yeah but the difference lee, is that when Dream did play there was no doubt in anyone's eyes that he was giving 100% on every possession in every game.....tmac coasts through quarters/games/seasons every year......i really believe he truly has no love for the game....he only plays hard when it interests his fancy....like when Yao went out last year and it was a challenge for tmac to show he could win and get to the postseason on his own, for instance.....even on individual possessions, he doesn't want to give any effort unless he is a central participant in the play.......13 in 35 draws heavy emotion from the man, but his teammates winning at Boston without him leaves him stoic..
When he quit on the Rox in the Toronto game... Never have I witnessed a player do something like that
There are certain times where anonymous quotes are appropriate (whistle blowing, fear of retribution). Quoting someone anonymously who just wants to dish dirt about someone else makes Fran no better than TMZ or some other gossip rag. If they aren't willing to say it to someone's face or even put their name to it, why repeat it?
"almost guarantee" is not a real guarantee, is it? and what do you know to guarantee it's out of context? even if it was a lighthearted joke, doesn't it tell you something about within the team?
Also, if you read the article it says the executives and organization are tired of him too. Well......come on now.....how can it be so obvious, yet some fail to see it? If this is out in the papers, it is only the tip of the iceberg....Fran feeling comfortable enough to talk openly about getting rid of Tmac is one thing, but when Feigen also questions him, as he has....it validates everything. Tmac needs to go....for the good of the whole... DD
It may well be time to cut bait, as you say, but it ws time last summer, as well. And instead of considering Detroit's reported interest - or others, 'they' invited him into the draft 'war room'. Thus, from where is B'burry's motivation arising? Is he a one-man band or is doing some bidding for Rox coaches or management? As for playing harder without the seminal talent of TMac, that is different from last season exactly how? BTW - has no one noticed Tracy taking the ball from Rafe or Brooks and 'taking over'? Did no one notice the body language that resulted each time? Sure, trade MacGrady. But, do. not. make. it. Pippen II.
Yeah, thats what I gathered, and as a so-called T-Mac apologist(If he gets traded tomorrow I cheer for whoever we get in return unless they come from the Jazz) I was under the impression that, aside from the Jamario Moon play, he was going after it, but his body wasnt responding. That was my thought at the time, and was confirmed by that Tracy said regarding it later on. As a teammate I would tell him he may think he's going hard, but its not looking that way on the outside. If he is having that much trouble he shouldn't be out there. Just get healthy as soon as possible.
All it tells us is the team is frustrated with the situation. We hear Morey joking sarcastically about it in his 610 interviews, so it would be nothing new if a player did the same. When you're claiming that the players are "fed up" with McGrady (implying they want him gone), you need to bring more evidence to the table than that. Fran may be right, and there could be some real tension and anger in the locker room. Or maybe he's projecting his own dislike for McGrady on the team, and he's exaggerating the issue.
Dude, I was talking about the three offensive posessions after the Moon dunk. You know, when he stood 1 foot inside the half-court line (1 FOOT) and watched his teammates play 4 on 5. When they passed him the ball he immediately passed it to a double covered teammate (you know, b/c his man was doubling b/c he had quit and was standing at HALF freaking COURT)
The almost guarantee is a combination of the ambiguity of the quote and BlinDbury's tendency for hyperbole regarding all things that put a negative light on McGrady. You never came back from an illness at work and had someone make a joke about you not being there??
Yes, I noticed, it is pretty obvious, but have you also noticed them ignoring his calls for the ball and setting up on the opposite side? They are not completly shutting each other out, but it is clear that there is some serious disgust between the players and Tmac. Fran saying the teamates do not "Trust" him is the biggest deal.....it means they don't believe he is injured, and they don't believe he is trying hard..... Can you imagine how they feel? They are out there busting their butts and they see this guy (who is healthy) deciding when and if he is going to be playing, and then whether or not to play hard? Come on....that is ridiculous....Adelman should have never let it get to this point, but now that it is....the organization HAS TO DO SOMETHING.....bench him...trade him......something. DD
Fran is a columnist, not a hater, he just tells it like it is...people just rarely want to hear the truth when he is writing about someone they hold up to some mythical standard. It was time for Dream to move on, at one point, it is now time for Tmac to move on too. DD
AT LEAST "it tells us is the team is frustrated with the situation" - not "ALL". and you may be right about fran, since he's been onto this for a few years now. but he obviously knows a lot more about the team inside than prolly any of us.
I'm not comparing him to dream, I'm just saying everyone has a limit. I'm also saying and I told ibm last night, his production vs impact is different. Its not hard to get a player to replace his points,rebs, or whatever, but his impact is different. The trade houston almost made wouldve replaced Dreams's production, but nowhere close to his impact. Earlier, I outlined a couple of player the rox could realistically trade for that would replace his production and they will play harder and are healthier more than tracy. Maybe it would give the team more consistency for the regular season, but we know what its about. Come playoff time, the defense picks up, the possession get tighter, and removeing the teams best decision maker from the moment,and we're talking about some close losses gtrying to get into the playoffs and a lot more in the playoffs. If management feels good about it, grab the sax and make the move. Kerr did it last year. The Dallas gm also. Ferry did to.Its not that hard.
Is the tuffest thing in sports trading a franchise face/superstar - or convincing him to retire? Green Bay got stuffed by the latter and currently the Rox are getting stuffed by the former. Rudy blew it with the Pippen trade. Morey cannot blow it with the McGrady resolution.
This should be shouted from the highest building in Houston so that all the fans of Tmac can hear. Fran would not write this blog/article if it were not what was going on inside the organization and the locker room. It is WORSE inside than what is even being written here.....tip of the iceberg....my friends...the tip.... These things rarely end well......they usually result in the cancerous player being shown the door. DD
