12-26-08: Rockets vs Hornets Game Thread

[King Roosk]

I disagree that Alston would be useless off the bench. I think the way he runs our offense would be more suited trying to hit Landry on cuts and letting Ron do his thing. Rafer just doesn't fit alongside the rest of our starters.

[King Roosk]

mods are as pathetic and useless as the rockets rosters themselves.

go **** yourselves

I'll venture to say that it isn't Vator and myself being "pathetic and useless". It seems like you're a little upset that your rant of a thread got locked. Grow up.

Oh, and consider this an official warning

[ShaY]

I disagree that Alston would be useless off the bench. I think the way he runs our offense would be more suited trying to hit Landry on cuts and letting Ron do his thing. Rafer just doesn't fit alongside the rest of our starters.

Ok useless was not the right term , Brooks can just do more off the bench creating for him self and others.

Alston played very well last game against the Cavs , Adelman is gonna keep him as the starter at leats for now.

I am not so worried about that right now , I am more worried on how bad T-Mac looks and how fast he gets better because we can't win they way he is looking right now.

[TMACFORMVP]

Adelmans rotations are too strict, I'm off the Rafer bandwagon. I've been claiming that Brooks would be the better option coming off the bench with Alston being the more sound starter, but he's too much a liability and doesn't put any pressure on the defense. He's not a play-maker, Brooks is better in that regard, and Alstons defense this season has regressed. The offensive advantages Brooks has greatly outweighs the slight advantage Rafer would have defensively. He's too erratic and has poor shot selection on fast breaks.

Battier needs to sit down, he's a step slow, and not hitting his open shots, he missed four wide open threes tonight when we had chances to take the lead or get closer. We had our chances in this game, can't blame the bench or Yao, they competed, played hard defensively and attacked, but McGrady, Battier and Alston were pathetic throughout and lost us the game. 'I think the game was lost when we lost the mental edge in the third, they took a relatively big lead, we were able to come back and tie, had 2-4 possessions with a chance to take the lead and couldn't. So reminiscent of that Game 6 in Utah two years ago, were playing awful throughout, and had 4 possessions to take the lead and seize control, but IIRC, McGrady had two turnovers and went 0-2 from the field on those four possessions. When you work so hard to get back into the game, and come as far to tie, but cannot take the lead, fatigue sets in and losses like this happens.

It's not McGrady's poor play that's irking people, it's his attitude. He showed even in this game he could have gone to the FT line more if he simply chose to drive more. Literally every time he chose to attack, he got to the line. He doesn't play as hard as players that are his caliber. Sure his injury is bothering him, but there's no excuse for playing the way he did tonight, he simply didn't attack offensively, and settled. I'm afraid to see what happens against Utah tomorrow.

This was a big game for us, it was to seize control of the SW division, and take sole possession of 2nd place in West. We didn't do that, we lose the game and all of sudden being tied for the division lead, we find ourselves third in the division with Dallas having nearly the same amount of losses (and they would not make the playoffs if it were to start today). That's how close we are to the top, and how close we are to the bottom. It was a big mental game for us too, we came in facing one of the top teams in the league, after losing to one, and hoping to rebound, but we couldn't. What concerns me is it's becoming a reoccuring theme, this team loses in big games, and cannot get over that hump. I hope Artest is that piece, but it hasn't really been the case so far, and there's still a lot to be sorted out about rotations, health, and even who is the starter.

Three losses in a row would be awful, we're on our homecourt, Utah is playing tonight as well, and there's no excuse to lose tomorrow.

[smapor]

I disagree that Alston would be useless off the bench. I think the way he runs our offense would be more suited trying to hit Landry on cuts and letting Ron do his thing. Rafer just doesn't fit alongside the rest of our starters.

Ok useless was not the right term , Brooks can just do more off the bench creating for him self and others.

Alston played very well last game against the Cavs , Adelman is gonna keep him as the starter at leats for now.

I am not so worried about that right now , I am more worried on how bad T-Mac looks and how fast he gets better because we can't win they way he is looking right now.

Cleveland is an oddity.

Look at our game today with AB on the bench. AB need 30 minutes. It's time for Ric to make to make lineup changes. I would even venture as far as benching t-mac and shane till they heal up.

[TMACFORMVP]

Oh, and I stand corrected, Dallas would actually be 6th seed if it started today, but it seems they're on the verge of losing to Utah tonight. But that still proves the point of how close we are to to the top or completely falling out. Utah would have only less win than us and wouldn't make the playoffs, and if they beat us tomorrow, they'd tie our win total, and only have one less loss. Aspirations today of locking in a 2nd seed to create some distance and could end up being 7/8th as easily as the same time tomorrow night.

[Baller 24]

STFU , I know just as much as you about this dude so I don't get upsed that he is not showing "body language" when he is playing like crap because he has never show that , I also followed him since his 1st year in Orlando.

Relax bro, its just a small argument that has to do nothing with McGrady's talent, but more or so his personality.

You are the one who pretendts to know everything because you were there with him in his rehab and saw him not doing any rehabd because he doesn;t have to he has Ron and Yao now.

I'm not saying any of this, buy the Doctors back in June 2008 said this, and obviously they know a lot more then all of us; so I'd rather take their word.

I'm not pretending, and I clearly wasn't there with him when he was rehabbing. But I'm just thinking about this both logically and mathematically. He had his surgery in June 2008 and he hand until October 2008; that's what 5 months right? But what gets to me is, that he took a week and a half off, and became a lot better. So that's 5 months then a week and a half. He must have done some strong training in those 1 and a half week for him to come out with a triple double, and 1 assist shy of getting another. I'm just saying man, he could have done that in those 5 months. And another thing that should get you angry, but also me is --- In June 2008 the Doctors said he should be ready and back in shape in 3 months top, and be prepared fully for training camp; these Doctors don't throw out lies, they went to professional schooling for over 8 years, and what these Doctors say is pretty accurate based on how well he rehabbed. Just saying, I look at it that way --- more logical to understand IMO.

And if you knew how to read you will see that I never said he will be 2004-05 Mcgrady again , I said the Mcgrady of last year and the year before.
I said previously that he has a lot of flaws , one of them that he is weaker mentally than Kobe , doesn't have the same work ethic and fire.
So I don't expect him to be Kobe unlike you guys , especially not after he had knee surgery and still is slow and can't jump at all.

That ship sailed in the early part of the season in 2005; but its also more or so his physical conditioning----he's falling off and tearing up due to that from the past, poor physical conditioning.

If a guy loses half of his physical abilities he is gonna suck , if you are slow and can't jump you can't penetrate and even if you get to the rim you can't finish.

In the past couple of games, his body language is whats getting to me, hes doing a fine job of getting past his defender (check Hornets game today); but then he doesn't have a problem getting to the rim, but then he automatically passes outside, when he clearly had shots he could of taken on his own.

T-Mac has regressed physically there is no doubt about it , he lose athletic ability and quickness and some conditioning too , in 04-05 he was able to shut down Dirk or Howard and still be the best player on ioffense by far , he did that in Orlando too but he will never be the same player , you are the one who expects him to be that , I know he will never be that and he is not as good now but he can still be what he was last year.

Maybe---I hope for that too, and I'm thinking there is nothing wrong with him as of right now, but mentally he doesn't seem ready or prepared some games; maybe its the beard nah, but seriously, what ticks me off is his poor conditioning and work ethic, he is a lazy player, and its the truth, his physical trainer in a Rockets guide in the beginning of the 2006 season stated that he worked out tremendously in the summer of '02, but after that he really didn't do as much, and that's clearly regressing his abilities. I'm just saying man, don't defend him if you know its his fault, and he could have done better.

I am just done with both you and TMACFORMVP , I am sick of arguing with both of you.
You are right T-Mac is done the Rockets have no chance of doing anything it will be better if we just stop watching them and cheering for them.

Hey---I'm hoping he pulls through and shows some signs of progression through his game; sometimes it looks like his mentality is getting to him (check Hornets game today, as he was doing a fine job of getting past his defender), but he was being really passive at times he shouldn't be passive. I'm a supporter of him, I defend him--true, but there are no excuses for what he did this off season, if the Doctors say what should have happened, didn't happen, there has to be some fault on McGrady---rehabbing is something you can't take lightly, and knowing how McGrady's skills are training, he isn't the best in this department---and then you see him on the court playing A LOT better after a week and a half of strong rehabbing; I really don't understand, but more or so logically what seems correct.

[smapor]

I am going to say it.....

Injury or no injury, he better make his fk mind up. Either you are hurt or not. Sit or play.

T-mac is done, until he can prove it day and day out. He is done. If he is injured, than he needs to sit and allow Rocket players who can play, play.

At least one thing is clear, Rockets will be lucky to make it out of the playoffs. It will be a damn shame if Yao plays the whole season and this Rocket team self implodes and doesn't even make it to the playoffs.

[ShaY]

STFU , I know just as much as you about this dude so I don't get upsed that he is not showing "body language" when he is playing like crap because he has never show that , I also followed him since his 1st year in Orlando.

Relax bro, its just a small argument that has to do nothing with McGrady's talent, but more or so his personality.

You are the one who pretendts to know everything because you were there with him in his rehab and saw him not doing any rehabd because he doesn;t have to he has Ron and Yao now.

I'm not saying any of this, buy the Doctors back in June 2008 said this, and obviously they know a lot more then all of us; so I'd rather take their word.

I'm not pretending, and I clearly wasn't there with him when he was rehabbing. But I'm just thinking about this both logically and mathematically. He had his surgery in June 2008 and he hand until October 2008; that's what 5 months right? But what gets to me is, that he took a week and a half off, and became a lot better. So that's 5 months then a week and a half. He must have done some strong training in those 1 and a half week for him to come out with a triple double, and 1 assist shy of getting another. I'm just saying man, he could have done that in those 5 months. And another thing that should get you angry, but also me is --- In June 2008 the Doctors said he should be ready and back in shape in 3 months top, and be prepared fully for training camp; these Doctors don't throw out lies, they went to professional schooling for over 8 years, and what these Doctors say is pretty accurate based on how well he rehabbed. Just saying, I look at it that way --- more logical to understand IMO.

And if you knew how to read you will see that I never said he will be 2004-05 Mcgrady again , I said the Mcgrady of last year and the year before.
I said previously that he has a lot of flaws , one of them that he is weaker mentally than Kobe , doesn't have the same work ethic and fire.
So I don't expect him to be Kobe unlike you guys , especially not after he had knee surgery and still is slow and can't jump at all.

That ship sailed in the early part of the season in 2005; but its also more or so his physical conditioning----he's falling off and tearing up due to that from the past, poor physical conditioning.

If a guy loses half of his physical abilities he is gonna suck , if you are slow and can't jump you can't penetrate and even if you get to the rim you can't finish.

In the past couple of games, his body language is whats getting to me, hes doing a fine job of getting past his defender (check Hornets game today); but then he doesn't have a problem getting to the rim, but then he automatically passes outside, when he clearly had shots he could of taken on his own.

T-Mac has regressed physically there is no doubt about it , he lose athletic ability and quickness and some conditioning too , in 04-05 he was able to shut down Dirk or Howard and still be the best player on ioffense by far , he did that in Orlando too but he will never be the same player , you are the one who expects him to be that , I know he will never be that and he is not as good now but he can still be what he was last year.

Maybe---I hope for that too, and I'm thinking there is nothing wrong with him as of right now, but mentally he doesn't seem ready or prepared some games; maybe its the beard nah, but seriously, what ticks me off is his poor conditioning and work ethic, he is a lazy player, and its the truth, his physical trainer in a Rockets guide in the beginning of the 2006 season stated that he worked out tremendously in the summer of '02, but after that he really didn't do as much, and that's clearly regressing his abilities. I'm just saying man, don't defend him if you know its his fault, and he could have done better.

I am just done with both you and TMACFORMVP , I am sick of arguing with both of you.
You are right T-Mac is done the Rockets have no chance of doing anything it will be better if we just stop watching them and cheering for them.

Hey---I'm hoping he pulls through and shows some signs of progression through his game; sometimes it looks like his mentality is getting to him (check Hornets game today, as he was doing a fine job of getting past his defender), but he was being really passive at times he shouldn't be passive. I'm a supporter of him, I defend him--true, but there are no excuses for what he did this off season, if the Doctors say what should have happened, didn't happen, there has to be some fault on McGrady---rehabbing is something you can't take lightly, and knowing how McGrady's skills are training, he isn't the best in this department---and then you see him on the court playing A LOT better after a week and a half of strong rehabbing; I really don't understand, but more or so logically what seems correct.

I don't want to argue and fight anymore , that not what I come here for.
I don't think a week and a halof of rehab is what helped him , he is still slow and can't jump , his knee is still weak but the rest helped some of the pain go away and he can tolerate the pain he has now.

I agree that he is lazy , thats why sometimes he takes nights off and settles for jumpers , right now I feel like that is not the case , he is just not very good right now , teams are still guarding him like he is the Mcgrady of old and he is not trying to do too much because h can;t and we have better players on the team this year.

Thats it thats all I gotta say about this and please lets just leave it along and not argue anymore , I won't get into that in the future either.

Sorry for the way I replied it's just the fact tjhat you said I don't know anything about him and thinks I know everything that pissed me off , I followed since his 1st year in Orlando and know him very well , including all his flaws that were making me pull my hair so many times and still do , but not right now thats I see that he is not the same player for now , maybe forever , I don't think so we'll see.
And I am not referring to Orlando or 04-05 Mcgrady I know very well that he will never be that again.

[ConverseChris]

YO ALFIE
WE COOL?

[McGrady2Head]

Tracy McLazy is heartless, and he is finished