http://blogs.chron.com/franblinebury/2008/03/wheres_waldo_hornets_90_rocket.html Where's Waldo? Hornets 90, Rockets 69. You know how to play. Just look at the crowded picture and try to find him. Sometime he's wearing a red hat. Sometimes he's wearing a red-and-white striped sweater. Sometimes, when he's looking for a little exercise, he might be wearing a Rockets jersey and a pair of high-tops, with a $19-million check stuffed in the waistband of his shorts. Where's Waldo? You know. The guy who can be a facilitator and make things easier for his teammates through most of the game and then take over at winning time. Like when a game is tied at 59 going into the fourth quarter. He was 0-for-4 with a turnover in the final period and his only second half bucket came with 2:53 left in the third quarter. Where's Waldo? You know. The MVP candidate who was getting so much credit for turning the Rockets into an unselfish and "better" team in the absence of Yao Ming. He has had consecutive games now of 4-for-16 (11 points) against the Lakers, 4-for-11 (8 points) against the Celtics and 6-for-21 (15 points) against the Hornets. What he doesn't seem to grasp is that the 22-game winning streak was historic and merits admiration and recognition. But now that the Rockets have blazed and blitzed their way back into the playoff race, the hard work and heavy lifting is just beginning. Where's Waldo? On Tuesday night at home, he said it was the Celtics playing the toughest, hardest, most ferocious defense in the history of the game of basketball that was the problem. Kevin Garnett threatened to bite him like Hannibal Lecter. On the road in New Orleans, who knows? Maybe the Hornets used blackjacks, brass knuckles and broken whiskey bottles to defend. He was 1-for-6 with 2 turnovers and 0 assists in the second half. Remember now, he was tired for Game 7 last year against Utah. At halftime Sunday, when he was 0-for-9 against the Lakers, he told ABC-TV's Michele Tafoya he was tired. He is, after all, the only player in the NBA to have played 66 games or had to play on back-to-back nights this season. So where's Waldo? Probably sleeping. Posted by Fran Blinebury at March 19, 2008 10:02 PM Comments In the past I've thought of you as a T-Mac hater, but mine eyes have seen the light. T-Mac shows up when he feels like showing up, which is once every 5 or 6 games. Tonight was pathetic. [I don't hate anyone. Life's too short. --Fran] Posted by: RFan at March 19, 2008 10:12 PM Talk about hitting the nail on the head... You must have some carpentry experience... Posted by: Fed Up at March 19, 2008 10:16 PM =========================================== Before anyone says Fran hates T-MAC or I am a bandwagon fan. Carefully read the article and the corresponding posts by people on the Chron. Its hard to deny T-MAC has left the building!!
c'mon, does this deserve a thread of its own? there's nothing new being said, really. like i said in the other thread, this is too harsh for my taste and a little inappropriate, even though many points are valid imo. but fran sees him a basketball fan first and a reporter outmost. only maybe a little part of fran is a rockets fan, i guess. so his perspective may be different from we fans'.
sad but true................and sometimes the truth hurts but with that being said.......we have beat this guy up enough and i know he knows what we are saying better than we do plus this should be merged with the other thousand tmac "heartless" threads......because lord knows we have beat this dead horse
We just have to face facts. McGrady is not Kobe. He's not Jordan. He's not the type of player you can rely on to play with fire every game. He's a low energy guy. When he's not "feeling it", it's up to other guys on the team to help out in making plays. It's still a 5-man sport, so throwing all the responsibility on McGrady after every loss is getting old.
its a 5 man sport but not everyone is getting 19 mill a season. yeah, hes not jordan or kobe, but he is a "superstar." as such, he should score more than 2 points in the second half, play defense, quit slouching on the court, and at least make an effort to make a difference.
key word being EFFORT............at least make an effort like it or not he is tmac....act like it like your adidas commercials
Right now, T-Mac is like Clyde Drexler circa 1995. Very good player; all-star caliber. But not someone you rely on every game to take over. He doesn't have that in him, regardless of what his salary is.
Fran is a hater and he's on and off the bandwagon as much as all the other haters here. yeah, he makes some valid points, but it can be done with a little less hate.
people fail to realise how difficult it is for Tmac. Maybe they are expecting to much out of him. I agree that he turns it on and off but just think about the fatigue as well as the constant double and triple teams he is getting lately. What people dont realise is that if his team mates started knocking down their OPEN shots (like during the streak) Tmac would have not have to face such constant double and triple teams as often as he is doing now. I agree, Tmac can be like a switch, deciding when to play and when not to, but other factors need to be considered as well.
Exactly. Some of these arguments might be valid at other points in the season, but T-mac is obviously simply exhausted right now. I mean, it can't get any more obvious. He's had to have iv fluids pumped into him within the last week. Doesn't that tell you people something. You don't get over exhaustion like that very quickly, especially when you continue to play games.
Drexler's athleticism had fallen much more by 1995 than TMac now. Clyde was 32 in 1995 to TMac's 28 now. The Tony Allen flagrant foul play kind of typifies TMac. He makes a crazy athletic play to get the block, but his laziness and lack of focus is why a scrub like Allen abuses him off the dribble in the first place. Watch TMac on his J's. The guy can still elevate, still has the quick first step. Maybe not like 2003 but the dropoff isnt as dramatic as Clyde in 1995 who was just a shell of his old self at that point. Tmac just isnt bringing it every night. It's as if he's just ready for the playoffs to start before going all out (at least hopefully tahts the case). He's mentally spent. The guy put a lot into the streak mentally.
I think Fran needs to take it easy or take a hike somewhere. I'd never question T-Mac's heart. He's simply tired, period. He's at a stage of his career that he needs some sort of rest like Nash. Without a fresh and rested T-Mac, we'd lose the first round to just about any team no matter what seed we get.
I agree T-Mac still is able to shoot over anyone at anytime. But you know and I know if the shots don't fall, he needs to get it to the rim to either score or create shots for others. BUT, I don't believe the current, 2-loss-after-22-win T-Mac has the quickness and explosiveness to routinely take it to the hoop. Call me crazy, but I'd send him home right now and have him ready after this road trip. With his tired legs, we probably have no chance against GS and PHX.
I assume that every player in the league gets tired, but nobody says it! Rather than that, theres no point blaming McGrady for his tiredness, man is tired
