[nbatv-gary payton] "I think Houston is better without McGrady"

Yes we are better without McGrady this year, considering he has a knee problem that has need microfractor surgery since last year.

As for the Orlando discussion, are you not being a bit two faced here? I mean, are you not saying that its the team, or team ball that will make the Rockets successful this year, but for some reason when McGrady has **** for team mates he is supposed to make his team mates better, aka carry the team. Make up your mind already.

As for the Sam Cassell comparison... I would like to have seen him switch places with Tracy on that Orlando team that he almost single handely beat the best team in baskeball that year. My guess is a Sam I Am lead team would not have made the playoffs.

BTW, who else was on that Clippers team that made round two? Without looking, I would guess that all five starters and maybe a reserve or two were better than the second best player on the Orlando teams Tracy played on. Tell you what, in a theorectical world, I will take the Clippers team and you take the Orlando teams, switching Cassell and McGrady, for all the marbles. My guess is that I would be retired and you would be tim cupping, pun intended.... Teams do suck, whether you want to believe it or not, and one player can only take a team so far.

I am not going to apologize for Tracy, he has his faults, but he is not the anti-christ as so many posters consider him on this board. Tracy is a team player, especially since he came to Houston, but you can't blame him for dominating the ball when everyone else is either bricking all their shots or standing around sucking their respecitve thumbs.

Unfortunately, the Tracy of this year is a shell of his former self, and may be done for the career, but his contribution to this team has been great despite the lack of playoff success. BTW, not his fault Yao goes down for the season. IMO, if Yao was healthy last year, Tracy would have gotten the monkey off his back, and everyone on the board would be singing a different tune, but I guess we will never know.

 

it's what have you done for me lately. it's easy for these guys to forget tracy has been our best player the past 4 years and the only player who has consistently stepped up in the playoffs. he hasn't gotten us out of the first round so he should deserve criticism.

but appreciate what the man has done for houston the past 4 years. he's been playing through multiple injuries to do that also.

 

LOL please tell me your not comparing old school to new school. This has got to be a joke

 

Hakeem was not a leader, except by example (From the mouth of Bullard about a week ago on Rockets talk on 610), so by your estimation, you would rather have Sam the leader that Hakeem the hall of famer???

 

Lol I don't think Tinman is going to stop I think he is the energizer bunny of the McGrady hater club

 

you're right tinman. sam and armstrong would have made a lethal backcourt combo. and he woul have made steven hunter and shawn kemp very good big men.

orlando would have gone far

 

This dude says heart wins championships? Leadership makes you win? Well man. Lets go out and get Damon Jones.. He has heart and Eric Snow has Leadership.. Maybe we will start winning championships.
REMEMBER IT IS A TEAM GAME.

 

What a way to contradict yourself..

Sam would have taken the Magic to the 2nd Round... No.. "Look at his stats" LOL

Check T-Macs stats lol how good was that for him? Try again.

 

an INJURED tmac. even you have to believe a healthy tmac is a very unselfish player. he's injured and his career as a rocket is over. appreciate what the man has done for us. regardless of what you say about his heart/leadership or whatever, he's done more for this team than anyone since the hakeem era individually.

 

Im about to really hit you in the head with what I'm about to say.

#1 stop looking at only at that one season when Orlando went 21-61. Its funny how your only looking and debating bad times McGrady had. How about doing the good and bad.

#2. there was a reason why the Rockets were after McGrady. Obviously Francis and Mobley wasn't doing anything for the Rockets besides giving them entertainment. So basically in the past they looked at Francis and Mobley and hit them with the what have yall done for us lately. Absolutely nothing!!! Francis and Mobley were basically entertainment.

#3 T-Mac hasn't made it out the first round I agree but has Yao?? Yao is so called the best Center and a leader why can't Yao step up and lead the team?? Yao is in the same boat as McGrady as in not getting out the 1st round for being a great player. Like I've always said basketball is a team game. There is no I in team. The other 14 guys need to play their role also.

You can be the greatest player in the world but that doesn't mean your going to achieve great things. Perfect example. Karl Malone and Patrick Ewing.

 

And again this argument you are using NOW is pointless... No one is disagreeing with this statement. Why do you keep changing subjects?

 

Beat me to it..

 

Oh sorry I apologize. The way you were debating made it seem like you couldn't stand him. As for Francis haha don't get me started. McGrady and Francis' situation are nothing alike.

I honestly was pushing so hard to see Francis play again. Ron gave me so much hope when he said don't forget about Steve Francis. Then he opened his mouth saying I'll be ready in 3-5 weeks then nothing happened. He wasn't practicing. Then there were talks about he'll be ready before all star weekend nothing happened. That day came and the Rockets traded away Steve Francis and that 2nd round pick( ) to the Grizzlies. That right there proved that Francis was done.