TMac is no Lebron and can not carry a team like Lebron. The real myth we need to dispell is the one that claims TMac is a superstar. TMac when his game is on is still an all star caliber player but not a player on the same level as Lebron or Kobe.
"it's on me" "this team goes where I take them" McGrady did lead the team and he has failed miserably. Sometimes you wonder if you’re going to talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk.
DD- I agree with you to a point, but you also have to have trustworthy teammates. If this is such a team game, how come no one will ever say Yao and Shane are 0 fer in the playoffs? Its the same reason why people never said Wally or Hassell were 0 fer in minny. Right or wrong, people always blame the highest paid player who is usually the most talented. So in the end, they will always get the blame.If you're going to get the blame, who are you going to trust more than yourself?
If Kobe was so great, why did Kupchak feel they would miss the playoffs without Bynum last year? Is it just coincidence that last year minus bynum and gasol, the team was under .500? What was the highest seed post shaq before last yr? I think Lebron is a difference maker big time. I have a very high opinion of kobe also, but Shaq proved his point in 2 yrs. Is there anyone on this board thinks Allen,pierce,tracy, or iverson couldn't have won a title with Shaq from 99-2003?
Leeb, I blame them all.....and it is not about money, it is about leadership...when both Yao and Battier are willing to play within the team concept and Tmac is not....to me, that is where you start with fixing the problem.... I firmly believe this team is good enough to win it all this year, if everyone buys in, and builds chemistry.....but that along with HEALTH are big ifs.... And yes, health means mental as well as physical.
Actually he is about a 50% fit, he doesn't move off the ball near enough, give me Mike Miller, he would be perfect. DD
I don't see how shane plays team ball when he does nothing to keep his man out of Yao's lap. Adelman has never had a players like Yao, but Yao is good enough to adjust the concept. Shane on the other hand is probably the worse swing player he has ever had. Kersey,Peja,Christie,Ainge,Drexler were all head and shoulders better than Shane.
He's not even 20%. If he was as good as doug christie, he would be ok, but shane dumps it to Yao and don't even read the defense.
For reference last year's playoff stats roughly 10-24 in FGs per game The year before with Yao he was 9-23 in FGs per game Against Dallas with a completly healthy team he was about 11 - 24 per game Do you see the problem here? It is fairly consistent, he shoots too much, and doesn't trust his teamates enough. In the wins he is great, in the losses he sucks, you can not have one player mean so much to a team, if he is not hitting you need to trust your teamates to help ease the burden. Smooth, it is clear Tmac can do no wrong for you, but his days as a volume shooter have proven to be utter failures in the playoffs, volume shooters is just another phrase for inefficient shooting. If Tmac would play within the system, he could get the same number of points, with a lot less shots...... Do you see what I am getting at? Honestly Smooth, to me it is so obvious.... DD
Yeah, it drives me nuts that he just goes to his corner and basically waits for the open shot. Even when his defender turns his head, he still stays there, I think he rests on offense so he can play hard on defense. However, having someone keeping the floor spread is crucial for Yao to have room to operate. DD
He has talked like one since he first arrived in Houston but has yet to produce. I agree that IF he put in the work he could be on the level of Lebron or Kobe but I just don't see him doing it. What is even more disturbing to me is that he just does not seem to be mentally tough. TMac has a lot of talent and is a damn good player when he wants to be but I just don't think we can call him a superstar. Maybe he was once upon a time but no more.
I've never claimed McGrady could do no wrong in my eyes. I just think he's played far and above all other players on the team in every playoff series, since he's been with the Rockets. Sure. I hate those contested heat-check threes. I would like to see him bypass those. But, that's maybe a couple shots a game. It's a minor issue and not the one thing holding the Rockets back from advancing. I expect McGrady to take 20+ shots in the playoffs. I think we'd find comparable numbers to other stars in the playoffs. I also don't see McGrady bypassing wide open teammates. He's probably the best on the team at hitting the open man. Would I like to see slightly improve FG %? Of course. I think sometimes McGrady makes shots harder than they need to be, i.e. finger rolls when a straight lay-up is a higher percentage. But, to me, that's nitpicking. This team has a lot bigger problems. We don't defend scoring PGs well. We don't rebound defensively well enough in the playoffs. The pick and roll kills Yao in the playoffs against elite team, etc. I find it interesting that nobody credits McGrady's offseason work on his free throws. Last year was a terrible year and obviously he worked on it in the offseason. Best player on the team, and he's still working to improve. I just think we have unrealistic expectations for someone coming off multiple surgeries. He took those cortisone shots in the playoffs just to be able to play. There has to be a price for that at some point, and I think we're paying it early this season. With his triple double against a good Denver team and his relative youth (though high mileage), I still think he can come back and be the team's best player this season. He's our best player, we're not getting anyone else, so some constructive criticism on shot selection is great, but we should also seek fair criticism. T-mac isn't holding this team back. We have no James Worthy on the wing. We have no Ray Allen at the 3-point line. We have no Shaq down low. Let's cheer for the team on the court: The 08'-09 Houston Rockets.
I don't hate anyone, but for what everyone says he brings to this team is vastly overrated. Not reading the defense with that high bbiq is one of them. I doesn't take a genius to see that one. I mean, rafer is out, yao is out, 3 rookies and chuck hayes. What did he do? He scored 22 pts in game 1 and then proceeded to avg 7ppg for the last 5. Are u kidding me? Next time while you're watching the intangibles, watch the game and tell me where his man is at . Let me give you a hint. The man gaurding shane is adjusting Yao's shorts.
