http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si...playoffs/2007/05/loss-not-mcgradys-fault.html Move over Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade. You've got company on the list of NBA top scorers heading home for the postseason. But while Tracy McGrady might get the lion's share of the blame for his team's Game 7 loss to the Jazz on Saturday night, it really wasn't his fault. T-Mac played well overall, getting his teammates involved early and finishing with 29 points and 13 assists. McGrady can't solve Houston's lack of athleticism up and down the roster, nor its lack of a quality power forward and point guard. Juwan Howard and Chuck Hayes are just too slow at the 4 spot to pair with the plodding Yao Ming. Utah's Carlos Boozer went right around Houston's frontcourt all night. He made Howard and Yao look like traffic cones on defense. At point guard, the situation isn't much better. Rafer Alston did a solid job for the most part during the season and the series. He even hit a three-pointer off glass late in Game 7 to give the Rockets a major boost during their rally. But if the Rockets hope to contend for an NBA title, they need a bigger, stronger, more complete floor general. As hard as Alston tries, he could not keep Utah's Deron Williams from getting in the paint all series. Plus, he doesn't score enough to take pressure off McGrady and Yao. Chauncey Billups, Mike Bibby, Jason Kidd, Mo Williams. Any of the four would be a major improvement. The problem is the Rockets don't have any room under the salary cap to sign Billups or Williams, and they don't have many assets to swing a deal for the other guys. Houston will likely have to settle for a second-tier guy, like Steve Blake, Luke Ridnour, Jamaal Tinsley or Mike James. Would a slight improvement at point and power forward be enough to make Houston a legit title contender? Who knows? If rumors are to be believed, coach Jeff Van Gundy might not be back. That means the Rockets might have a whole different look next season anyway. But the look on McGrady's face after Saturday's loss said it all. The Rockets need to upgrade those positions if they want their superstar to end his streak of first-round playoff ousters any day soon. Says it all really. His making up for the problems on our rosters. Yet its all his fault to most people. Answered everyones criticisms from game 6. Cut the guy some slacks and look forward to the offseason
Yes it is. He shouldn't have said "Its On Me" thats foolish. then he goes and crys after losing. he acted tough before the series and he should be tough after his departure from the 1st round.
Well written article. Honestly i fault this loss on yao. If yao shown up the 1st half, the rockets wont need to fight the rebound to save the day. It take a hard fall, hyperextension knee, to wake yao up, sad. Strange thing was, after that injury, the referees started to call fouls on yao defenders.... T-mac also got his share to blame. Where were the t-mac we saw tonight at game 3,4 & 6? If t-mac played every game like tonight like is his last game, the rockets could have won 4-2.....
exactly what i mean have a cry mate, he turned up, he was tough. 3 on 1 its pure mathematics if you ask me. Its a team game. He got his team involved he put up the pts the assists. Its not his fault his team didn't turn up with him
Settle for "2nd tier" guy? MY GOODNESS LORD, i'll take Ridnour ANY DAY over Alston. Or any of those other 2nd-tier guys. Rafer's down at the 5th-tier.
Good topic. That isn't really tmac's fault. He did what he can and that lost really hurts him, REALLY. He thinks it's his fault but ha couldn't get every ball that was on the floor...I do not know what to say guys...I feel awful I still cannot belive what happend
"...McGrady can't solve Houston's lack of athleticism up and down the roster, nor its lack of a quality power forward and point guard..." yes, T Mac has done what he can do. The rest of the team including Jvg should say sorry to Tmac.
At least traffic cones don't commit fouls. I'm not exactly a YOF, but I did start watching the Rockets because Yao joined the team. Even as a big fan of Yao I have to admit the blame for game 7 is more on Yao than on T-Mac. I don't blame Yao for not being able to guard CB. That guy is a great player and no one else on our team did a better job. I DO blame Yao for the last couple of missed rebounds in the final four minutes of the game. There were situations where he simply didn't fight for the ball as hard as one would expect of a superstar in a game 7 situation. We gave away several crucial second-chance possessions and eventually the Jazz capitalized with a three from the outside after getting the ball back 3 times in one possession. That is simply not acceptable. If we had Mutombo in there during that stretch we might have freaking won the game.
Really sorry...They should say that, but I do not mean tmac was great and the rest of the team was bad. T-Mac in my opinion did what he could...I just saw that he put in that game all his heart. I know Yao had a good moments but in the final possesion we all SUCKED Maybe we should wait for the success one more year?
If you watch the replay, Boozer just outjumped Yao for one rebound and Boozer outran Yao for another. Yao's movements are just way to slow. With 9 seconds left, while everyone else was standing around, Yao basically dove after Kirilenko and still almost missed fouling him. It's not effort.
I remember that sequence and it pissed me off the most. I think it was a long rebound and Boozer was right behind Yao, giving Yao inside position for the rebound. But Boozer got the rebound because he actually jumped and Yao either didn't jump or barely jumped. Given that it was a long rebound, Yao could've countered his slow reaction time by putting his body against Boozer's a bit harder to prevent him from jumping. To be fair, we all know Yao has speed limitations. It's just so frustrating when I see a play like that and then look at Yao's rebounding stat line for the game.
it's definately not Tmac's fault we lost the GAME....but lets be honest here, there has only been 2 games in this series that Tmac has played well in, the other times he has been awful, settling for fadeaway jumpers....averaging in the 30 percentile. So, no it's not his fault that we lost the game, but for most of the series, Tmac did not play to his full potential, especially with the magnitude of the playoffs.
I disagree. Effort is if he didn't box out Boozer -which he did. Yao has about a 3 inch vertical. For example. If the game depended on a jump ball and it was Boozer vs Yao, I wouldn't bet on Yao. How many jump balls has he won this year? The problem with someone that size is timing has to be just perfect. Nobody that big has ever had any athleticism. And unfortunately, Yao has about a 7'"4 " wingspan. Im pretty sure many NBA players who are shorter can go over his back and grab a rebound right over him.
Let's be honest. Yao is very good offensive player who can score and make the game easier for teammates. He's a mediocre defensive player and when you put him against an athletic PF, he's going to get smoked. The fact he's out there trying to guard the Pick n Roll is a joke. Yes, put your slowest and most unathletic player defending moving parts while the other 3 guys stand around..
You are right. JVG is not using his best players efficiently. Maybe if Yao wasn't chasing those pick and rolls all night long, he would've had enough gas in the tank to get at least one of those crucial rebounds.
Kobe never quit on his team. atleast don't change the subject to make T-Mac look good thats another foolish attempt. i respect T-Mac but he has no passion. hes soft. he always wants to think talking is gonna make things better. its not about talking but thats what T-Mac is hes all talk. then people blame JVG for this series lose when T-Mac bought the whole pressure to himself and the team. you guys are delusional.
Ok lets see.....T-Mac shoulders the blame for losing the series while Kobe...well he can speak for himself: "Do something, and do it now." Then you go on to call T-Mac soft? Righhhhhhhht.
