[Yahoo] Rockets don't want McGrady back, continue to try to trade him

DD, you just said that McGrady may make the team better this year. Now you're saying that without him its a "better product".

The "best product" is the one that has the best chance of winning.

 

You are basing this on what, pre-game warmups?? I think the Rockets know better than you or I whether or not T-Mac is ready to contribute. It typically takes a player at least a year to even get close to returning to form after micro-fracture surgery. I think they are handling this situation the right way given their investment in T-Mac. He should STFU, but that is something he has never been good at.

 

Do people really think this is the first of the trade talks just because this is when we find out? I seriously doubt it.

I'm more than positive Morey had been scowering the NBA teams for guys that would be willing to give up younger guys, like Kevin Martin, to take a bloated Andres Noicioni or Kenny Thomas off their hands.

There has to be a reason that they won't play him, its not gonna be just cause of a grudge from last year. They obviously see something that says he will not accumulate well into this roster and team play.

We are going to either get the best possible player with a few long term or 1 long term contract or nothing at all.

Point is Tracy will not be in a Rockets uni unless its to feel like he's going back out on the court the way he did before the Minny game.

He's done in Houston and he's done as a Rocket, for good reason.

 

Yes, they are....right now the best product does not include a gimpy, non explosive Tmac.

DD

 

I'm still surprised you think Morey, Adelman and Les would all freeze McGrady out of playing because they are mad at him for last season. What have any of those guys EVER done to make you think they operate that way?

The simplest and most logical explanation says there is more to it than a grudge.

 

It all comes down to who you trust.

A. McGrady saying he is 100% and ready to go.

B. Adelman and Morey saying he is not ready.

Everything else, including this article about the Rox being tired of Tracy, is speculation.

 

And we know that scenario A is not trustworthy in anything he says, while scenario B is....

So.....

DD

 

To those accusing the Rockets of burying McGrady because "they don't like him" - I disagree.

Look at Adelman's previous experience with a star returning from microfracture surgery in Sacramento. The Kings were on a surprising tear, Peja was an MVP candidate (career high 26 ppg through February). Then Webber returned, insisting on his starting role and 20 shots from his first game back, declining to adapt to the team as it was. So what happened? Peja had the ball taken out of hands (avg dropped to 21 ppg), Webber was a black hole and defensive liability that gummed up the offense, and the Kings limped to a 7-11 finish. Vlade was so disgusted he refused to even entertain a new contract (left to LA), and Peja soured so badly on the team that he was never the same and started pushing for a trade out of town.

Adelman lived that first hand. Adelman has to know he blew it with an incredibly hot Kings team that nosedived when Webber was tossed in without any kind of transition. It was one of the biggest coaching blunders in his career, sitting with his infamous playoff choke jobs.

Now look at what happened last year. The Rockets gave McGrady the benefit of the doubt. McGrady said he was ready, they let him go. McGrady said he wasn't right, they let him sit. McGrady declared himself 100%, they start him again. McGrady complains that he can't gt into a rhythm unless he gets more touches, they let him shoot 5-17, 8-20. He shuts himself down again for a couple weeks, comes back again to start and play 35 minutes taking first-option shot volumes. At no point does he play like you need a primary option to.

How anyone can take McGrady at his word after last year is completely beyond me. Especially given how troublesome microfracture procedures have been to recover from in the NBA.

Posters here want McGrady thrown back into the mix because McGrady says he's ready to go? Despite constant reports that he's on his way but not 100% at practice? At what point do we get a clue?

"Tracy on one leg is better than Ariza" - did you not watch a single game last year? Tracy with a limp is a disaster. Trevor may not sniff McGrady's career averages, but he is killing the McGrady we saw last year in every single aspect of the game.

This year's squad hustles, runs, moves the ball, and gives the better effort every night on the floor. Tracy at his peak with the Rockets hampered the tempo and ball movement.

No matter what happens, Tracy's leaving the team at first opportunity. He has zero intentions of resigning, I doubt he had any intention of staying a Rocket past this contract 12 months ago (did nobody notice that he never breathed a word about an extension? Ever?). His self-centeredness and entitlement has killed his relationship with the front office, staff, and roster.

He's not coming back to help the team. He's not coming back because he loves playing with his teammates. He's not coming back because he loves the game. He's dead set on coming back because he wants to earn a new contract with someone else. He does not give 2 ****s if his return disrupts the chemistry and costs the Rockets wins. He wants his shots. He wants 20 ppg, even if that requires 25 shots per game. Even if it means he coasts on defense to save his energy.

You might not like it, but that is the person we are talking about today.

If I'm Adelman and Morey, I hold firm on this line. I wait to SEE him outplay Jermaine Taylor on both ends in practice, and then I give him Taylor's 5 mpg off the bench. I wait until he's killing Chase in practice, then I give him 20 mpg off the bench earlier in the rotation. I wait until I see him killing second string guys in games, shooting above 40%, and playing at least mediocore defense before he gets his starting job back.

The dumbest thing they could do is toss him back into games with his old minutes and role. The dumbest.

EARN IT.

 

See this is what the torch bearers always leave out. Whe he was playing without Yao on a team when 3 rookies were in the rotations and rafer was the 2nd best offensive threat and a busted knee and shoulder, there wasnt a peep from anyone. Fast forward a yr later and he didn't rehab and is a terrible teammate who quit on the team. Like i've said before, if tracy wanted to quit, he couldve quit2 yrs prior when Yao went down and howard,rafer,and shane were in the starting the lineup in the middle of a playoff push. If he was going to be a bad teammate, he had alot more reason to be one when Yao went down.

All i know is from playing a certain high level of sports, when you get hurt it sucks bigtime. It sucks because you don't feel like part of the team. All you do i workout and cant play. Its kinda like out of sight,out of mind.

That part about kobe is typical and people won't say a word. When he threw kupchak under the bus and was talk of being traded, he was a cry baby. When they didn't trade bynum for kidd, he was pissed and he's never been known as a good teammate. A few yrs later after winning a title, he's a great teammate. People on this board tend to think you have to be buddy buddy to win games and you don't. Ray Allen cant stand garnetts guts. he thinks all the profanity is uncalled for. Pierce was saying the summer before that he will go down as a great player on sorry teams. Then they make the big trades and win a title and no one hears a peep. Winning cures all in sports and if you don't believe me, go ak the 70's oakland a's.

 

Amen --

 

Rep earned emjohn, that is exactly how I feel.

Well spoken.

DD

 

Dude, if you've really been bored by the Rockets play this year then you should just turn in your Rocket Fan Card right now. Eventhough this team isn't as good as last year or when Van Gundy was coach, they are definitely more exciting to watch.

 

The part I quoted is excellent. People tend to overlook Adelman's background. A coach of vast experience, he has, as you point out so well, gone through this before. I think he doesn't want to take any chances. If there is a way to get a valuable piece or two without busting up this terrific group of its essentials, a team that has entirely bought into his system, I think that's what they'll do.

 

I've always been a Tracy fan since he was traded here. And if the reports are accurate and the team is set on trading him, then I disagree with not playing him.

He will play b/c he wants a new contract. Worst case, he plays bad (purposely or not), or gets hurt. You take him out, and you are just in the same position if you didn't play him. His contract is the only value he has at that point. If you can show that he is still good to some other team that wants him, why would you not show that? Even if he isn't 100%, show that he's nearing it, so a team can trade for him and look to next year.

There's two views of what happened last year, and I keep reading 2 sides of the story, so I don't know what to make of it all. Some say play time was dictated by Tmac, others say, he said he was hurt and team told him to play. Honestly, I lean towards him saying he was hurt, since well...history says he has no problem saying he can't play. Regardless of what REALLY happened, I'm a little miffed at both sides.

Now, if they are trading him, I want the most for him possible for the team. You can only better his value by showcasing him. If he sucks, bench him. If he pulls some diva crap, bench him. The Rockets have nothing to lose here...a game or two maybe. They are hardly an elite team. Scrappy yes, elite, no.

 

DD, why couldn't you just quietly rep the guy? It sounds a bit magnanimous, don't you think? He'd notice where it came from without the announcement. (sorry for the derail... carry on! It's a pet peave of mine)

 

How do you know he's gimpy and non explosive? Have you personally watched him practice? You should really wait until you watch him play with your own eyes before making these types of assumptions.

 

Yes I have to agree!!

Im extremely disappointed in Daryl Morey and the entire Houston Rockets Org. in the way that they have handled this situation....

In my point of view McGrady could have easily balanced out the roster, moving Shane Battier to the bench and moving Ariza back to his natural Position at the three.....
09/10
Aaron/ Kyle
Tracy/ Budinger
Ariza/ Battier
Scola/ Landry
Hayes/ Andersen

 

very nice.

 

This team will fail in the playoffs. Too many men here want the Houston Rockets to be like a NCAA team. To those men, I say go watch NCAA basketball then

 

I'm still dumbfounded by how many people (whether it be rookies like mustang98 or vets like durvasa) that think putting McGrady on the court with this team is going to make it any better.

You can't just slide his stats in from before his injury and say "well we sure could use that 15 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds he gave us back then". That team had a whole different makeup and style than the team that is playing right now.

This team might not even make the playoffs and, ON PAPER, doesn't look good without a known-star's name attached to it but they make that up by playing hard night in and night out.

"I'm tired of these cliches about hardworkers and being scrappy. I want a team that can win!"

Right, but have anyone of y'all considered the reason why these current Rockets are playing this high of a level? Consider why they are playing better than most people gave them credit for? IT'S BECAUSE THERE AREN'T ANY STARS THAT NEEDS TO BE FED. McGrady's not there, Yao's not there, so what do they do? They spread the ball and go with the hot hand. YOU HONESTLY THINK THAT WOULD HAPPEN IF MCGRADY GETS ON THE FLOOR? If history were to be a measuring tape, then you would know that McGrady isn't about to change colors and become a team player overnight.

I think this whole mess of a situation has really put Tracy's stock value at its all-time low and putting him out there could bring it back up. But at what costs? Is it worth it to Adelman, Brooks, Landry, Ariza, Budinger and everyone else linked to this team that McGrady comes in, gets his 15/5/5 and the Rockets lose?

"How do you know they'll lose?! You're just assuming *****"

It's an assumption but it's a valid assumption. If anyone thinks that the young guys aren't going to defer to Big Contract McGrady when he gets on the floor, they're delusional.

I don't know how many of you guys watched the game last night but I hope you can get a clip of just the last quarter when the Rockets blew a lead and had to come back from ten down. They played SMART basketball to get back.

They penetrated
They kept their perimeter shooting down in the last 6 minutes to get closer/better shots
They went to the foul line (ergo stopping the clock)
They defended

These are the things that the Rockets do as a collective group. You think putting McGrady in there would have resulted in a victory? If his shot selection from the last couple of years have indicated, he would have went 1 for 5 at the three point line (made the first and heat checked himself the next 4) and would have had like 2-3 turnovers because he would try to draw the foul instead of trying to make the bucket. I'll give him 3 free throws because one of those idiot Warrior players (probably Maggette) would have fell for that pumpfake he does at the 3. This also wouldn't have accounted for the blown defensive assignments either.

Sorry guys but THAT's how it would have been with McGrady.