The only chance the Rockets have of beating Utah is for Tmac to play big all game long. He was a MONSTER in the first half, but a lamb in the 2nd....Just watch the first 2 possessions of the 2nd half, and see him hoist up 2 long contested jumpers.... Rileydog is saying he should have continued to be in attack mode, but for some reason he didn't. Tmac does need help and he played great for 3 quarters...but 1 point in two playoff games during winning time, is inexcusable. Great players find ways to put their stamp on games, even if they are tired.... Tmac is a little like fools gold, he looks pretty but at the end of the game, when you need him the most, he is just not getting it done. And as a result, the team is facing elimination with a big old broom. DD
Wrong answer. You have to prepare yourself for the worst possible scenerio. If you have double teams and triple teams coming at you, how do I prepare myself to overcome this and have enough gas in the tank to be there in the fourth quarter. This is how a mind of a winner works. This is the type of thinking that should've been going in the offseason. It's just a fact that Tmac did nothing to improve. You have to quit making excuses and deal with the hand that you're dealth with.
You know what I don't get? WE expect TRACY to do everything to make up for our deficiencies. No one ever posts about how to put Tracy in the position to be successful. TMac is a rythmn shooter, he needs to get shots off good screens which we don't set for him and he needs to get a rythmn going. He has always been that way. TMac has always been explosive going to the basket but in the last two seasons for whatever reason he has definately lost some of that explosiveness. He has never in his career been a physical player in the lane. Never. Jordan wasn't even that physical but Jordan couldn't get near the basket without getting the foul call. It was the Jordan rule and he worked it to perfection. TMac was blocking shots, stealing the ball, the only defender disrupting the Utah sets, rebounding and setting the offense for 3 qtrs. They were running 3 defenders at him at times, they were using length and strength to guard him and disrupt him Utah had a very good game plan and they executed it well. TMac WAS tired, and because of the kind of player he is (like it or not) that kills his game. He short arms his outside shot when he is tired, and he doesn't have any shooting rythmn. He drives but he is even less explosive when he is worn down. Utah game planned to wear him down for those very reasons. Apparently Jerry Sloan knows something everyone here won't admit. TMac can't carry the game against a better and deeper roster who play physical for 48 minutes. Blaming TMac is sick. Superstars are supposed to take over the game in the 4th qtr. That explains everything, really, does it? I think it is obvious TMac was doing more for 35 minutes than any other player on the court and more was expected of him. Williams gets rest and Price comes in and torches us. Boozer gets rest and Milsap comes in and torches us. Brewer gets rest and Korver comes in or Harpring. TMac gets rest. No way He's SuperStarMan.
He settled for jumpers the first two possessions out of the half....he was well rested then, it was the mentality that was tired. Tmac played hard, but where was the "I put my will on the game"??????????? Oh, wait, he did exactly that. DD
I definitely agree. What this basically says is Tmac has a conditioning problem. Not able to sustain great play for 4 quarters.
its a 7 game series, not 5... but honestly, you have to look at it from all angles. Most people would be happy if he scored half his points in the 4th and really seemed agressive. So, he could have came up with the same stat line, just redistributed throughout the game. News flash guys, there is no time when you need him most, you need those same points at any time. It doesn't matter. If he scored 7 more points in the 1st quarter, they win the game. If they win the game, we're not talking about this. I understand clutch situations, he used to be very clutch, and now he isn't very clutch but it didn't win or lose the game for us. Its amazing that we're ever in the game with these guys because hardly any one can score.
LOL. The sooner people stop considering T-Mac as a Michael Jordan or a Hakeem Olajuwon, the sooner you can let this go. McGrady is a good player but not in that group. These are the same people saying Yao is our best player and number one option. So why compare your number 2 player to the greatest that ever played? Easy way to just b****. This team had no chance. This is the ONLY team in the west with NO REAL second scoring option. This makes it nearly impossible to beat a team in the playoffs, especially this year. Name me ONE player in the NBA right now you could replace with McGrady that will make this team beat Utah in 7. I reall can't think of one. LeBron maybe? All we can do is wait till the offseason to see what Morey does.
'Settled' is totally a distortion of the situation, TMac played to the circumstances, everyone wants him to drive the lane and dunk over 3 long defenders every time we are down in the 4th qtr. OK- he IS NOT as explosive as he used to be. But he is what he is and he played a great game. He fizzled out in the 4th so crucify him. Adelman said he carried the team, they kept running bodies at him and wore him down. That is exactly what happened. What is the deal with throwing out his strengths with his weaknesses? Do you really think he is the problem on this team. I think Rick Adelman would like to correct you on that one.
Tmac is our best player, and that's a fact Jack. What he demonstrated in that first half has been there all the time. The key next year will be to get in the type of condition to be able to sustain that type play for 4 quarters throughout the playoffs all the way to the finals.
Yes, in some ways, you talked me out of my criticism. This is what it boils down to. We must change our expectations of Tmac. He has a wonderful skill set, but he's not a superstar anymore. He's not going to take over. He's not physically or mentally tough enough. The larger point is that Morey must change his expectations of Tmac, and make decisions based on that.
I'm talking about taking over in 1 game, 1 critical 4th quarter, with the game on the line. I'm not asking him to move mountains. I'm not asking for a MVP season performance. I'm not asking him to be playoff MVP. I'm asking for one push through a tough 4th quarter. Win or lose. Just be tough and go down firing.
You made a good point there, because this is the second year in a row that he admitted that he was tired.
Everyone pay attention now. This is EXACTLY right. For all the folks that say Tmac was just playing a team game and it takes five. Look closer. There's a difference between team ball and not wanting the ball. This is the play of a player that's not mentally tough. Tmac said, I can't do it. Here Bobby. Here Scola. You do it.
I did not believe people still getting on T-Mac's case. Man he did all his could do to help the team. Put yourself in his shoe and grow up. We lost one super star and role player and we still hang in it. Grow up people stop crying like a baby support your team, show your enthusiasm and feeling toward the players not hatred.
You've captured the entire discussion with these words. There are some that think what he is is enough. That it's okay to peter out in teh 4th. It's okay to not be mentally tough. There are others that think you have to rise to the occasion and do what it takes. Or at least demand the ball and go down attacking.
