# What do you make of T-Mac's comments?



## Theonee (Dec 5, 2006)

In an TV interview during the Jazz-Rockets game, T-Mac said that no one in his team can create shots, he said that when Battier makes his shots, it is because of him, Yao succeeds because of him, Alston makes his shots because of him, Hayes makes his shots because of him.
He went as far as saying that without him, the Rockets are a bad team.


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## Javelin (Apr 17, 2007)

Javelin said:


> He was partially* right, despite the cocky attitude that he may have been giving from his words, tonight's game really did demonstrate that the Rockets need him to be hot in order to win in the big times. Yao did his part (28 pts, 13 rebs) but the first half proved that they clearly needed both their stars to operate at their best to win.


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## Knick Killer (Jul 16, 2006)

He's never going to make it past the first round with an attitude like that.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Theonee said:


> In an TV interview during the Jazz-Rockets game, T-Mac said that no one in his team can create shots, he said that when Battier makes his shots, it is because of him, Yao succeeds because of him, Alston makes his shots because of him, Hayes makes his shots because of him.
> He went as far as saying that without him, the Rockets are a bad team.


Because its true. All of our other wing players are dependant on him. Battier does not create, neither does Luther. If you notice, it is almost always Tmac that passes the ball out to them. He creates the shots for them 

Also, I would say Hayes gates about 90% of his shots from the inlet pass from Tmac. Tmac is Houstons Steve Nash so to speak.


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## DontBeCows (Apr 22, 2003)

Guess what? He's right. What was Houston's record with TMac for the last couple of years again? I'm pretty sure it's well below 500. Today's game against Utah is a good example of McGrady's importance to the Rockets. When he sucked in the first half, the whole team sucked. When he started to take over in the second half, the team went on a run and sealed the victory. TMac is just saying it like it is. What he needs to do now is to back up his words with his play and take the team deep into the playoffs, which he's capable of doing.


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## Kuskid (Aug 18, 2004)

Knick_Killer31 said:


> He's never going to make it past the first round with an attitude like that.


Is this not counting when he does it in the next like week or two?


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## DaBigTicketKG21 (Apr 27, 2003)

DontBeCows said:


> Guess what? He's right. What was Houston's record with TMac for the last couple of years again? I'm pretty sure it's well below 500. Today's game against Utah is a good example of McGrady's importance to the Rockets. When he sucked in the first half, the whole team sucked. When he started to take over in the second half, the team went on a run and sealed the victory. TMac is just saying it like it is. What he needs to do now is to back up his words with his play and take the team deep into the playoffs, which he's capable of doing.


McGrady is the leader of this team, but Yao does not need McGrady to succeed individually either. He can dominate with or without McGrady, he actually averaged a higher scoring average with McGrady out (Yao became the clear #1 option, but drew more defensive attention). McGrady can win ball games without Yao, but to win against the best in the NBA, both superstars need to be on the court. 

McGrady's record without Yao is not bad, but against the Top teams in teh league (DET, SAS, PHX, DAL), they were 1-5. With Yao, the Rockets are 4-3 against those teams. With only Mcgrady, they can win games against the weak opponents, but not the NBA's elite. It just shows that in order for the Rockets to succeed in the Playoffs against these elite teams, both superstars need to bring their A-game.


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## Hakeem (Aug 12, 2004)

He didn't exactly say that Yao succeeds because of him. He said that when Yao has two or three guys hanging off him, it's his job to find a way to get him the ball.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Can anyone post the interview????


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

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Not sure what the context behind the comment is though, I'm sure he was asked something about the role with the team that led him to that answer. The point he's getting across is that its up to him to generate the offense for the team because there's no one else that can take that role. He's definitely not bragging about how good he is, that's not the T-Mac now.


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## Spriggan (Mar 23, 2004)

I watched some of that interview (but it was only snippets, admittedly), but it seemed like McGrady was just saying that the Rockets are his team, like Shaq used to say all the time back in the day about the Lakers. From the part of the interview I heard, Tracy continually emphasized that if he doesn't step up, the Rockets aren't going anywhere. And he also kept saying to put it all on him if they don't go past the first round, that he deserves 100% of the blame. Hardly a big deal at all.


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

TMac is craaaaazy.


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

Are you talking about the Stephen A Smith interview? Because he most certain did *not* say that. Maybe there was a different interview, but McGrady was not demeaning to his teammates in the Smith interview. He did say he was the "leader" and that if they didn't win it was "on him". He's wrong, of course, because Yao is both the best player on the team and the player who most affects his teammates abilities.


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## Carbo04 (Apr 15, 2005)

Mateo said:


> Are you talking about the Stephen A Smith interview? Because he most certain did *not* say that. Maybe there was a different interview, but McGrady was not demeaning to his teammates in the Smith interview. He did say he was the "leader" and that if they didn't win it was "on him". He's wrong, of course, because Yao is both the best player on the team and the player who most affects his teammates abilities.



Yao the best player on Houston? Yao's the one who effects the game the most? Do you ever watch basketball? Houston is McGrady's team, and he's the one who makes that team what it is. Yao and T-Mac are meshing well together now, and the rockets are playing great. Why? Because they stopped making Yao the #1 option and let everything go through T-Mac now.


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## Block (Apr 22, 2007)

Carbo04 is right in that Houston is dangerous when the offense flows through Tracy. I wish he would be a little more secure though, as the all-time greats never had to say the team is theirs.


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## Jizzy (Aug 24, 2005)

He's being honest. What's the big deal? He handles the ball 90% of the time and creates for those guys other then Yao while Battier, Howard, Alston all spot up. Is it really any secret?


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## EGarrett (Aug 12, 2002)

I'd need to see the context of that comment...but you can't fault T-Mac for dishonesty. He says what he's thinking...which is better than a fake cue-card soundbite any day...


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

Carbo04 said:


> Yao the best player on Houston? Yao's the one who effects the game the most? Do you ever watch basketball? Houston is McGrady's team, and he's the one who makes that team what it is. Yao and T-Mac are meshing well together now, and the rockets are playing great. Why? Because they stopped making Yao the #1 option and let everything go through T-Mac now.


If Yao isn't the number one option then why did he just score 28 points and attempt 14 free throws (and that was a relatively bad night)? People are in love with guards because they score in streaks, but Yao dominated the entire game (except the first) and that's the reason his team won. McGrady's primary ability to create open looks for his teammate is from cutting towards the basket, and this is not a team which does that all that often (because of the lack of athleticism). Yao's ability to create open looks for his teammates is in his utter dominance of the inside and creating open outside shots. It works. They are ranked 5th in three point percentage.


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## Jizzy (Aug 24, 2005)

EGarrett said:


> I'd need to see the context of that comment...but you can't fault T-Mac for dishonesty. He says what he's thinking...which is better than a fake cue-card soundbite any day...


Yeah, seriously. It's funny how some of you guys complain that the players sound like pre-recorded answering machines during interviews then start nitpicking and trying to turn the player being honest into a negative. 

The Rockets would be a bad team without him. Wasn't that proved last season when T-mac was out, Yao exploded for 30 pt. games yet they still sucked?


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## Carbo04 (Apr 15, 2005)

I'll just put it like this. If Houston played the whole year with Yao every game and no McGrady all season they'd be WAAAY worse than they would be if you reversed that scenario.


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## Tragedy (Dec 9, 2002)

Block said:


> Carbo04 is right in that Houston is dangerous when the offense flows through Tracy. I wish he would be a little more secure though, as the all-time greats never had to say the team is theirs.


With the career he's had, and the decisions and situations he's been in, it's a welcome change for him to take so much on.


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

I'd rather Tmac not say anything


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## Pimped Out (May 4, 2005)

Carbo04 said:


> I'll just put it like this. If Houston played the whole year with Yao every game and no McGrady all season they'd be WAAAY worse than they would be if you reversed that scenario.


this has been discussed in the rockets forum too, and its not because tmac is necessarily the better player. its because the rockets have no other play makers and since yao is a back to the basket center, he can't initiate the offense. when both yao and tmac are in the game, the offense has to start through tmac because he is the more reliable decision maker for the rockets. once the offense is initiated though, the offense goes through yao and he is the number one option


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## Carbo04 (Apr 15, 2005)

Pimped Out said:


> this has been discussed in the rockets forum too, and its not because tmac is necessarily the better player. its because the rockets have no other play makers and since yao is a back to the basket center, he can't initiate the offense. when both yao and tmac are in the game, the offense has to start through tmac because he is the more reliable decision maker for the rockets. once the offense is initiated though, the offense goes through yao and he is the number one option



And that's why the Rockets would be better with McGrady as opposed to Yao. Yao doesn't get the other guys involved very much. Yao isn't a big time playmaker. Yao isn't a decision maker. Yao isn't going to handle the rock up the court. That's why Houston can win games without Yao, but not without T-Mac. T-Mac is the man on that team.

That is no knock on Yao. He's a great/big time center. But you got to be able to get him the ball, and get the role players involved. That's what T-Mac does on top of being able to score any time and any way he wants.


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## DaBigTicketKG21 (Apr 27, 2003)

Carbo04 said:


> Yao the best player on Houston? Yao's the one who effects the game the most? Do you ever watch basketball? Houston is McGrady's team, and he's the one who makes that team what it is. Yao and T-Mac are meshing well together now, and the rockets are playing great. Why? Because they stopped making Yao the #1 option and let everything go through T-Mac now.


Actually, the Rockets are playing good because no superstar is deferring to the other unlike the beginning of the season when McGrady was deferring to Yao. He also wasn't taking it to the hole in the beginning of the season. When Yao went out, McGrady started being more aggressive. When Yao came back, McGrady remained aggressive. Since this Rockets team has no TRUE PG, T-mac has also become the facilitator. He has two roles on this team which is why he is so important to the success of the role players. Still, Yao Ming is the one who draws the double teams and that is the way to beat the elite teams with strong defensive units like DET, DAL, and SAS.


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## joehoo (Apr 17, 2007)

Tmac (what a stupid name)...

It's the first round. Even if you do it, so what. It's the FIRST ROUND. My god. He's playing it up and people are gonna make a big deal out of it when he "delivers what he promised under so much pressure."

Win a second round game before you open your pansy mouth.


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## mysterio (May 20, 2003)

Pumpkin head wasn't bragging, he was just being candid about his role.


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## rocketeer (Oct 7, 2002)

Carbo04 said:


> I'll just put it like this. If Houston played the whole year with Yao every game and no McGrady all season they'd be WAAAY worse than they would be if you reversed that scenario.


all that tells you is that the rockets have better replacements for yao than they do for tmac. mutumbo can rebound and howard can make some midrange shots and score a little bit, while chuck hayes can still make all his hustle plays. without tmac, the rockets don't have anyone to create on the perimeter because head and battier are spot up guys and alston is unreliable.

that is pretty much what tmac is saying. he's the playmaker. it's his job to feed the open guy for 3 or get the ball inside to yao so he can work in the post. that is true. whether tmac is better than yao or not is debatable.


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## Wayne (May 24, 2006)

Without Yao Tmac is nothing. He'll have far fewer assists per game and Yao attracts the double and triple teams. Centers are clearly the most important pieces to Championship teams (aside from Pistons). Look at the past few Champ teams: they had Shaq, Duncan, Rodman, etc. A top-center like Yao can win with any guard, not just Tmac. So Tmac should stop hyping himself up, that is Yao Ming's team. Kobe is the best guard in the game but he can't win without a center.


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## ElMarroAfamado (Nov 1, 2005)

i like Yao and the Rockets BUT i dont know if T-Mac should say stuff like this ....if he is he should have atleast worded it differently.....


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## eymang (Dec 15, 2006)

Tmac is being a ***** here. Yeah, take yourself off the team, this time without ignoring your contract and giving yourself another spasm the way your patting yourself on the back. Yao would do fine.


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## compsciguy78 (Dec 16, 2002)

Did you notice when he talked about Luther Head and Shane Battier he said "I create those shots"...
..but then he talks about Yao and he says "When Yao is double teamed its my job to create .etc.etc......"

He knew it was best to watch his words with Yao. I don't think the media will give him slack when it comes to Yao. TMAC is boasting like he has in the past, what else can you expect.

At this point both stars need each other. Yao benefits from a guy like TMAC who can create his own shots. TMAC benefits from a low post presence who can make his shots. 


This teams goes as far as TMAC goes. It almost seemed like he wanted everyone to know that. We hear ya TMAC. Now show us what you got.


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## Pimped Out (May 4, 2005)

Wayne said:


> Without Yao Tmac is nothing. He'll have far fewer assists per game and Yao attracts the double and triple teams.


that is so obscenely not true.



tmac wasnt careful about he said about yao because of the media. he said what he said because it is true. he doesnt create shots for yao the same way he does for head and battier and tmac knows it.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Yao could have got the Rockets to the playoffs that I have no doubt but TMAC is our playmaker, alot of the offense runs through him. 

I have dont think he disrespected his teammates with that clip I saw. I would disagree and say this is TMAC & Yao's team but the engine room is with the playmaker and TMAC is that playmaker.


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## Carbo04 (Apr 15, 2005)

Wayne said:


> Without Yao Tmac is nothing.



I think that might be the dumbest thing I have ever read on this board. T-Mac was a generally thought top 5 player in the league before Yao was even thought about in the NBA. The Rockets with T-Mac and no Yao also have a pretty damn good record. Yeah, I'm sure Yao could do things like score 13 in 35 seconds and other things that T-Mac does. I'm sure Yao can handle the rock, and make all the playmaker decisions while still getting his points. Seesh.


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## WhoDaBest23 (Apr 16, 2003)

Spriggan said:


> I watched some of that interview (but it was only snippets, admittedly), but it seemed like McGrady was just saying that the Rockets are his team, like Shaq used to say all the time back in the day about the Lakers. From the part of the interview I heard, Tracy continually emphasized that if he doesn't step up, the Rockets aren't going anywhere. And he also kept saying to put it all on him if they don't go past the first round, that he deserves 100% of the blame. Hardly a big deal at all.


That's pretty much what I got from it too. This is T-Mac's team and although he sounded very much cocky, he is pretty spot on with the fact that he has to create if the Rockets are to win. I hope his teammates don't take him the wrong way at all.


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## ChiBron (Jun 24, 2002)

Came off very insecure as usual. I like T-Mac but he's got a HUGE ego and constantly feels the need to verbalize his importance to the team instead of just doing his talking on the court. Also, from an individual standpoint Yao doesn't need T-Mac for jack. He was and will always put up monster numbers. Doesn't matter if T-Mac's there or not.

Bottomline: T-Mac shouldn't have said what he did. Nobody's doubting his value to the team. Just shut up and play.


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## mysterio (May 20, 2003)

hroz said:


> Yao could have got the Rockets to the playoffs that I have no doubt but TMAC is our playmaker, alot of the offense runs through him.
> 
> I have dont think he disrespected his teammates with that clip I saw. I would disagree and say this is TMAC & Yao's team but the *engine room is with the playmaker* and TMAC is that playmaker.


It's true for the Rockets and the Suns right now, but for all teams in general, I'd have to disagree with that.


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## Javelin (Apr 17, 2007)

joehoo said:


> Tmac (what a stupid name)...
> 
> It's the first round. Even if you do it, so what. It's the FIRST ROUND. My god. He's playing it up and people are gonna make a big deal out of it when he "delivers what he promised under so much pressure."
> 
> Win a second round game before you open your pansy mouth.


Its called self confidence, he's hyping up for the game psychologically, its what true leaders do, they play it like its their game and take over like its their responsibility which is exactly what T-Mac did.


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## eymang (Dec 15, 2006)

No, he called his teammates ****. It doesn't matter how true it is, it's not being a good leader. We'll see if it affects how people want to battle for you. So what if TMac is good, you're also the most highly paid player on the team, you better go out and earn it.


There's still a lot of people questioning the clip and the exact comments, someone already posted the YouTube in this thread, just as described


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

eymang said:


> No, he called his teammates ****.


No, he didn't. He quite obviously didn't even approach saying such things. He simply pointed out that the offense runs through him. He also said that he deserves all the blame if the Rockets fail to advance, because he's the focal point. He didn't embarrass or denigrate his teammates a bit.


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## Dream Hakeem (Apr 20, 2006)

Wait wait wait

Wasn't this the same T-mac that said this was Yao's team earlier this season and some of the last? I remember he was on TNT and Barkley kept heckling Tmac, telling him that he should step up because this is not Yao's team and McGrady just brushed it off. This is Tmac's team, and i think he realized this all the time Yao was out. The words sounded a little harsh but it's not a lie. T-MAC will carry the team on his back and if he loses T-MAC will blame it on himself.


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## Javelin (Apr 17, 2007)

eymang said:


> No, he called his teammates ****. It doesn't matter how true it is, it's not being a good leader. We'll see if it affects how people want to battle for you. So what if TMac is good, *you're also the most highly paid player on the team, you better go out and earn it.*
> 
> 
> There's still a lot of people questioning the clip and the exact comments, someone already posted the YouTube in this thread, just as described


Did he not do that in game 1? He massacred the Jazz in the second half, practically stamped his name on the game.


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## arhie (Jul 4, 2006)

Go Warriorsssssss.


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## EGarrett (Aug 12, 2002)

SPMJ said:


> Came off very insecure as usual. I like T-Mac but he's got a HUGE ego and constantly feels the need to verbalize his importance to the team instead of just doing his talking on the court. Also, from an individual standpoint Yao doesn't need T-Mac for jack. He was and will always put up monster numbers. Doesn't matter if T-Mac's there or not.
> 
> Bottomline: T-Mac shouldn't have said what he did. Nobody's doubting his value to the team. Just shut up and play.


He may be right or wrong, but he's one of the rare athletes who actually says what's on his mind. He's not one of those guys who says all the right things then goes out on the floor and does something completely different.

Remember, when his back was screwed, he was in the media saying that he wasn't his old self and he might've been finished. When he first went to Orlando he told everyone it was Grant Hill's team and that he hadn't done anything in the NBA. When he went to Houston he said he couldn't win on his own, and he thought Yao could be the next Wilt Chamberlain. He admitted that he was too nervous to do much in his first All-Star game (while Jim Grey was taunting him about it).

He's not cocky. He's frank. You ought to respect him for it.


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## eymang (Dec 15, 2006)

Javelin said:


> Did he not do that in game 1? He massacred the Jazz in the second half, practically stamped his name on the game.


Yeah, that's what he should do, no need to pat yourself on the back so much in the interviews and say 'without me, we are nothing', what benefit does that have?


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## Javelin (Apr 17, 2007)

eymang said:


> Yeah, that's what he should do, no need to pat yourself on the back so much in the interviews and say 'without me, we are nothing', what benefit does that have?


He may have came off a little cocky but that wasn't his intent at all, like I said, all leaders need to psych themselves up before big games and they have to go in there with the thought of being number 1 to be able to have an affect.


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## Air Jordan 23 (Dec 12, 2006)

Don't know if anyone mentioned it yet (haven't read the rest of this thread) but I found it interesting that T-Mac referred to the Rockets as his team.

Reason why it's interesting is when he first came to Houston, he said it was Yao's team.


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## Greg Ostertag! (May 1, 2003)

I think he is both putting the pressure on himself so that he has to perform (as with most of the "guarantees" made by players), which is good, as it shows that he has the confidence in his ability. To that end, he may also be trying to take the pressure off his teammates.


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## Wayne (May 24, 2006)

Don't kid yourself guys, if Tmac were on some other team w/out Yao he will be done just like he was back in this "top 5" days with Orlando, this team would have 0 paint pts and Tmac would just be shooting 10-25 every night


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## Prolific Scorer (Dec 16, 2005)

Wayne said:


> Don't kid yourself guys, if Tmac were on some other team w/out Yao he will be done just like he was back in this "top 5" days with Orlando, this team would have 0 paint pts and Tmac would just be shooting 10-25 every night


12-25, get it right.


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## Theonee (Dec 5, 2006)

Few months ago, I remember him saying this is Yao's team and he is happy being a second option guy.


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## unluckyseventeen (Feb 5, 2006)

What I think is funny is that McGrady really DIDN'T dominate the Jazz. He played average by his standards and nothing more and you guys are like "oh yeah! Go T-MAC! He totally dominated!!". He didn't. The Jazz got totally shut down on the offensive end in the second half. McGrady played average, and he was fortunate that several players on the Jazz were ice cold.

I think if anything he psyched himself out. Let us not forget the Jazz were up 9 at halftime and McGrady was 0-6 for 1 point. I should just hope he keeps yelling at reporters and focusing on everything except just playing basketball. I've always liked McGrady, but what the hell is he doing? Screaming at reporters? That's really going to get you far, buddy...


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## RoddneyThaRippa (Jun 28, 2003)

unluckyseventeen said:


> What I think is funny is that McGrady really DIDN'T dominate the Jazz. He played average by his standards and nothing more and you guys are like "oh yeah! Go T-MAC! He totally dominated!!". He didn't. The Jazz got totally shut down on the offensive end in the second half. McGrady played average, and he was fortunate that several players on the Jazz were ice cold.
> 
> I think if anything he psyched himself out. Let us not forget the Jazz were up 9 at halftime and McGrady was 0-6 for 1 point. I should just hope he keeps yelling at reporters and focusing on everything except just playing basketball. I've always liked McGrady, but what the hell is he doing? Screaming at reporters? That's really going to get you far, buddy...


Tracy went nuts in the second half. What are you talking about? 

The Jazz have given me no reason to believe they can get a game in this series. They have nothing in the post to handle Yao and nothing on the perimeter to handle McGrady. On top of that, Sloan scripts their every move on offense, so they don't have the explosiveness needed to compete against a great defensive team like Houston. 

McGrady can win this series by himself.


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## RoddneyThaRippa (Jun 28, 2003)

McGrady saying more stupid things at bad times. The guy is a head case and everyone should know that by now. 

That said, he'll continue to beat the Jazz by himself.


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## Carbo04 (Apr 15, 2005)

unluckyseventeen said:


> What I think is funny is that McGrady really DIDN'T dominate the Jazz. He played average by his standards and nothing more and you guys are like "oh yeah! Go T-MAC! He totally dominated!!". He didn't. The Jazz got totally shut down on the offensive end in the second half. McGrady played average, and he was fortunate that several players on the Jazz were ice cold.
> 
> I think if anything he psyched himself out. Let us not forget the Jazz were up 9 at halftime and McGrady was 0-6 for 1 point. I should just hope he keeps yelling at reporters and focusing on everything except just playing basketball. I've always liked McGrady, but what the hell is he doing? Screaming at reporters? That's really going to get you far, buddy...



Ummm no. T-Mac ripped the Jazz a new one in the second half. And yelling at reporters? What reporters did he yell at? Also, T-Mac is focused ONLY on basketball. The commentators were talking about how McGrady has turned off his cell phone, will not be in contact with any friends, will not be in contact with any family. No going out, no videogames, no nothing. His coaches and teammates know where he is but it's all about winning. That shows me he is more than focused.


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## HayesFan (Feb 16, 2006)

Okay, I have to add my 2 cents here.

Let's go through this chronologically.

Tmac has a fragile ego, we saw it at the beginning of the season. Last year we couldn't depend on him, and so he decided that Yao was going to have to carry the team.

Start the season, we do well, but not dominate anyone(except blowing out the Mavs ). Tmac starts upping his assists, and getting about 18 ppg. Tmac says he's lost a step and maybe will retire and play baseball when his contract is up. And instead of driving to the basket, which is his specialty, he settles for a bunch of jumpers.

Then his back spasms and he is forced to take a break. His already fragile psyche is messed up again, so he decides to go to the witch doctor in Waco. And holy crap, he feels great.

Now Yao goes out. Falls down and with it, it looks like the Rockets season is in the toilet! But JVG does some great psycho-therapy on Tmac and tells him, you are the man, there's no Yao to fall back on. The team needs you to be the player you can be.

So Tmac does that. In the process realizes that he was being a baby about his role on the team and that he can create and support his teammates. It probably helped that his teammates were so freaking thankful that he came back when Yao went down and we didn't have another season of no superstars that they exulted him like the second coming.

Now Tmac has his swagger back, but every point is a struggle when during the game he starts getting double and triple teamed. The drive and dish creates for the outside shooters, and the pick and roll creates for the PFs.

When Yao gets back into shape, Tmac is just starting to struggle carrying the load again. Deke is tired, Juwan lost his shot and the 3pt shooters aren't getting as easy looks as they were earlier in the season. After the all-star break the team really showed that to be successful long term they needed Yao.

So now Yao comes back and the team responds well, the combo of Tmac and Yao makes the great inside out force that we have all been expecting from the beginning of the year. Tmac continues to drive (which he didn't do in the first half of Game 1) and Yao posts up and does what he does best.

The thing is, Tmac needs the team to be his. As second fiddle he doesn't push himself as hard to play. 

Tmac is streaky, if he would play all four quarters of every game at 100% you would see the second coming of Jordan. But he doesn't. That's why he needs to psych himself up by taking the weight of the team's success on his shoulders. It motivates him to play hard.

One other thing... if Tmac thought his teammates were crap, then he wouldn't have a greater assist per game in this season as compared to prior seasons. He trusts these guys to make shots when they are open. That speaks volumes of how this team needs to be functioning with all its parts to be successful.

You wanna talk to someone that thinks his teammates are crap.. go listen to Kobe.

Thus ends my long post on the evolution of Mac this year.


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## unluckyseventeen (Feb 5, 2006)

RoddneyThaRippa said:


> Tracy went nuts in the second half. What are you talking about?
> 
> *The Jazz have given me no reason to believe they can get a game in this series.* They have nothing in the post to handle Yao and nothing on the perimeter to handle McGrady. On top of that, Sloan scripts their every move on offense, so they don't have the explosiveness needed to compete against a great defensive team like Houston.
> 
> McGrady can win this series by himself.



I guess you didn't watch the first half. The Jazz would have run away with that if they'd put somebody on McGrady instead of midget Fisher. Or maybe if Okur/Boozer could have made some shots.

Please tell me what was different than McGrady's performance than completely and totally average, compared to his season numbers? The Jazz shot 35%. They average about 48% on the season. By all comparisons, they played a VERY awful game and only lost by 9. If they had made their shots or put somebody other than Fisher on McGrady in the second half, we'd be talking about how good the Jazz are, not how amazing McGrady is when he turns in an average performance and leads his team to a mighty 84 points. Kobe scores 50 and we yawn. McGrady scores 23 and you guys all crap your pants over it!? My god. His first half was so bad, he had to have an explosive second half to even turn in an average performace, by his standards! Come on guys. Don't get too involved in the hype.


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## Timbaland (Nov 18, 2005)

Bottom line despite all this, without Yao and Tmac, the Rockets are a first round out. Everyone needs a sidekick, I agree with the people saying he shouldn't have said anything though. Just prove it on the court.


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## Prolific Scorer (Dec 16, 2005)

I know one thing, Houston better get a body on Okur, beacuse he had at least 10 good looks in game1, that didn't fall.

Boozer could've played better too, Yao was contesting his shot though when he was in the game.


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

Good post *HayesFan*. If thinking this is "his team" make McGrady play better, then very well. But you and I know that this is Leslie Alexander's team, and that Yao Ming is the best player on the team.


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## Dre (Jun 20, 2003)

Mcgrady's right. He's not the best player on the team, but as the ball facilitator and perhaps primary scorer, it's important he maintain a dominant mentality. As the ballhandler, you have to make yourself liable for your teams' success.


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Prolific Scorer said:


> I know one thing, Houston better get a body on Okur, beacuse he had at least 10 good looks in game1, that didn't fall.
> 
> Boozer could've played better too, Yao was contesting his shot though when he was in the game.


Your right on the offensive end it will be Deron and Okur who will win the game for the Jazz.


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

unluckyseventeen said:


> Please tell me what was different than McGrady's performance than completely and totally average, compared to his season numbers?


By his standards, McGrady had a below-average game. However, in a tightly-contested, defensive battle, his performance was game-changing. There's really no other way to put it. The Jazz had a semi-comfortable lead, McGrady got going and then the Rockets had a semi-comfortable lead that they would never relinquish.

McGrady will rarely go for 40-60 points again. He's not in that mode anymore, because of the team he has and the expectations. It's counter-productive to a team that expects to get contributions from everyone to have one guy soaking up all the shots. McGrady spends a lot of time in the game getting other people involved with drive and kicks and cross-court passes. McGrady spends a lot of time feeding Yao in the post. During these times, he takes relatively fewer shots and they're usually not his comfort-zone shots.

He picks his times, and takes control. Games often change at those points. That's why the Rockets are almost never out of a game until the game is over...McGrady always has the ability to score 15 straight to erase a big deficit.

If McGrady were still toiling for a bad team with no team support, he would still be scoring big numbers and ruminating about retirement. But now he has the hopes of bigger things and doesn't play in the mode that, say, Kobe or Arenas do.


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## RoddneyThaRippa (Jun 28, 2003)

unluckyseventeen said:


> I guess you didn't watch the first half. The Jazz would have run away with that if they'd put somebody on McGrady instead of midget Fisher. Or maybe if Okur/Boozer could have made some shots.
> 
> Please tell me what was different than McGrady's performance than completely and totally average, compared to his season numbers? The Jazz shot 35%. They average about 48% on the season. By all comparisons, they played a VERY awful game and only lost by 9. If they had made their shots or put somebody other than Fisher on McGrady in the second half, we'd be talking about how good the Jazz are, not how amazing McGrady is when he turns in an average performance and leads his team to a mighty 84 points. Kobe scores 50 and we yawn. McGrady scores 23 and you guys all crap your pants over it!? My god. His first half was so bad, he had to have an explosive second half to even turn in an average performace, by his standards! Come on guys. Don't get too involved in the hype.


I saw the first half - McGrady missed shots he usually makes. There isn't a single guy on the Jazz who can deter McGrady from doing what he does, i.e. dominating the game straight away from the three point line to the free throw line. There is no one in the game as good as McGrady from that area, quite simply, because he can get wherever he wants in that area and rise up for the shot. If they press too much, he drives and makes plays for others. Fisher can't guard McGrady - neither can Harpring, Brewer, or Kirilenko. And, of course, no one can guard Yao either. He didn't have a particularly good first half either. 

As for the Jazz, I agree that they missed an unusual amount of shots, but they were also taking more jumpers than usual. They don't have a premier scorer that can take over games and it works to their disadvantage against a great defensive team like Houston. 

Look, I think the Jazz are good. Unfortunately, they are caught in the Sloan philosophy that says teamwork always trumps talent. That's one of the main reasons that they never can rise to the cream of the crop. This is the NBA, not college. Talent, in the presence of teamwork, will always rise to the top. The Rockets have the superior talent in this series, and it isn't even close.


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## K-Dub (Jun 26, 2005)

unluckyseventeen said:


> I guess you didn't watch the first half. The Jazz would have run away with that if they'd put somebody on McGrady instead of midget Fisher. Or maybe if Okur/Boozer could have made some shots.
> 
> Please tell me what was different than McGrady's performance than completely and totally average, compared to his season numbers? The Jazz shot 35%. They average about 48% on the season. *By all comparisons, they played a VERY awful game and only lost by 9*. If they had made their shots or put somebody other than Fisher on McGrady in the second half, we'd be talking about how good the Jazz are, not how amazing McGrady is when he turns in an average performance and leads his team to a mighty 84 points. Kobe scores 50 and we yawn. McGrady scores 23 and you guys all crap your pants over it!? My god. His first half was so bad, he had to have an explosive second half to even turn in an average performace, by his standards! Come on guys. Don't get too involved in the hype.


Can't the same be said of the Rockets? The Rockets shot 39% from the field and 33% from the arc. They shoot 44.5% from the field and 37.2% from the arc on the season. They played awful and *won* by 9.


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## theflyballa (Aug 8, 2006)

T-Mac's a cocky ***. He calls his team HIS supporting cast. He's probably part of Yao's supporting cast.


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## unluckyseventeen (Feb 5, 2006)

RoddneyThaRippa said:


> I saw the first half - McGrady missed shots he usually makes. There isn't a single guy on the Jazz who can deter McGrady from doing what he does, i.e. dominating the game straight away from the three point line to the free throw line. There is no one in the game as good as McGrady from that area, quite simply, because he can get wherever he wants in that area and rise up for the shot. If they press too much, he drives and makes plays for others. Fisher can't guard McGrady - neither can Harpring, Brewer, or Kirilenko. And, of course, no one can guard Yao either. He didn't have a particularly good first half either.
> 
> As for the Jazz, I agree that they missed an unusual amount of shots, but they were also taking more jumpers than usual. They don't have a premier scorer that can take over games and it works to their disadvantage against a great defensive team like Houston.
> 
> Look, I think the Jazz are good. Unfortunately, they are caught in the Sloan philosophy that says teamwork always trumps talent. That's one of the main reasons that they never can rise to the cream of the crop. This is the NBA, not college. Talent, in the presence of teamwork, will always rise to the top. The Rockets have the superior talent in this series, and it isn't even close.


I can't help but ask - but are you watching the games?

I'm sure you probably posted this before Game 2, but McGrady missed 20 shots during that game. Yao was contained as well as you could ask for. At this rate nobody will even need to guard McGrady because he is just hucking up idiotic shots and missing most of them. He was 6-25 on jumpshots alone. So far your claims have been hideously untrue.

You obviously don't think the Jazz are good if Houston is SOOO much more talented than Utah is. Outside of McGrady and Yao (Williams and Boozer could give them a run for their money, especially considering how they have been playing this series on both sides), the Jazz's supporting players are considerably more talented than Houston's. That's been the discussed this entire series - how Houston has 2 great players, and how the Jazz have a great supporting cast. I'd still give the edge to Houston as far as overall talent goes, but you're over there claiming that Houston is just sooo much better than the Jazz and it's ridiculous that it's even discussed. Do your homework before you post such silly things.

I think McGrady just needs to shut up and play. By all comparisons this is probably the worst he's played in the playoffs up to this point. It could be that he just psyched himself out and he's just fortunate that the Jazz's supporting cast is playing like complete crap. Or it could just be coincidence, but so far all of your claims have been wrong.


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## theflyballa (Aug 8, 2006)

Superior talent? They have T-Crap and Yao "I got blocked by a midget" Ming.


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## RoddneyThaRippa (Jun 28, 2003)

unluckyseventeen said:


> I can't help but ask - but are you watching the games?
> 
> I'm sure you probably posted this before Game 2, but McGrady missed 20 shots during that game. Yao was contained as well as you could ask for. At this rate nobody will even need to guard McGrady because he is just hucking up idiotic shots and missing most of them. He was 6-25 on jumpshots alone. So far your claims have been hideously untrue.
> 
> ...



9-29 but Yao and McGrady scored 58 points combined and McGrady hit some very important shots. You conveniently left out Battier in your conversation about talent. Boozer and Williams aren't even close to being a top guard-big combo in the league and it shows in this series. And make no mistake about what this series has been - grind it out. If there were a lot of shots going up and McGrady and Yao were shooting like this, it would be a problem. But this is a slowed down halfcourt tempo that favors Houston, and as long as Yao and McGrady keep putting the ball in the basket, they'll win. To me, the series hasn't been competitive at all. The Jazz have been in no position to win these games - in game one, McGrady beat them in the second half single-handedly. Last night, the Jazz had no answers to stop Yao and McGrady when it counted. A lot of this goes back to Sloan's control issues, as the Jazz might have a chance if they sped the tempo up, which I guess he is diametrically opposed to. Beyond Williams and Boozer, nothing on the roster impresses me. Okur is a 7-foot jump shooter and Kirilenko is a mess. Harpring is a good, tough player but not very talented. When you compare those guys to Yao and McGrady, who are elite first options in the league, the talent disparity is obvious. 

Why hasn't Sloan won a championship yet? I know, it's the big pink elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about. He hasn't won because he'd rather retain absolute control than bring in a superior talent that is a little rough around the edges. You're out of your mind if you think Utah can come close to a championship with their current roster. Unless you have an unbelievable starting five like Detroit, you gotta have a superior talent inside or outside (or both) to compete for a championship. All this Sloan nostalgia makes me sick - at some point, talent takes over. 

I expect Houston to win this series going away. Don't look for it to return to Houston.


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## @[email protected] (Jan 19, 2005)

theflyballa said:


> Superior talent? They have T-Crap and Yao "I got blocked by a midget" Ming.


How about your superior Kome, 1-10 in 4th Q?
At least Tmac'Rockets lead Utah 2-0, your pathetic Kome'lakers 0-1 against suns, its more like a 5 games at most!:yay:


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## Prolific Scorer (Dec 16, 2005)

theflyballa said:


> T-Mac's a cocky ***. He calls his team HIS supporting cast. He's probably part of Yao's supporting cast.


:lol:


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## Prolific Scorer (Dec 16, 2005)

MEME Okur is just playing poorly because remembers when T-Mac dunked on him......http://youtube.com/watch?v=s3Ku6OR2XpU


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## theflyballa (Aug 8, 2006)

@[email protected] said:


> How about your superior Kome, 1-10 in 4th Q?
> At least Tmac'Rockets lead Utah 2-0, your pathetic Kome'lakers 0-1 against suns, its more like a 5 games at most!:yay:


We'll see. T-Mac will choke as usual. They'll go up 3-1, then lose 3 in a row. Nothing new. Only happened to Kobe one time because he has scrub teammates. T-Mac has Yao.


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## unluckyseventeen (Feb 5, 2006)

RoddneyThaRippa said:


> 9-29 but Yao and McGrady scored 58 points combined and McGrady hit some very important shots. You conveniently left out Battier in your conversation about talent.


During the regular season I would have taken the supporting cast of Okur, Harpring, Fisher over Battier, Mutombo and Rafer Alston. You conveniently didn't even name a player on the Jazz outside of two when considering your argument, as you distinctly said Houston is far and away the better team in terms of talent, making it a poor one. It's also pretty obvious that anything that has come out of your mouth the past week has been anti-Jazz... so your opinion on the matter should already be disregarded since you can't analyze anything without an immediate bias.



> Boozer and Williams aren't even close to being a top guard-big combo in the league and it shows in this series.


Oh? Ha. Funny because Williams has been close to a triple double both games, and Boozer put together the best game of his career last night. Saying they are a bad combo and trying to make an example of it from the past two games is a horrible way to argue your point. If Okur/Fisher/Giricek had shown up this series it would be 2-0 and everyone but you would be saying how underrated the Jazz were going into this series.

You should find a stat that is assists to X player. Boozer and Deron led the league up to late February, and if I had to guess I'd say they are still in the top 3, if not still at the top. Nice try on that one though.



> And make no mistake about what this series has been - grind it out. If there were a lot of shots going up and McGrady and Yao were shooting like this, it would be a problem.


No it wouldn't. If McGrady misses 20 shots, that's 20 possessions where they don't score. It would be less influenced if there were more possessions per game and you just stated that there weren't. Get your numbers straight.



> But this is a slowed down halfcourt tempo that favors Houston, and as long as Yao and McGrady keep putting the ball in the basket, they'll win.


Ironically they have been far less efficient during this series than what they are accustomed to. I guess you selectively look at the statistics because McGrady's shooting percentage this series is in the mid 30's. That's not putting the ball in the basket as much as one would like... but okay there.



> To me, the series hasn't been competitive at all. The Jazz have been in no position to win these games - in game one, McGrady beat them in the second half single-handedly. Last night, the Jazz had no answers to stop Yao and McGrady when it counted.


Then you haven't been watching the games. The Jazz have had the lead for more minutes this series than the Rockets have. The only question is their ability to finish games on the road. Had it not been for Fisher playing atrocious defense in both games, McGrady wouldn't have had a bid 3rd quarter to keep the Jazz at arm's length. You are seriously overrating those two in this series. Right now the Jazz are playing themselves out of games instead of the Rockets executing to gain a lead. We'll see what happens in Salt Lake, but being as how anti-Jazz you are it's not surprising that you'd claim it hasn't been competitive at all. I'm convinced you're not watching the games or just not paying attention when Houston misses or doesn't have the lead.



> A lot of this goes back to Sloan's control issues, as the Jazz might have a chance if they sped the tempo up, which I guess he is diametrically opposed to.


This I agree with. At least you observed one thing correctly.



> Beyond Williams and Boozer, nothing on the roster impresses me. Okur is a 7-foot jump shooter and Kirilenko is a mess. Harpring is a good, tough player but not very talented. When you compare those guys to Yao and McGrady, who are elite first options in the league, the talent disparity is obvious.


Okur averaged 18 points per game during the regular season. Kirilenko is below average so I will give you that one. Harpring is having his best season in years and was killing Houston all game during game 1... when nobody else showed up to play. He's obviously talented if he can do that, and was a top candidate for 6th man of the year. Yep, no talent bum.

The only talent desparity is the Jazz's overall talent against Houston's role players. The Jazz's depth is one of the best in the league. Houston seems afraid to suit up the 8th man on the roster.



> Why hasn't Sloan won a championship yet? I know, it's the big pink elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about. He hasn't won because he'd rather retain absolute control than bring in a superior talent that is a little rough around the edges.


Um... perhaps because they faced the best franchise of the last 20 years? Granted the NBA finals they were in were the closest margin of victories ever recorded, they were damn close. You should also check out their spectacular role players during those seasons (Greg Foster, Bryon Russell, Greg Ostertag, Antoine Carr, Chris Morris), then you'll understand why they didn't win - lack of talent. Sloan milked that team for all they were worth. The only thing that you are complaining about is Sloan's stubbornness. But his stubbornness also brought 20 straight playoff appearances to fruition. How many other franchises have done that? 2? Portland and Boston? Championships aren't all that matter. You're probably the same person that would say the East is better than the West because Miami won the Finals last year, eh?



> You're out of your mind if you think Utah can come close to a championship with their current roster. Unless you have an unbelievable starting five like Detroit, you gotta have a superior talent inside or outside (or both) to compete for a championship. All this Sloan nostalgia makes me sick - at some point, talent takes over.


Wait, whooaaaa. This is where I laugh at you because your arguments have gone beyond being just terrible. The Jazz are easily one of the most talented and youngest teams in the NBA. Their 4 best players are all at or under 28 years of age (Boozer 26, Okur 28, Williams 23, Kirilenko 26), and their bench is loaded with youth and potential. This year vs the top 6 seeds in the west they were 13-6. This team is not a pushover at all when all of their players are performing. Keep in mind this is the same team that knocked off Dallas by 22 points (went 2-1 vs them in the season series), beat Phoenix 3 straight times, and split the season series with San Antonio. Against the top 3 teams in the NBA the Jazz were 7-4 during the regular season.. which by my count is better than any other team in the NBA. But, I guess you not paying attention to critical points like this is what makes you so anti-Jazz and what makes your arguments nothing more than pathetic peices of ignorance, compiled together to make you look like you are kissing the *** of McGrady and Yao and saying everything else that isn't those two, sucks.

As soon as the rest of the Jazz team shows up these next two games, I'll have your crow steaming and ready for your partaking. To call a team that young and this successful not possibly contending for a title down the road is just plain stupidity. Your anti-Jazz comments have come to a head, to the point where you look ridiculous because you obviously just say things against the Jazz because you don't like them. If you say this Jazz team can't possibly contend for a title then you, sir, are the one that is out of their mind. A general consensus would prove this true, as well. If you are going to make an argument, use your brain, get your facts straight, and approach it without an immediate bias.



> I expect Houston to win this series going away. Don't look for it to return to Houston.


You have fun with that one.


In closing, I find your comments to be the most ignorant of anything I've seen on these boards in recent months. You've paid attention to selective parts of the last 2 games, and stuff you read about regarding the team. Formulating opinions, swayed already with anti-Jazz bias, is a very bad idea.


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## Ryoga (Aug 31, 2002)

Here's some vintage McGrady:_
"(Baron Davis) is not the best player (in this series)," said McGrady, who is averaging 29.3 points, seven rebounds and 5.3 assists in the three games. "I am. No question, no question."

Davis is averaging 24 points, nine assists and 8.3 rebounds, but McGrady said that Davis' teammates are making him look better.

"If you look at Baron's team, and you look at my team, then you'll understand he has a lot of help," McGrady said. "He has guys that can score, he has guys that can rebound on a night-to-night basis.

"Therefore, all the focus, all the attention (from Orlando) is not on him." _

Disgusting...


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## JuniorNoboa (Jan 27, 2003)

....


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

JuniorNoboa said:


> I noticed his assist numbers don't seem to correlate to your observation.


What are you talking about? He is averaging a career high in assist numbers.


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

Ryoga said:


> Disgusting...


Yeah, that is pretty arrogant. Of course, many of the best players have similar arrogance. Kobe, Jordan and Bird spring to mind immediately. Shaq, too.


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## Ryoga (Aug 31, 2002)

Minstrel said:


> Yeah, that is pretty arrogant. Of course, many of the best players have similar arrogance. Kobe, Jordan and Bird spring to mind immediately. Shaq, too.


No, not really, I've never heard anyone going out to the media and just plainly say "I'm the best player but my teamates suck". It's wrong because you're not taking your own responsibilities, you're disrupting any chemistry, you're giving your opponents extra motivations and, obviously, it's simply classless.
Kobe rarely says anything not PC, Shaq has been cocky but rarely turned against his teamates, I remember Bird calling out his team, but he was questioning their hearth not their talent.
This is 5yo, so he might have changed, but those were the worst quotes I've ever read from bball player.


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## Pimped Out (May 4, 2005)

Ryoga said:


> No, not really, I've never heard anyone going out to the media and just plainly say "I'm the best player but my teamates suck". It's wrong because you're not taking your own responsibilities, you're disrupting any chemistry, you're giving your opponents extra motivations and, obviously, it's simply classless.
> Kobe rarely says anything not PC, Shaq has been cocky but rarely turned against his teamates, I remember Bird calling out his team, but he was questioning their hearth not their talent.
> This is 5yo, so he might have changed, but those were the worst quotes I've ever read from bball player.


how is he disrupting the chemistry? was shane battier ever under the impression that he was creating his own open three point shots?


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## wwl (Apr 18, 2006)

Notice the date, he said that 5 years ago when he was playing in Orlando. Thats disgusting anyway.


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## Minstrel (Dec 31, 2002)

Ryoga said:


> No, not really, I've never heard anyone going out to the media and just plainly say "I'm the best player but my teamates suck". It's wrong because you're not taking your own responsibilities, you're disrupting any chemistry, you're giving your opponents extra motivations and, obviously, it's simply classless.
> Kobe rarely says anything not PC


Kobe just got through saying that his team is nowhere near as talented as the Suns or plenty of other teams.



> I remember Bird calling out his team, but he was questioning their hearth not their talent.


That's much better. He just called them quitters, not untalented.



> This is 5yo, so he might have changed, but those were the worst quotes I've ever read from bball player.


I think Jordan publicly calling Will Perdue "Will Vanderbilt" because "he's not talented enough to bear the name of a Big 10 school" is pretty bad. Jordan made frequent comments about how weak his supporting cast was, back when he was criticized for not winning like Magic and Bird.

Those comments were bad, but hardly shockingly new and beyond what others have said. And he's clearly different now, as he talks up the importance of Yao and has said that this playoffs he feels he has a great team around him with great head coaching, great teammates, a dominant center, etc.


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## Brandname (May 24, 2006)

I feel like if Jordan and Bird played in the NBA right now, the media would tear them apart for some of the things they used to say. Those guys were a couple of the cockiest guys I've ever seen. 

On the other hand, the media now seems to be willing to give anyone a pass if they've won a title so who knows. But I don't think any NBA players have historically been under the microscope like today's players are.


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## theflyballa (Aug 8, 2006)

Jordan was one cocky ****. At least now we have Kobe. I don't think I've ever heard Kobe say anything remotely to the kind of **** that Jordan used to say. Jordan was just a straight up *******. At least Kobe has ALOT to complain about, but he doesn't. A true model citizen and teammate. The rest of the league needs to take notes.


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## Tommy12 (Apr 16, 2007)

Tmac is an idiot for saying that..


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## eymang (Dec 15, 2006)

Fast forward to the first loss after the "ITS ON ME!" rant. They played his press conference where he blamed his bench for not scoring (deservedly so, that's horrible), but still, you should win and lose as a team.

Guys in the past were cocky or arrogant, and let me know because I'm too young to remember, but did they ever put themselves over their teammates in public/to the media out in the air like that? Shaq at least waits until he's left or is on his way out 

I can see you doing that in practice, pushing your teammates, but that must be demoralizing to do interviews and talk about how everything 'depends on me'/'you take me off this team, where would we be? I create for everyone...' Again, it could be true x100, but I don't think good leaders do that, save the critiquing of players to the coach. I stick with my previous thoughts, quit patting yourself on the back so much that you'll create another spasm, and just go out and produce. And by the way, Shane Battier ppg down from last year. Rafer Alston ppg down from Toronto. Luther Head did just fine for himself when TMac was out, I had him on my fantasy team. We know they're role players to 2 superstars, but it's not like these guys are having breakout years or anything


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## unluckyseventeen (Feb 5, 2006)

eymang said:


> Fast forward to the first loss after the "ITS ON ME!" rant. They played his press conference where he blamed his bench for not scoring (deservedly so, that's horrible), but still, you should win and lose as a team.
> 
> Guys in the past were cocky or arrogant, and let me know because I'm too young to remember, but did they ever put themselves over their teammates in public/to the media out in the air like that? Shaq at least waits until he's left or is on his way out
> 
> I can see you doing that in practice, pushing your teammates, but that must be demoralizing to do interviews and talk about how everything 'depends on me'/'you take me off this team, where would we be? I create for everyone...' Again, it could be true x100, but I don't think good leaders do that, save the critiquing of players to the coach. I stick with my previous thoughts, quit patting yourself on the back so much that you'll create another spasm, and just go out and produce. And by the way, Shane Battier ppg down from last year. Rafer Alston ppg down from Toronto. Luther Head did just fine for himself when TMac was out, I had him on my fantasy team. We know they're role players to 2 superstars, but it's not like these guys are having breakout years or anything


Also remember that when McGrady does things like this, he does stupid things with the ball. He came out and hit his first 3 or 4 jumpshots. After that he was pretty much a non-factor and the Jazz could do whatever they wanted for the rest of the game.

What he needs to realize is that the Jazz are legitemately 2 players deeper than Houston is. In order for Houston to win, they need McGrady and Yao playing as efficiently as possible. Right now with the defense Okur and AK are playing, the momentum of the series is shifting VERY quickly. McGrady especially should expect to attack the basket and do something with the ball instead of chucking contested 20 footers all game. Against AK, he's not going to get more than 30% of those to fall. With that kind of home crowd, that kind of a spirited performance by the Jazz and with how uninspired McGrady and Yao played during the course of the game, they may not win another game in the series if this continues. The game was a lot more lopsided than the score indicates, although the score was pretty lopsided anyway. Houston only scored 67, and looked intimidated ever since the Jazz took the lead late in the 1st.


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## Prolific Scorer (Dec 16, 2005)

Early in the game I wasn't worried about Houston coming back from a 10 point lead as much as I was about Houston having the mindset that this game wasn't important.

The 2nd Half Utah just played great perimeter and interior Defense, and Rebounded the ball very well.


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## eymang (Dec 15, 2006)

Loss #2

Postgame - "what do you need to do Tracy?"

Answer is something about doing something to his teammates. Took credit before but now has no problem spreading the blame. 18 pts doesn't sound like an 'it's on me!' performance


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## pmga (Mar 12, 2006)

You know. I agree with Tmac. Who wouldn't?


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

Everybody outside of Yao has been just garbage these last 2 games...


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## Carbo04 (Apr 15, 2005)

Time for McGrady to turn it on in game 5. His team is on the ropes. Utah has big time momentum right now. Time to live up to his hype he was spewing. Shooting the ball at 30%, and turning the ball over isn't helping. You're a superstar T-Mac, time for a superstar statement game in game 5.


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## Gilgamesh (Dec 23, 2005)

Brandname said:


> I feel like if Jordan and Bird played in the NBA right now, the media would tear them apart for some of the things they used to say.


Probably not especially for Jordan. MJ was very media protected. The media was scared to report anything negative about him even when the gambling and the Jordan Rules became public. It was swept under the table pretty quickly like his sex scandal. I think some media members even admitted that they did not dare to say negative things about Jordan. The NBA and Nike really protected MJ's image against any critics. I love MJ but he was no saint.


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## LamarButler (Apr 16, 2005)

Same ol story, Tmacs team is up 2-0 and the series is tied 2-2 just like Dallas.


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## unluckyseventeen (Feb 5, 2006)

McGrady's shot selection is what should offend Houston fans. He has no problem throwing up contested 20-footers all game long. When he goes to the basket, he gets fouled and sometimes converts. I think this would be obvious to him by now. Either that, or he just doesn't even give a **** enough to try.


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## Prolific Scorer (Dec 16, 2005)

Utah's playing great defense 3 out of 4 games.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

unluckyseventeen said:


> McGrady's shot selection is what should offend Houston fans. He has no problem throwing up contested 20-footers all game long. When he goes to the basket, he gets fouled and sometimes converts. I think this would be obvious to him by now. Either that, or he just doesn't even give a **** enough to try.


all year long man. Believe me, we all know what you're talking about. And sometimes we wonder why he does that.


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## JerryWest (Jun 24, 2002)

@[email protected] said:


> How about your superior Kome, 1-10 in 4th Q?
> At least Tmac'Rockets lead Utah 2-0, your pathetic Kome'lakers 0-1 against suns, its more like a 5 games at most!:yay:


Even with the best center in the league, excellent role players, Tmac will choke and not make it out of the 1st round as usual.


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## eymang (Dec 15, 2006)

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8RtGzevZV1Y"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8RtGzevZV1Y" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

Hmph.


So much for his Adidas commercial.


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## Amareca (Oct 21, 2002)

He is lucky Dallas has locked up the "joke of the year" award already.


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

He just doesn't have it mentally. Doesn't know when to take over and be the stud.


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## LamarButler (Apr 16, 2005)

Ok, its offically on T-Mac.


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## eymang (Dec 15, 2006)

Kind of laughed/smirked when asked about this in the post game, then broke down and left in the next question (asking him if he needed another shot creator)


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## Air Jordan 23 (Dec 12, 2006)

Amareca said:


> He is lucky Dallas has locked up the "joke of the year" award already.



:lol:


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## unluckyseventeen (Feb 5, 2006)

OneBadLT123 said:


> all year long man. Believe me, we all know what you're talking about. And sometimes we wonder why he does that.


Dude, friend or foe, I absolutely cannot stand cockiness or an "It's all about me attitude." McGrady played like a 'tard the whole series and would have been very fortunate to make it out of the series. It just makes me mad when players do this and completely let down their teammates. If you're going to be Superman, at least do your job with your best effort. Don't huck up contested jumpshots all game... no wonder his teammates look so bad - he doesn't even give them a chance when his mentality is to run off one screen then throw up a bad jumpshot.


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

HKF said:


> He just doesn't have it mentally. Doesn't know when to take over and be the stud.


Exactly he shot poorly all series against a slower Giracek, a smaller fisher and a slower AK. The Jazz don't even have shot blockers other than AK who wasn't a huge factor in the series. 

Kobe would have killed that sorta team. Wade. 

Tmac just lacks the poise and guts it takes to get it done. 

This isn't a new development though he needs to become some teams 2nd option a team would be better off that way.


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

Damn T-Mac was about to cry. LOL


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## Pimped Out (May 4, 2005)

he's right about one thing. its on him. if i were him, i would avoid going out in public in houston for a while.

he should also avoid things like fish, chicken, or anything else with bones. maybe just stick with marshmallows


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## HB (May 1, 2004)

I feel bad for dude. He couldnt even look into the camera


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## unluckyseventeen (Feb 5, 2006)

I also am not going to patronize him during a tough time. There's no point in being an *** just because there's somebody suffering in front of you.


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## Nate505 (Aug 22, 2003)

Kuskid said:


> Is this not counting when he does it in the next like week or two?


A week or two in 2008? 2009?? 2010?


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## Nate505 (Aug 22, 2003)

RoddneyThaRippa said:


> Tracy went nuts in the second half. What are you talking about?
> 
> The Jazz have given me no reason to believe they can get a game in this series.


Wow, even after the first game where the Jazz were up by 10 at the half that is an, well, let me say, odd comment.

Now it is just hysterical.


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## Pimped Out (May 4, 2005)

Amareca said:


> He is lucky Dallas has locked up the "joke of the year" award already.


this might be the truest thing you have ever posted


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

His comments should have been "Futuristxen, on behalf of the Houston Rockets and our fans, I'd like to appologize for our harsh treatment when you rightly said that the team as presently coached and constructed would again be primed for a post season disapointment, and another summer of overhype".

Appology accepted Rockets fans. Appology accepted.

Now do the smart thing and let your loser coach walk. Trade T-mac for the right pieces around Yao, and make a serious run at a title, before it's too late(it may already be).


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## Jizzy (Aug 24, 2005)

Can't help but feel bad for the guy.


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## Jizzy (Aug 24, 2005)

unluckyseventeen said:


> I also am not going to patronize him during a tough time. There's no point in being an *** just because there's somebody suffering in front of you.



That's really classy of you. I was hoping no one would take the opportunity to poke fun at T-Mac and seem like an *******.


I hope no one else finds it right to start jabbing at T-Mac.


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## Jizzy (Aug 24, 2005)

futuristxen said:


> His comments should have been "Futuristxen, on behalf of the Houston Rockets and our fans, I'd like to appologize for our harsh treatment when you rightly said that the team as presently coached and constructed would again be primed for a post season disapointment, and another summer of overhype".
> 
> Appology accepted Rockets fans. Appology accepted.
> 
> Now do the smart thing and let your loser coach walk. Trade T-mac for the right pieces around Yao, and make a serious run at a title, before it's too late(it may already be).



I doubt you were the only person who said that.


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## Pimped Out (May 4, 2005)

futuristxen said:


> His comments should have been "Futuristxen, on behalf of the Houston Rockets and our fans, I'd like to appologize for our harsh treatment when you rightly said that the team as presently coached and constructed would again be primed for a post season disapointment, and another summer of overhype".
> 
> Appology accepted Rockets fans. Appology accepted.
> 
> Now do the smart thing and let your loser coach walk. Trade T-mac for the right pieces around Yao, and make a serious run at a title, before it's too late(it may already be).


i like how you are pretending to have been right all along. a year ago, didnt you say that yao was a player you could never build around and the rockets would have a better chance to win if they put big z next to tmac?


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## bronx43 (Dec 9, 2005)

futuristxen said:


> His comments should have been "Futuristxen, on behalf of the Houston Rockets and our fans, I'd like to appologize for our harsh treatment when you rightly said that the team as presently coached and constructed would again be primed for a post season disapointment, and another summer of overhype".
> 
> Appology accepted Rockets fans. Appology accepted.
> 
> Now do the smart thing and let your loser coach walk. Trade T-mac for the right pieces around Yao, and make a serious run at a title, before it's too late(it may already be).


I would trade Tmac in a heartbeat if anyone would take his crippled back and $16 million salary. There is absolutely nothing that Houston can do to unload McGrady. 
As for JVG, the only good coach still available is Rick Adelman. I'm not impressed by Adelman, but if he can shake up our stagnant offense, it might be a good move. 
What other "pieces" do you suggest for the Rockets?


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## Pimped Out (May 4, 2005)

Jizzy said:


> That's really classy of you. I was hoping no one would take the opportunity to poke fun at T-Mac and seem like an *******.
> 
> 
> I hope no one else finds it right to start jabbing at T-Mac.


can i take jabs at him?


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## Jizzy (Aug 24, 2005)

Pimped Out said:


> can i take jabs at him?



Only if it makes you feel better, bro.


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## LamarButler (Apr 16, 2005)

Yea, I think Houston should trade T-Mac. He doesn't have the aggressiveness needed. I don't know who he would fetch though. Teams don't usually make lateral trades like say, Ray Allen for T-Mac.


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## Jizzy (Aug 24, 2005)

I don't think they should trade T-Mac. The supporting cast needs a changeup however. Yao and T-Mac is a great foundation but they need more. Shane Battier is a good player but Rafer Alston is a backup, Chuck hayes is a backup and Juwan Howard doesn't help. They need to get more athletic at every position and build a bench.


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## Rocket Man (Jun 10, 2005)

futuristxen said:


> His comments should have been "Futuristxen, on behalf of the Houston Rockets and our fans, I'd like to appologize for our harsh treatment when you rightly said that the team as presently coached and constructed would again be primed for a post season disapointment, and another summer of overhype".
> 
> Appology accepted Rockets fans. Appology accepted.
> 
> Now do the smart thing and let your loser coach walk. Trade T-mac for the right pieces around Yao, and make a serious run at a title, before it's too late(it may already be).


How would we know that you would come in with your hater attitude. EDIT


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## SheriffKilla (Jan 1, 2004)

havent we already seen what happens to the rockets w/o t-mac...

they will have a horrible record w/o him
Yao is good but only because there are no Centers in the league with any sort of offensive game but he was way worse in this series than mcgrady....

they need to get rid of van gundy and get a PF...


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## mippo (Apr 27, 2005)

Kuskid said:


> Is this not counting when he does it in the next like week or two?


Swing swing!


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## Raxel (Nov 10, 2004)

fjkdsi said:


> havent we already seen what happens to the rockets w/o t-mac...
> 
> they will have a horrible record w/o him
> Yao is good but only because there are no Centers in the league with any sort of offensive game but he was way worse in this series than mcgrady....
> ...



Trading T-mac is not like dropping him for free. T-mac is NOT the one and only player in the whole NBA league who can bring Rockets some winning.


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## JerryWest (Jun 24, 2002)

KennethTo said:


> Even with the best center in the league, excellent role players, Tmac will choke and not make it out of the 1st round as usual.


Haha, boy did I call it correctly, TMac not past 1st round, what the excuses people will make up for him this time.


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## Silk (May 21, 2002)

Excellent role players? You've got to be kidding. Do you think upper echelon teams like Phoenix, San Antonio, and Detroit drool to have players like Rafer Alston and Chuck Hayes? Please.

TMac didn't choke in that 7th game - he played very well. It's a team game, not a one-player game. Blaming one player as the "choker" is ridiculous.

Kevin Garnett took seven years to get out of the first round. When he finally got out, he was the MVP and took the Timberwolves to the Western Finals. What excuses did his doubters make up for him when that happened? TMac's career isn't over yet.


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## unluckyseventeen (Feb 5, 2006)

Silk said:


> Excellent role players? You've got to be kidding. Do you think upper echelon teams like Phoenix, San Antonio, and Detroit drool to have players like Rafer Alston and Chuck Hayes? Please.
> 
> TMac didn't choke in that 7th game - he played very well. It's a team game, not a one-player game. Blaming one player as the "choker" is ridiculous.
> 
> Kevin Garnett took seven years to get out of the first round. When he finally got out, he was the MVP and took the Timberwolves to the Western Finals. What excuses did his doubters make up for him when that happened? TMac's career isn't over yet.


Van Gundy's offense needs an enema. Their offense is way too slow and predictable to expect them to succeed. With a change in that department, they would have won this series.


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## Pimped Out (May 4, 2005)

Silk said:


> Excellent role players? You've got to be kidding. Do you think upper echelon teams like Phoenix, San Antonio, and Detroit drool to have players like Rafer Alston and Chuck Hayes? Please.
> 
> TMac didn't choke in that 7th game - he played very well. It's a team game, not a one-player game. Blaming one player as the "choker" is ridiculous.
> 
> Kevin Garnett took seven years to get out of the first round. When he finally got out, he was the MVP and took the Timberwolves to the Western Finals. What excuses did his doubters make up for him when that happened? TMac's career isn't over yet.


according to one hater on this board, sam cassell carried that team


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

no, the haters went away after that year, then now they're starting to come back and say that Cassell was the best player on that team. Cassell _was_ fantastic that year though. My favorite pick/pop combo because both players were deadly from mid-range so trying to guard it was a complete nightmare.


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## Silk (May 21, 2002)

I always felt Van Gundy's offensive scheme tended toward too much rigidity.

Houston also severely lacks ballhandling ability. TMac had to be a top scorer as well as the team's leading ballhandler.

The question is what direction the team should take next. Yao will never be able to run up and down the court like a gazelle, but it's clear that the plod-along offense has deficiencies. A few analysts were describing how the Spurs have been able to mix up half-court offense with alternating bursts of quickness to help Duncan out, who isn't a runner. Houston could possibly be able to get out of the first round if they mixed it up more like San Antonio. The only problem is, Houston doesn't have a guard like Tony Parker. Rafer Alston is a joke and shoots an atrocious field goal percentage (37.5% in the regular season, 33.8% in the playofs). There is no legitimate third option after TMac and Yao. Battier comes close, but his offensive game is limited to mostly outside shots. He's more of a defensive specialist. Then there's Luther Head, who shot 30.6% in the playoffs on field goals and can hit nothing but wide open threes..but it's TMac who choked, of course, not Rafer Alston and Luther Head with their masterful shooting percentages.


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## JerryWest (Jun 24, 2002)

Silk said:


> Excellent role players? You've got to be kidding. Do you think upper echelon teams like Phoenix, San Antonio, and Detroit drool to have players like Rafer Alston and Chuck Hayes? Please.
> 
> TMac didn't choke in that 7th game - he played very well. It's a team game, not a one-player game. Blaming one player as the "choker" is ridiculous.
> 
> Kevin Garnett took seven years to get out of the first round. When he finally got out, he was the MVP and took the Timberwolves to the Western Finals. What excuses did his doubters make up for him when that happened? TMac's career isn't over yet.


His supporting cast was touted as being one of the best in pre-season when people were calling TMac to make it to the finals with Yao. Shane is one of the premier wing defenders in the league and the rest of his game is solid as well. Mutumbo is a great anchor in the middle though old. That's the way it always is with McGrady though, it's always excuses being made for him after the fact.

Next year, TMac will get knocked out of the playoffs in the first round again, despite having Yao Ming. Watch, TMac not out of the 1st round again.


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## LamarButler (Apr 16, 2005)

Houston can get faster. Yao is definitely not suited for fast breaks, but Houston can still play with more speed. Coaches will always tell you that the perfect fastbreak is the PG down the middle handling the ball, SG and SF in the wings running the lanes, the PF trailing the PG, and the C staying back. Even the Showtime Lakers, they primarily ran the fastbreak and would beat you that way, but they were killer in the halfcourt with Kareem.


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