Word is T-Mac will play tonight (UPDATE: confirmed and T-Mac responds to critics)

Any word on how Tracy is feeling today, after yesterday's game? If he aint hurtin too bad, that's a GREAT sign...

 

was feigen's blog and found this..

someone always finds a way to hate, even after the guy gets a near triple double. It amazes me how some "Rockets fans" are when it comes to extent of criticizing one of their team's players. I understand stating your opinion but even after a reporter who specifically reports on the home team proves you wrong...give up.

 

OMG, is this true? I feel sorry for the guy.
Damn, does this mean that we will never see those fastbreak dunks from him? Now I am depressed.

 

Yeah, that part shocked me as well because Tmac said he would be fine, as did the Rockets staff.....I believe Feigen though.

DD

 

I can't stand watching Tracy like this. How inconsistent is he going to get? Why would he play tonight if he knows he's not "better".

 

Blinebury called out Adelman yesterday of letting T-Mac stay in the game to get the triple double. He may be justified seeing how T-Mac was off.

But I wonder if T-Mac should've even played at all. He came back after weeks and now you want him to play both games in a back to back situation? We didn't make Battier play back to backs at first, so why Tracy?

 

It was not at all his fault tonight the entire team was lazy...

DD

 

hopefully Tracy fans will now be a bit more inclined towards an alternate approach to his remaining talent that best suits this team.. along with Tracy himself..

 

he still penetrated fine (8 ft attempts, should have been 12). so its not that he was as bad as before.

his conditioning is just not there. adelman admitted that after his first practice on thursday. he got zero lift on his jumper in the 2nd half.

i don't think his health was the problem tonight, just conditioning.

 

Exactly. Its probably going to take a couple of weeks for him to get in game shape. As this was his first back to back. He was pretty good in the first half and was driving the whole night. Some terrible calls would have gotten him more FT's, but by January, we will be great

 

omg why do you people keep trying to harp this?

he has played to suit the team. even with him in the lineup we scored 119 vs. golden state. without him it was 132. it's not like the offense slowed to a crawl.

all he needs to do is get back into game shape. he looks a little chubby, and he's definitely slow out there. but that will come with time. the main thing is, if he's confident in his knee, he'll be ready to play. He's been attacking the basket at a nice clip, he just doesn't have the athleticism to finish a lot of them right now.

 

Man, he tried hard. He had his 19, I know he sucked but he was 7/8 from the line. He was moving very well, being agressive. He has missed some shots which will go in. But remember one thing, he came back for back to back late games. It is probably the worst time if you are a player to come back. He was doing fine in the 1st helf, 2nd was much worse. But as I said, it was back to back.

Than look, it wasn't like he sucked and the team played great. EVERYBODY sucked. There was nobody who could make anything happen, either on offense or defense.

And when your teammates (role players) can't make any shots it even forces opponents to just leave them open and take care of stars.

 

Well the good thing is T-mac was aggressive in both games on this back to back. He struggled to get by his man but he tried. Tonight his jumper was pretty flat but he's just gotta knock the rust off, this will happen from time to time. We played bad as a team tonight, nobody but Yao had it going tonight.

 

his isolation "tests" during that game, since he hadn't done them his last 3 games before he took himself out, showed an inclination towards reverting to the style of play he prefers, instead of adjusting to what are now his limitations, in the positive way he had been doing before he put himself on the injured list.. And it just gives the impression, that Tracy just doesn't feel confident, unless he's playing the way he's used to playing..

it's not as if he's been gone for a month.. and as I said. I'm not so sure that he's more so focused on how well he's able to play on his knee, as how well he's able to play like old Tracy on his knee.. And that concerns me, because he doesn't just appear slower than ever.. He looks out of sorts, his movements that used to be described as smooth and fluid, now look stiff and awkward.. It hasn't just been lack of speed keeping him from finishing his drives.. The few times per-attempt that he does make it to the basket..

He looked much better, driving it in no further than 18ft out..

and if we believe Feigan's report of what he's heard from his doctors.. which, I don't see why not, since nothing he's demonstrated on the court has shown any hopeful glimpses to the contrary.. he most likely won't ever have it again..

 

you want to handcuff tracy? yes, that will really make him play better. remember when JVG handcuffed tracy when he first got here? that's part of his game. he's a scorer. we should reduce the isos when he's struggling. but when he's playing well, let him have them. he's our most explosive player.

 

T-Mac is never going to stop doing those isolation tests. That's one of his strong suits. He's near impossible to guard 1 on 1. And since he has great vision and is a great playmaker, you want HIM to be attacking the basket (10 FTs last night 8 FT tonight) because he will make the right play out if he doesn't score. T-Mac is not going to be relegated to a standstill 3 pt. shooter, that's a waste of his talents.

Although he has not been gone a month, he wasn't conditioned coming into this season and he didn't run very hard limping on that knee. He LOOKS a little chubby (i don't know if he is) and he is definitely slow out there. As for playing like old Tracy:

His report, to my knowledge, said that doctors told him T-Mac would never fully regain that explosivness. He would always have a little pain in the knee. It doesn't mean he won't have any explosivness, or that his knee will always pain him so bad that he can't even move without limping. I don't think that little pain will limit T-Mac to play as slow as he is. Only time will truly tell, once he conditions himself. Hasn't Adelman himself said that T-Mac isn't conditioned yet?

I think we have to give it a little time. T-Mac is trying to find his rhythm.

 

you don't understand.. I don't want to limit him, for the sake of handcuffing him.. I didn't find it appropriate back then with JVG, because Tracy was still 25+ ppg over 40% from the field scorer back then who could beat anyone on the dribble.. That's not so, now.. and I don't know what Tracy you've been watching this season, but "explosive" he has not been..

 

um, maybe just maybe he's not in shape and not really there with his knee yet?

should i judge artest b/c of his bad ankle and say he should never shoot again b/c he shoots 35%? should i tell artest to play within himself and not be himself?

in the last 2 games, on a b2b mind you, just getting back, he went to the line 18 times. he may not be as explosive as before, but when he gets healthier, he's still explosive enough to do what he does.

he's not gonna get as much isos as before anyways b/c we have too much talent now. but if tracy is on or doing well, you have to run plays for him (adelman said the same thing last night after the warriors game).

if he's struggling like tonight, pull it back and either tell him to drive, force him into a playmaker, or run other things.

but 18 times to the line (should be more) is a good sign that he's on a good path.

 

Tracy will be fine. He has been so agressive, moving very well. He just needs to catch his shape and improve conditioning and he will be fine. At least the knee is not bothering him.

 

That hasn't been his strong suit this season.. nor has he been anywhere near impossible to guard 1 on 1.. and that's what I'm focused on.. the present.

I do want him attacking the basket.. just no further than 18ft out on top.. at the High post, low post, or at the sides.. Plays can be run, and he can be most effective in his current limited ability.. same cannot be said.. when he runs "iso tests".. especially since his current awkward body movement, lack of sustained acceleration, and suprisingly depleted handles on the ball.. indicate old Tracy.. just isn't going to happen.. You want to be hopeful about his ability and not accept he's actually on a physical decline instigated by his knee.. that's fine. But right now, it's not happening.. I just want him to stick to what he was doing before he put himself on the injured list..

conditioning has nothing to do with his now stiffer body movements, slower foot speed, and sloppy drives that defenses have impeded a lot quicker then they ever had.. more often than not..

Tracy had great rhythm in his shot before he decided on the "break" for his knee.. And has had great rhythm amongst the offense.. What you really mean is.. Tracy is trying to find his swagger.. Which apparently, he can't unless he can be the unstoppable isolation Tracy he's so accustomed to being on the court..