If it was only mac, it would be because tracy is a quitter and a weakass loser. but with yao included, now, it's a smart move?. you're mcgrady hate hipocracy is astounding.
Ben, I think resting Tmac for the playoffs is a smart move. I also think Tmac was not really all that injured in the last game and got benched. Which finally put the team out of the homecourt race, so the team did the smart thing and rested both of them. I don't HATE anyone....I like Tmac, I want the Rockets to win....but I call it like I see it. Tmac does not play hard all the time, he even admitted it, and he admitted to faking injuries while he played in Orlando..... Tmac's character is a big question mark...is he a leader, can he get the team to the next level......10 years into his career and those are still unanswered questions. No hate at all, just my opinion....... DD
WTF??!! You mean it's not because of his 'bruised ego'? Why did you change your 'tone' all of a sudden? You're no fun at all, DD. Consistency is clearly not one of your strengths.
I have not changed anything you people make massive assumptions. I said rest Yao and Tmac for the playoffs in my expand the roster thread. And I believe that Tmac and Yao are both not really injured, but are dealing with normal aches and pains of the regular season. AND......I think it is smart to let them heal since we are locked into the 5th seed.....as AGAIN....I said in the earlier thread. That does not change ANYTHING.....I think the Rockets are being smart to rest them....but I think the Rockets are LYING about it, as they would get in trouble with the NBA HQ if the truth came out. Rudy did it too.....and I liked it then as well......gear up for the playoffs these games are meaningless. That doesn't change anything about the game on Wed...where I believe TMac was benched and the team made up the back bit...to protect his image/ego - which is SMART on their part. DD
EXACTLY. tmac haters were waiting to say he got benched, he's "weak-willed" now they gonna say they're resting yao and making up the back excuse to cover for tmac also
Those of you old enough to remember the championship run, Rudy rested his guys late in that season as well....... Hakeem and Max had Anemia.....an iron deficiency.....they got rest and were ready come playoff time. And please stop saying haters, it is ignorant to call someone a hater because they criticize a coach or player...... DD
With mac it's it's the cried wolf syndrom. it's based on past reputation.sure he might have slacked off in orlando, but i havent seen him slack off in houston. he's genuinely injured and the rockets are trying to rest him for the playoffs. there is no snister motives going on here.
will kobe lead his team out of the first round now as the main man? NO did wade lead his team to an above .500 record w/o shaq? NO tmac's character is a question mark b/c his team SUCKS. outside of htis yr, his team SUCKS. taking them to the playoffs is an OVER-ACHIEVEMENT if u look at those talent on his orlando teams and the team 2 yrs ago. taking the mavs to 7 games is an OVER-ACHIEVEMENT. yes, he quit in his last yr in orlando. thats ONE YEAR. that was his BAD YEAR. and to be fair, management quit on him first. for 3 straight yrs, he took them to the playoffs and went all out and what di they bring in? juwan howard? pat burke? declerq?? and let's be fair, even with THIS YEAR'S TEAM, u take out tmac and we SUCK. the team SUCKS even with yao on the court and tmac is out. so i don't know how u can question his will when all he has done is win for houston despite very little help and the only offensive help is yao.
Ask yourself an honest question, do you think if this were the playoffs he would be playing? What about Yao? If the answer is yes...then they are not really injured. And you are correct Tmac did slack off in Orlando, and when JVG talks about Tmac and him not being aggressive on the court, or not playing good defense...guess what that is.....yep...slacking off. DD
That analogy is skewed. offcourse there injured. but dont people play in the playoffs injured. i've seen players player with stress fractures in there hands or legs in the Playoffs. but why play injured in meaningless regulr season games injured.
oh my goodness? that's still an injury. just b/c u can play in the playoffs don't mean you're not injured. it's not a MAJOR injury that's all. but if u keep playing, it can become a major injury. if u play on a stiff back, it can lead to worser problems. they're resting it now to be sure since we have nothing to play for. u HAVE to play in the playoffs if u can still WALK. thes games are not necessary anymore so the team chooses to rest them. but tmac IS injured. is it minor? yes. can he play? yes. but will he be effective? no. so why not rest his back until it's good enough for him to be effective and in the playoffs, u go all out. aas long as u can walk, u play. if u remember the hornets series in orlando, tmac rested through the reg. season w/ a sore back like right now, but it was still sore when the playoffs began and he played through it. u play through injuries in the playoffs. NOT REG. SEASON. watch shaq.
sorry that i cannot follow your logic if there is any. do you have any "PROOF" that tmac was benched and was not really injured last game? besides your impression about this guy i didn't see any evidence. when you draw conclusion about someone is not playing hard, faking injuries based on nothing, you don't like him, you are a HATER.
These are all very fair points, but the difference is that great players can elevate crappy rosters to do bigger things. Tmac has always been able to score and be a great individual player, but just these last couple of years he has begun to elevate his teamates. I would argue that when Yao went out Tmac played the best basketball he has ever played......but since Yao came back, Tmac has gone back into his funk and has not been aggressive. Tmac can lead, he just has to WANT to.....that has always been his issue...this team has enough with a healthy Yao and TMac it has been built around those two, if you pull one out, the team will struggle......if you pull Tmac out...it will struggle a lot more than if you lose Yao....as you correctly pointed out. Tmac is what makes this team's offense go....that was obvious especially tonight.......when Rafer showed how useless he really is as a creator.... Tmac is CRUCIAL....for this team's success...no doubt about it......but please don't try to tell me he plays hard every night.....because he clearly does not. There are a few players that have Tmac's talent along with a massive will to win....THOSE are the elite of the elite....Tmac has not shown he belongs with that crowd....yet.....he has to earn his way there.... DD
can we say yao is getting benched for his poor play in the last game? or is he faking an injury too? my goodness.
I've noticed that DD starts to use ......... a lot in between his phrases when he's getting owned in arguments
Wow - just wow..... you guys have no idea how to seperate tonight's game from Golden State. Do I have any evidence that Tmac was faking it or was benched.....no of course not, but the fact that the HEAD TRAINER said he was fine and he took his warmups off to go back in the game, but JVG never gave him the nod.....tells a bit doesn't it. Does it PROVE anything? No !!! But the team would never....NEVER come out and tell the press what went on, but to me and several other people it was clear As for tonight.......just rest both of them.....for the playoffs.......smart move.....it has nothing to do with benching anyone......tonight is different than GS.... DD
