If Tmac still cares about winning a title for Houston and the role he plays in the team, which he should, he would try to prove the team will get better to have him back. He has already witnessed the power of Alderman's system, so I guess he will abandon the way he used to play and try to adapt to the new system. There's really no excuses for him to take those contested shots any more after his teammates have showed they could make the offense run much more smoother when they get involved. Tmac would give the team a huge lift if he could fit in the system well. YAO will benefit more from Tmac's back because Tmac is the only guy who can pick& role with him and create open shots for him when he attacks the rim or attracting double team.
He was......Hakeem used to be a completely selfish player and never passed out of double or triple teams, but it was in the '92-93 season where he was out and the team went on a winning streak without him that he realized he could trust his teamates, when he came back he played a much more team oriented game. DD
I hope Mcgrady is not thinking "Okay, to fit into the system I have to take way less shots and try to create for others". Thats whay players usually think when they hear "fit into the system". But NO! T-mac, we want you to take about the same amount of shots, but in a more effecient manner with most of the shots comming from a catch and score play. We two decent pg's that can do the playmaking and running of the offense... this way, Mcgrady, you have more energy throughout the game and can expend it more on defense.
He wasn't selfish, his teammates just sucked. Did he look selfish in the 86 Finals? If anything as he got older his game went more one dimensional. He became such an expert at posting up he didn't have to reply on his pure athleticism as much. It was a natural progression. Passing out of a double team isn't exactly changing your game. He wasn't asked to pick apart the defense from the high post. I'm not saying it won't work for Tmac. I just don't know if it is fair to demand it.
Tmac has never been a selfish player, just like Francis was never a selfish player. Both of those guys are willing and pretty good passers and playmakers. Tmac averaged 6 or 7 assists last year. But the problem this year is that Tmac is asked to be a finisher of the offense, when he was used to being a creator and finisher of the offense his entire career. He's been used to having the ball for 18 to 20 seconds of the 24 second shot clock. That is not Adelman's offense. In Orlando most of the time Tmac would be the play for the offense. Get him the ball, get to an open spot and either let him score or let him find you. That was Orlando's offense. In JVG's offense, it changed a little bit because Yao was there. They would basically take turns going iso. Depending on who had a better game, thats who the ball would go more likely. Yet the other players outside of Tmac and Yao were told to spot up behind the 3 point line and let the 2 superstars find them or let them score. However in Adelman's offense, the ONLY player who should have the ball for more than 7 seconds in a shot clock is Yao, because he needs time to make his move and to read the defense. He is still the finisher of plays, but he has to get iso plays as a great post player. Tmac, on the other hand should still have opportunities to create, but not as much as in the past. That should be saved for late in the game, when he can take advantage of tired defenders. He is still a great and willing passer and playmaker. But throughout the game, let Alston and Brooks create and let Tmac hit wide open mid range jumpers or 3 pointers. Let them find Tmac cutting to the basket, instead of Tmac having to find Hayes for a lay up. Let Tmac move without the ball, and keep defenses occupied on him, so that will open up the rest of the court for Yao and the point guards. Once Tmac realizes his role in this offense and changes his game to fit this offense, this team can take off. However, if Tmac cannot adjust to an offense where he may only have the ball for less than 5 seconds of the shot clock to score more, then it may be time to trade him. I'm confident he'll figure it out. If you remember, Chris Webber had to do the same in his first year in Sacramento. He had been used to being a one on one post player. Although he was a pretty good one on one post player, Adelman helped Webber realize his potential and expanded his game in his offense. It didn't happen in the first year, but by the 2nd and 3rd year, that team took off, once Webber realized he didn't have to have the ball all the time to be effective. I hope Tmac can realize the same thing.
So is it wiser to play to your best player's strengths or trade them if they don't fit a particular system?
You trade them if they can't adapt. Players may not be comfortable with a new system when they're first introduced to it but as time goes on they learn and adapt. Those that can't are going to get thrown to the wolves, or bulls as it were. I think it's going to be a lot easier now for T-Mac to come back and plug into the system though. Before he went out the team was still struggling. Now there's a system in place--rather than having to figure it out with the rest of the team T-Mac can now come back and just try to fit in.
It is smart to trade one of the best players in the league if they don't adapt to a system that changes their game? Start over? I'm not sure about that. I think JVG was smart to play to their strengths. Build on what you have.
It depends on how Tmac comes back. He is still an elite scorer. He's had 3 or 4 40 point games this year and was attacking the basket a little more when he was healthy this year. Now he just needs to learn how to score quickly. He's telegraphing his moves for the defense. Especially with the zone rule, he has to learn how to score quicker and without the ball. That way defenses will not be ready to defend McGrady from all over the court instead of at the top of the key. Personally, I believe that Tmac will adjust his game. The time off and the Rockets recent good play should help him see how this offense works. But sometimes, superstars cannot change their game and know only one way how to play: With the ball in their hands. Franchise was a prime example of that. If he adjusted his game and expanded out of the iso offense of Rudy T, he would've had much more success in his career. So it all depends on the player. Francis didn't change, so we traded him. We will have to wait and see what happens with Tmac. We are a better team when we have a balanced attack. But when Tmac does a lot of iso, there are usually more shots for him, but less for others, which doesn't create a rythem for our role players and makes the Rockets play 2 on 5 when the starters are in the game. But like I said before, Its on Tmac to adjust his game or else it would be wiser to build around Yao and this offense and let Tmac be an iso player elsewhere.
I think you're throwing T-Mac under the bus a little prematurely here. No one's going to know how well he fits until he gets back on (hopefully) Friday. And while there have been games in the past where he did not play well in Adelman's system the best games the Rockets have had this season (imo) have featured a healthy T-Mac playing Adelman's motion offense. Obviously he's capable of playing in the system. If he chooses not to do you really want to keep a guy who disregards his coach and his fellow players because he's got some selfish idea of what his game should look like? I think there's a very good chance that when T-Mac gets back that he will find his spot and the Rockets will just start stomping on the opposition.
Sorry my post was confusing. About TMac injuries, I was trying to point out that TMac used to have back issues almost exlusively. Now it appears its shifted, hereabouts to his knees. Not co much TMAc's back in the news these days. Hes got this knee issue now thats kinda this, kinda that- which means they really don't know what it is. Similar to his back, they didn't know, or at least they didn't know what to do about it. So TMac went to that guy who did soft tissue work on his structure, shifting the myofascial stuff, wholistic work, trying to improve TMac's structure so it would sit better in gravity, giving him arches from his lifelong flat feet - remember when TMac said he got arches from that work - well thats typical of getting STructural work, Structural Integration, and popping up some arches is huge, its very big in getting support for the low back. Meaning the work he got which shifted his structure and made some progress, but clearly not the issue has resolved, its just shifted. Seemed to be hip a little (I noticed in playoffs last year), and now to his knees. It isn't unreasonable that if someone who knows what they are doing and can see clearly TMacs pattern, that they can get their hands on TMac, his injury proneness could resolve. What has to happen is the forces that travel through his body, via gravity, need to get through him and into the ground, instead of getting kinda jammed up in his back, like they used to, or getting jammed in his knees, like they are doing now. What we want is for those forces to get all the way through to the ground. Problems from back to knee shows improvement, but not resolution. I'm just trying to say, that finding your rhythm isn't something you flip on like a switch. Its something you look for, and when your body is off you won't be able to find it as easily if at all. Yes, TMac almost always is LOOKING for his rhythm. He doesn't always find it, or find it for long enough periods that we win the game, but he does always seem to be looking. This is what we are complaining about, that TMac dominates the ball, as a best creator and our best finisher, and that he doesn't always do so sucessfully, as in a resultant win. So, on one hand, we are hoping his body stuff gets resolved, so he can more readily find his rhythm, and not spend so much time looking for it. And on the other we are hoping that when he comes back AB will be good at creating and finding TMac in rhythm. We haven't had a point who has been such a potent offensive threat before. We all love how AB can get to the paint to create. I also love Rafer, but he doesn't so much create and give to TMac as much as he just kinda gives it to TMac to let TMac create. So, I think the issue, is TMac getting better (knee), and seeing how TMac meshes with AB (or anyone else on the floor besides TMac who starts to create for himself or others when it matters to help us win some games). First of all I didn't tell you to "shut your mouth up" - just to be clear. I differ with you in that I think the issue is TMac's knee getting better (with more structural work), and to see how much TMac trusts AB (or anyone else) to create for him. And I think the issue is not, if I may summarize your post, "TMac sux, is selfish, doesn't pass, doesn't hustle and is ruining my life because he doesn't really want to win a championship." And please, take that as constructive criticism. Go Rockets.
I'll agree too. Great post. Can we change the font to something more permanent looking and hang it in a more prominent location please?
The current situation is fewer teams want to trade for t-mac. You call yourself an expert, you'd better figure out why.
