And now we will have basketball.



For all of the crap that Dirk Nowitzki has taken (and yes, he deserved a lot of it), Tracy McGrady needs to be questioned even more.
For years this guy has been touted as one of the premier players in the league. Some would even argue that he is better than Kobe Bryant. However, he has never been out of the first round of the playoffs. He had a solide game tonight, 29 pts. and 13 assists, but it wasn't enough...again.
They were playing a Jazz team that they should have beaten. They were up 3-2 on the Jazz and McGrady had two chances to beat them including one game at home. McGrady I believe is cursed. Ever since being up 3-1 against the Pistons when he played with the Magic, he hasn't been able to get out of the first round. Dirk on the other hand has led his team to the Finals.
McGrady however can't lead and will once again go through another summer answering the question, "why can't you get out of the first round?" Dirk will go through another summer answering questions too, but at least he knows he can do it. At least he has history on his side and can come back with a vengeance. McGrady on the other hand has to really wonder if he can do it. Perhaps he has to wonder if the Rockets are the right team for him.
With Dallas going out in the first round, Houston really needed to win tonights game. McGrady needed to look at the situation and realize that if he won the game, he could easily beat the tired Warriors and go onto the WCF. Instead he does just enough to lose and not enough to win. Game 6 against the Warriors was not the biggest game of Nowitzki's career. I believe the next time he gets back to the Finals (and yes, he will get back there) will be his biggest. Tonight was McGrady's biggest game ever, and he lost. So while Dirk will get a lot if criticism this summer, just remember who else deserves it, maybe even more.
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categories: NBA, NBA Playoffs, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Dirk Nowitzki, Tracy McGrady

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54fulltiltfulltimeMay 5, 200710:47 PM
Are you kidding, it's not even close.I defy you to name me a more pathetic performence in a playoff series by an alleged MVP player. 8 points in a win or go home game? Very,very weak. And people still have the gall to compare Nowitzki to Larry Bird? More like Larry Fine. Stop making excuses for this guy. He's soft deal with it. Dirk will never be "the man".

PardonTheIntrusionMay 5, 200711:03 PM
Never be the man? When he lead his team to the Finals he was the man. I am not going to let 1 playoff series define him as a person. I remember Dennis Johnson losing in the playoffs with a BLEEP poor performance and then the next year led the Sonics to a championship.McGrady on the other hand has done nothing and he is suppose to be one of the best players in the league. What has he done in the post season? Exactly, and while Dirk sucked this year, he has been the man in previous post season. That is the point of this post, sorry you missed that.

NashtyBallMay 5, 200711:22 PM
I have to agree with 54fulltime here. I think Dirk's performance in the post season was one level away from shameful. He did have one shining moment when he single-handidly led the Mavs to victory in Game 5 with 2 big 3's, a big block and some solid free throws. For a guy who was touted as being the "best player of the best team" that should not be his only highlight of the series. I just didn't see where McGrady can improve his game any more. Unfortunately for McGrady, Utah is simply a better team than Houston. The question is, is Golden State a better team than Mavericks? This match up was a team that was barely .500 vs. a .800+ team. NOBODY besides the hardcore fans were expecting this downfall. And that is what is so telling about Dirk. He completely failed to provide leadership and play with heart day in and day out. There were multiple games where he appeared like he was scared of maintaining possession of the ball. In contrast, McGrady was going to hoop, playing hard and playing smart day in and day out (well, except for when he didn't foul Krilenko at the end of game 7... what was that??)

Favre81May 5, 200711:34 PM
It's great. With the exception of Lebron James. All the one on one, Superstar, isolation basketball players are out of the playoffs. Spread the floor go one on one. Get a basket or get the refs to make a call. No listening the Barkley go you have to have a go to guy who can score or get the calls in the 4th quarter. To win in the playoffs. Sorry Charles but Wade, Bryant, McGrady, Anthony, and Iverson are gone. Team basketball over selfish, ego driven games. Is this really the NBA. Maybe Stern hasn't completly ruined the game promoting superstars. Nash is the MVP. You idiots. Nowitki is just a 7 footer who can shoot.

NashtyBallMay 5, 200711:55 PM
LOL... them are strong words Favre! But I'm eatin em' all up! How can anyone not like the game teams like the Suns and Golden State play?? It's been regarded as fun to watch but always a losing style in the playoffs. Well, what are all the critics going to say when this set of playoffs ends and all that's left are the teams that had depth, strong ball movement and agility?

ea7777May 6, 200712:20 AM
Hey Favre81, you have it all right on this one.This is a team sport ! Not hard to figure way back in the sexies a Celtic Team made great players from team ball. They won 9 NBA Championships.Don't think there was some great superstars just like LA,Houston,Miami,Dallas and Cleveland has now.They loss to team ball.The Suns are Team Ball. San Antonio are team ball,Golden st. are team ball. Utah,Detroit,Chicago,NJare tem ball.Cleveland goes down next. LB, KB AND TM will all have to find what Nash has ! A supporting cast.

The_Golden_OneMay 6, 20072:50 AM
Ok, and this coming from a huge, Dallas born Mavericks, fan, T-Mac definately does not compare to the upsetting performance by Dirk, He performed fine, minus 2 20-ft jumpers late in the game, and sure his free throws arent exactly great, but he still had double digits in pts, and assist, so he did what great players do, showed up, and dirk, well he was just messed up mentally, the warriors got in his head early with great D, and stayed there, minues the the 9 minutes that Dirk finally realized he was a leader in game 5 (which by the way he forgot that by the time game 6 came). I can't even believe you are studying to be a journalist and think dirk has less to answer, with the supporting cast he had and a 67-win record down the drain, than T-mac, with a midiocre team. Now on to the people bashing Dirk, yes he failed as a leader, yes he choked, but would the mavs have had 67 without him? And that 7 footer who can "just shoot" beat every "big" guy this season so you can't take away his position credit, its just a different style. He is MVP material, as is Nash, but nobody can deny him his credit for carrying this team until they met the one team that beat them all year (I don't see how the world was shocked when the coach that turned the Mavs into what they are, BEAT THE MAVS), but yeah....that's it

ea7777May 6, 20078:01 AM
Hey, every one has slumps ! Every one ! They just picked the wrong time of the year to do this.I'm glade my Suns faded around fourteen games before the playoffs. I'm not a Dirk fan he crys too much for me. He does however play like my past PHX Sun Tom Chambersand looks alot like Jack Sikma of old Seattle also Dan Essel too of old Denver. All these guys are simular. They were all talented too. Coach Avery, Heck he is a real stand up guy. I like the way he talks. Smart guy. He too messed up some in game one going small, but he still is not the player. His players just did not respond to him. He is still the coach that got them to the finals a year ago.Bottom line !!!!!!!! They choked and did not handle the pressure. Golden St came out on fire to add to the injury. Wrong time to have a slump, wrong team ! By the way any other team in the playoffs would had their hands full with these guys. I just hope they cool off alittle by the time the Suns play them ! LOLSUNS BLITZ

slshuskerMay 6, 20073:47 PM
TM has had a long term record of being on choking teams. Dirk hasn't.First, which would you pick, TM or Dirk.The whole question is crap.They're both great players.Dirk played like pig poop in game seven @ GState.TM faded vs the Jazz.Still, they're both great players.Finger pointing is not necessary.I'll take Dirk over TM by a couple whiskers.

HoffmanMay 6, 20075:23 PM
They're both great players.Dirk deserves credit for getting to the Finals but with the up and coming talent in the West, he's not a lock to get back.Dallas needs to bolster their defense. Their improvement on the defensive side of the ball was exaggerated.It's extremely unfortunate that T-Mac has never gotten out of the first round. I feel for him because he is a great player. Last edited by Hoffman on May 6th at 5:36 PM.

slshuskerMay 6, 20075:33 PM
Let's not bury Dirk and Dallas.GState played FAR above their season averages.Don Nelson is a great motivator for a series.Baron was unconscious during the series and prior and was quiet until the last month of the season.GState peaked at the right time and stepped it up vs. Dallas. End of story.This is not one of the great upsets.

rickoMay 6, 20077:14 PM
First of all, as I've said, Dirk is not the problem in Dallas. They are at a severe coaching disadvantage, no matter who they face. Secondly, I would take McGrady over Nowitzki in a heartbeat, as I think most would. It's a team game, not an individual game, and T-Mac would fit in admirably with almost any team. Dirk? Well, unless there's a sudden huge demand for seven footers who play on the perimeter, I don't think he fits in too well.

Gl1093May 6, 20077:20 PM
hoffman - u say that dirk deserve credit for taking his team to the finals. there one problem with that - the mavs lost the finals! so does dirk take the whole blame for taking his team and losing in the finals?

May 6, 20077:28 PM
i laugh at this...because the fact of the matter is the so called to be MVP, DIRK!!!!! and the mavs were touted as the best team and picked to win it all. Yes McGrady had expectations put upon him but saying Mcgrady, a future hall a famer, is in the same boat or worse then dirk is saying that Mcgrady choked is stretching it. and dont sleep on Utah they are a really good team... do you think golden state will not have trouble with this team???

phinfan4lifMay 6, 20077:28 PM
PardonTheIntrusion? since you are a biased Mavs fan, shouldn't this blog be on a Mavs website?TMac was right, I watched the series and utah was a better team. They had more options than TMac and Yao (apparantly the only two players on the Rockets). Alston, in my opinion is the one of the worst players in the league. He makes more bad plays than good plays. Unfortunately TMac has never had even one other good players on any of his teams other than when he was a pup in Toronto. Yao is extremely slow and soft. Did anyone see Boozer jump over him from behind and rebound (without fouling) over Yao with about 20 sec left. That was pathetic. I too would take TMac over Dirk but they are both great players. Van Gundy made a good point about his (old) team: it's easy to win a bunch of games in the regular season with an average team by outworking other teams most nights, but that ends in the playoffs. Especially against a better coached team.

harley69May 6, 20077:45 PM
The biggest problem with both T-mac and Dirk are they have no idea what being a team player means.McGardy didnt choke he had a great game he just couldn't keep up with Boozer. Everyone counted out the Jazz. GO JAZZ. They will win Golden State

bassda1May 6, 20077:53 PM
I feel u on this blog about Dirk goin deep in the playoffs and Mcgrady not gettin past tha first round, but my dude to be honest everytime Mcgrady made it to the playoffs he showed up. Im not goin to talk about all the other years. Im goin to talk about this season, because the soon to be M.V.P. didnt show up at all in the post season. Alright, when his team lost the lead and he bring them back from down nine with 3 minutes left, he made a big block and hit two threes and made a couple of free throws so they could win game five. If u was to ask me, his last three minutes was over-rated. After he hit his second three point shot he only had 23 points ,and the rest was free throws. Besides that dirk didnt show up at all in the post season, but Mcgrady had a hell of a post season. He played his ass off. I admit Utah was able to slow him down at times in every game, but he still played great in every game. Yao played good too, but the supporting cast didnt do enough. On the other hand Dirk didnt play good all post season. Infact he didnt show up at all, but T-mac played his ass off. Last edited by bassda1 on May 7th at 4:31 PM.

LamboleaperMay 6, 20078:15 PM
To begin, both are great players. As a Mavs fan, Dirk did perform poorly, however, give Golden State more credit. They are not a typical "8th seed." In my opinion, they're a 4th or 5th seed. They had a poor start, and with the trade, they needed some time to gel. In March and April, GS beat Detroit, Denver, Dallas(2), Phoenix, Houston, and Utah. It wasn't like they got in by beating mediocre teams. Also, to the people who say the teams left don't have go to/stars players, they all do. Billups, Nash, Duncan, Boozer, Kidd, etc. Anyone can beat anyone. That's why they have playoffs. Last edited by Lamboleaper on May 6th at 8:16 PM.

RealBBallFanMay 6, 20078:25 PM
With the media and sensationalism being what it is today--guys like T-MAC and Dirk are going to get all of the blame when they don't WIN. But please let me reimnd you that bball is, has been, and will always be a TEAM sport. The best players never win---the best TEAMS WIN.

DonElevationMay 6, 20078:48 PM
Steve Nash=no ringsUsually the best defensive team wins which u can bet the suns wont.As far as McGrady...After he blew it in orlando talking bout how good it feels to make it to the next round up 3-1 then loses the series to the pistons and now....The essence of NO POISE!I like mcgrady but this is sad. Dirk played like a little ho against g state. Someone like dirk whom can usually get off a quality shot at will didnt even want the ball in alot of superstar situations. All teams that win titles have a go to guy and dirk should have but didnt come thru. He should at the very least tried....! Also, g state matched up perfect against mavs. Its like an anomaly.And the best players usually do win championships.Bird, magic, jordan, duncan, wade, kobe, shaq, hakeem, kareem, wilt, etc.... and then every now and then u have an all around solid squad like the pistons with no superduper stars that win...but again they had the best defense. And ben wallace was a defensive superduper star in my opinion. Last edited by DonElevation on May 6th at 8:54 PM.

LostChildMay 6, 20079:38 PM
Ok but what about Tim Ducan is he not a super star what about Steve Nash what about Carlos Boozer. They all put up superstar stats and I think there all superstars yes Lebron is the bigest but there all not out. Stop listing to anouncers on t.v. and make your own appinons.

boxster233May 6, 20079:42 PM
Yes, McGrady does not have enough around him. Yes, he could have done more. That is not to say he didn't carry a huge load with 29 points and 13 assists.But he needed to shoot more. He needed to be a scorer and will a victory.Neither him nor Dirk did that. While McGrady being unable to get out of the first round is embarassing, Dirk's Mavs choked away the only Finals chance they will have. Neither McGrady nor Dirk can lead but McGrady should be applauded for changing his game the way he did this season.He should be criticized for not shooting Houston out of the first round. Dirk did nothing to make his Dallas teammates better against GS.McGrady at least tried. Nevermind that nobody else on the team can get to the basket but him; nor can they make 3's consistently.Not to mention, Terry, Stackhouse, Howard, Harris make a much better supporting cast. Criticize TMac for sure, but not more than Dirk. Dirk got the biggest stage and failed. McGrady hasn't gotten there but he hasn't had a diverse supporting cast to reach the Finals.

13PanthersMay 6, 20079:45 PM
Dirk....WHAT?!?!?! He sucked and has to pick up his nuts and ball. I expected more from him and so did his coach! You can't come into a ride or die situation...being an all star...and not command the ball, want the ball, or just shoot the damn ball!!! He did not play like a winner, or a person who did not want to loose until game 5 with around 4 minutes to go.McGrady was trying to win!!! He scored more than 8 points. Last edited by 13Panthers on May 6th at 9:56 PM.

Gmo_NeyMay 6, 200710:26 PM
I have a huge problem with Tracy McGrady being compared to Dirks flop in the post season. Am i the only one to notice that Dirk does not come through in big games? yes, he along with his very capable supporting cast made it to the finals last year...but take a look at what happened...in a game where Dirk was suppose to take his team over the hump and he choked. the post season this year was embarrasing...Dirk plain and simply put SUCKED.Tracy on the other hand played well, except for a few moments when he just couldn't get it done. Does anyone out there feel as if T-mac choked? i don't. i fellt however that dirk had a bigole peice of steak down his throat...HE CHOKED!

SpursFan89May 6, 200710:44 PM
Though I must admit, T-Mac hasn't been as succesful as Dirk, when you account for 66% of the points you team has scored with assists and well as points scored, can you ask for much more? When your big two, T-mac and Yao, account for 88% of the team scoring, how hard is it for any to beat that? They averaged just over 49 points per game and you add 10+ assists per game, it's no wonder T-mac can't get out of the 1st round. Say it with me...no supporting cast!!! One or two missed shots, one or two less assists and T-mac's team is beat. There is no comparison and the author of this blog needs to get his head out of his rear, because you really can't ask for much more. Just look at the stats for the series. T-mac has the Marino syndrome. He makes the teams he is on so much better that they will never be able to get better from the draft, its a curse, but also a testimony to his ability.

MonkeyKingMay 6, 200711:14 PM
Lets see you have your star player scores 29 dishes out 10 count them 10 assists and grabs 5 rebounds and your saying yea that wasn't enough!!! Oh what more could he do shoot 60 like Koby? and your saying that he should be compared to Dirk who short of dressing up didn't even try to show up for this game. Umm which games where you watching? Dallas won 60+ games this season there is no way theY should have been BLOWN OUT like that in a game 7 at least the Rockets went the distance and never quit until the final buzzer. When your so called leader plays like that and shows no signs of even trying to Man up and your team gets its Butt kicked then yea your gonna get fried all summer like you deserve. Yea could Tracy tried to shoot more yea and Yao could have played harder but in the end they fell to a better team watch the games again Utah was a better team all series. Tracy needs one more player someone who can shoot from outside so him and Yao can control the paint then he may get out the first round Last edited by MonkeyKing on May 6th at 11:15 PM.

1steelerfan1May 7, 200712:24 AM
Big congrats to you my man. You made the front page of the NBA sestion of Fox. Well done.

sleepyfloydMay 7, 200712:47 AM
the problem with houston was they got out-coached, Yao is a liability late in the game, t-mac put up numbers just not when it counted- dirk on the other hand just got exposed- for those who forgot it was nellie who scouted and recruited dirk. dirk will now be just a 7 ft jump shooter- josh howard is the future- as for those mav fans dallas lost in 6 not 7- and all the 2nd round teams (except cavs and bulls) have excellent pt guards- something the mavs and rockets lack...

The_Golden_OneMay 7, 20071:57 AM
Ummm King, as we all agree that Tmac didnt fail nearly as close to Dirk, I feel you didn't even watch the Mavs series, Where are you getting this game 7 from? Apparantly you just saw people writing "do or die" and figured it was game 7, but it was 6, please review the playoffs before responding to blogs....Thanks.

ChuwyMay 7, 20072:35 AM
Honestly when Steve Francis was still in Houston and Yao was drafted they became a very good tandem. They both did pretty good when they got into the playoffs, even gave Shaq and the Lakers a hard time. Considering it was their first year together. What the rockets should have not done was trade Steve to get TMac and Juwan Howard. What they should've done was keep Francis and Mobley get TMac but not Juwan Howard. Juwan Howard is just plain weak. As long as Howard and TMac are together a second round will only be a dream just like what happened in Orlando when they had the worst record. What TMac needs is another Power Forward that will demand double teams. Juwan Howard does not demand this but Francis surely demanded extra energy from defenders. Last edited by Chuwy on May 7th at 2:44 AM.

fsebast80May 7, 20072:53 AM
you're right nowitzki is no mcgrady. not by a long shot. mcgrady is better. even while hampered by a bad back over the past few years, i would still pick mcgrady over nowitzki any day of the week and twice on sunday. i don't doubt dirk's talent. he's a rare breed, but so is t-mac. let's just look at the mere fact that tracy is surrounded by only two other capable players(battier and yao), while dirk plays on arguably the deepest team in the league. tracy did all he could in game 7 and then some, while his supporting cast disappeared. what did dirk do in game 7? oh yeah, he couldn't even get there. dirk has led his team to a glorious 4 wins out of their last 12 playoff games. tracy has never been surrounded with the players dirk has. name me one legit player from his magic days. how about when he was a raptor? and don't even say vince because he has no heart to match his vertical. and while yao is a perennial all star, the game is getting quicker, and his slow feet are a liability given the match up, just ask boozer. so before you make an outrageous comment like you have, look at some of the facts. i could go on and on and on, but some people have to sleep, and if i can make an argument like this in a drunken stupor, lord knows what i could say sober.

ReturnofGloryMay 7, 20073:19 AM
I totally disagree. I think both of these individuals are excellent basketball players, but Dirk's team is a lot more loaded than T-Mac's. I just don't see how T-Mac's performance can be questioned. His performance was phenomenal against the Jazz, and I'm a Jazz fan. I think we need to remember that basketball is a team sport, and one player, no matter how good, can never do it alone. Someone else always has to step up at some point if their team is going to reach championship status. I just think it's really unfair to place so much blame on T-Mac for their playoff difficulties. I personally think he deserves a lot of credit for helping his teams get to the playoffs so often. Without his stellar play, the teams he has been on wouldn't have even qualified for the postseason.

KemonoMay 7, 20074:42 AM
omg are you a retard? seriously did you actually watch any of the playoffs? i read your blog thinking you were going to condemn dirk, not mcgrady...why isnt anyone talking about how badly yao ming played in game 7? or how many shots rafer alston missed? or even juwan howard played worse than his usual, luthar head showed extremely little, in fact noone did anything but mcgrady - he was the only thing that kept houston in it, Dirk? dude look at the players he has around him, Terry? Josh Howard? Devin Harris? Jerry Stackhouse? they all can create their own shot, noone in Dallas relys on Dirk to get their shots, sure his points and rebounds are impressive but he doesnt really make anyone better...but is it even a surprise dirk chocked? his go to shot is his fade away, he rarely drives and shoots a ton of jump shots..hes pretty a big version of iverson come to think of it, just iverson passes more...dude i still cannot believe your trying to blame mcgrady...blame yao or whoever, those people who always blame the teams best player whenever a team lose knows nothing about the dynamics of a team...

fkhseagle21May 7, 20074:45 AM
i am one of the biggest mavericks fans in the country and even i can say that tmac's performance in no way compares to dirks.Dude put up 29 and 10 assists.Maybe if he just put up 29 you could say he was hogging the ball, but no he dished it out the whole game while shooting like the tmac everyone knows and loves, or hates depending on what team you root for.He had more assists then steve nash had in last night's game against the spurs.Dirk put up 8 points in a win or go home game six after putting up 30 the game before.Bottom line Dirk should've played like the team leader and MVP that he is, and as a mavs fan and a person who knows a little abouts sports i know that he'll come back next year after learning from this expeierence and win a championship, but tmac played like a MVP and should not be criticized for it.

The_Golden_OneMay 7, 20075:30 AM
Chuwey, are you even aware of how trades and business work in the NBA? Tell me how the rockets keep Steve and Yao and get Tmac? Nobody else on that team, even combined, would have gotten the Rockets TMAC, and no team would give up their star player for anything but a skilled leader such as Steve, So pretty much your idea is stupid and you should go back to the drawing board, actually since it was so stupid, no drawing board, more like a coloring book...

The_Golden_OneMay 7, 20075:33 AM
ALSO, PardonTheIntrusion, You say you would like to hear our comments, well come back and defend this ridiculous blog u posted that even has the biggest Mavs and Dirk fans (such as myself) disagreeing with you....

trapper64May 7, 20077:15 AM
A purist would point out that last year, the end of game two was a gift by the refs - a touch foul that wouldn't have drawn a whistle in college but to ensure that the Magic won it, the refs gave it to them. Like this year when the Joey got stupid with Duncan - the refs & Stern have proven that there is little integrety in the officiating of the game - that the players who generate revenue are benefactors of biased officiating (much like the WWF). When Stern demands that the refs apply one set of rules in each and every game without bias, we will get a true champion each and every year. Till then, those teams that aren't the revenue generators will have to play 5 on 8 whereas those who generate revenue with their "street-ball" will play 8 on 5.

DonElevationMay 7, 20078:44 AM
I agree. On the most part nba refs suck. To much guessing.Im blaming mcgrady because he said blame him if they lose. So i am blaming him.That being said, there are obviously other factors involved in why the rockets lost.Mcgrady is a baller but maybe he needed 35+ pts and a few more assists. I know he had a nice stat line but nba stats dont get u dubs all the time. If i say blame me for something and I dont come thru then please blame me regardless of how hard I tried because honestly you can always try harder.Dirk is a baller also but he is a great shooter......guess what? great shooters need to shoot. The key word is great. Hes probably one of the top five pure shooters in the nba. So for him not to has me baffled. But i wont put too much on this because neither of these teams would have won the title anyway. Also at the very least, Dirk came thru like a true "G" last year against the spurs so I really think he has the ability but he must have a mental block. Kinda like a governer in a car. You know he can do more but hes maxxed out. But we dont know what will happen in the future so they might come thru some other time but this yr is a wrap! Last edited by DonElevation on May 7th at 8:46 AM.

DonElevationMay 7, 20078:49 AM
McGrady also doesnt have the right attitude that it takes. Spurs Pistons in the finals.Preseason favorites.They keep it simple and play crazy defense among other things they do superb.steve nash is now steve gash.

TMac_1May 7, 20079:28 AM
T-Mac has showed up in every game if he was healthy. Don't compare him to Dirk. Where was Dirk at mentally in his series with the Golden State Warriors? Did he contribute a 20+ pt. and 10+ asst. night in their losing effort? Hell no. T-Mac is the truth, and just like any superstar, he needs a team that can contribute and step up whenever the teams needs it. The Rockets have no scorers besides Yao, T-Mac, and Battier. So, don't put the blame on T-Mac. Concentrate on the sorry excuse of an 8-point performance my Dirk. Just unbelievable...and Dirk is suppose to be the MVP????? LOL He even said himself that he wasnt going to be the leader of HIS team, and he's the go-to guy LOL. How is that MVP material. Steve Nash for MVP. I'm out.

TMac_1May 7, 20079:36 AM
Oh and one other thing. Where was Yao at? He was practically invisible on the court until late in the 4th? Get off T-Mac's back. PardonTheIntrusion needs to check his perspectives on things. Last edited by TMac_1 on May 7th at 9:43 AM.

boyyakimaMay 7, 200710:20 AM
As a Rockets fan, i cannot tell u how hard it is to watch this team. Even when they won their 2 championships, the Rockets have NEVER been a 4th quarter team. They have never been a team to BLOWOUT others. i don't believe McGrady is cursed...rather, the team is cursed. Our fans at the game were pathetic. After watching the Warriors fans vs the Mavericks...it's sickening to see that a city like Houston can't give the same support. Nowitzki is not a winner. Winners will play great games all the time. He played 6 bad games in a row. I don't blame Nowitzki for this series loss though...I blame Avery Johnson. He simply got outcoached, and he could've been playing the Clippers if he had thought about trying to win at the end of the season (instead of holding the starters vs their last game w/the warriors). Once Dallas lost Nash, they really lost their chances. Houston will never get there because they freakin' never play to win. it's sad. Both Dirk and McGrady will cry all summer while watching Baron Davis win it all.

demonicumeMay 7, 200710:57 AM
yo, basketball is still a team sport played with opposing teams of 8+ people right? why is it that when a player demands to be paid for his performance - he's not a team player? then again, why is it when a team - as a whole - doesnt get the job done we hear about how 'One Man' didnt win the game?last i checked, Yao was garbage. he can barely get off the floor to rebound or dunk. i has hands of stone on in-bounds passes. he's uncoordinated and cant run the floor. how, exactly, is this Tracy's fault?you jokers need to make up your mind: its either a team game or it aint. either Tracy lost the game 1 on 5 or the team lost it. pick one and get back to me so i know what to think.

JTNEZZMay 7, 200711:16 AM
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE ROCKETS JUST NOT HAVING THE RIGHT PICIES TO BE A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM. OUR BENCH IS HORRIBLE, AND MCGRADY AND YAO NEED HELP. THE ROCKETS NEED TO SPEND SOME MONEY THIS SUMMER AND BRING IN RASHARD LEWIS, AND A GOOD POINT GAURD. RAFER ALSTON AND OUR BENCH IS GARBAGE. WE HAVE BEEN CURSED WITH GARBAGE PLAYERS THAT NEVER MEET THE POTENTIOAL US ROCKET FANS ARE PROMISED. WE NEED MORE ATHLETIC YOUNG PLAYERS IF WE EVER WANT TO GET OUT OF THE FIRST ROUND. I REALLY HOPE THIS WAS A WAKE UP CALL FOR A TEAM THAT HAS NEEDED TO WAKE UP FOR A WHILE. HONESTLY I DONT THINK ANYBODY ON OUR TEAM RIGHT NOW SHOULD SAFE WITH THERE JOB.

EdMay 7, 200711:16 AM
I think we all have to get one thing clear, even though the Mcgrady led Rockets went down in the first round, they did not go down to some chump team. The Utah Jazz play a style of team ball that easily make them the "Pistons" of the Western Conference. To even compare the two situations is just stupid. You take this years Rocket team and put them in the Eastern conference and they easily are favorites to be Eastern Conference champs. The West is stacked right now, so every team in the playoffs are quality teams. Dirk choked and is soft, but Dirk has been soft his entire career. TM played his heart out and he left it on the floor. The Rockets did not have the speed to handle Utah and it showed. TM has had this team on his neck and back the entire season and what happened in this series was not his fault. Besides him and Yao, no other player made a real impact and that's what it comes down too, the mavs have 3 all stars, possible MVP, and 6th man of the year and they lose to the #8? They way the mavs played, Utah would've swept them.

RayRay1010May 7, 200711:54 AM
Im sorry but Tmac did his thing. When u get 12 points from the rest of the team and u r passing the ball. That doesnt mean anything other then u dont have help. No one ask y yao had only 6 rebounds the whole game and if that gaint stick figure could jus grab a damn rebound maybe. Tmac is a leading he put it on himself and he did all that he can do. Tmac and yao r the only ones that can score on that team, and tmac seems like the only one that can get boards. Boozer okur ak47 matt harping and deron williams thats 2 good players and 3 allstars. Jhoward(was great about 10 years ago) battier(not as good as ak47) yao(what okur does but is smaller) skip to my lou(can shoot) and tmac. Dirk cant play under presure. In all of the loses he didnt even want the ball. He would jus stand around and wait for the ball to come to him. Stars demand the ball and come up big when it matters. 29 and 13 with like 6 rebounds doesnt sound bad to me. If dirk would have done that maybe the mavs would still be playing. Now if yao didnt get lit up by boozer the whole series maybe houston would have won.(come on he averaged like 30ppg and 14rpg) Was tmac suppose to hold him and everyone by himself

bkang78May 7, 200711:58 AM
I don't see how you can compare the 2. Dirk and the Mavs were the best team in the NBA and barely showed up in their losses and got beat by over 20 in the deciding game. T-Mac goes 7 games against a higher seed and barely loses and this guy has the nerve to say Nowitzki doesn't deserve as much critism as T-Mac? How can you compare an MVP caliber player basically giving up to T-Mac's performance last night?

SilentSteveMay 7, 200712:02 PM
I also like watching PTI, same with Around the Horn. I understand PTI's perspective upon Dirk and T-Mac. They are both great players but sometimes fall short during the playoffs, when things matter. Both Dirk and T-Mac display great talent but I dont think they have great leadership. But, yes Dirk has lead his team to the NBA Finals during the 2005-06 season. T-Mac, on the other hand, has not even left the first round yet. To me, Rocket's playing style is similar to the Mavericks. They only rely on their star players, like Yao and T-Mac. As for Golden State, they surprised me by playing with their hearts side by side and I am looking forward to the Jazz-Warriors series. In the end, it seems like Avery J wanted Dirk to carry his team with little support, especially during game 6. I love playing and watch Basketball. This is a TEAM sport after all. The better team wins. Last edited by SilentSteve on May 7th at 12:11 PM.

rampantfanaticMay 7, 200712:48 PM
PTI ......... Nowitzki is clearly a player in need of a kick in da' a$$. Were it not for his lack of leadership and even questionning his own abilities. Then I doubt the Mavericks would've been dumped so unceremonioulsy. That was a totally and woefully inept display by the whole team. What was also apparent was that Avery Johnson was outcoached by his former mentor.It can't be said any more succinctly than that !At least McGrady and his teammates made a series of their contest against the Jazz , which is more can be said of the Mavericks ! Check out my most recent post titled Auf Wiedersehn Pet , Sayonarra, Arriverderci, Say Good Bye You Are The Weakest Link ! It's my own onbservations as to why the Mavericks lost to the Warriors. It's written under the rampantfanatic guise.rampant/tophatal ..........

JosephMay 7, 20071:17 PM
Any new starting five will fail to be near the league's top in wins regular season. It takes time to gel. The Warriors were an 8th seed, but by no means the 8th best team. They have 3 or 4 guys who can regularly score 30, the most improved player in the league, and a coach that has won. They're just better than the Mavs. With that said, Dirk folded instead of fought; and, he's a bum for that. T-Mac, on the other hand, is one of the top 3 offensive players in the league. He demonstrated that when asked to make other players better, he's more than capable, but willing (gets a nose on Kobe for that). Unfortunately, no one on the team but Yao can create his own shot. They lost as a result of it. Comparing the two, anyone who knows basketball would prefer T-Mac on his team. Neither will win a heart competition but at least T-Mac can get to the basket and play defense