I'll take a healthy AND highly motivated (as in, if we lose this game, I also lose all that matters to me) T-Mac over Yao any day. Of course, that's wishful thinking... we all know that. So as it stands, I'd rather have a healthy Yao Ming (who truly hates to lose) than a healthy T-Mac (who's got what it takes... to throw games).
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.
What??? When did Luke Longley and Bill Cartwright become good post players? Longley was basically Brad Miller and Cartwright was there to foul, rebound and throw elbows.
This is the type of poll that would change dramatically based on the polling conditions. In 2004-2008 it'd probably vary between the two depending on who was recently injured and who people missed more. We tend to either overrate or underrate the guys who aren't currently playing, exaggerating their influence on the team.
What's the definition of a healthy tmac? He is always injured and constantly has a body that is dragging down his game that we dunno what is truly healthy for him anymore. If we're talking about a 22/23 year old tmac, then hell he is a much better player than Yao ever could be.
I would take a healthy TMac anyday because you cannot shut down a player of his skill-level because he can create his own shot. I have came to the conclusion that if the Rockets win the series, it will most likely be Scola, Artest, Brooks, or some other role player that will put up big numbers that the Blazers were not focused on defensively. Yao has been taken out of this series by inferior centers fronting him and for all the bashing TMac has experienced in this city over his playoff failures, he has put up big numbers in the playoffs, most of the time with no other consistent scoring help.
I almost voted until I saw you can't even have a poll without just asking it straight up. Yao dunking on KG, and not even having a Tracy picture where he's dunking on say Bradley or something. Or have the pic of Yao falling down when he got crossed. Your bias is...oh, it's pointless. That BS aside, I say McGrady b/c he can get touches without having to depend on his teammates so much. Yao is sooo dependent on his teammates getting him the ball to be effective. I think both are great playmakers. The obvious answer is I choose both healthy players. But since in your world there is only black and white, and because of the simple fact of in order to be effective you have to have the ball (on offense), Yao, unfortunately comes out on the short end.
Bad communication on my part, sorry about that... I highlighted the sections with teams that either had a good post player and an average wing player or an average post player and a good wing player. The section that you are speaking of had a GREAT wing player and an average post player in Longley and Cartwright. The only highlighted section with a good post player and a decent wing player was with Duncan. But that is also deceiving, since Duncan had a roster full of talent. The only other teams to win it all with good wing players and avg post players were Golden State and Seattle. Sorry.. forgot about Detroit
That's why I have a poll so you can voice your opinion. If i was truly biased, I could have just posted a thread called healthy yao > healthy tracy I love how people react to my choice of pictures!
Well Sheed is a good post player when he wants to be one. Also another person you should mention is Dennis Rodman. People seem to forget his basketball skills and concentrate on his antics and personal life (they do this to Maxwell too). But he was a major part of success for every team he played for. Even the Spurs when Robinson won the MVP, Rodman was his PF and they had the best record in the league. Thank god the 95 Rocket team was stacked with heroes. With the Bulls, I could argue he was more important than Pippen, he had to outrebound Shaq and play defense on Shawn Kemp. But he doesn't play offense in the post, but he certainly affects the post position cause he gets so many rebounds.
A healthy T-Mac is easily a better, more valuable player... but... it's hard to say after what happened this year.
A healthy T-mac in this stage of his career including his mentality/work ethic is not as promising as a healthy Yao who's rising toward his prime and is becoming mentally stronger as a leader and basketball player.
Yeah basically I was looking at your pole and I went and looked at all the Championships to 1952. The Amazing fact is most teams had an inside-out player(s) or all around TEAM players that meshed well together. The only team that had a GREAT Post player and no help at all and played in the Finals were Wilt and Moses. Right now, Yao could use a healthy T-Mac the same as T-Mac could have used a healthy Yao last year. The amazing thing about the Lakers is that Worthy was the most dominate insider player on that team, although Kareem got most of the credit. Rodman, did what he had to do to get paid... There are a lot of stars (nba, nfl, mlb) that are not the same off the camera as they are on the camera.
If durvasa had started this thread, it would be a better thread because he's objective. On the other hand, we know how tinman feels about tracy.
Can I take T-Mac's body and skills and put Yao's heart in it? As much as I love Yao and hate T-Mac right now, a healthy T-Mac is the better player. It's too easy to take Yao out of the game sometimes.
