Tracy McGrady...Return of the MAC!!! [Archive] - Message Board Basketball Forum

eliteballer

12-23-2010, 12:08 AM

Fellas, I've seen enough.

17/7/7 on 8-12 shooting tonight in 24 minutes. Pistons said they would hold him back until February.

He's only 31, and between the alley oops dunks he's been throwing down(in comparison to that famous botched dunk vs the Bucks when he could barely get his hand above the rim) I think it's fair to say give this guy 35 min a game and he's giving you 25/5/5.

He's back!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB1D9wWxd2w

Simple Jack

12-23-2010, 12:10 AM

Draz

12-23-2010, 12:11 AM

Man I would love for this guy to be healthy and alive again.

SinJackal

12-23-2010, 12:20 AM

And the Bulls signed Keith Bogans instead of this guy. :facepalm

Disaprine

12-23-2010, 12:22 AM

Man I would love for this guy to be healthy and alive again.
this

Captain Kirk

12-23-2010, 12:22 AM

And the Bulls signed Keith Bogans instead of this guy. :facepalm
:oldlol: Does Bogans play defense though?

Fawker

12-23-2010, 12:23 AM

just short term flashes of days of old.

MayCeltics

12-23-2010, 12:25 AM

:dancin :dancin :djparty :djparty :party: :party: :party: :djparty :dancin

kaiteng

12-23-2010, 12:41 AM

No. T-Mac is still good ol' T-Mac. Raptors just suck.

hoopaddict08

12-23-2010, 12:51 AM

He isn't back.

But he is still a very good player.

I thought Mcgrady was going to be Iverson 2.0 for the Pistons. I hated the signing because I thought we would go through him whining about not getting the playing time he thought he deserved and expected him to be living in his past accomplishments.

Instead, he has been a very nice suprise on a crap season for the Pistons.

Not only is he playing good defense, but he has been very good at making plays for his team-mates. Chicago was stupid not to sign him. But then again, Arnie Kander deserves a lot of credit for helping Mcgrady on his recovery.

I've a lot more respect for Mcgrady this season than I ever have. I really hope to see him on a contender soon.

artificial

12-23-2010, 12:51 AM

Don't rush things though. That's exactly what got him on the verge of retirement.

DaBigReality

12-23-2010, 01:28 AM

:oldlol: Does Bogans play defense though?

Hilariously no. Bogans just...exists. There's no upside to him on the court on either side. TMac would've worked out so much better.

But I see why Chicago was hesitant with Tmac, already having an injured Brewer starting off the season. If TMac came down with yet another injury, the SG depth would be shot. Bogans was the "safe" choice *vomits*

Rake2204

12-23-2010, 01:39 AM

AirTupac

12-23-2010, 01:47 AM

Good stuff TMac. :rockon:

bluechox2

12-23-2010, 02:18 AM

good to see him like his old self

TennesseeFan

12-23-2010, 02:25 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK8sxngSWaU

ronnymac

12-23-2010, 03:39 AM

He had 14 points on the hawks in the last quarter on 4-5 shooting just two games ago and had 15 on 7-8 shooting tonight. He is getting his legs back .BTW hoopaddict08, magnaficent post man.

I was sayingall along he'll be a productive player but RG and his vindictive millions of id's as choclate thunder,disel, in pax we trust and other folks kept saying he wont even be a rotational player.

Samurai Swoosh

12-23-2010, 03:46 AM

CLASSIC SONG ... "Return of the Mack"

Good looks on that one.

:pimp:

As for T-Mac ... go get 'em, son

"While I sing my come back song"

ronnymac

12-23-2010, 03:51 AM

Now he has to keep it up and not go back to being a pass first player again

Da KO King

12-23-2010, 04:07 AM

Glad to see McGrady is getting his conditioning back. The idea that his career was totally over was silly to me. Every time I watched him last year you could see he still had something it was just going to take some time to get his body back in order.

Rose

12-23-2010, 04:09 AM

Go Tracy. With any luck the Bulls can swing a deal for him by the deadline.

apesta

12-23-2010, 05:02 AM

a very good aspect of his game this season is that he is always looking to create for his teammates. he aint taking bad shots like he did before. i think he runs the point the best for his team.

Samurai Swoosh

12-23-2010, 05:03 AM

Go Tracy. With any luck the Bulls can swing a deal for him by the deadline.
Anything over Bogans. Bring back Pete Myers.

:facepalm

HB40TheNextStar

12-23-2010, 05:54 AM

a very good aspect of his game this season is that he is always looking to create for his teammates. he aint taking bad shots like he did before. i think he runs the point the best for his team.

Anyone is a better PG than Stuckey.

Stick it to the haters, TMAC!

Knicks101

12-23-2010, 09:13 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc1ELJF7Pbo#t=0m34s

bluechox2

12-23-2010, 09:53 AM

pistons need to trade hamilton and start mcgrady with gordon off the bench. and trade charle villenuava (mispelled)

ronnymac

12-23-2010, 11:10 AM

They need to keep gordon as a starter. Rip and tmac seem to play well together.

eliteballer

12-23-2010, 04:14 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcZdwz12kR8

Ken_Masters

12-23-2010, 04:28 PM

I'm always checking Pistons boxscores to see if McGrady had a good game. I'm glad they're giving him more playing time and he's making them look good by doing so.

macpierce

12-23-2010, 04:34 PM

tmac looks sharp haha:banana:

eliteballer

12-30-2010, 02:43 AM

21/8/4/3 on 7-11 shooting in 30 min tonight.

DuMa

12-30-2010, 02:49 AM

not even the resurgence of tmac can bring the dead pistons alive again. too many bad contracts in gordon and charlie v to consider them playoff contenders again.

props to tmac though. keep coming back

Samurai Swoosh

12-30-2010, 04:04 AM

I saw McGrady torch the Bulls, vintage clutch style in the 4th quarter against the Bulls too a couple nights ago. He still shows flashes.

UwishUhadWall

12-30-2010, 04:14 AM

I'm rooting for the guy.

ronnymac

12-30-2010, 04:23 AM

For the first time i thought he moved outstandingly well. The fast break that he created where he fed wallace for the dunk was Chris Paul court vision like.

AirTupac

12-30-2010, 04:27 AM

I haven't watched a Pistons game since Billups left but i have been tuning into as many as i can just to watch Tmac. Watched the Bulls and Celtics game recently and I was yelling at the top of my lungs to see the MAC daddy play!

Keep it up Tracy!

LilBTheBasedGod

12-30-2010, 04:41 AM

I hope he stays back for a while. Hard to hate him.

Noah Rose

12-30-2010, 04:42 AM

good to see him like his old self in 1 game
Fixed

ronnymac

12-30-2010, 05:16 AM

Fixed
LOL. HOWBOUT THE 17-7-7 on the raptors or the 15 he scored in the 4th against the bulls to almost drag the pistons over the line of the 15 he scored in the last quarter against the hawks. these games were all within the last 2 weeks. ***** got owned.

apesta

12-30-2010, 05:17 AM

i think his new style of play will redeem a lot of respect from people. im loving his style of play. piston should continue to put him as the point. if he continues to perform like he has, maybe he can be a starter and run the point.

apesta

12-30-2010, 05:23 AM

Fixed

at least a few games now. try and look at his stats for his last few games. besides, the coach is not gonna play him a lot on back to back for now. so his stats will be deceiving. as long as he gets the minutes he have tonight, he will give you similar stats.

ronnymac

12-30-2010, 05:46 AM

jbryan1984

12-30-2010, 08:13 AM

Big :facepalm at Chicago for signing Bogans instead.

Rake2204

12-30-2010, 11:43 AM

He has adjusted his style now. it's more moving the ball and concentrating on being a pass first guy now. It has also thrashed the myth that he was a ball hog. He was a ball hog in Orlando because he had to be when he had no help. In Houston he did a great job at being playmaker and now with the Pistons.
You know, that was one of the things I always disliked about McGrady and I don't know if it was rightful in retrospect. At his peak, he always seemed to be big on firing tough mid-range shots all the time (even though he averaged around seven assists I think).

What I'm really enjoying about McGrady right now is the fact that he seems to be our best option at point guard. Sometimes it seems like he's moving at half speed, but not unhealthy half speed. Instead, it seems like the game's going slower for Tracy than anyone else on the floor. I'm very much enjoying the court vision I've seen from him the past couple of weeks. He's creating the much needed opportunities for his teammates.

And of course, through the years I kind of forgot how effective a 6'9'' guy with handles and a jumpshot could be. When I see him score at the rim, my first thought is "Wow, daring finish." But then my second thought is "Oh yeah, he's pretty tall. He can do that."

ronnymac

12-30-2010, 08:03 PM

You know, that was one of the things I always disliked about McGrady and I don't know if it was rightful in retrospect. At his peak, he always seemed to be big on firing tough mid-range shots all the time (even though he averaged around seven assists I think).

What I'm really enjoying about McGrady right now is the fact that he seems to be our best option at point guard. Sometimes it seems like he's moving at half speed, but not unhealthy half speed. Instead, it seems like the game's going slower for Tracy than anyone else on the floor. I'm very much enjoying the court vision I've seen from him the past couple of weeks. He's creating the much needed opportunities for his teammates.

And of course, through the years I kind of forgot how effective a 6'9'' guy with handles and a jumpshot could be. When I see him score at the rim, my first thought is "Wow, daring finish." But then my second thought is "Oh yeah, he's pretty tall. He can do that."
Few years ago Doug Collins, JVG, Gorge Karl and even the great Magic Johonson all called him the best playmaker in the league over 6'8 and that includes LBJ. McGrady's IQ and court vision is off the chart.

Guys like Hamilton, Prince, Gordon, Wilcox and co are seeing or reaping the rewards of that.Most important factor here is he is on a vet minimum contract.

Samurai Swoosh

12-30-2010, 08:04 PM

Big :facepalm at Chicago for signing Bogans instead.
Very ... I think McGrady would put them on a higher level.

Stuckey

12-30-2010, 08:09 PM

just picked him up on my fantasy

GiveItToBurrito

12-30-2010, 08:16 PM

And the Bulls signed Keith Bogans instead of this guy. :facepalm

McGrady would be PERFECT (and I rarely break out all-caps here) as a sixth man on the Bulls. Thibodeau could actually get him to be a decent defender, with his length and basketball iq, he should be able to lock down most small forwards and bigger shooting guards. He'd also be great as a playmaker or even just a shot jacker with the second unit. He's also pretty clutch and, despite his rep, actually brings it during the playoffs (seriously, check his career playoff stats, this is exactly who you want creating shots against suffocating defenses that don't give up layups). He really needs to go to Boston, Chicago, or even the Lakers.

sosolid4u09

12-30-2010, 08:28 PM

surprised the heat didnt make a move for him

jack612blue

12-30-2010, 09:16 PM

watched him play a few games and it was incredible.

This guy knew exactly where his teammates were and was able to give guys easy looks.

Samurai Swoosh

12-30-2010, 09:19 PM

McGrady would be PERFECT (and I rarely break out all-caps here) as a sixth man on the Bulls. Thibodeau could actually get him to be a decent defender, with his length and basketball iq, he should be able to lock down most small forwards and bigger shooting guards. He'd also be great as a playmaker or even just a shot jacker with the second unit. He's also pretty clutch and, despite his rep, actually brings it during the playoffs (seriously, check his career playoff stats, this is exactly who you want creating shots against suffocating defenses that don't give up layups). He really needs to go to Boston, Chicago, or even the Lakers.
Chalk ANOTHER one up to dumb Chicago Bulls managment.

:facepalm

DaBigReality

12-30-2010, 09:32 PM

Chalk ANOTHER one up to dumb Chicago Bulls managment.

:facepalm

I remember saying instantly wtf when I heard they ended up signing Bogans to a spot Tmac could've (should've) had.

Bogans is a goddamn 10th man scrub who should be getting DNP-CDs on most occasions. But in Chicago, who fancies themselves EC contenders, he's starting and playing 15 minutes a game :facepalm

Now Chicago is trying to whore out their poor, non-existent assets across the league for a legit guard. Fail fail fail fail fail fail fail.

Stuckey

12-30-2010, 09:42 PM

:facepalm @ teams with crap SGs

cant be worse than Tmac when you dont have an above average player on the 2

ronnymac

12-30-2010, 10:23 PM

As i said before, TMAC was a major work in progress. All he needed was for a team to let him come along for the first month maybe 2 so he could get his legs back and now he is starting to really ball. There are not going to be night he goes for 21pts 8 assists 4 steals 4 boards 7-11 fg in 29 minutes, but he'll give you a 17-6-6 night in night out if you give him 30 minutes a night. Plus his court vision and ability is off the charts.

The Bulls didnt feel the risk was worth it and you cant blame them the way he looked in new york. Dumars has known and been friends with Tracy for Years and told him Arnie Kander will get you right and he was right. Kander is a freakishly good at turning careers around.

Gad23

01-04-2011, 07:45 AM

Time to bump this thread. 11 points 11 assists & 9 boards against the jazz today. Missed the game tying 3 though. He's playing a bigger role now, starting and producing. way better that the start of the season.

Clutch

01-04-2011, 07:53 AM

I'm glad that he is slowly returning to his old days.
He will never be as good as he was before but if he continues to improve his game this season he could make a big impact on his team.

foutz

01-04-2011, 07:54 AM

i likings of mcgredy he is of soperstar

ronnymac

01-04-2011, 08:16 AM

PurpleChuck

01-04-2011, 08:18 AM

Hell yeah!
http://www.beliscity.com/images/BigMac-Big.jpg

brantonli

01-04-2011, 08:49 AM

Since Thibodaeu was an assistant coach on the Rockets when McGrady played his (sort of) prime years there, I have no doubt he had some impetus in determining if McGrady is going to Chicago. Any idea if he was in favor or not?

brantonli

01-04-2011, 08:49 AM

Done_And_Done

01-04-2011, 09:59 AM

From the moment T-Mac put on a Knick jersey, I feel many of us (myself included) lost sight of how tremendously talented this individual is. His critics quickly began connecting the pre conceived dots in haste, with allegations stating that he was as good as done while his days of being an effective every day player were behind him. Not to say that some of the doubt or criticism was completely unjust because for much of his time in New York his game on the court reflected that of a man who was vigorously trying to bring back to life the lights out scoring machine that once haunted the league. He simply isn't that 25+ ppg player any more but what makes T-Mac so special is his ability to reinvent his entire game. Whether or not he will be an adamant rotation guy is still to be decided because much as we were quick to point the finger at his supposed decline I will not commit the same mistake with a months worth of solid play. But what has been answered is whether or not he can do it...

Done
&
Done

Rake2204

01-04-2011, 10:17 AM

Whats interesting is what the Pistons are going to do with Stuckey. He is clearly not a PG. More of a SG with a shoot first mentality but the problem is they allready have Gordon and Hamilton at the 2 as it is..
I was having this exact discussion just prior to the Pistons-Jazz game last night. The other issue I have with Stuckey (aside from the facts you mentioned - he's not a point guard and our shooting guard position already goes two deep) is that he's not a very dangerous three point shooter, which I think would kind of limit him at the two. I feel like he's destined to be a Jamal Crawford or Jason Terry type; a guy who just "plays ball" off the bench.

chains5000

01-04-2011, 10:43 AM

Can he turn into a Ron Harper type of player for a contender?

hoopaddict08

01-04-2011, 12:21 PM

I was having this exact discussion just prior to the Pistons-Jazz game last night. The other issue I have with Stuckey (aside from the facts you mentioned - he's not a point guard and our shooting guard position already goes two deep) is that he's not a very dangerous three point shooter, which I think would kind of limit him at the two. I feel like he's destined to be a Jamal Crawford or Jason Terry type; a guy who just "plays ball" off the bench.

I have a feeling that Stuckey is going to be that guy off the bench. He isn't a point-guard, and he just isn't a great shooting-guard either. If I had to compare him to one player, it would be Flip Murray. Just a combo-guard off the bench.

DeronMillsap

01-04-2011, 04:44 PM

T-Mac seems like he's become more of a PG in Detroit, if he signs with the Bulls would he be the PG and Rose be the SG?

ProfessorMurder

01-04-2011, 04:47 PM

I picked him up in fantasy today, he better keep up how he's been playing lately... For at least a week or two.

Bigsmoke

01-04-2011, 04:49 PM

nice album

ronnymac

01-04-2011, 09:23 PM

I was having this exact discussion just prior to the Pistons-Jazz game last night. The other issue I have with Stuckey (aside from the facts you mentioned - he's not a point guard and our shooting guard position already goes two deep) is that he's not a very dangerous three point shooter, which I think would kind of limit him at the two. I feel like he's destined to be a Jamal Crawford or Jason Terry type; a guy who just "plays ball" off the bench.
He clearly needs to be used as a SG but i feel he and Gordon offset eachother. Hamilton is a different case because he moves off the ball and dosent requier the ball to be effective and hence why he plays so well with McGrady and Prince.

Gordon and Stuckey need the ball to be effective moreso Stuckey because he has no mid range game. He is effective when he is attacking the basket.

dwightderon

01-04-2011, 09:44 PM

Sad to see the Pistons in such a mess of a roster after so many successful years this decade.

Orlando Magic

01-04-2011, 09:47 PM

Sad to see the Pistons in such a mess of a roster after so many successful years this decade.

I'm not. The end of the overrating of Joe Dumars as a godly GM has come to an end, and not soon enough it was.

I always told people he was OK as a GM, certainly not bad, and that he got incredibly ****ing lucky over the span of 2 or 3 years. People always told me he was a genius. I knew better. He isn't. Not even close. Love it when I'm right... so basically I love it a lot.

dwightderon

01-04-2011, 09:49 PM

I'm not. The end of the overrating of Joe Dumars as a godly GM has come to an end, and not soon enough it was.

I always told people he was OK as a GM, certainly not bad, and that he got incredibly ****ing lucky over the span of 2 or 3 years. People always told me he was a genius. I knew better. He isn't. Not even close. Love it when I'm right... so basically I love it a lot.
Yeah, the BG and CV contracts killed any chance at a nice rebuilding stage. Oh and Rip's extension. :facepalm

JerrySteakhouse

01-04-2011, 09:57 PM

Happy T-Mac is playing better, still my #2 favorite player in the league!!

ronnymac

01-04-2011, 10:08 PM

I dont expect a big offensive output tonight because he'll have Artest, Barnes, brown and Kobe rotating off him all night. He will look to move the ball. 7 points 6 assists 5 boards type night

MeLO MvP 15

01-04-2011, 10:56 PM

a lot of good teams looks dumb for passing up on him... especially Chicago IMO.. it's funny cuz a team will pay like 10 times the price for someone with equal production...

ronnymac

01-04-2011, 11:26 PM

Interesting how yao's career is over and mcgrady is atleasting re-establishing some kind of career.

Gad23

01-13-2011, 05:09 AM

time to bump the thread. 16 points 6 boards and a nice dunk on rudy gay. He will never be the superstar he once was but he can still play.

PurpleChuck

01-13-2011, 05:13 AM

He's proving so many doubters wrong. I'm very impressed so far. Just wow.:rockon: :applause:

Gad23

01-13-2011, 05:27 AM

Yeah he's been producing while starting but he's not taking lots of shots. Being more of a playmaker. I see him contributing at least a 'grant hill' level. lol.

PurpleChuck

01-13-2011, 05:33 AM

ronnymac

01-13-2011, 05:42 AM

What i dont get is why they dont post him up more. Clearly he can do alotof damage there. remember the Lakers game where he posted Kobe blew by him for a nasty one handed dunk and he destroyed Gay with the same move. Dude is averaging 50% as a starter from the field. Clearly proving alot of people wrong.

Put him in the low block where he'll either draw double teams or he'll just blow by people for some nasty dunks.

ronnymac

01-13-2011, 05:44 AM

For arguably one of the greatest scorer in history to step down and take such a role due to injury and age, to still contribute so much is really impressive for any player. He kept his ego in check and is working hard for the team.:cheers:
Yep. People thought he'll never accept not being the go-to-guy anymore but he has done it. But if people followed his career they'll know he has allways been an unselfish baller on the court.

PurpleChuck

01-13-2011, 05:45 AM

Yep. People thought he'll never accept not being the go-to-guy antmore but he has done it. But if people followed his career they'll know he has allways been an unselfish baller on the court.
He's definitely underrated as a playmaker. A lot of ppl I know consider him as a Iverson kinda player, but he proved that he can check his ego and contribute to the team the way they need him to, which is very unselfish and commendable for a player of his caliber.

ronnymac

01-13-2011, 06:05 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxZRQ1nQ9CY&feature=player_embedded

ronnymac

01-13-2011, 06:07 AM

That was vintage tmac of yester years. His first step is getting stronger and faster and his hops are slowly getting back. Not bad for a player described as finished by almost everyone.

PurpleChuck

01-13-2011, 06:09 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxZRQ1nQ9CY&feature=player_embedded
He's taking care of himself! Your comparison to Grant Hill is spot on.:cheers:

ronnymac

01-13-2011, 06:10 AM

Exactly . He is now a Hill type player who is happy to play second or third fiddel and just score if needed.

PassTheRock

01-13-2011, 06:20 AM

its good to hear TMac coming back and be a good contributor and prove the doubters wrong.

Semi

01-13-2011, 06:49 AM

Exactly . He is now a Hill type player who is happy to play second or third fiddel and just score if needed.
if the pistons only had a first option...
although i watched the game against chicago few days ago and there was nobody who was able to hit a shot and mcgrady stayed passive and in playmaking-style. i like the attitdue but he also has to take a few shots when the team isn't doing anything.

ronnymac

01-13-2011, 07:19 AM

Well the bulls were doubling him everytime he touched the bull in the second half. Also everytime he tried to make a move off the dribble, the Bulls quickly rotated a player infront of his driving lane meaning he had no oportunity to make any moves. The Bulls Coach knows Tracy's games inside out so he acted accordingly in the second half after Tmac torched them in the second quarter.

eliteballer

01-14-2011, 11:12 PM

22/4/5 tonight

DirkNowitzki41

01-14-2011, 11:17 PM

22/4/5 tonight

Nice to see him finally playing well again.

ronnymac

01-14-2011, 11:19 PM

He never lost his immense skills, it was just about getting his body healthy. Touch wood he is finally healthy and tthe results are evident.He'll still be able to give you 20-5-5 a night if he is told to. But at this point he is now happy to be a playmaker and let other guys score.

Penny_Hardaway

01-14-2011, 11:57 PM

Those who were born with skill will die with skill.

Motivation, injuries or work ethic are a whole different story.

Props to Mac.

scm5

01-15-2011, 12:20 AM

He must feel pretty good right now. A lot of teams passed on him because of his injuries and he's showing them that they made a mistake. He would be a great addition to any contending team.

DetroitPiston

01-15-2011, 12:20 AM

I was very apprehensive towards us signing him, thinking that we had enough SGs as it was and that T-Mac wasn't worth it. I will happily hold my hands up and say I was wrong. He's been impressive.

copper

01-15-2011, 12:40 AM

I was very apprehensive towards us signing him, thinking that we had enough SGs as it was and that T-Mac wasn't worth it. I will happily hold my hands up and say I was wrong. He's been impressive.
arnie kander has worked magic before and theres a reason he is one of the best in the business and has been for some time.