Hey, now that we're not winning....we should give Tmac more minutes. Adelman had no problem parting ways with Tmac back when we were winning. Well, now we are not winning and teams have us figured out...and Rick doesn't look so good now. Had he slowly but surely increased Tmac's minutes...we might be in better position right now. Now, the playoffs look unlikely. Yea...things are not so great in Rocketland. Even with Yao back next season, this team is still missing pieces. Seriously, is anyone really looking ahead thinking we have a championship team in the works in the next few seasons? We are not even close.
I agree with you. And Rick probably does as well. In the moment, frustrated with what's going on, he went defensive and asked that people look at the bigger picture (Nuggets are short-handed this game, but Rockets have been short-handed for about a year).
Some of you just have unrealistic expectations. How many other teams who are missing 2 franchise players would even be above .500? It's taken career years by most of team just to be where they are. The Rockets clearly do not believe Tracy is a capable of playing like a franchise player at this point. Fans want them to "prove it" but Tracy is the one who asked to go home after not getting the minutes he wanted. If he had been willing to be patient perhaps he would have earned the chance to prove it. http://blogs.chron.com/sportsjustice/archives/2009/12/what_do_the_roc.html#comments
He has been a quitter his entire career, I am surprised people keep over looking that fact. Wait, no I'm not, the guy can dunk and make ESPN highlights, which is clearly more important than leading a team to wins. [/sarcasm] DD
Fine. But, Adelman should just say "we're without our one best" from here on out. Tmac is no longer in the equation. Let's not pretend we are without our two best...and use both of those as an excuse going forward. We are now without only one of our best. Tmac doesn't factor into anything any more...not even the excuses.
Its amazing how people can forget how he sabotaged the rockets last season and how amazing that was. He played amazing playoff series against both utah and mavs but lost both after leading in the series. People just don't understand how big of a mistake mcgrady made.
The way it was reported was: McGrady said publicly that he believed he needed more minutes and wasn't happy with the current arrangement. The Rockets management decided that McGrady would not play since he felt it wasn't working out and they agreed. McGrady asked to go home since he believed he wasn't going to play anyway. Justice looks to be skipping over the middle part.
Until Tmac, who is being paid more than anyone in the entire NBA this year, is traded we have his cap space tied up preventing us from using it on another star player, as he is currently in the Rockets opinion not capable of playing at that level. So they are correct to say they are without the former all star level version of TMac who would have easily been one of our best players, and the Rockets have been very consistent in saying the current still recovering from surgery Tmac is not that player. The only confusion is of course that Tmac still believes he is that all star player so many of his fans believe he is.
Did Tmac actually come out and demand 40 mpg in those talks? Or, did he just ask for Adelman to slowly starting increasing his minutes because he felt he had more to offer than what he could show in his 6-8 mpg? It doesn't matter now obviously...but there is a big difference. Adelman was basically giving Tmac garbage time early in the game...saying he couldn't play based on what he saw in practice. Yet, Tmac had one game where he was really effective offensively and was showing at least glimpses of potential. Yet, Adelman was saying stuff like Tmac lost his first step drive ability. Yes, his defense wasn't there but he's never been known for his defense. I just want to be clear...are we saying Tmac wouldn't have been happy with a gradual increase in minutes? To me, this was Adelman setting a strict cap on minutes and not budging for the foreseeable future. And, this is why Tmac asked to be traded and left. Someone want to clarify?
Not really, in regards specifically to whether Tracy was forced to go home, it was Tracy's decision, which the Rockets agreed to allow. Tracy was not going to get the minutes and role he wanted, but could have earned his play time like any other player tries to earn more playing time.
I remember that it was first reported McGrady would not play in the following game because both sides felt it wasn't working out. And then, after that, McGrady asked to go home and the Rockets obliged. I guess the issue is whether the McGrady decided on his own not to play the following game, or if the Rockets decided it. Justice says the former, while Feigen has said the latter (I believe).
The initial Chronicle report made it sound like it might have been the Rocket's decision, but it was not clearly stated as such. Justice confirmed that it was Tracy's decision. While some of his opinions are suspect, I have never found a case where he out right lied about facts.
This is how I saw it too. After so long it's only natural to want to see an increase in minutes, even a small gradual increase
Every bench player in the NBA wants their minutes increased. I'm sure Brian Cook, Joey Dorsey, Jermaine Taylor and even Chase would like more minutes. They don't expect to earn more minutes by asking for a trade and leave of absence if their desires are not met though. They work harder to try and earn those minutes. Tracy was expecting super star treatment at a time when the Rockets do not think he is currently capable of playing at a superstar level. It's all good and well to want more minutes, but there is a right and wrong way to go about earning them.
Justice didn't outright say that either. It might be what he personally thinks happened, and he's writing it in a way to suggest that's what happened.
You think they'll make yao earn his minutes?.. regardless it was clear Adelman just didn't want the guy on the team.
how did tmac not earn more minutes though? he looked fine out there, ariza was stinking it up, AND bud was injured.
How is this quote not outright saying it? I suspect Yao will have earned his minutes in practice and workouts. I also suspect Yao will not be naming his own return date in direct conflict with the what the Rockets have publicly announced, or complaining about minutes thru the media, or asking for a leave of abscense and trade if the minutes don't match up to his desires after 8 games. The Rockets brass had alot more exposure to workouts and practices beyond just the 7-8 minutes in 8 games that we got to see. There was also an interesting report Richard Justice told on 1560 the game earlier this week recounting a trip the Rockets brass made to Chicago to check up on Tmac's recovery this past summer. They got to the training center at 10:30 am and were to meet Tracy at 11:30. Gilbert Arenas was working out and asked what they were doing there. They said we are here to meet with Tracyin an hour. Gilbert replied, "This early? He won't be here." laughing. "He never comes in this early". The Rockets said no, he will be here, he is expecting us. At 12:30 Tracy finally showed up.
