Best team no one ever saw?
For years, the West Finals used to be the NBA Finals. Now, the East is rising and the way things are going, they may not even hold the West Finals.
The Lakers, of course, rule the West, and the second-best team is… is…
There is no second-best team.
The aging Spurs aren’t what they used to be yet, having gone from Twin Towers to a single tower, with Matt Bonner, a 6-10 small forward, alongside Tim Duncan.
The young Hornets aren’t what they were, either. The Jazz need Carlos Boozer back to see if it can be what it was. The Nuggets are twice as good as they were, which leaves them half as good as they need to be. The Suns and Mavericks aren’t lost causes but definitely aren’t what they were. The Trail Blazers just emailed the doctor who did Greg Oden’s microfracture surgery, reserving the right to sue to protect their interests if Greg doesn’t pick it up.
The T-Wolves are on an amazing run but I’m not sure they’re ready for the Lakes and it’s a tad early for the promising (well, one day) Grizzlies and Thunder, too. The Warriors are deciding between competing and imploding as Monta Ellis arrives and Chris Mullin packs. Sacramento is trying to get Rick Adelman back, or at least Reggie Theus. The Clippers just got a notice from Staples Center to win the occasional game or go back to the Sports Arena.
Who does that leave?
Oh yeah, the Rockets, the pre-season favorites to challenge the Lakers. No, really, you could look it up.
After picking up Ron Artest and Brent Barry, they looked formidable, indeed, on paper.
On the floor, however… well, we don’t really know what they look like because they’ve only been on the floor three times.
With injuries to Artest, Barry, Shane Battier and, of course, Tracy McGrady, they never saw their entire rotation until Dec. 22, when they beat the Nets in New Jersey.
Not that cohesion was an issue but the only other two times they were all there, the next night in Cleveland and a week later at home against the Wizards(?!), they lost.
With all the games they’ve lost (Battier 22, Barry 14, McGrady 12, Artest nine, Rafer Alston six), it’s impressive that the Rockets have played as well as they have.
Unfortunately, the problem isn’t as simple as getting healthy. The problem is T-Mac. Whatever is going on with him has been going on for years, and it’s getting worse.
For sure, his body is breaking down, coming off knee surgery, with chronic problems with his back and shoulder that have caused him to miss 15-4-35-11-16 games in his last five season.
The problem is, no one seems to know how bad any of Tracy’s conditions is, including Tracy.
He’s always announcing he’s shutting it down (as opposed to the Rockets’ medical staff announcing it), then coming back and playing in a game or two, then shutting it back down in another game or two.
On the floor, he looks like he’s hurting, coasting or both. His teammates were sympathetic but their displeasure began to leak out several weeks ago, as when Alston was asked if they were all on the same page, and answered, “Not at all.”
For his part, McGrady, who with his cousin, Vince Carter, might be the NBA’s nicest star players, has been a totally stand-up guy and completely out of touch.
Adelman was finally obliged to talk to ask him to pick it up, in practice as well as in games, noting, “I told him today, ‘There’s going to be times you’re going to succeed and times you’re going to fail, but that shouldn’t have an effect on how hard you play.’”
Tracy laughed it off as a momentary inconvenience, telling the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen, “Kick me when I’m down, because I swear to you, I’ll be back up.”
Tracy also said his friends were keeping him up on all the criticism and the slurs aimed at him. “They know how I eat that up,” he said. “They know how I take that all in and use it as motivation.” He then played 42 minutes and scored 26 points in their next game, a win at Oklahoma City. Then he shut it down, once more. Finally, after another return and shut-down, they announced he would take two weeks off to work of his conditioning.
Three months into the season, coming off surgery, with all the problems he’s had and he’s just now going to get in proper condition?
The worst part for the Rockets is that McGrady is still their best offensive player, the only one creative enough to knit everyone together as playmaker and scorer.
Make that the second-to worst part. The worst part has become that the rest of the dressing room is now fuming.
There was even a report that Yao Ming no longer speaks to Tracy and wants him traded, which Houston press people say isn’t true. Yao and Tacy still chat amiably as they always have, although that means nothing. The Houston guys say Yao is as upset as everyone else.
Signing Dikembe Mutombo to come in and block shots again at 42 was done in part to bring his sunny elder-statesman’s countenance in to help calm everyone.
Of course, with the gregarious Deke’s charm, you also get his candor, as when he tacitly acknowledged how bad the situation was in his inimitable style.
Announcing he would hold a secret team dinner, Mutombo joked, “I’m planning to get people under the ground and into the bunker and we’re going to discuss the problems like Vice President Dick Cheney. Just let me get them into the bunker like Vice President Cheney. I won’t start any wars. And I won’t shoot anybody in the hunting field either.”
This may not have gone over well throughout Houston, corporate headquarters for Cheney’s old company, Halliburton, but then, Deke’s standing may now be higher now than Cheney’s.
In any case, the Rockets have a major issue and it’s not togetherness.
It’s Tracy and unless they resolve it, by getting him over the hump or figuring out a way to get it done without him, they may go down as the best team no one ever saw.
Jacob Said,
January 17, 2009 @ 8:00 pm
hes just not a winner.
dsafsadf Said,
January 17, 2009 @ 8:17 pm
something must run in the family… tmac and vince(cousins) could both have been ridiculously amazing in their respective careers. Sure they are all stars but they could’ve been truly great if they had put in the hard work and not relied on just talent. At the time it didnt matter but now as their careers wind down and they dont have the same energy they used to when they were young, it’s starting to show
yhello Said,
January 17, 2009 @ 9:01 pm
with an 80% healthy tmac the rockets have a chance. ok they’ll always have a chance but their chance at succes is greater with T-Mac at the helm
doyouwantmore Said,
January 18, 2009 @ 1:45 am
There’s a lot of basketball players and a lot of situations they can be in. I think T-mac’s mediocre history (ouch, hurts to even say) is partly an attitude/mental thing, and partly just ending up on the wrong teams at the wrong times. Who knows? Maybe the guy has been playing hurt for so long that we all kind of take it for granted. Maybe he’s one of the toughest mothers ever and his shoulder and knee pain would leave Lebron and Kobe crying like babies. (Probably not, but who knows?)
I give the guy credit for accomplishing what he has so far. These are the kind of players that are the most fun to watch when they break free of all the bullshite and finally win.
austinj Said,
January 18, 2009 @ 1:55 am
Tmac has been playing through injuries his whole career but he has always found a way to come back… I just want to comment on the apparent love affair that critics and commentators have with Chauncy Billups. The Nugs are “twice as good” as they were? Do they think that this has nothing to do with the maturing of Carmelo Anthony, the dumping of Marcus Camby or the fact that they have a legit point guard? There are so many critics that are interested in only the fact that the Nugs are only playing better without AI that they are absolutely blinded to the actual facts… does any one agree that there is some sort of underlying animosity towards AI (refer to power rankings of Detroit)???
tonytonika Said,
January 18, 2009 @ 3:08 am
Vince Carter used to be Half Man Half Amazing, his cousin, T-Mac known as “Half Man Half Season”…..
DANNY Said,
January 18, 2009 @ 3:31 am
tmac is sick with it…hes chronically injured tho…we just gotta see what happens…im not one to question his will, however, and think he can come back and prove all yall haters out there wrong…dead wrong…the truth is u guys are nothing more than speculators…based on recent observation…nothing more…just ask dWAde!
RJordan23 Said,
January 18, 2009 @ 5:14 am
I think it’s with the Rockets staff - the trainers. They need to do a better job of keeping their players healthy.
81pts Said,
January 18, 2009 @ 5:15 am
TRADE HIM FOR A) LARRY HUGHES OR B)STEPHON MARBURY
FORREST CRUNK Said,
January 18, 2009 @ 9:40 am
Someone hook McGrady up with Shaq’s trainers, like, ASAP
TOMMY T Said,
January 18, 2009 @ 10:01 am
The Rockets should give him up, what is it going to take for them to realize that? My first thought is they give him to the Spurs since we gifted Louis Scola to them.
Matt Said,
January 18, 2009 @ 10:03 am
Yhello, the problem is that if McGrady can get to 80%, he still might not feel up to playing. I dunno. Like Heisler said, I think McGrady tends to coast far too much when he’s playing.
WestSide Said,
January 18, 2009 @ 10:32 am
TMac has been a poison to the Rockets. He has flashes of brilliance that seem to come out whenever team management is ready to pull the trigger and trade him. Phantom injuries all the time and no heart. In 7 trys he’s never been out of the 1st round of the playoffs. Houston needs to figure out what Toronto and Orlando (and his current teammates) did about TMac’s heart and trade him if they are ever going to advance.
Brian Said,
January 18, 2009 @ 10:46 am
Tracy is Tracy and the only reason he’s even out there is because he wants to help his team win, even if he does that while being 80%. Mcgrady was the best shooting guard in the NBA in 2002-2004 and his luck is bad because he never had the right teammates to back him up. I mean, he is a great playmaker as you can see in Houston’s games but he just needs some time to recover without all the pressure of getting out of the 1st round. At the end of thedau, it’ll be T-Mac who carries the Rockets to success and everybody who had kicked him down will feel the bitterness. The guy has been second in scoring for the past 9 years and has career averages of 22.7. So with a little bit of lick and a lot of health, the Rockets can win a championship… With Mcgrady as their leader.
Jared Said,
January 18, 2009 @ 1:09 pm
t-mac is yet another guy whose injuries just kept him from achieving his true potential–which, make no mistake, was hall-of-fame caliber. and the fact he wasted much of his early years being bitter and arrogant will always serve his critics well. too late and too beat up at this point.
junjun Said,
January 18, 2009 @ 1:47 pm
tmac isnt playing as he’s supposed to. he’d rather be a good role player than a great star. he’s better off scoring insane amounts of points like he used to than setting up his team mates. tmac needs to get back his orlando magic playing style back because its the only way he’ll get over the first round hump that’s been haunting him for years. he needs to take over games like he used to,not sit back and watch as others do it for him. tmac’s team mentality is admirable,but he’s not gonna get anywhere with that attitude.
when tmac got traded to the rockets,the world thought that he and yao would lord over the west. but poor yao,he’s left with just a shadow of the once great playing style of tmac.
Chap Said,
January 18, 2009 @ 2:04 pm
Unfortunately, T-Mac is the key to the Rockets taking the next steps and becoming a legitamite championship contender. The Rockets have not made the necessary steps in the off-season to fix this 3-4 year trend of an injury-plagued T-Mac. Now they’re stuck in a situation where they must rely on an aging, injury-ridden all-star to help this team reach its true potential. Hopefully, Artest and Yao can stay healthy the remainder of the season; and if the rest of the team can gel and rally around those 2 players, the Rockets could see themselves at least making it to the 2nd round of the playoffs…
JW Said,
January 18, 2009 @ 5:39 pm
He, Vince, J O’Neal are 3 starters on the Soft Star Team. They need to learn the difference between playing hurt OR injured…
Piswgorilla Said,
January 18, 2009 @ 8:46 pm
doyouwantmore:
the doctors know to a large extent and they say he can play.
But he’s mentally weak and complacent, has a hard time playing any other style but hoging the ball, and yes, he was amazingly gifted athletically when younger (even more so than Jordan - believe me:I have seen both of them playing up close many times). But if he had to work for his athleticism… Write that up as a mistake of the former Rox manager (and a waste of time and money) and get rid of him ASAP. It is mind over matter at this level of sports.
yhello Said,
January 18, 2009 @ 9:30 pm
yeah I hear that. someone said in a scouting report of him that the problem with him is he is/was so good that now he knows all the easy shortcuts
manl2786 Said,
January 19, 2009 @ 1:34 am
was a fantastic player and it’s sad that he’s not even old because he’s only 29
Jams Said,
January 19, 2009 @ 8:08 am
All you gotta do is look at his body and you can tell he doesn’t work hard enough in the weight room. Sure its unlucky to get injuries but its clear that if he had strengthened his body when he was younger that he would have been much less likely to have that bad luck. It all comes down to weights.
docgotgame Said,
January 19, 2009 @ 8:51 am
“The Rockets should give him up, what is it going to take for them to realize that? My first thought is they give him to the Spurs since we gifted Louis Scola to them.” —– yup the Rockets owe San Antonio bigtime!!! You can get back Spanoulis and we take back Scola and Brent Barry! Yeah!
Fred Towes Said,
January 19, 2009 @ 9:04 am
My man, my Luba, Dikembe Mutombo, best quote source in the NBA . . . hilarity in any language . . .
Lucas Said,
January 19, 2009 @ 11:43 am
Why are we even having this discussion? Did this writer forget about the recent struggles of the Rockets in the playoffs? There is absolutely nothing here to suggest that the Rockets will do anything. McGrady plays with no heart. Artest is a scrubb. Berry is old and out of it. The only bright spot is Yao and all you have to do with him is attack the basket and it is over with. The rockets will, again, lose in the first round.
Postman Said,
January 19, 2009 @ 7:28 pm
McGrady just needs to get that crazy eye fixed and he’ll be shootin’ the lights out i’m tellin you! It’s 2009 people! No one should have to live with a crazy eye. Stu Scott, i’m lookin at you.
ghost Said,
January 20, 2009 @ 6:19 am
That’s BS. The worst mistake TMac did was leaving Toronto because he wanted to be the “man”. And he made an even bigger mistake when he left a young future Hall of Famer in Dwight Howard for “soft” Yao Ming in Houston who can’t stay healthy. What i dont understand is how can Kobe who has more miles on his knees than Tmac be so good and Tmac can’t even muster an “OK” season.
Dont tell me about injuries neither because i remember KB also had knee surgery 2 years ago and still averaged 31.6ppg on 21 shots/gm. Is Tmac a freakish talent? yes he is. But does he have the desire to be the best? NO! I think not.
I’d like to also say that i think Yao is highly hypocrite for criticizing Tmac taking time off for injuries because if i remember correctly, Yao has been injured the past 5 seasons.
Winkstrap Said,
January 20, 2009 @ 10:49 am
TIME FOR A BETTER ARTICLE seeing as though we are at the half point of the season
the WEST has 9 playoff teams yet only 8 spots : which team wont make it? (now that would be a good article/discussion)
I Think Said,
January 20, 2009 @ 1:50 pm
T-Mac is so over rated and over payed, yeah he is a good player but not as good as everyone makes him out to be. I mean think about it he played for orlando, who else was on that team?? that is why he has the scoring average he does today. I think houston should trade him and move on without him.
junjun Said,
January 20, 2009 @ 2:01 pm
tmac doesnt want to be the best!! he doesnt have the desire that kobe or lebron has. he wants to be a team player,when clearly, he’s much, much better off trying to be the “man”. is he even thinking right?? he’s washed up… sorry tmac.
and about winkstrap’s suggestion…i think that would be a great topic for another article.
i think the playoff teams are:
1. lakers
2. hornets
3. spurs
4. suns
5. nuggets
6. mavs
7. jazz
8. rockets
9. blazers
the rockets might still make it,but mostly because of yao ming. not tmac, not artest. yao deserves better team mates than those two.
PMaz1lo Said,
January 20, 2009 @ 9:55 pm
TMac is a former Magic player like Penny Hardaway and unfortunately
he and Penny have both taken the wrong path to fame and riches.
Penny also lost his motivation until it was too late in his career.
TMac should have learned his lesson from Penny or at the very least watched Stevie Francis, also of the Magic, waste away into a cautionary tale?
Something in the Orlando air and or water messed with these guys and just sapped away their energy and desire.
And according to Kobe, the great Shaq, lost all motivation and desire
after having his fat ass carried to three titles by the amazing Kobe Bryant.
Watch out Dwight Howard. You too will eventually lose it from drinking
in air and water in Orlando.
Tbreezy Said,
January 21, 2009 @ 10:32 am
Get Off His Nuts…At least until the playoffs. If everyone thinks there is a problem at least give the man one last chance to win a series. Yes he has proven over his career that he cant do it. This rest in mid-season might be just what he needs to be rested up for the last 1/3 of the season and into the playoffs. The problem with McGrady is he has never taken enough time to let his injuries heal. Like former Super Star Grant Hill, who never let his ankle fully heal. I see the rockets in top five by the end of the season due to supporting cast they have. They mite not be completely healthy but they for sure have enough talent to stick it out.
(If Healthy) Into the playoffs definitely a contender for Western Conference Finals with Lakers. With a healthy team can hang with them. I’m just saying Tracy’s career isn’t over yet, so lets not bash the man and compare him to Penny Hardaway.
space Said,
January 21, 2009 @ 1:07 pm
ok PMaz1lo-
that was funny.
all jokes aside. i personally refuse to comment on the rockets. why haven’t they been to a conference finals in the last 4 years? gimme a break.
tmac wanted to be the man but went to a franchise that at the time was snake-bit, then they didnt get it and couldnt get anything good done. if tmac stayed just a bit longer he would’ve been there with dwight turkoglu jameer and crew…. sadness
bon lorbes Said,
January 21, 2009 @ 3:48 pm
T-Mac is a very gifted baller, as his cuz VC, but unfortunately doesn’t have the heart like other great players has. I believe he has the mental toughness seeing him do things other players cant do come crunch time. However his love for the game isnt just as much as MJ or other great players has offered. Its not too late yet. I hope he picks it up & be motivated by the passion for the game like Bill Russell, Sir Charles, Pippen, Magic, Bird, Dennis Rodman, Isiah, Stockton used to do night in & night out. & ultimately, ofcourse His Airness who chooses to be Michael Jordan everytime he steps on the court. I missed those guys. For them, its not just about money, fame, even talent but for the game of basketball. Thats what I like about Lebron, Wade, Kobe, AI, Manu. They play with their heart & their heart is in “the game”.
ibauer Said,
January 21, 2009 @ 7:41 pm
Why don’t they just trade him and Landry for Boozer and Kirilenko, or just him for, say, Boozer and Harpring?
ozzie Said,
January 22, 2009 @ 10:15 am
The Rockets are close to missing the playoffs. If they miss the Kings will have another lottery pick in addition to 1st rounder Donte Greene they picked up from the Rockets in the Artest trade. Houston is doing the best to help the Kings rebuild.
YeLLz Said,
January 22, 2009 @ 11:11 am
T-Mac lost all heart in Orlando and even when he is “healthy” i think it is still massively apparent… especially in the playoffs when he consistently settles for jumpers while guarded by people like DEREK FISHER, and other guards who have NO chance at stopping from getting to the rim.
That killer instinct & mental toughness is what T-Mac lacks & is the issue to everything else with him…. period! EVERYONE KNOWS that he is one of the most gifted players EVER in the league but if he doesn’t know it & what to do with it, then it is of no help to any team… (excuse me for this analogy… He’s alot like “Ugly Betty”, poised to take over in his profession but content with staying the over qualified assistant)
NOONE was happier when he came to Houston than me but i’ve watched his child-like “i-can-do-anything-but-dont-have-to-show-it-all-of-the-time attitude” over the past 5 years & have realized that for his own sake he needs to go to a team like the Mavs or Detroit or some team with guys with heart (so he can get away with not having any) and be a glorified 6th man. That will serve that team best & his lackadasical attitude best & benefit both parties…
GOD PLEASE SEND US HERE IN HOUSTON SOMEONE WITH A CHAMPIONSHIP ATTITUDE AND DOESN’T LET THE D OFF THE HOOK BY SHOOTING JUMPERS WHEN HE SHOULD DRIVE & TAKING NIGHTS OFF & WANTS TO GET TO THE FREETHROW LINE… MY GOD AT THIS POINT I WOULD TRADE T-MAC FOR COREY MAGGETTE AND A 2ND ROUND PICK… (we have enough shooters… T-Wac)
sammy blunts Said,
January 22, 2009 @ 5:55 pm
i still think the rockets can challenge the lakers in the west. think about it, rafer can certanly hander fisher, battie proved he owns kobe last year, artest can hold off odom and vich, yao and landry and dekembie can kinda contain pau n bynum, certainly pau bc hes soft n landry is a banger. ROCKETS IN 09
sammy blunts Said,
January 22, 2009 @ 6:00 pm
i just read bon lorbes comment, and lemme tell you somthing, kill yourself. you obv dont know shit about the nba or even about basketball. tmac is ill, and the players you named dont play with their heart, yeah maybe once in a while. have you ever met any of those athletes? im guessing not bc u dont know shit. ive been in the lockerroom while bron was in there and he is a douch bag, he thinks hes madd ill bc hes soo fucking good, he talks shit to every1 and sits there with his sunglasses on and in his underwear and just hands out 100 dollars to people, i mean thats pretty much ill, but still dont try and be iller than you are bc u can. why dont you find out about the nba befor you just say things
Spurs Win! Said,
January 22, 2009 @ 11:05 pm
I am not sure if you have noticed, but the ‘aging Spurs’ have won 13 of the last 16 games which is much better than they did in the same stretch last year. Also while the average age of 29 for the starting 5 (Duncan, Mason, Parker, Finley, and Bonner) is not young, this has also improved since last year. Additionally, even with not having two of the three keys (Ginobili and Parker) at the beginning of the season, these guys are currently sitting with the same record as last year at the halfway point. Now I know that the Spurs only made it to the conference finals last year, but how many teams were watching these ‘old’ guys on TV during the conference finals?
T-Mac is a broken record and a waste of good cap space.
Jon Said,
January 23, 2009 @ 12:59 am
Constantly hurt. No mental toughness. Case closed.
junjun Said,
January 23, 2009 @ 1:19 pm
about sammy blunts’ comment…
you dont seriously think the rockets can match up to the lakers do you??
come playoff time,the lakers’ playing attitude will change. winning teams do that. look at the spurs, cavs..they show their heart come playoff time. that’s what the rockets need. they need heart,and they’re certainly not gonna get it from tmac with his attitude right now.
rafer doesnt have anything on fisher! fish has the experience and basketball iq to help his team win over the rockets. pau is one of the best power forwards in the world,and bynum is starting to get his groove back. kobe…well he is kobe. he can score anytime he wants to. he’ll get past battier anytime he wants to. plus, the supporting cast, the bench. the rockets have a long way to go before they can hope to match up against the lakers. assuming tmac and crew even make the playoffs.
bon lorbes Said,
January 23, 2009 @ 1:48 pm
Hey sammy, call urself sammy blind! Tell me, what does tmac has accomplished aside from the highlight reels & the 1st round exits compared to all the players ive mentioned above? Who you callin stupid? Guess its not me who knows nothing abt the nba.
Elijah Said,
January 24, 2009 @ 8:48 am
I just lost 25 points off of my IQ after reading Sammy Blunts comments… “Sitting in his underwear”, seems like you may have a crush of Bron.
Do The Right Thing » January notes (part II) Said,
January 24, 2009 @ 12:47 pm
[...] miglior realizzatore della squadra, T-Mac ovviamente, la questione infortuni non è affatto nuova. Mark Heisler chiude la sua analisi sulla franchigia texana con una pensiero perfetto per l’intera epoca [...]
bTate Said,
January 24, 2009 @ 11:06 pm
I saw TMac play for years in Orlando. He could get up for big games but coast thru most. Saw some great matchups with him and Kobe where TMac could hold his own as Kobe could not stop him. I believe he knows he cannot win a championship now and has it mailed in. Perhaps a trade to a contender would get him well enough to show some flashes of what he has been in the past. Tracy should be sending Shaq a huge check every Christmas because Shaq made him-like others-lots of money !!!
c money Said,
January 28, 2009 @ 10:39 am
Bon….You are right. ALl he has ever done is put a few highlight reels and first round exits. Sammy, i don’t believe this stuff i’m writing myself, blunts…..go back to sleep guy. The rockets have not been serious since The Dream ended his career last decade. They have a monster roster….unfortunately there are only 3 players on the entire roster that will play more than 80% of the schedule. And yes….they will be eliminated in the first round, IF they even make the playoffs this year….AAAGAIN.