Not many players go on road trips when they're injured. Sure, him going would've been symbolic as a leader, but I think everyone would rather prefer if he led on the floor with confidence and aggressiveness than with purely symbolic gestures.
Exactly. I could care less if he sat with the fans instead. All that matter is he brings it on the court. You guys are making something out of nothing. Stop being such drama queens.
It's a b2b road n home 2 games. What's the point to ask T-Mac to travel when he's not expected to play? What's the point of this thread?
Rockets in Dire Straights By: Bill Ingram Last Updated: 12/27/07 8:47 PM ET | 119 times read Adjust font size: The Houston Rockets are a team without an identity. It shouldn't come as a huge surprise to fans of the Houston Rockets that Tracy McGrady is slated to miss a week or more with his latest injury. McGrady has never been the kind of player who would threaten AC Green's ironman record, and this season will be no different from the pattern we've seen throughout McGrady's career. The Houston Rockets will be without him for an undetermined period of time. There are a couple ways of looking at this latest injury. There are those who are quick to point out that McGrady's injuries tend to coincide with times when his teams struggle, and there's certainly an argument to be made that this is the case. There's also a possibility that McGrady's oft-injured nature has something to do with the fact that he came to the NBA right out of high school and has thus put more wear and tear on his body than other players his age. It's true that some players (Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett, for example) have had great success despite skipping college, but it takes a special athlete to be able to endure the rigors of professional athletics. It's at least worth mentioning that McGrady could simply be feeling the stress and strain of the profession he's chosen. Whatever the reason, his heart or his body, the Houston Rockets are once again faced with the proposition of playing a stretch of games without their star player. We've seen them without him many times in the past and it's never been pretty. Sure, Yao Ming is still there, but his effectiveness tends to drop off exponentially when McGrady isn't in the lineup with him. Defenders surround Yao and force turnovers, daring other Rockets to step up . . .yet none of them ever do. Is this the fate of the Houston Rockets as they currently stand? Are they doomed to mediocrity while McGrady and Yao are together? Carroll Dawson once bemoaned the challenge of trading one starter for three and then trying to build a lineup around that one player. When the Rockets traded Kelvin Cato, Steve Francis, and Cuttino Mobley for McGrady they literally tore apart the team. McGrady puts up good numbers, but he's not three starters no matter how well he plays. What the Rockets have had to do is use bargain deals and veteran minimums to try and put a strong group around their two stars, and that ragtag group simply hasn't been good enough to compete 50% of the time. What the Rockets really need is a couple of players who can drop the open three with regularity and one more player who is top notch at creating his own shot. Right now they have Shane Battier and Rafer Alston who are decent shooters and can create at times, but neither of them can do it consistently. An argument was recently made that the Rockets would regret the trade of Rudy Gay for Battier for years to come, and that may well be true. Battier is an incredible defender and is a great asset to the team in ways that don't show up in the box score, but right now the Rockets need someone to help them in ways that do. So where does the help come from? Frankly, it's time for this team to start making some decisions about guys like Steve Novak, Carl Landry, and Luther Head. Are you going to use them, or let them go? Do they represent the future of the franchise . . .and is it time to start cultivating that future now? It's hard to admit defeat. It's hard to look at a lineup that features two of the biggest names in the international basketball scene and then see a .500 record in the standings. But that's where the Houston Rockets are, and it will only get worse as McGrady's injuries continue to pile up. The Rockets have a new general manager, a new head coach . . .maybe it's time to make some roster changes, as well.
Wow, anything to cut a man down huh? As you've seen, injured players don't always travel with the team. AND The team is back in town TOMORROW for a game. I'm sure if it were a longer than 1 game road trip, he might have gone.
So sad that people think we need big roster changes a year after winning 52 games and getting the 5th seed. And we added Scola and Mike James after that.
I thought that was Adleman...or Battier...or Alston...or Bonzi...or James...etc., etc. I can't believe some you people are seriously concerned about him not making it to this game. It's the first of a back to back in which the 2nd game is at home. Instead of wasting a day of treatment by flying to Memphis, he's home doing (hopefully) what's necessary to get back on the court. If he doesn't show up tomorrow night, then bash away. Why do you care so damn much that he doesn't show up to this game? How do you know he didn't ask to go and was told to stay home to get treatment?
I don't think it's that people are really upset that he's not going with the team to memphis specifically. you can make arguments either way, for going or not going, and either would be a right decision, or maybe a wrong decision. I think it's more that this just fits in to the same picture we get of him not caring, him always seeming to distance himself from the team any chance he gets, him not playing hard or passionately, etc. It just fits in with the list of all the other things that we see that would lead some of us to interpret his actions as him being disinterested or unhappy. There's so many little things that he COULD do, as the best player and (figurehead) leader of this team that could really boost the morale of the team. But time and time again, he chooses not to do these things and continues to distance himself from the games and his teammates (at least it could be interpreted this way). This is just another example.
Bad idea. Let the coach make that assessment especially in his first year. Only he knows the possibilities and how well things are progressing - it's his freakin system they are learning.
SERIOUS INJURY??!!!! are you kidding me...he has a boo boo on his knee.....99% of players with heart would play with that injury...you think guys like Steve Nash and Kobe would sit out becuase their kneees are sore!!?? he probably has to plan his New Year's eve Bash and had to stay home to take care of the details...
Okur just accompanied the Jazz on an Eastern road trip, despite missing 7 games in a row. He didn't shave or comb his hair, though.
Anyone complaining about Mcgrady not making the trip is being petty and stupid. Players dont travel with the team all the time when they are injured, actually some teams wont let players travel if they are injured. What good would Mcgrady going to Memphis for a one game trip do. As for not coming to games, that happens all the time too. How many times was Yao at the game during his 32 games missed last year. And as far as a sprain goes, I guarantee Tmac is getting treatment. Whether it is electrical stimulation, ultrasound, stretches, massage, or medications, you know he is being treated by the Rox staff. Stop making big deals out of nothing. Stevie has been absent at a ton of games this year but no one flames him.
Thats probably because they hoped he could play at some point during the trip, like Tmac made the trip to Denver with hopes he might play in Chicago. There is no way Tmac is playing vs. Memphis and the Rox return to Hou right after the game anyway.
I don't know if it's just Clutchfans but it seems like Rockets fans have turned on T-mac a bit and it has everything to do with not meeting expectations. This team's slogan says it all - "It's Time!". Time for what to go back to the lottery? It's time for Mac to put up or shut up no more excuses he has to come to play like a fire in roaring in his pants. If he did this all the negative criticism would go away and he'd win back Rocket fans.
come on man, don't you know everone on this board, knows a hell of a lot more than any pro players or doctors?
