Put an Orlando Tmac on this team and this is crazy. Its like if your asking Yao or Kobe? Since at that time Kobe=Tmac...
You took the words right out of my mouth. A healthy Tmac means way more to this team than a healthy Yao.
we did. when he put on a rockets uniform he was part of the team that blew leads against utah and dallas. was it all his fault? no. but he didn't help change the outcome. and no kobe <> tmac kobe > tmac any day every day all day
They both need each other to be successful in my opinion. No matter how good Tmac has played in the past, he can't do it by himself. He doesn't have the quickness of Wade, He doesn't have the strength of Lebron and Paul Pierce, and he doesn't have the jumper of 2005-2009 Kobe. He is as good a passer as Lebron, he is not that far behind on defense. Even in 2003, he was a fast player, but he wasn't quick (with the ball) for a guard, the same way Paul Pierce is not quick with the ball. Bur Pierce's strength helps him much more than Tmac's length can in a playoff series. Strength can get you through a double team, quickness can get you around a double team, and shooting jumpers good will always beat a double team. Considering Tmac has the same abilities as all of those guys, he's just not as good at them anymore, with the exception of passing. Even when he attacks, he's not as good a finisher as those guys, atleast not since 2005. When he can rise up and dunk, thats not a problem. He doesn't have a great touch off the glass like those guys do on layups. With Yao, as is the same with Shaq, they both need a perennial all star guard to help them get the ball and take pressure off of them. Shaq never had success without one. Once he got Penny, Kobe, Dwade, and Nash, he was winning titles and having great seasons. Yao had his best years with Tmac playing with him. Adelman has helped by using a 5 man attack on offense rather than Rudy T. and JVG's 1-2 punch offensive style. But still, with today's rules, Yao has no chance of being able to win a title on his own. Even without the zone, Kareem had years where his team didn't make the playoffs, Ewing and Robinson NEVER had that perennial all star, thus they could never lead a team to a title. The only center who was able to win without that dynamic guard was Hakeem Olajuwon in 94, but by the next season, teams began to figure out that if they took away Hakeem, they had a chance against the Rockets, and that forced them to get Clyde Drexler to win the 2nd title. That was in a era where zone defenses were not allowed. Today, when you can put 2 players on a guy before he gets the ball, its impossible to have your center lead without that dynamic guard. Back in 2005 and 2007 seasons, Tmac and Yao used to run that pick n' roll a lot, and it usually resulted in Yao finishing with a dunk, Tmac finishing with a dunk, or either one of them with a WIDE OPEN jumper. We could ALWAYS rely on that to get a good shot. If those shots weren't going in, then Tmac didn't have a problem throwing Yao a post entry pass, cuz teams can't pressure him too much and he could see over most defenders he faced. Then if that didn't work, Tmac would either iso at the elbow, or we would run him off a couple of screens. Thats about 30-40 shot attempts right there. Then, on top off that Tmac usually got you 5-7 assists per game. We didn't have to worry about other guys creating or scoring a lot. The other players would get their open shots. Now, whenever Yao is fronted, players get open looks, but since the ball doesn't go inside much, the double teams don't converge on Yao as much, therefore the defense has an easier time getting back to their man to take away some open looks. In my opinion, we need BOTH Yao AND Tmac healthy or a player like Tmac who is a dynamic wing player who can make plays for himself and others. If we could get Yao 20-25 shots per game, this would not be an issue, but he's having a hard time getting 10, so even if he shoots 60% from the field, thats only 17-20 points with free throws. Where as Tmac can put up 20-30 shots if he needed to, and he could get you anywhere from 25-50 points on any given night with the 3 pointers and free throws included and dish out anywhere from 5-15 assists on any given night as well.
I think the problem is not with the names, Yao or T-mac, we have both of them...the problem is with "healthy"
For ONCE. Can we have EVERYONE!!! Kyle Lowry Shane Battier Tracy Mcgrady Luis Scola Yao Ming ------------------------ Aaron Brooks Ron Artest Carl Landry Von Wafer ------------------------- Switching Tracy/Ron and Brooks/Lowry when need be... God we would KILL the Lakers. You could put this line-up out to spread the floor... Aaron Brooks Shane Battier Tracy Mcgrady Ron Artest Yao Ming HOPEFULLY next year is our ring year! Stay healthy YAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10 years of slanted polls/personal case studies. Persistency I'm sure has paid off. I'd have to go with the big man just for historical purposes. What about between Brandon Roy and Yao? Mentioned cuz Brandon Roy's been for his Blazers team how McGrady's been for his playoff teams, trying to think of a comparitive "healthy" McGrady type.
Hey Tinman, Not going to argue about who you think is better, to me that is a personal answer from each individual... But what I started to look at the NBA Championships over the years and although there was a need for a good strong post player, there was a greater need for a wing man. There were basically only two Championships where a strong post won it without a great wing man and that was Duncan. But Duncan also had a STRONG All Around team behind him. There were at least 9 Championships where there was an average low post and a great wing man. Now I didn't go a lot into the losing teams, but if you look at it neither Wilt or Moses were able to win it all without a great wing man. Basically it goes back to that old concept either shut down the superstar or shut down the role players. A great low post guy needs that wing man or he's like Superman fighting against someone with kryptonite. So my answer is they need each other. Year Team Big Man Wing Man 1 2007-08 Celtics KG Pierce 2 2006-07 Spurs Duncan Parker 3 2005-06 Heat Shaq Wade 4 2004-05 Spurs Duncan Ginobili 5 2003-04 Pistons Campbell Billiups 6 2002-03 Spurs Duncan Parker 7 2001-02 Lakers Shaq Kobe 8 2000-01 Lakers Shaq Kobe 9 1999-00 Lakers Shaq Kobe 10 1998-99 Spurs Duncan Elliott 11 1997-98 Bulls Longley Jordan 12 1996-97 Bulls Longley Jordan 13 1995-96 Bulls Longley Jordan 14 1994-95 Rockets Hakeem Clyde 15 1993-94 Rockets Hakeem Mad Max 16 1992-93 Bulls Cartwright Jordan 17 1991-92 Bulls Cartwright Jordan 18 1990-91 Bulls Cartwright Jordan 19 1989-90 Pistons Laimbeer Thomas/Dumars 20 1988-89 Pistons Laimbeer Thomas/Dumars 21 1987-88 Lakers Kareem/Worthy Magic 22 1986-87 Lakers Kareem/Worthy Magic 23 1985-86 Celtics Parrish Bird 24 1984-85 Lakers Kareem/Worthy Magic 25 1978-79 Seattle Sikma Williams/Johnson 26 1974-75 Warriors C. Ray Barry 27 1966-67 Sixers Wilt Greer
Tmac did not have the supporting cast Yao has today. The difference between the two is that Tmac was in his prime at that time with a crappy supporting cast and Yao is in his prime today with an amazing supporting cast. We might get past the first round (not sure) with Yao, but I don't see this team going any farther soon.. Perimiter players such as Lebron, Kobe, Wade, heck even Brandon Roy, guys who can close out games and score a big amount and play defense can win championships. Yao is still questionnable. I'm not even sure I want to keep him if they can't solve the fronting problem... I don't want to make the same mistake and give Yao max money while he can't put more than 10 ppg when he is fronted..
Furthermore, I think Tmac and Yao are simply not compatible. I would keep Yao because he is still in some sort of prime and would go after another elite perimiter player who can take over the 4th quarter. Because Yao can't do it.
LOL A stuggling tmac pic will not change anyones opinion tinman. Sorry :/ Its no contest, a healthy tmac can't be stopped, 01-05 version. There's no fronting on a SG. And as much as yao is a dominant force, he's not that hard to be controlled. Plus tmacs passing skills excel. Id rather have a "both" choice though, its apparent that the mcgrady-yao combo is better than the artest-yao combo.
Yao for sure. McGrady's numbers are inflated and misleading. Even the most casual observation of games reveals this.
Great post knote. Hopefully next year it finally happens, tmac is on a contract year he wants a ring so does yao. Maybe if we win a championship next year that'll change tracys image on clutchfans, including tinman and anti sonic.
We should do a poll. Who's more biased - tinman and AntiSonic or all the people with handles based on McGrady's nickname?
