Tracy McGrady is better than I expected him to be. After watching Francis and Mobley control the offense for so long and make numerous bad decisions, TMAC has been a site for sore eyes. He makes great plays for himself and his teammates, makes VERY few mistakes, and always seems to do the right thing at the right time. I'm so glad we got this guy, as I can see him and Yao winning titles in the future. I'm really glad we made the trade for him, and as soon as this team starts getting used to each other we're going to be hard to beat.
Right on, brotha. Even with his hesitancy and poor shooting in November it was still so much easier to watch. December speaks for itself. Granted, this team still has problems, but it's refreshing to know that they aren't so much mental as physical/talent based.
The best part about the trade wasn't just for this season. We have this guy for the next 6 years which will be the prime years of his carrier, thats wonderful.
Tmac is top 5 in the league right now. He has the potential to be #1 for a while. I was thinking about this awhile back. Everyone assumed Kobe would project as the next Jordan... ie - dominate games, several titles, huge fan base. The marketing and timing of MJ was unique. With the post-Jordan hyping of players and down swing of NBA popularity. I don't think there will be another player who elevates the whole league like Jordan did. But on the court I think that is a different story. TMac more than Kobe or Lebron has the game that can actually dominate. If he were to get the Jordan calls (fouled if the shot doesn't go in) He would lead the league in scoring every year. TMac can score, he is long, he is a good defender and he is BB smart to the max. I believe he has more freakish talent than both Kobe and Lebron. If he has the desire he could really improve and actually assert his will on the game night in and night out. The one thing that is a question is does he have the competitive drive that Jordan, Bird and Hakeem had. I have seen glimpses, I don't think he is as laid back as people have said. He is just quiet. But there is alot of fire in his eyes. And he has shown alot of emotion. When we made the trade all I could think was we just traded SF for McGrady. That was unbelievable. This thing can be messed up, but it would take collective stupidity on the part of the team. I hope TMac decides he wants to elevate his game. If he has the drive, I am convinced he has the talent to rip this league up.
T-Mac has been great this season. The first thing I mentioned to everyone is how everything he does happens in the flow of the game. I never get that feeling that he is forcing it too much. Francis did too much in my opinion. Also, I think T-Mac is being overlooked so far this season by the league and the media. I hope that turns around as the Roxs fortunes start to get brighter.
This is the key. I don't think the trade was made so we can win 60 games the very next year. The trade was made so we would have a foundation for years to come. This team is NOT a finished product. Not by a longshot.
I happen to catch a little NBA fastbreak last night and that dude with the robotic talk was lumping Mcgrady in with Kobe, saying they were overrated this year because they shoot in the 40%, all the while giving props to Iverson for shooting 43% this year. I agreed with him in the sense that, yeah 43% shooting is a big difference from 40% shooting when the player takes as many shots as those guys. But where Greg Anthony was wrong is that Mcgrady is closer to 43%, sitting at 42% now, than he is to 40%. I think we are begining to see a gap of seperation taking place between Mcgrady and Kobe right now - Mcgrady's percentages and play is rising, while Kobes percentages are steady at 40%. Its not right when these so called anaylsts don't pay attention to make note of this and lump Mcgrady's name in with Kobe as being selfish, or overrated, because he shoots a bad percentage.
Exactly The time is NOW for T-mac to start his prime. Im telling you, this guy can be one of the best basketball players ever to grace the court if he taps into his talent. He has all the tools to excel in every aspect of basketball. The way he plays out there seems like everything comes to him naturally. I really dont think he's putting everything he has to offer out there. There's a lot more in store for us to see this year and the upcoming seasons. T-mac needs to take on the role of being the leader of this team but not in a Kobe way where he becomes completely arrogant and what not. It's all on him to elevate his game to unreal levels. How many players has this league seen like T-mac who can dribble extremely well for his height, be deadly from basically anywhere around the perimeter (including 5 feet out from the 3 "bawl" line), drive to the hoop and get by everyone with either a monster dunk or lay it up with EITHER hand, have the length he does to play amazing defense etc etc etc....the list goes on. We really have ourselves an extremely special player
I have yet to see T-Mac dribble the ball around and let the shot clock wind down to 2 or 1 and then jack up a fallaway three pointer...for that fact alone, he is far superior to the ingrate that is now in Orlando.
You didn't watch T-Mac play against Cleveland. It was near the end of the game and Rockets were winning. T-Mac dribbled the balls between the legs outside the arc to waste the clock. Just before the shot clock expires, Tracy drained a three-pointer!
Part of the publicity side of things is people just don't see him play every night like fans do. Once we get in the playoffs I think the league will be reminded of the uniqueness of his talent. I think a couple years he was in the playoffs with the Magic he was pretty dominant. A 40 point playoff win, couple with a first round win could begin the run for TMac. After what he did to San Antonio in the last 50 sec. , I don't put anything past him. That was an impossible display of 3 pt shooting. I have seen other players his big 3 pt shots in the final seconds, but not many hit 3 in a row when the game is out of reach. Do that one time in a playoff series and it will become legend.
My brain tells me a feat like that would be impossible to do twice, but then again, I never thought it could happen once. TMac's December play has been just sick.
Tmac has Yao. Kobe doesn't. Tmac's fg % should be higher simply for that fact. I agree Tmac is wonderful, but let's not forget his shortcomings. He does not get to the line often, and does take his fair share of difficult jumpers. He's ranked #15 in FT attempts, and for a player of his caliber, he should be in the top 6 or 7. And when talkin about the next coming of Jordan, let's not forget that Lebron is putting up very similar numbers to Mcgrady's while shooting at 49% fg. Oh and he's 20 years old.
Great post. I made another thread comparing T-Mac, Kobe, and LeBron and I believe T-Mac is the best perimeter player in the league today. http://bbs2.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=89099 The most glaring difference between T-Mac and them: T-Mac does everything so natural. The game is so easy for him that it is hard to tell whether he is giving 100%. Maybe in the miracle comeback against San Antonio that he gave 100%. But I am not sure about the other games. T-Mac has more talents than Kobe and LeBron. He is quicker, more balanced, much better shooter. His ability to draw fouls behind the arc is unmatched in the league. A much better clutch player too. That will count a lot during the playoffs. Call me biased, but I think with Tracy's talent and Yao's inside game, the Rockets are a legitimate contender THIS year.
