[SB Nation] Basic Stats Primer: Kevin Martin vs. Tracy McGrady

It is definitely NOT the first time that you've acted like a McGrady apologist. You're a KNOWN McGrady worshipper around here and have made your fair share of posts defending your idol, especially on the NBA dish.

The guy who responded to you is spot on--the same excuse is made for McGrady whereever he goes, at every level he's played--that he's never had good enough teammates. So the Rockets, who made the playoffs three seasons for which he was considered "healthy," were not a good team?

At least he was on a playoff team. Go save that excuse for more worthy guys like Redd, Granger, and Crawford--yes, these guys have superior TS% as well than your idol.

 

Even if you only look at his seasons before 04-05, he only had one where his TS% was above league average. Martin's was 59% as a Rocket last year. It was over 60% in each of the prior 4 seasons. Outside of 02-03 when he was absolutely sensational (56% true shooting), McGrady's TS% always hovered in the 50-53% range.

 

Martin is the better fit.

But in his prime Tracy was much better..and it really isn't that close. You'd have to be a complete Tracy hater not to admit that.

But Martin is the better fit for this team and thats all that matters.

 

Prime Tmac was good as a kobe. He actually can carry a team. Can't say the same about Kmart.

 

prime mcgrady is far and away better than martin. i dont give two shts what your TS%, or whatever statistics you wanna use, says.

it's an insult to prime mcgrady to even mention martin in the same sentence.

as far as im concerned, this is just anti-tmac homer rockets fans propaganda.

 

You could take McGrady's last second shooting responsibilities away and ask him ONLY to score efficiently like Martin does and he couldn't do it (even in his prime). Why? Because he isn't a smart offensive player when it comes to shot selection nor was he ever a particularly good shooter or savvy finisher. Was he an all-around better player than Martin? Of course. Was he a better volume scorer? Yes. Is he a more efficient scorer (which equals a better scorer IMO)? No, he was not and is not.

People keep saying he has always been an average or below average player when it comes offensive efficiency because of all the attention he commanded but that isn't true at all. The real reason is because he loved jacking up contested 21 footers with 18 seconds on the shot clock and because he flinched at any contact at the rim.

 

See this is a problem when evaluating players. Most people can't differentiate between team and players-its all or nothing. Unless you're a mind-shattering talent like LBJ who can mail it in and get 25-16-6, wing players have a hard time carrying teams in the playoffs. Although the Rockets were indeed a playoff team, during T-mac's tenure you had "regular season" Yao Ming, Juwon Howard and Rafer Alston as your best players on the Rockets.

Remember even Kobe couldn't do anything with a crap team, and he had Lamar Odom by his side then. Sure Yao is much better than Odom, but Yao also got injured almost every year by playoff time, so at times Tmac actually had a worse roster than the one Kobe had.

LOL at Redd being mentioned. Yes Redd has a better TS%. He also took all the shots and wouldn't pass it to other people. He may have a higher TS% but the team becomes less efficient when he's on the floor.

 

You really think they're the same? Martin is also a more efficient scorer than Kobe, based on TS%. Better scorer?

 

They have different skillsets. Martin's is to score efficiently. Tmac's is to contribute across the board similar to what LBJ does. Personally I can live with the average offensive efficiency if my guy can create for inept offensive players like Chuck Hayes, draw double teams, help my rebounder rebound, and pass the ball to Yao Ming at exactly the right time with the right angle, and defend everyone from Kobe Bryant to Dirk Nowitzki.

You have got to be on crack if you think KM at his prime is anywhere near Tmac at his prime.

 

Actually DH's FG% hovers around 60%, and that's without factoring his FTs. Obviously DH is the best scorer in the league.

 

I agree. You don't have to have a top 5 player at each position to win a championship. Recently it has become common to call Brooks and Martin middle-of-the-road.. it may be correct, but it's no reason to complain or declare the season dead.

In fact, championship teams rarely (I daresay never) have top 10 players at more than 2 positions.

 

I guess it depends on what your team needs. I'm also of the belief that Kobe, in the right situation, could absolutely be an extremely efficient scorer. He has the fundamentals, skills and patience to do it. McGrady did not (and never did). He has always had poor shot selection, a streaky jumper and no "go to" move.

 

What's your point? I already said McGrady was a superior all-around player. Nobody will ever argue otherwise.

He could not, however, ever score as efficiently as KM does for reasons I already mentioned.

 

Allen Iverson has a higher PPG career average than Kobe does.

 

I think he meant "shooter" rather than "scorer". There is a difference. Martin shoots within the framework of an offense, similar to Reggie Miller, Ray Allen or Micheal Redd. T-Mac could shoot at will, in the sense that he can get a decent shot off regardless of the shot clock or how the defense plays him.

roslolian has pointed this out already, but just because T-Mac was good enough to more or less carry his team to the playoffs, doesn't mean he sucks. You're pretty much penalizing him for being too good. If T-Mac was Danny Granger, his Orlando team would've never choked against the Pistons because they'd be in the lottery. His Rockets teams with Yao would've never choked against Dallas/Utah because they'd have the 8th seed and get swept every year.

If I call T-Mac a superstar during his prime years, I fail to see why I'm an apologist. He WAS a superstar. And he did not have any great offensive players besides Yao during the times when he was a superstar.

 

Just found out the Rockets play the Lakers on opening night in LA on TNT!!

 

Congratulations, I feel honored, but with it was bound to happen. There's a 1st time for everything.

Must say though, when you says things that sounds like your making excuses for him; like, "IF", "prime Mcgrady", "injuries" and "no supporting cast". If the shoe fits?

 

Just so you know....McGrady was like 11 for 28 that game...if Martin was shooting at his normal efficiency, the team would not need 13 in 35.....they would have already won by then....

DD

 

Now that sums it up, doesn't it? The X-factor? What "X" would that be?

 

We're talking about FG% since that's what you used to compare Tmac and Martin's scoring ability. I fail to see what PPG has anything to do with it.