This editorial in the Orlando Sentinel this morning should be interesting to discuss.... I love how Bianchi is painting Weisbrod as "humble". LOL. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...03120304dec03,1,2389300.column?coll=orl-magic What's big deal? GM was right to deal Me-Mac By Mike Bianchi Published December 3, 2004 John Weisbrod was a good boy. He was humble. He was hospitable. He was diplomatic. It had to be killing him. You just know the Magic's outspoken rookie general manager wanted to scream out to the entire basketball world: I TOLD YOU SO! With the NBA season nearly a quarter over, Weisbrod has all but been vindicated for the offseason trade of Tracy McGrady -- a k a Me-Mac. The Magic, led by the three starters they got from Houston (Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato), are are tied for the lead in the NBA's Southeast division at 9-5. Me-Mac's Rockets (6-11) are probably the most disappointing team in the league with five consecutive losses and a disgruntled fan base that booed them Tuesday night. Weisbrod was lambasted when he criticized Me-Mac's commitment, toughness and leadership and then traded him. But even with some impressive baiting from a reporter Thursday, Weisbrod wouldn't bite and take a justified jab at Me-Mac. "I have vindication and satisfaction from the fact that we were a real bad team and we made a trade that everybody hated, and now we're a much better team," Weisbrod said. "But do I get satisfaction and vindication from Houston and T-Mac struggling? I can't say that I do." He also can't say he doesn't. After all the criticism, it would be only human nature if Weisbrod felt a sense of inner smugness about Houston's difficulties. Especially since everything Weisbrod believed about Me-Mac is pretty much encapsulated in this one recent Me-Mac quote about the troubles of his new team. Pay close attention to the italicized words: "It's pretty tough for me, because I did go through a pretty bad situation last year [with the Magic]," Me-Mac said. "To come here, I thought it was going to be a start of a new beginning. Right now, this is tough, because I really didn't expect for me to go through this." I, I, I. Me, me, me. That's Me-Mac. That's why the Magic are much better without him and the Rockets are much worse with him. That's why the Magic's Johnny Davis was chosen the NBA's Coach of the Month on Thursday, and Houston's Jeff Van Gundy might be the first coach fired this season. McGrady already is whining about playing an inside-out game with Yao Ming and sharing the ball in Van Gundy's system. "Coach likes to get everybody involved," McGrady told the Houston Chronicle. "It's tough for me to get in rhythm like that." Translation: Me-Mac needs the ball for Me-Mac to be effective. We shouldn't be surprised by any of this. How could the Rockets possibly be better this season when they traded away the nucleus of a decent team for the nucleus of the most abysmal team in the league? Last season, McGrady moaned about his supporting cast, and now many of those same players -- Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue and Reece Gaines -- are still on his team. No wonder the Rockets' chemistry is so bad. Would you want to play with the same guy who denigrated you last season and quit on the team? Which is the real beauty of this seemingly masterful trade: Not so much that Weisbrod dealt McGrady, but that he ditched the crippling salary of Howard, who's not even in Houston's rotation, and the dead weight of Lue and Gaines. "I wouldn't say it's vindication as much as it's an indication -- an indication that change is good for some, bad for others," Francis said. A few months ago, John Weisbrod got death threats because he traded Me-Mac. He should have received thank-you notes. Mike Bianchi can be reached at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com.
Yep, there is no way any self respecting GM that wouldn't do the deal given the chance. This guy is full of crap
Whatever the Orlando media and fans want to do/say to justify the trade is what they are going to do. No surprise. They have been doing damage control for a while now. What is amazing to me is why people fail to see that that trade is not the entire reason why these teams are where they are. People fail to see that Orlando's rise isnt just tied to the trade, it is tied to the fact they got an ALL STAR Grant Hill back, playing at an all star level. They got the #1 pick in the draft who is playing like a HS #1 pick. They added a solid rebounder in Battie. They added a shooter in Turkgulo. They got another solid guard in Jameer Nelson. They also got a healthy shooter in Pat Garrity! I mean, come on now! That is A LOT of talent added to that team! A LOT! Conversly, the Rockets really only added Sura and Mutombo! Give Houston the same TALENT infusion (Dwight Howard, Hill, Battie, Turkgulo, Nelson, Garrity) and I think you would see a different team. Say what you want about "Me-Mac" but I think everyone agrees that the truely GREAT players are selfish (in a competitive way). I dont see McGrady so far as someone that is selfish for himself. So far this season he has done everything asked of him. He gave up shots for others. He would set up other people. Last night he scored alot because JVG ASKED him to play that role. The ONLY thing I would say I would like to see more of from McGrady is more vocal on the court leadership. Perhaps that will come in time.
Yea, no kidding. Funny how he wrote how Weisass held back from taking jabbs at TMac & the Rockets, when that is all he did in the offseason. I especially like how they turned a couple of frustrating quotes after a loss from Tracy into selfish comments. I guess they missed the part where he has done nothing but be the playmaker up till last night, how he has upped his defensive presence and as made a concentrated effort to get everyone else going before himself.
"I wouldn't say it's vindication as much as it's an indication -- an indication that change is good for some, bad for others," Francis said. What do you guys think of that?
couldn't that be considered a form of slander? not using a persons real name when quoting them in a public paper. all that seems very unnecessary. very childish too, this guy is obviously bitter.
I think that's what is bothering people more than anything. The fact that Orlando was able to go out and get the type of players that we needed. I know they paid a lot to get some of them but how good would it have been to get a Battie.
Agreed. It's one thing for the GM to do it, everyone knows he's an Ass. But the Orlando newspaper should show some class and stop printing this kind of crap.
Well, some players they got for something and some they were handed. Hill and Garrity were hurt. They came back. Dwight Howard and Nelson were draft picks for a team that sucked last year. Battie was added and Gooden was subtracted. Was that a good trade? Looks good at least for Cleveland. But Orlando gave to get. Turkgolu was added via the MLE, the FULL MLE In terms of the Rockets, we didnt have a draft pick so no additions there. We didnt make any player moves to bring in players so you can blame CD for that one. And in terms of the MLE, we got Sura at a reasonable price. And Ward has been a flop. The Rockets resisted the urge to fork out their entire MLE. They probably could have gotten a number of players if they were willing to do that but they didnt want to pay HUGE dollars for role players. It hurts now, but in the long run will probably be looked at as a wise move. Orlando didnt have a choice. They HAD to spend a ton of money to do WHATEVER they could to get a competitive team on the floor in wake of losing McGrady as well as their upcoming Stadium deal.
In print it's libel and I don't think you have grounds because somebody used a nickname, even a negative one.
I'm glad Steve is over there having fun and winning, I just wish he wasn't with such a class-less organization.
Why people got so upset with what the Magic people saying? It's true they are a MUCH better team this year than last year. You can attribute it to the return of G. Hill, but the fact remains that Francis & Cato have been playing better basketball. On the other hand, TMac & the Rockets are struggling. Oh, I'll make the same trade if we have to do it again, but just may insist on swapping Talor with Howard.
I don't think we're upset at what they're saying, just how they are saying it. You basically have a Major City newspaper personally badmouthing a player and using names (how childish can you get?). By all means, say whatever you want, just try to be professional about it, not like a 5-year old kid.
i honestly couldn't read past the part about him not taking a justified jab at tmac. i've seen more impartial, unbiased stuff in the D&D.
I agree, but going after a PG that couldn't get off the bench for SA was a risk right there. So far that was money well spent. Sura the so-called X factor, to me was a good pick up, but due to injury that's still up in the air on whether he'll pan out. So hopefully something will be done by mid-season to get someone that can buy a rebound...
Has the Chron never insulted a player with a nickname? I think people are upset that we are sucking while Orlando is doing good and the paper is pretty much rubbing it in. But to say it's childish and not the conduct of a large paper is silly because it happens all the time.
This article is hardly surprising. I mean the Orlando people are always going to try to justify this deal and that they came out on top. So, with the Magic off to a great start (as Deuce pointed out the reasons for that) and our team struggling, I have a feeling we will start hearing and reading more and more stuff like this article. But yes, I don't think it would be asking too much to read something that has a little bit of professionalism to it.
No. I don't ever recall reading any article in any part of the chronicle where a writer quotes someone and does not use their real name.
As I have continued to post here: Get used to what you're seeing on the court for the Rockets and learn to love it because that's what CD does best - find the cheapest (and oldest) players he can get of the NBA scrap heap. I find it amusing that folks here actually believe that CD will EVENTUALLY (read YEARS from now) put a good team around Yao & T-Mac (Me-Mac! Cute...) when to date all he's done is cycle bodies in & out of this organization.
