This thread might be complete unnecessary but I just want to know what u guys think has changed in tmac’s game. A lot of people say he lost step but for me he’s still has a great first step but a lot tend to forget how amazing tmac was in the beginning of the season he really looked like the tmac in 2004-2005, he had some great dunks this year as well, the one over kobe,the reverse vs grizzlies, the on vs the pistons and ofcourse the 360 that didn’t count so he looked much much better this season than last year were he barely used to dunk. One ting that strikes me is what a great defensive player he was during the 04-05 season I mean he was just great, the d he used to play against lebron or melo and the shutdown d against dirk in the playoffs was just unbelievable.
well this season he got his athleticism and quickness back. maybe that knee injury slowed him down a little bit but I'm happy. As for defense, I'm sure he is still able to play great D, he just doesn't care which is bad sometimes
- atheletism + IQ + trust in teammates + Luck of the Texans - fans McGrady is now a level 98 Basketball players cursed with "first round playoffs". He will dispel his curse with Chemistry.
His handles and shot have regressed quite a bit. That's the biggest difference - hopefully it's just because of injuries.
I wonder what would happen if Robert Horry and Tracy McGrady were on the same team. 16 for 16 playoff advances vs. 0 for 10 (possibly 11). Something's got to give.
...not much other than his general decline of atheleticism that was made even worse by recent injuries, that really made him shoot terribly. Now if you would have said tmac 2003 vs. tmac 2008 i could write you a book. One of the best ever individual performances in a year vs. a guy who wasn't even an all-star.
is it just me or did tmac look totally different in 2005 i mean just look at him i know alot of people said he put on weight but is not that i think he used to wear size xxxxxl back then, i think after we lost tthe series to the mavs he tried to bulk up and look like lebron but how come he stopped wearing the legsleeve <a href="http://img237.imageshack.us/my.php?image=53198234uo3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/4770/53198234uo3.th.jpg" border="0" alt="Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://img604.imageshack.us/content.php?page=blogpost&files=img237/4770/53198234uo3.jpg" title="QuickPost"><img src="http://imageshack.us/img/butansn.png" alt="QuickPost" border="0"></a> Quickpost this image to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!
that's so true if look at this clip u gonna i mean for a 6ft8 guy to this is pretty incredible not even kobe can do this object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IVgrRE0ViOs&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IVgrRE0ViOs&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
I don't know whether this answers the question or not, but there is a picture of him dunking against the Bucks this year on his website that is pretty amazing to me, for someone who has been playing in the NBA for 10 years. I know he isn't even 30 yet, but 10 NBA years is a lot of years. http://www.t-mac.com/tmac/photos (I don't know how to capture a Flash picture like that one. It's the one with the big red ENTER word bechind the backboard on the left side of the picture.)
This season it's the injuries to his knee and shoulder. I think they are on opposite sides, so that makes it worse. Injuries and endurance issues. He was playing very well at the start of the season. As the season progressed, he got injured and left himself on the floor during the 22 game win streak. The endurance issue is there. The Rockets seem to play better off more than 1 days rest. I think that goes hand in hand with how well McGrady plays. Now, we have an injured McGrady who gets tired in the playoffs. Can't really blame him because he's doing a lot. Let's hope he can catch a second wind for the playoff run.
That T-Mac was clutch this one chokes, before his best quarter regardless of how he played the rest of the game was the 4th quarter. This t-mac could never pull off the 13 in 35 or the game winner in game 2 IN dallas.
How many times has TMac lose his dribble while trying to do something creative? He used to do it all the time before, his handles have definitely regressed.
Its by far his defense. McGrady 2005 and back could be counted on to lock up the other team's best offensive threat whether they were 6'-3" or 7 feet. The Rockets have Battier now for that thank goodness, but even without Battier can you imagine McGrady now shouldering the offensive load AND needing to play shutdown D? Its stunning how the Rockets hold teams down from scoring, yet McGrady is involved in the defense maybe 1/3 of the time.
That is a sick shot no doubt... but there is nothing Kobe cannot do offensively I'm sorry to be the one to tell you.
Tmac use to be just so fluid. His natural athleticism made his game look so smooth and easy to him. That's leaving him a bit now and he's having to rely on a body that has let him down. Looking back at his Orlando days you could tell he knew he could do anything he wanted. Now, I think he sometime doubts his ability to do what he once knew without a doubt he could do. He's still a stud but he's got to redifine his game and make it around more of what we saw in the last game; a solid mid-range game (both shooting and passing) that will open up drives to the basket. He doesn't have the same lift on his jumpers he use to so he has to give up the long range game.
