He's soft to me because he gets taken out of the game easily by mediocre players who are half his size. He doesn't push back when smaller guys push him and settles in the high post too often. There's so many examples. I don't think it's just because he's slow.
Wade's injury was a lot worse. You are comparing apples to oranges. Tmac had loose particles removed. Kobe gets that surgery almost every year and it takes him 3 months to fully recover. Kobe went to Denver to get some minor Knee surgery like what Tmac had last offseason and that's why he was in the hotel room where the alleged rape occured. The surgery was for loose particles for crying out loud.
Yup slowness is his problem which he can't control. I will never understand why people confuse him being slow with him being soft. He can't control that. Also I think the way he is officiated effects his play too. He is officiated horribly. When he tries to get physical or even when he really isn't physical he still gets whistled for an offensive foul. I agree about health, hopefully the guys can get healthy and Yao continues to get stronger.
I am sorry, I missed the part where a Tmac led team advanced in the playoffs. Was it all his fault....NO...but he was the centerpiece, the guy who decided where the ball went to...and the team failed. My point...my main POINT...is that it is better for a TEAM to have multiple options and to not rely so heavily on one player, so Morey goes out, gets some pieces to make that happen, and the player who has had the ball starts to complain about his lack of touches. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????? He finally has a team that can win, and he whines about the system...you know, the same system that has gotten deep in the playoffs multiple times....one that relies on teamwork over individual talent. And, Tmac would still get the ball and score the ball, he just needs to move his sorry butt on the court......because whenever he sits and the ball is moving the team is better....imagine how much better it would be if Captain Tracy McLazypants actually bought in... And yes, I am frustrated by his lack of professionalism and constant whining.....as are his teamates, the organization, management and tons of fans... Agreed, who said it is one? But you have to start by fixing them...one at a time, right? The biggest is Tmac, address the issue, through benching, trade, rehab..whatever...just do it.... And then move on to the next problem.... The chemistry on this team is not right, it needs to be fixed...when players are pointing fingers in the media it has gotten volcanic... Tmac is the one they are pointing the finger at, and thus we have the fans discussion, on a fans bulletin board no less, and on radio talk, and on TV, and on...welll you get the point. Does this shock you? DD
I think it is obvious that this team needs a team meeting. Not just T-mac, Ron Ron, and Yao. Not just T-mac and the coaching staff. But a TEAM meeting. Everyone needs to get everything off their chest and start fresh. This team needs to get it going right now.
Agreed, but it needs to be led by Adelman and have a clear plan for moving forward....someone has to take control of this spiraling situation for the good of the team. DD
It doesn't shock me, but I don't think for one second that "solving this problem" makes the team anywhere close to being ok. Thus, the annoyance of the amount of time spent discussing it. This team has dealt with far bigger real "problem-childs" before than T-mac, that actually caused documented problems with team chemistry (not supposed theories that are currently circulating). Francis had real issues with both the coach, and his own physical inabilities. Maxwell had real issues with the coach, his playing time, and his own physical inabilities. Neither of the above players were as critcial to this team's overall success, and I'm not buying it in this case. Yes, his "injured/rehab/rest/injured" routine is getting old... so old that this team likely doesn't spend 2 seconds worrying about it anymore. He's still "likeable" as a person (isn't a criminal, isn't a "thug"), and he'll have that going for him if he starts playing well again. IOW, I highly doubt he's the cancer that some of you think (or hope) he really is. And if this team's mental makeup is so fragile that simply having his presence on the court is causing them to underperform, then this team has nowhere near the menal capacity/focus to be a contender... even if everything was hunky-dory.
Yo DD, did you peep what rafer was saying about the chemistry on the court. http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/Balanced_Effort_Helps_Rockets_-296192-34.html “With him in or out of the lineup, the chemistry has always been here on this team,” explained Rafer Alston, who stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. “That’s one thing I’ve been happy to be a part of ever since I arrived here is that, no matter what happens, we’re a together group and we’re happy to pull for each other. “But the continuity part, the cohesiveness on the court, it fluctuates from game to game. One game it’s playing all-out energy and then the next night the ball doesn’t move, our bodies don’t move. We understand that Tracy’s going through an injury and can’t get up and down like he wants to. But when he comes back, I think Tracy is smart enough to understand that we’re playing quick and we’re playing efficient. For a guy like him who can flat-out score the ball, I think he’ll have to understand that he just needs to come in, play quick and utilize us. Then, late in the game or in the second half, if we need him we can always go to him.”
Yup he is the head coach so he needs to let everyone know he is in charge and it if hurts their feelings oh well. No team can be consistently good when they don't know what players are going to play that day. No team can be consistently good when one of the star players mentally is not their or physically. It seems to be more mental right now which is the biggest problem. No team can be consistently good with all the tension it seems this team is going through right now. Something has to change if this team wants to even make the playoffs, I'm not going to even talk about getting out the 1st round right now.
Rafer makes a good point but he also needs to realize he is the problem. He needs to know that he should stick to his role and stop jacking up pull up J's.
How did the team deal with Francis and Maxwell? This is where we differ, I don't think TMac is as important as others, I think playing as a team is more important than a guy who wants to play as an individual. Having viable options in Artest, Barry, Wafer, and Battier make him far less valuable IMO. I hope he isn't too, but when the GM and Coach call out his effort, his teamates call it out, the national media calls it out, and he quits on the team in game situations.....how can you ignore it? DD
The problem is that Artest is starting to become less of a viable option because he is basically doing what T-mac is doing. Know one really knows when Artest will even play now because he seems to be doing what he wants now also. Now he is out a minimum of one week. I think this team needs everyone to compete at a high level.
I don't. I think the team needs Artest or Tmac to be on board and health.... If they have all 3 great, but if one is causing a problem by not playing within the same system the rest of the team is playing you need to address that problem. Look, whatever....we are not going to agree....I think you should ALWAYS deal with all your problems....and to me Tmac is the biggest one to deal with....but whatever..... People can hope...and honestly I hope they are right. DD
Out of those viable options, how many of them would start on other contending teams? Only one... Artest. How many of the rest would likely even get minutes on other contending teams? Likely only Battier. Yes, I do think this team needs T-mac to be a contender, and I do think he's very important. He's this team's best playmaker, he always finds the open man when doubled (and we have a limited # of players who even demand a double team), he's the best at getting Yao the ball, and he's (until proven otherwise) this team's only proven consistent clutch performer. Yes, most of this is assuming he can regain his form... but I don't think for one second that they can simply eliminate him, play supposed "team" ball with inferiorly athletic/talented players, and expect to contend. You want to compare those viable options to what Adelman has had in his past stints? It doesn't even come close. Bibby/Peja/Webber in their primes? With anchors like Christie/Divac? With bench sparks like Bobby Jackson? C'mon... we're all homers here, but this assessment of our "parts" is getting ridiculous. Don't ignore it. Discuss it in moderation, and in the context of the other major problems this team has. Don't turn it into a black/white, "if he's gone, we're all better off" argument.
LOL. A crappy New York tabloid says T-Mac is backstabbing Yao. Of course, I believe it wholeheartedly. Hey, where's my flying pig? A lot of things have been questioned during T-Mac's career with the Rockets. His relationship with Yao has never been one of them.
Ok, so your beef is the enormity of the Tmac discussions and not the actual discussion itself? I can understand that, it dominates the board right now. But, I guess that is what happens when a prima donna superstar player getting $21 million quits on his teamates, it pisses off us fans. And this is a place for those fans to go, discuss it, and vent.... DD
you can vent on the court too you know. if you have displeasure with tracy (or it seems a lot of fans do), boo him on tuesday when he comes out to play and boo him everytime he has the ball. don't cheer for the guy. only cheer for other rockets.
Boo my team...never....not in a million years. I won't even boo him if they trade him....and he comes back to play against the Rockets... DD
