able to make shots, penetrate, take care of the ball, etc-- is what might help the team, not some ambiguous concept of "attitude."
That's a bunch of bull and you know it. NOTHING went right in Game 7 against Dallas. The team was blown out by 40, it wasn't a "close" contest where MJ flamed out. At the end of the day, Dallas was far more consistent and dominant and Game 7 only hammered that point home. To try and somehow blame it on MJ is a complete copout on your part. Try to muster up a more convincing argument and try again... That doesn't 'hurt', either. Obviously, we want him for his skills more so than his 'intangibles' (no pun intended, Battier). However, having that fiery personality on a team consisting of two of the most gutless 'superstars' in the league this side of Melo IS a plus. You might not recognize it, but most people who watched this team for the past couple of seasons saw that 'void' and lack of 'personality' come through time and time again. Wanna go anywhere in the playoffs? That has to change ALONG with better talent. Remind me again what was so special about Bob Sura?
1. Nothing went right in Game 7, and my point is MJ's "attitude" and "intangibles" wasn't there to save the team, or even to make the margin a tiny bit closer. There are players whose "fire" can probably motivate the team, but Mike James ain't one of those. You'd think KG, just about the most intense guy out there in the NBA, would have liked him more if he had Mario Elie-esque or Battier-esque attitude and competitiveness. From the media reports, his teammates, at best, tolerate his antics. Toronto didn't want his toughness back next to their "nice guys" even after a 20 ppg season. Minnesota and KG soured on him quickly. So, let's not make every somewhat grumpy NBA player into a Mario Elie or Charles Oakley. Yes, he is a quality point guard, and he wouldn't be less of a contributor on this team if he had Derek Fisher's personality. 2. Battier's "intangibles" is one of the most over-used terms on this board. His contributions are not based on some magical force he bring to the team, it's there on tape to anyone who want to watch. He's blocking shots, knocking down 3s, playing tough D on the Lebrons of the world, causing turnovers, making opponents take tough shots on fast breaks, making the rotation out to contest open 3s. He contributed signficantly to a quality team. He wouldn't have contributed any more than he did if he had b****ed more about his contract or being treated like a prostitute.
Stop hating on T-Mac, we wouldn't have got to game 7 of any of those series if it wasn't for T-Mac. You can't ask him to do every single thing. Against Dallas, Yao and T-Mac came to play, the other guys didn't. And this season he was scoring, defending and running the offense. What more you could ask? At some point, the blame has to start deferring to his teammates who didn't exactly help the cause either. If you look at the Spurs, they won as a team, not a one man and two person show. Also, can somebody please tell me how 26pts/5.9rebs/7ast per game means that you are soft? T-Mac is one of the best all-around players this game has seen, he is far from soft. What makes him soft? Let me guess, is it because doesn't talk like his crap don't stink ala Mike James? Look, I know Mikes James plays with heart and we need guys like that. But i personally don't like his "Me against the world" attitude that he carries. You can still play with lots of heart without being an a$$hole. Guys like Sura and Francis played with tremendous heart and they didn't have to have an attitude like James. Mike James, Welcome back to Houston. Please, just shut up and play some ball. We got this cheap prostitute for a long time, lets hope he brings the goods everyday to work.
To me, Mike James is just like Jim Jackson. Both at one point were above average players that genuinely thought they were much better. Let's face it, there's a reason why certain players get traded all the time. They just can't fit in anywhere whether it has to do with game style or attitude/chemistry. Mike James recently hasn't been able to last more than 1 year anywhere. Hopefully that will change.
