Got to love the "everyone agrees with me" posting style. It smacks of George W. Bush...... LOL - Prove it. Whatever dude, I am not doing this again today... And in the offseason, we shall see what happens..... DD
http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatNBA?event_id=14353 look at the 3rd question if you need some proof that Tmac is talented...Shane Battier, a very solid defender himself puts Tmac in the same class as Kobe and Lebron. Thats coming from an NBA player, a guy who actually played against and with Tmac. Not gonna get a much more closer source than that... http://dimemag.com/2009/05/the-rockets-still-need-t-mac/ Another article on why the Rockets could use Tmac http://blogs.chron.com/sportsjustice/archives/2009/04/so_thats_why_th.html ''Teams can't do some of the things they've been doing to Yao if we've got Tracy,'' Rick Adelman said. ''He would make them pay.'' Enough said...
BlackNight..... there is no need to prove that McGrady is a talented player and is up there with Kobe, LeBron, Melo, and Wade. Only a blind fool would think he his horrible. IF all it takes is one bad year from a superstar and people think he is trash and washed up then I would love to see the reaction on here when Yao was out or any other superstar from other teams are out. Its sad how this board has turned into a what have you done for me lately place. I'm sure if you know basketball you wouldn't even bother at the nonsense that people are saying. If you know what McGrady is capable of then so be it. Let the others look like fools while you know the truth. Your post debating with DD was very good btw. Keep it up.
I had microfracture surgery in November and I'm not seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Mine is a pretty severe case, though. The hole in the cartilage is very large. It truly is an AWFUL injury. I'd have prefered a torn ACL. I finished my "official rehab" that the doc prescribed for me in February. Now all I'm doing is biking about 60 miles per week. I used to have a pretty quick first step and now that is completely gone. I can't sprint at all without severe pain. And now my other knee is beginning to have pain because of over-compensation. At first I had hopes of being able to play basketball again. But now I've conceded that I'll probably never again be able to play a sport that involves running. Best of luck to T-Mac. He's got a much better shot than I do because most doctors weren't even recomending surgery to begin with. But there really is no definitive timetable for a return. It all depends on the severity and location of the cartilage damage.
Honestly as absurd as most of you think his behavior was let's honestly look at the whole situation. I am looking at this situation on both sides. The man literally poured his heart out there two years ago to do what he could to bring us a 22 game winning streak and push us in the playoffs while limping. Morey did the best he could to add around him with Les Alexander's tight budget. It is a business and if he doesn't want to go over that luxury tax it is understandable. But during this previous post season there were "rumors" of him possibly being traded. Heck if it was all hush hush it might have been another story but instead Espn broke it out and Tmac was interviewed and asked how he felt about playing for the detroit pistons. Ron Artest was acquired and honestly it was questionable even from the beginning of this season whether or not he would be on this roster. I see it as the situation where the rockets organization is like the exwife or girlfriend you gave everything to. You've basically went to work even though you were injured to put food on the table and basically make her happy. Then she still turns around and says hey i am thinking of letting you go and getting that other guy. It is just business but that's definitely a slap on the face as well. If any of you guys have been in a relationship with a woman like that you know how bad that feels. Kobe Bryant is a guy that before the acquisition of Paul Gasol was booed because his constant requests for being traded during the offseasons. That's quitting on a team. Pierce has also been in a similar situation. Instead of letting him go they acquired a plethora of role players and acquired two stars in Garnett and Ray allen to help him out. Give this guy a chance to bounce back. He's still in a Rockets uniform right now and I definitely hope he will be next season. I believe in him and definitely believe that he can bounce back.
I hate to even contribute to this whole thing, but TMac is basically the same sort of character as Kobe, except he seems even less motivated. If that's the type of player you want, I'd suggest becoming a Lakers fan. I want players who care about the team, not their own personal stats. People are dismissing this sentiment as "tmac bashing" but it's the reality. TMac picked another team to win it all while his own team were still fighting through the first round of the playoffs. Not only does that make him selfish and a crappy teammate, it makes him a crappy employee... They pay him 21 million a year to cheer on another team? TMac is dead to me, get as much as you can by trading him.
the thing is most people on this board don't want to give him a chance and that's fine. one bad year erases the other previous 4 years where he did pour his heart out, played a ton of minutes for us and played through multiple injuries...and just come up short in the playoffs. i mean, if morey was the GM sooner, i have no doubt we won a ring already. but hey, tracy was stuck playing with a bench that consisted from chuck hayes and ryan bowen being big time starters in the playoffs and luther head and rafer alston forced to be the best jumpshooters. that's not going to get it done. we, on the outside, don't know the relationship between the rockets and tracy. hopefully someone with inside info can shed a light on that. i mean, rick adelman even brought his name up during the portland series on how tracy would make the game easier for yao so obviously rick still wants tracy back. i know les wants tracy back. and we all know morey wants the player that tmac can be back. but again we don't know. let's see with the next updates in regards to his rehab and see how he's doing. what we learn from this year is that our team is STACKED. we have arguably the best group of role players in the L, who can go toe to toe with the best team in the L on any given night. now you add to that a healthy yao ming and a relatively healthy tracy mcgrady, there's no doubt we're not a top 2 team. the problem is health, which has been the theme throughout the tmac-yao era. PS - so we'll see. i still disagree with DD's assertion that tracy doesn't play as well in the playoffs. every coach (carlisle, avery johnson, george karl, JVG...) or players (reggie miller, charles barkley, magic johnson...) who have commented on his game during the playoffs have never once said he doesn't elevate his game. good discussion tychoonchip
Thanks, I just think its a travesty that people actually question his talent and skill. Comparing him to the likes of Corey Maggette?? That is unbelievable...I had no choice but to debate this after seeing that, lol. I can understand blasting the things he says, fine, but don't equate that with talent and skill. Like I said before, he's paid to play basketball, he aint paid to talk. Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Phil are paid to talk. Tmac aint, so he can say any stupid thing he wants, as long as he produces on the court. I don't agree with everything he says, but that doesn't mean I don't think he can play ball at a very high level. I also don't understand the claims that he's selfish and doesn't work hard either...he averages more assists than every wing player except Lebron and Dwade. You also don't magically become a top notch scorer, a perennial all star and a yearly MVP candidate without working hard...the NBA is too good for that. We've seen many gifted athletes come and go. Only the one's that work hard are successful. His leadership...isn't his strength, but he aint terrible at it. I say he's okay to average as a leader. Probably what seperates Kobe, Lebron, and Dwade from him. Not talent and skill. I can't believe I was posting for 5 pages or so, but hey, once I get rolling, I can debate all day long. Its easy to pick on a guy when he's down, and its easy to forget how hard he did work to carry us. Ultimately we didn't get where we wanted to with him, but you can't say it was his fault...the #'s don't lie. I am glad that a few of us out there do understand that Tmac is a very talented player. His health is a concern, I agree. But to simply say he was trash and did nothing for the Rockets is just disrespectful. Its like if a spoiled kid had parents that had to quit working because they weren't physically able to work, and told tell them: "Hey, you're not a good parent, because you can't work anymore and you got me this Toyota instead of the nice BMW you said you would get me! You're work wasn't good enough. None of that matters since you didn't get me what I wanted!" How would you feel if your kid just told you that? You do everything for them for years, almost to fault and spoil them, then all of a sudden you struggle after years of hard work, and they just forget about you and disrespect you? Wouldn't you feel a little betrayed? I know this is just a game, but that doesn't mean Tracy McGrady didn't work hard. The owner offered him that contract, and as long as we keep watching and buying Rockets merchandise, we will continue to pay for every player's contract. He can't help that he can't resist $23 million. Who here wouldn't take that? It isn't fair to those parents and it isn't fair to anybody who works hard and is not appreciated. Tracy McGrady and every player on the Rockets kill their bodies to perform at a high level. Give them some credit...remember the good stuff too. Sorry if I sound like I'm just ranting, but I really feel that Tmac takes on wayy too much blame for all the good that he's done here.
I completely agree with you and I have to say splendid job debating. I definitely wish I were going to tonights game because I would gladly wear my Tmac Jersey and hold up a get well soon sign. I will continue to cheer him on and hope to see him as a Houston Rocket next season.
I've never understood the irrational anger directed at t-mac for being hurt. Somehow people manifest the Rockets failures onto someone. First it was Steve Francis. Then it was JVG. And next up was T-mac. If T-mac goes, Yao will be next, I am sure. I have grown tired of defending t-mac, but it's good to see that there's still some rational folks left who know that T-mac is still too valuable of a commodity to write off. Players like him don't come often, and you don't trade him away for mid-tier stars unless you have strong facts to do so. The whole "McLazy" thing is just unfair.
Just about every game until this season when his body couldn't take it anymore. Heck although it has been a while that 13 in 33 is still fresh in my mind.
that was just jacking up shots. the team today took charges, crashed the boards, took it to the hole etc.
With comments like that all you have to do is laugh. As for him being selfish I laugh at that also. I've never seen a selfish player pass so much. One guy who was once a superior scorer changed his game tremendously once he arrived here. Not to many guys can do that. LeBron yes may average more assist than him but I don't think Wade does. Wade is more of a scorer than passer.
i'm surprised you say this b/c have you watched tracy in the playoffs? i'm guessing playing on 2 injuries, putting up near triple dubs weren't enough. gotta break an arm.
