100 and counting

From: Lee
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 8:21:51 AM
Subject: Our 100th Post

So, looks like no TMac for our visit to the Toyota center. Is it wrong that I’m borderline happy about this?

From: David
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 8:24 AM

happy? I'm ecstatic - I get to watch more team basketball instead of everyone stand around and wait for Tracy to do something.

From: Lee
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 9:44:40 AM

Agreed, I’d love to believe, and will hold out hope, that his return will mark a change to Triple Double Tracy, which with his athletic ability could happen every night, but I can’t make myself believe it.Can you imagine if he became a true team player? Could another team beat the Rockets?

From: David
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 9:57 AM

If Tracy played like he did in the Memphis game, no one beats us - he's just do whatever it took to win. But I think he has the overwhelming urge to score 25 a game... and will make sure he gets his. That scares me.

From: Lee
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 10:14:55 AM

The odd thing is that I believe he thinks that’s what it takes. I really don’t think he’s trying to be malicious when he does it. It’s almost like he feels he has an obligation to his fans to score 25-30 a night, no matter how many shots it takes.

Newsflash Tracy: I already like you man, just win

From: David
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 10:27 AM

Here's the thing - I believe this is an indirect byproduct of Tracy skipping college to go to the NBA game. He has never really been a "winner" against legitimate competition. He dominated in high school, sure, but anyone who is 6'9" dominates in high school. He needed at least a year or two at a D-1 school to compete against players who are used to being "the Man" at their own high school. Then he would have learned how to best assimilate his own unique skills into a winning team environment. Tracy was always going to be a "star" - you can't have that kind of size and skill and not be (unless you find your way over to the bong too much). He never really learned how to play winning basketball though. And his ego often trumps his desire to win. At the exact wrong time. Combine that with the back injury and the mysterious fear of trying to take layups in the 4th Q - and you have the T-Mac we see today. It's not that he's selfish or a more skilled Ricky Davis. T-Mac just doesn't know how to win AND get his at the same time.

From chron.com today: The trick, it would seem, will be to introduce McGrady back into the mix. The Rockets insist the changes in their style actually began last month before he was hurt, but they clearly have taken hold since.McGrady, however, has scoffed at the notion he will have to adjust, saying that the more balanced scoring will make his job easier.

"Why would I adjust? Nothing has really changed," McGrady said. "Those guys are making shots, and there is a lot more ball movement. They got to make up for 23 points. I tell them, don't look for me on the offensive end," McGrady said. "Myself and Yao , we're going to get the ball and make plays and make shots. You guys stay aggressive.

"It is something positive that came out of this. Guys gained confidence. They gained a rhythm. They are playing well. Hopefully, I don't come back and ruin that."

From: Lee
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 10:52:32 AM

I get what Tracy is saying in that article, but his attitude really is kind of poor around it. He should not have asked why would he have to adjust. He should have just said the rest of it. That all made sense at least. But what do I know? Oh, I know that we’ll be there tonight and the Timberwolves are going to get the wolf shit kicked out of them.

From: David
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 11:16 AM

to follow up on my last e-mail... Tracy indirectly refers to himself as "23 points" when he's out... in contrast, when Robert Horry missed games at any point from 1994 through, oh, today - you never hear him refer to him based on is point production. The absence of winning players reaches far beyond a box score - and is certainly more diverse than just the "points scored" column. Yeah, in the words of Bobby Knight, the difference between winning and losing is always scoring more points than the other team - but how you do that is what matters.

From: Lee
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 11:18:45 AM

Now, let me preface this : I love Robert Horry, I would gladly allow Calvin Murphy’s daughter to have all of his kids. That said, you can not compare the two. I agree, Horry is a winner, but if he hadn’t been, he would have been out of the league 6 years ago. TMac will be in the league as long as he wants playing just like he does

From: David
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 11:22 AM
And if T-Mac wasn't 6'9" and insanely talented - he'd have been out of the league 6 years ago, too. (see also Miles, Darius)

From: Lee
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 11:23:46 AM

That’s the point though, he is, and he doesn’t have to be a “winner” to do it.And last I checked, Darius Miles IS still in the league, though “injured” Bottom line, I predicted 5 wins in a row, and tonight I want to see said 5th win. And I want to see it convincingly

From: David
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 11:29 AM

Levels of winning:
level 1: Shareef Abdur-Rahim (no playoffs, ever, until he stopped being good)
level 2: Darius Miles (appeared in playoffs in minor roles. Still lost.)
level 3: T-Mac (at least got to playoffs... blows leads with regularity)
level 4: Steve Nash/Dirk (consistently good in playoffs, few series wins, no rings)
level 5: Shaq (multiple rings, needs help to do it: Kobe , D-Wade, Horry)
level 6: Horry (7 rings, 3 different teams. This is not an accident.)

From: Lee
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 11:38 AM

It’s crazy that we started this blog just because no one else had one we liked. I’m not sure we actually learn anything new, but it does give me an outlet for anger, so I got that going for me, which is nice. 100 Posts in, I’m still enjoying it

From: David
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 11:41 AM

Yes, it's nice to have an outlet for anger/emotion - and one that requires no real logical explanation. I don't even have to be "right". But it is more fun when I am (see 4 game winning streaks and predictions).

From: Lee

Yep, I enjoy being "right" even though it could easily be proven that I'm wrong. My wife might call that a "Lee Complex"

Tonight, the final prediction comes true, 5 in a row without Tracy