Um... got any sources you'd like to share? A link or two, perhaps? Or were these mysterious sources actually your Uncle Fred as he was unbutton the top button of his pants while sitting on the sofa after Thanksgiving dinner?
Don't know about zero heart but he doesn't have much of it, you could probably say he has zero leadership skills and he doesn't make any of his teammates better. I always thought of Tracy as a player who thought about looking good first and winning second, he hasn't convinced me otherwise. What superstars don't show emotion? Tim Duncan might not show the emotion of Kobe, KG, or others but he still shows a lot more than Tracy does. Bill Russell showed a lot of emotion, especially when he lost. He does not have a great heart if he did his great talent would have already taken him far in this league, all he's done is use his great talent to win a couple of scoring titles. If he had a great heart he would be able to make great plays when his team needs them, the Rockets wouldn't be 6-10 if he had a great heart. Do you think Kobe Bryant would have the Rockets at 6-10? Do you think any other top 5 player in the NBA would have the Rockets at 6-10? The problem with getting the right players around him is that those players would have to be guys that don't need the ball in their hands and don't need plays ran for them to succeed. The only way to make Tracy unstoppable is to run iso after iso for him, have guys standing around waiting for bail out passes, and you would have to let him coast on defense. You would also need at least one player that can hit clutch shots and be a leader at the end of games like the Magic had with Darrell Armstrong, they lost him and the whole team fell apart.
The problem with the getting the right players around him argument is that is one of the main reasons that we made the trade. McGrady has what he wants, the Rockets have what they want, McGrady just needs to step up. Yao needs to be more consistent. Period. Better pieces will come over time, but how exactly is the team not built for Tracy. Good shooting guards tend to do well with good centers. Everything else is gravy.
I disagree, you are discounting his passing skills. He has great court presence and vision. I have seen him hit the open man time and time again. In the case of the Rockets right now, that doesn't mean much. You are right that we need clutch shooters.
Tmac is OK in my book. I don't think it's the fact that he has no heart, but that he's unable to project his will to win on his teammates. I never see him giving up, but his quiet demeanor on the court makes it hard for others to gain from his energy. There were flashes of emotion last night from both Tmac and Yao, and it looks like they're loosening up a bit and letting their personalities out more...and this is what we've been waiting for so I see it as a great sign.
I've always thought of Tracy as a Dominique Wilkins type player, great great player but just not a winner. First game in a Rockets jersey I saw him make a concious decision not to dive for a ball and the message I got was I'm TMAC I'm not supposed to be diving for those loose balls and I knew right then what we had in TMAC was a player looking not to lead but instead be lead. He will not get that leadership from Yao or as looks from JVG either. The rockets are a ship with no rudder.
Cassell would dive for loose ball. So would Kenny, Vernon, Horry etc Its a small characteristic, but one of a champion, which I do not see on this team now.
