T-mac's struggles of late only demonstrate his value

I'm a be pissed off if T-Mac all of a sudden rewinds the clock his contract season. That'll be a big indicator of what exactly he values.

 

I don't think that people are angry at T-Mac for being injured. It's that he hasn't done everything he can to recover from said "injury". At least that's the impression everyone seems to have. And the drama that comes is just hard to take. Is there a precedent for a player to say weeks in advance that he's going to take off 1 of 2 games? I can't think of any.

His physical gifts had allowed him to mask his laziness until now.

I personally am still holding out hope T-Mac will at some point wake up from his slumber. I'm going to give him another month, and if he's still stinking it up by then, I think I'll stop watching Rocket games until the playoffs.

 

Sigh. Very true, but your comments will fall on mostly deaf ears. This team will either live or die with T-Mac. We could trade him, but if that happens we kiss any hope of a championship season this year goodbye. The best we can hope for is for him to get his mind/heart/knee (whatever the problem is) right.

 

I agree, but only if he gets back to his former self....because his value right now is as a passer, and if that is the way the Rockets are going to use him, then they need to change their rotation and get finishers in there with him.

Get it over with, move him to the point already.

DD

 

I never speculate TMac's heart. His performance in recent games has made me wondering: the Rox franchise player might be losing his interest in basketball.

I trust many Rox fans are confused as to what had happened to TMac to whom they had high hope at the beginning of the season that he, being the leader of our Big Three, would lead Rox as a championship contender.

When fans are confused and heard no explanation from TMac other than his own assertive comments that "need to shut it down", "only play one of b2b games" etc., naturally causing frustrations, speculations and hatred words.

I don't know the reason leading Rox to this embarrassing situation. I begin to guess Team Rox has become the laughing-stock of other teams, especially when Rox were losing to lower-level teams.

As the highest-paid player of Rox, TMac owes us an explanation. He also needs to clarify the situation with his teammates for the sake of the chemistry/morale of the team.

Be a responsible person, TMac. I don't mind you need more rest than other players to heal your injured knee. But when you return to the basketball court, play at a level worth at least a decent level of your pay. Are you aware that many of your fans in USA and other countries are working their ass off during their lifetime but still cannot earn more than 10% of your annual pay (US $20M).

As you have said earlier "It takes five to win", be aware that you are the most important player of the Rox 5 in the court.

 

Actually Kobe had the same type of knee surgery T-Mac did a couple years ago.
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Kobe Bryant underwent arthroscopic surgery in his right knee Saturday and could sit out part of training camp in October because of a recovery time of up to 12 weeks.

Bryant, 27, will be out at least eight weeks after undergoing a procedure to clean out scar tissue and loose cartilage in the same knee that has given him problems. The surgery began at 9 a.m. at an undisclosed Southern California hospital and lasted a little over an hour.

“He misses maybe the start of training camp, but as you’re aware, Kobe is probably in the best condition of anybody in the league, which shouldn’t set him back,” Lakers spokesman John Black said. “Nobody in the league works harder than Kobe. He’ll be back at 100%.”

The knee was one of many physical issues that nagged Bryant last season, and he played with an athletic sleeve over it at times to try to control swelling. The soreness was an on-and-off condition and lingered after the Lakers were eliminated by Phoenix on May 6 in the first round of the playoffs.

After the knee failed to heal with time, Bryant elected for surgery.

“It’s our understanding that it’s pretty minor, typical arthroscopic surgery to clean up some scar tissue,” Black said.

http://articles.latimes.com/2006/jul/16/sports/sp-kobe16

 

But Kobe didn't miss any games in the regular season, and that is the difference.

 

Wow...

Tracy had this surgery on June. Not the end of the summer like Kobe.

Kobe had less time to rehab while Tracy had the whole summer and training camp to get back in shape. Lots of fans are questioning Tracy's rehab during the summer. More likely than not... that is the reason for his lack of strength in his knee.

Again... I just wished our highest paid player on our team showed some leadership. It didn't have to be vocal... it could have started with some all-out rehabbing.

 

In May actually.

Yep.

Yep.

DD

 

Actually Kobe played 77 games that season. The difference is that season that he came back from surgery he has 31 ppg and averaged 40 mins in those 77 games. I'm a fan of both Tracy and Kobe but its obvious to see who has more desire and heart. I'm not questioning Tracy's heart or anything because I see it in the playoffs and I hope to see it again this season, but I do question how hard hes working to come back to full strength. I hope his New Years resolution is to get a ring.

 

Correction: he missed 2 games in the regular season due to the injuty

 

As per all the physicians he's seen and the MRIs he's had, everything is structurally ok. Its the weakness of the muscles around the knee, and the weakness in between his ears.

 

You say Tmac is not explosive enough but I watched Tmac when he first came back and he definitely looked explosive enough. His injury hasn't gotten worst. But his attitude on the court has. He seems depressed, lackadaisical. Maybe he is going thru some tough stuff that I just can't understand but whatever it is he is hurting this team.

It's not even about being explosive. To most it's apparent Artest and Battier are struggling with more serious injuries and yet no one on this board questions there heart. Why is that? It's because they put out every last bit of effort and don't complain. Look at Ron he is nowhere near as explosive as Tmac yet he puts his head down and bulls his way through. Battier dives for every loose ball around. When is the last time you saw Tmac do that. I do believe in Tmac's mind he just doesn't have it anymore. But that is the problem; it's just in his mind.

He may not be able to control the pain but he can fight thru it and control the effort. If he was just an everyday guy I would so okay you are struggling mentally and physically and no need for me to bash you for it. I might even have some empathy for him. But he is not. He is a professional atlete getting top money in his field. Even if he is not 100% physically he still should put out 100% effort. And no one on this board can convince me Tmac is putting anything close to 100 %. He gets paid 20 mil+ a year to play a game. If he is to depressed to do it please retire. Of course that will never happen. As much as he appears to hate the game he will continue to mop around for long periods of the season and collect his undeserved paycheck. As a pro athlete I have no empathy for him whatsoever.

 

It's not like Tmac had the same injury as Livingston.. Tmac's injury was really really small. And to say people don't recover, I have to prove you wrong. I had a worse injury than Tmac and i'm back better than ever. "Ok but people don't respond the same way", or "Yeah but you are not a pro". Ha thats even worse for a pro to not come back, its his job to rehad! He is paid for that!

 

T-Mac had arthroscopic knee surgery to clean out small particles in his knee like most other athletes eventually get. A very minor thing. And all the players you mentioned above maybe accept for Barkley gave 100% effort while on the court at all times, infact I remember Isiah Thomas playing on a fractured ankle with 100% heart and MJ playing with the flu and taking no prisoners. All the guys you just mentioned are warriors and all extremely mentally tough. All of them.

 

One thing I do not understand is why people continue to give Tmac the benefit of the doubt, why?

He has not earned that, he is the king of exaggerating injuries to make himself look better...remember the cracked elbow?

And that Scoliosis...has anyone ever confirmed that he had that, other than Tmac himself?

I mean the guy is a drama queen, and a baby, he has been coddled his whole life.....

Brandon Roy had the same knee surgery as Tmac in AUGUST of this year, and is playing.....and not every other game.

To me, Tmac is the guy that everything has come easy to his whole life, and now that his athleticism is waning a bit, he needs to up his work effort to keep up his level of play.

I am so dissappointed in him as a player it is unbelievable, he could have been an all time great, but he chose to be a talented underacheiver.

So sad.

DD

 

Oh please stop that. You have been repeating that for your entire life....

 

Jeff, it is the truth, arthoscopic surgery to take out loose particles is the most minor surgery anyone can have...

It is like a paper cut......there was no structural damage in the knee...none....numerous doctors have told him that.

What is it going to take for fans to realize that Tmac is milking it? Is it the Ostrich syndrome where people just don't want to take a real hard look at the warts of their alleged heros?

Honestly, why would anyone give Tmac the benefit of the doubt over 3 doctors, the coachings staff, and the GM?

The truth is that he had minor surgery...MINOR...the minorist of minor.

DD