it all depends on who is doing the creating. when franchise wanted to control the ball for the majority of the game, jvg hated it. last year he practically begged t-mac to do the same.
Yeah, it does depend, but the point is guys who can create their own shot are not only valuable, they're neccessary. Even the Pistons and Spurs who are the epitome of team ball have guys like Ginobli and Billups who are crucial to their teams because they can create their own shots.
Are you making a wager? We're not talking about NBA related stuff here like on the court or holding trophies. I'll do a little $5 to the tip jar bet. Kobe and Shaq must be smiling at a club or some candid place where they are both not obligated to be there promoting something. Blatz, you have until 11:am Friday morning to find and post if you accept these conditions. As for Mike James. Does he make mistakes? Sure, but this Rockets team needs him. I'm not for trading him unless we get another player who younger, more athletic, and can get their own shot. In the playoffs, if Yao or T-Mac was out, no one could freaking score other than Mike James. He also almost single-handedly brought the Rockets back from a big 2nd quarter defecit in Game 6 with his D and aggressive offense. "Getting your own shot" is what it is. Don't overrate it or underrate it. If the Rockets had a bunch of players who could get his own shot then they wouldn't need Mike James, but they only have Yao and T-Mac (whom can both get shots for others). So that own shot ability doesn't make James a superstar or anything, but damn, the Rockets are too thin in the own shot department to lose James without replacing him with another player of similar skills.
Seriously guys, I REALLY think this is overblown to say the least. When MJ was doing that interview on 97.9, he was persistent about how much the Rockets need to do in free agency to "help T-Mac", because he thought McGrady was being asked to do too much for the team. He also sounded like he gave a damn about winning, because he kept saying how the draft might not be the best way to improve the team because they need veteran players to come in so they can win "now!" Seriously, MJ is not the menace many of you seem to think he is. He is pretty damn cheap for the type of scorer he is. Is he a PG? No, he isn't, but his role last year was to score for us off the bench, and he did a damn good job at it, winning a few games for us in a rather short stint with the team. He was instant energy/speed/athleticism off th bench along with Barry. IMO, MJ is going to have a great season next year, because if for nothing else, he is looking to get paid. This bodes well for us actually either way: whether we want to trade him, or if we are going to let him walk. If the former, then when he plays very well next season that will sig raise his trade value, and we would be the winners in any trade involving him. If we let him play the entire season and just walk at the end, then we still come out on top because he would be playing his butt off during the season and that can't but help the Rockets. The only concern I would have is if MJ takes it upon himself to ballhog and play for himself, not for the sake of the team. But I wouldn't have to worry about that, since JVG is a hardass who won't hesitate for a second to bench your azz if you don't play the way he wants you to play. But the whole MJ-Mac thing is overblown, I doubt there is any truth to that.
You guys do realize that he was with the team for like 2 months, and in that two months was asked to fill multiple challenging roles. One of which was a stint at starting PG as soon as the ink on his trade dried. The guy is just learning his role. I don't think anybody is pissed with MJ about the way he performed. Without the guy, the Rockets would have been swept, if they even made the playoffs.
Good point Tigermission. He'll have a great year next year. I just hope we play him at the 2 off the bench. ie. we need a long starting 2, and that guy is not Mike James. I'm all for keeping him if we can't get anything better for him, but I doubt his skill at the point. As Haven said, "He's got the court vision of a tuna". Other than that, he's our second most athletic player.
I'm not saying this report is true, but it is a bit odd that James has bounced around the league so many times despite playing well everywhere he goes. Perhaps he's similar to Jim Jackson where you love him initially, but the honeymoon period ends really fast.
Like someone said earlier, I don't know if it's that TMac doesn't like Mike James or if we're projecting the things about James that drive us nuts. He does dribble too much and take stupid shots. He also has a lot of energy on defense but freelances too much, leaving his man and giving up open threes (see Jason Terry). James could very well be gone because he's a tradeable asset, but other than a couple of sour faces on the court, if he's traded, I think it's probably a business thing more than a TMac problem. But there is, I think, a valid general perception by Rockets fans that James has serious flaws in anything more than a bench role and that he and T-Mac should probably not be on the floor together that much for valid basketball reasons.
Lets get this straight. Mike James has been a perennial ROLE PLAYER. Not a starter. Role players get moved all the time. Based on this past year's performance, I'd say Mike was a hell of a role player. I see no way in hell that Tracy doesn't get his contribution to the team. If you could only combine his athleticism with Bobby's basketball IQ, you'd have a real top notch point guard. The Rox problem is not with their reserves. It's with the starting unit in the backcourt and their starting 4. The guys they pull off the bench are more than adquate at their roles. As for Tracy's on the court reactions, the guy gets pissed at everyone and sometimes shows it. That's actually part of leadership. Mike has given him several Maalox moments but so has Yao for that matter. I think he reacts so much because he expects more out of Mike. The kid could be a monster at the point if he can improve his vision and feel for the passing game. Probably that won't happen, but Chauncey Billups wasn't always a killer PG. He definitely has shaped his game quite nicely. Maybe the same will happen for Mike, at least I hope so. In the meantime, he is certainly trade bait along with our other 2nd team role players (other than Deke) and our underperforming starters.
This is just not true, and I've read it enough times to have to nip it now. Mike James DEFINITELY takes shots away from TMac, and I often cringe when they're both on the floor at the same time. Mike James plays BETTER with Yao on the floor (vs. Deke) though. Mike James absolutely ignores Deke on the offensive end. But he plays a mean 2-man game with Yao. He also plays an interesting 2-man game with Yao when TMac, Yao & Mike James are all on the court at the same time. He's the type of guy who really needs the ball in his hands to be effective on offense which is why he freezes TMac out.
I disagree that he doesn't play well with T-Mac. Mike James actually moves pretty well without the ball and T-Mac found him cutting to the basket on more than one occasion. The guy doesn't need the ball in his hand to be effective. He does dribble too much sometimes but that doesn't neccessarily means he needs the ball to be effective.
i agree caphorns that mike james could be a monster a point guard. at times during the season i would say he could be as good as baron davis if he just imrpove some things. and i also remeber him cutting to the basket with t- mac hitting him with a lay-up a lot of times.
Role players do get moved all the time, but few play on 4 teams in 2 seasons. Especially good role players Mike James. I thought he played well for us last season, but he's played well on every team he's been on. Yet for some reason he can't seem to stick with any team for more than half a season.
This is so worthless If you want that comparision (No disrespect to Horry) But Horry is no Michael Jordan and both helped their team win 6 titles so why isnt Horry = MJ. And Karl Malone + John Stockon + Barkley + Ewing have a combined 0 NBA titles so that means that they are obviously worse than Mike James the "SPARKPLUG" what a r****ded argument...... please dont compare championships with anything Luc Longley has 3 and TMAC has 0 that doesnt make Longley a badass
If a deal for a big point or a 4 that works into JVG's system, Mike James will be the first one out the door. The guy's a GOOD player, not great, just good. If the rockets want more than just a player through the ME this year, then Mike James is gone. He's our only commodity. We aren't going to get anything of note for Wesley or Sura or our expiring contracts. We might get something for Mike James +++ His journeyman status is only an issue because many teams like what he brings to the table. That equals a tradable asset.
That was entirely not the point the person you quoted was trying to make. Someone called Mike James a "loser" - the reply was they Mike James had played a significant part on a championship winning team - which rather makes him not a loser. You know, because he didn't lose.
man i love how this board blows **** out of proportion and seems to have no perspective. mike james occasionally takes an ill-advised shot, so now he disrupts the offense, is constantly taking off-balance shots with 20 on the shotclock, and tmac hates him. and i love all the stories about how you can tell tmac didn't like him. such retroactive made up bull****. one time in the playoffs tmac made it clear he was displeased with james, and now people remember all sorts of occasions in the regular season, and all sorts of faces tmac made at him that never got brought up before. people are too much like sheep and just love to take something and run with it and amazingly about 80% of the board (most of whom you know probably don't pay a tremendous amount of attention to the fine details of the season) all of a sudden has the same opinion within a matter of days. mike james likes to dribble a little too much. BFD. find me another 39% 3pt shooting guard, who can get his own shot (this isn't important anymore? apparently the team having problems scoring when tmac went to the bench b/c no one could get a shot was just imagined), has some athleticism, and plays some D, and who only costs 3 million for each of the next two seasons and i'll trade mike james for him. oh and make sure that guy was second on his team with a +9.6 plus/minus. but make sure that guy has no flaws as well. i can't stand that in role players. my role players need to be perfect. jon barry is no good b/c he can't stay in front of anybody, get rid of sura b/c his knees might not hold up, wesley is no good b/c his shot is streaky and stackhouse can post him up, james sucks b/c he shoots too much, and get rid of padgett b/c he can't rebound or play D. just trade all our role players. i'm sure whoever we get to replace them will be perfect.
Here's a thought... if these rumors are true, why not trade Mike James or David Wesly to the Hawks for Al Harrington. They can try to get Stro Swift with the MLE or Antonio Daniels. Projected lineup: Yao, Deke Howard, Harrington, Weatherspoon T-Mac, Bowen Sura, Head Daniels, Sura, Spanoulis Note: I did not put Stro Swift into the starting lineup b/c I just don't see him taking less money to play here. 99% of the athletes today are all about the money... but I can see Antonio Daniels wanting to play here. We've wanted him for a while now and he can be a starter on a playoff team.
