I've only come back home and I have just finished watching 'No layups' show. First of all, it is FRUSTRATING. I am even more happy that I didn't watch past two games, because this team is not getting better, it is getting worse. I understand it is pretty much all about health issues. And I agree with what David said on that show. 'Players need rest'. It is truth. Ron and Tracy need and even have to sit, especially Tracy. Shane understood he had come back too early and he took time off. He wasn't helping this team. 1)Tracy has been at least very bad. 15 ppg is not what you want from a player like him. I understand the schedule is sometimes realy brutal, but when you play one game, than you take one game off because you can't play, than it is not RIGHT. I have been always saying this. TAKE YOUR TIME. Don't rush anything. You need 3 week to come back to 'yourself' than ok, I'll take it. You need a month off? No problem for me. Because T-Mac is not really helping this team. His 35% shooting is frustrating. He doesn't want to be the 'guy' on offense. He doesn't have his explosivness. People say he is helping the team with his passing...Well with his 10 asists we barely beat the Bucks. In my opinion HE IS NOT HELPING THIS TEAM, what's more, he is hurting the Rockets right now. I'd sit him for as much time as he needs, because when you see him scoring 7, 4 or even 11 you know something's really wrong with him. I know DD will say 'but the doctors told him to play on that knee, he can't make it worse', but so far it hasn't gotten better EITHER. That means something. One more thing about Tracy and the entire team. I tought Ron's arrival woulbe be a BIG moitivation for Tracy and the entite team to raise the level of their games. Well, I guess I was wrong. I feel like T-Mac thinks he doesn't have to do anything and can be LAZY (as he likes it) because he has a great team around him. Well, now I know why he hasn't won anything. It is really not everything about injuries...You gotta take care as well. 2) The difference between Ron and McGrady is that Tracy uses his knee as an excuse (another) and Ron plays hard and fights with his ankle. But still, it is not what this team needs. You really don't know who is gonna play the next game. Rick has made some bad coaching decisions but we CANNOT blame him. He really doesn't know even now if Tracy or Ron are gonna play in tonight's game in Toronto. And it happens every single game. You don't know which of those 2 guys is gonna sit and if they do play, you really don't know what you are gonna get from them, especially Tracy. That's the reasy to SHUT IT DOWN and rest until you are really ready. 3) A lot of people have been saying that we are not gonna make the playoffs if Ron or Tracy decide to sit for few weeks, or months. Well yes, West is loaded once again and you know one team will miss the playoffs even if they win 50 games. It is tough, but it is how things are going in this Wild West. First of all, right now I am not very sure we are gonna be the 1st, 2nd or even the 3rd team in the West. We need health, without that we can even miss the playoffs. But yes, I do belive we can still get to the playoffs while not having Tracy and Ron for some stretch. Maybe it will be 5th or 6th seed, but we can. People will say that we won't have big chances of winning it all without playing with HCA. Well yes, but let's face it. What is better? A) Enter the playoffs and start from seed number 3 or 2 but than have only 50% of real Tracy and Ron? Do you really think we can win the serie against ANYBODY in the West even while playing more at home but with injured Tracy and Ron? I don't think so. B) Enter the playoffs and start from seed 5 or 6 but have Ron and Tracy really healthly and ready to go? I'd take the 'B' option every time. The problem is we are NOT gonna be healthly for the entire year. That just cannot happen.
The problem is what exactly is TMAC's problem? Are you sure TMac will be healthy and his old self by taking some time off?
I didn't say he will be T-Mac from Orlando, but he will be 100% healthly. First of all, he doesn;t need to score that much but it doesnt allow him to shoot near 30% and score 4, 7 points in a game. What we need from T-Mac is 20 points / 7 asists and shooting % around 45.
Of course players need rest. I just think Tmac is one of those vets like a Shaq, that don't turn it up a notch until the 2nd half of the season. Same situation last season where Tmac missed games early on and when he did play, it was subpar. Then Jan came around and when everyone was giving up on the team (Playoffs?! No way!"), Tmac stepped up and helped lead us into a playoff position. We even had the #1 spot for a few days. You can't knock his playoff performance either. With Yao we would have beat the Jazz.
It is really unfair when t-mac gets to sit and others don't. I mean, we should rest Yao because he is the one who has a history of injuries. Regarding T-mac shooting 45%, he hasn't done that since he came here.
Jeff Who's: "A) Enter the playoffs and start from seed number 3 or 2 but than have only 50% of real Tracy and Ron? Do you really think we can win the serie against ANYBODY in the West even while playing more at home but with injured Tracy and Ron? I don't think so." If the current situation (health visa-vis TMac's attitude) remains unchanged, I think Rox can at best finish as the 7th or 8th seed.
Ron Artest is the one with the real injury. He has torn ligaments in his ankles. Tracy just needs strength in his knee for the explosiveness. If we're going to sit out Tracy... and with Artest keep playing, Artest will never be 100% this season. I really don't suggest sitting both Tracy and Artest though.
Well, Tracy has been doing that for some stretch of time, and the results are what they are. Maybe it is in his head, which means someone really needs to say few 'hard' words to get him going. But so far we really haven't seen real McGrady or Artest. This may be true. But it is frustrating that Tracy really DOESN'T CARE about regular season now. We are pretty sure he will show up in the playoffs, hopefully it will work out.
motivation: deke...rest: youre getting paid to play basketball...who's fault is that...blame the nba computers...
I'll take it,rest him until he says he is 100%,don't give him a change to excuse his ugly performance.
I don't care but this year *is* SECOND ROUND OR BUST! T-mac has me concerned but not overly He need rest. . . REST THEN but come playoff time [or if we don't make the playoffs] I DON'T WANNA HEAR ***** FROM ANY WHINEY B**CHES!! If we flame out in the 1st round I don't care if his foot falls off. . I WILL BE PISSED So . .take ya time now. . but NO EXCUSES FOR NOT MAKING IT TO THE SECOND ROUND!!! Rocket River
Great post, that is EXACTLY how I feel. Season is season. But what really matters is the playoffs. First of all, advance to the 2nd round, than do your best. There are NO EXCUSES. I don't care if Yao has broken foot, Ron sprained ankle and Tracy damaged knee. THEY HAVE TO PLAY.
You're an idiot. Do you really think that T-Mac would play with damaged Knees in the playoffs? If he can't play NOW because his butt hurts, he won't play in the Playoffs. Yao however probably will play even with a broken feet. That man is a WARRIOR, a true beast. Yao and Ron Artest = the Beast, and the Warrior. T-Mac = little crybaby.
