True, that would be one of the worst rosters in the league -- but not one of the worst TEAMS. And that's the entire point the OP is trying to make: Building a championship-caliber squad is much more than just finding the best players. The Celtics won it all last year not because they had the "big three," but because they all bought into a team game and executed it to perfection. Great coaching and great chemistry can do a lot to overcome roster deficiencies. As far as T-Mac goes, the OP may be right. Problem is, unless Morey stumbles onto a no-brainer T-Mac trade (not likely at this point), we're not going to find out until the 2010-2011 season. Then again, if he comes back and the offense gets sluggish, maybe someone can Gillooly him.
When the game is on the line and a Rockets player passes up an wide open 15 footer that is a huge problem. Like wise when TMac gets the ball and charges down the court and fires up a quick 3 with no teammates in positioin to try and get a rebound or even trying to move the ball in order to set up a high percentage shot is just as frustrating. We have all seen that many many times and if you haven't then you much be watching some other team play.
again if you notice my other thread, i pointed out, our best stretch of offense this yr had been WITH TRACY when he felt good (even if it was for a 6 game stretch up until the cavs game when he started sucking). he averaged 21, 7, 7 during that stretch. let me give you the stats during the stretch when tracy played relatively well and was kinda looking like the playmaker he should be (though nowhere near it still) in those 6 games: ppg - 106.5ppg fg% - 49.1% apg - 25.1 (we got 25+ assists in 5 of those 6 games tracy played well in) so really, if tracy comes back healthy, i don't see why the offense can't look like this. he had the ball a lot during that time to get his (21ppg) but also to get others (7 dimes) fg%
Tracy is used to being the man with the ball in his hands. He wants to make the decisions, the assists, etc. Unfortunately for him, with adlemans system, everyone touches the ball, making everyone an offensive threat...well, maybe not chuck, but oh well. I see the same pattern that happened last year: i think Tmac doesnt want adlemans offense to succeed so he can go back to him dominating the ball, hence his lack of effort. I know it is assumptions, but watch how Von moves around and passes the ball, it is the exact opposite of the way Tracy intergrates himself. I really hope tmac buys into the system. I believe he is using his injury as an excuse. Why cant he just come off the bench for ten minutes? I still have hope things will work out.
I'm not going to question anyone's perception of hoops, but every star has a certain degree of trust. Also you cant be a star if you're not selfish. Case and point. Lebron gets the ball,drive's to the hole and trust his teammate to make the shot which was mashall. Everyone and their mamma ripped him because as a star, you have to trust yoursel above everyone sometimes. Tracy said he made the right basketball play. Now , since you say he doesnt trust his teammates, who hit the game winner against La last year in the opener? Who set the play up? So if i tell you tracy would break the defense down and someone comes off a partial double and the choices are tracy at 12ft, hayes at 6ft,rafer at 24 ft, who do you trust. If he passes he's not man enough, if he shoots he doesnt trust his teammates. What do you do?
Every championship caliber team has their go-to guy when things get tough. Hakeem was a beast defensively in 94 which won it for us. TMac is our guy. Love it or hate it. TMac doesn't HAVE to score to carry the team. He has to do whatever it takes to help the team be successful. If TMac can't/won't be our go-to guy, then maybe good 'team play' can keep us competative but we won't be contenders. Maybe Artest can be our go-to guy. Maybe we can trade Tmac and get a new go-to guy (doubtful). Maybe we can pull out a Pistons effort where all 5 starters are playing like all-stars (doubtful). Something needs to give.
Actually, I was talking about last year and Rick was the coach last year and Deke and Hayes played last year too. As for this year, how does he not trust his teammates? Yes, he hasn't had a lot of off the ball movement in his game but what does that have to do with trusting your teammates? That is more on his will and physical ability if anything. T-Mac is also no stranger in giving up the ball in the final moments. Ask Shane or Steve Novak who set them up for the game winning shots last year. T-Mac can do no right. If he passes up a clutch shot, hes a p***y. Takes the shot, he has no trust whatsoever in his teammates. Only T-Mac.
actually, rafer has been our go-to guy in the 4th quarter the past 2 games v. the lakers and heat. yao should be though.
exactly. it's more to do with his physical ability this yr. he can't move as well and thus he prefers to stay in one spot and doesn't move as much. his usage rating this yr is lower than yao or artest and yet HE LEADS THE TEAM IN ASSISTS. so if anyone questions whether he prefers to pass and trust his teammate, try again. tracy just needs to get healthy, in shape, and come back ready to play. his game will speak for itself.
The problem is you can't run a pure motion offence in the playoffs because the defence played in the playoffs is much different from that of the regular season. Teams gameplan for your shooters so your ball movement will never hit an open shooter but instead go to your bad shooters(Rafer). For an example of this, see: luther head. Because there is far less double teaming in the playoffs, you absolutely need stars to step up big. Just look at the Pistons the last few years. Great team offence but they can't get it done at the end of games in the playoffs for lack of a superstar.
crash, I actually agree with a lot of things you said here. But I think you are confusing the issues and your thread title is misleading. Every team needs stars to carry them when the going gets tough. I think leebigez has explained it very well. I agree with you that a team overly relying on one or two players to carry them won't go very far. If that's your point of the thread, I wholeheartedly agree. But a bunch of role players playing "team ball" won't get you very far either. Remember what happened to Adelman's Kings that took the Kobe-Shaq Lakers to 7 games? Aside from the big dose of poor officiating, the Kings lost because at the toughest moments in game 7, they had nobody who could carry them. Well they had, that's Mike Bibby. Remember that game? Everybody on that team except Bibby was AFRAID of the ball. NO ONE except Bibby wanted to shoot. Bibby did carry them in some games during the playoffs run. But not that game. That was too much for him and they failed. The so-called team game is nice and dandy. In fact, I have been, and still am, a staunch advocate of buying into Adelman's team offense system. But you need at least two, preferably three stars to carry you through the tough stretches in every playoffs series. I too am worried that T-Mac might not be very comfortable with the motion offense. But last year during the 22-game streak, he seemed to be able to adapt. He wasn't the usual high volume scorer during that stretch. In the playoffs, T-Mac was carrying them. And without Yao he wasn't enough. When you are facing the Lakers down the stretch, would you rather have Bibby or McGrady to carry you through?
Even those guys wouldn't quit on a play and let Jamario Moon get an easy dunk. Plus during the Dream days, the scoring wasn't that lop sided. You do notice other guys coming up with big games, Max, Clyde, Kenny, Sam, etc. Same with Jordan, his passing was underrated. How do you think Steve Kerr and John Paxon got paychecks?
You know whose passing is even more underrated than Jordan? McGrady. With Houston, Mcgrady has a higher APG average than Jordan's career APG.
Let's not compare TMac with Jordan. I'll give you this though -- TMac is a better creater tan Jordan.
true, Tmac's passing is underrated but his ability to 'take over a game' is overrated. Maxwell's passing was underrated, he lead the Rockets in assists in 93-94. People just have memories of him hitting wild shots, but he was a good overall offensive player..who gets lots of technical fouls
