Jordan4life_2007 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Damn, Maurice Cheeks didn't make it to the all-star break of his first year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 7, 2014 -> 01:05 PM) ESPN Stats & Info @ESPNStatsInfo 1h Kevin Durant's .327 win shares per 48 minutes this season are on pace to be the 2nd-most IN NBA HISTORY (Abdul-Jabbar - .340 in 1971-72) We've got this guy and LeBron going at the same time at their peaks. We're lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Feb 9, 2014 -> 11:55 AM) Damn, Maurice Cheeks didn't make it to the all-star break of his first year. They have an unbalanced me-first joke of a roster, nobody is going to take them to the next level. Mo deserved better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Feb 9, 2014 -> 12:00 PM) They have an unbalanced me-first joke of a roster, nobody is going to take them to the next level. Mo deserved better How is Joe Dumars still livin' off of 2004? He's terrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHarris1 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 GoodmanESPN: Detroit GM Joe Dumars now gone through 8 coaches since 2000. Why is Pistons ownership going to let him try a ninth? Unbelievable. Must be nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thxfrthmmrs Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Looking at Kevin Durant today, I can't help but picture how good McGrady would have been if he had better work ethic and put everything together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 QUOTE (thxfrthmmrs @ Feb 9, 2014 -> 01:27 PM) Looking at Kevin Durant today, I can't help but picture how good McGrady would have been if he had better work ethic and put everything together. A better work ethic? Don't you mean a back that actually worked? You thinkin' Vince Carter. From '01 to I say '05, T-mac and Kobe were mirror images of each other. T-mac's body wouldn't cooperate. Had nothing to do with a lack of work ethic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thxfrthmmrs Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 You're kidding right? Even when he was the best offensive player in the league, T-Mac wasn't the biggest competitor on the court, often settling for outside jumpers when he could take anyone off the dribble. He was an All Defense talent when he tried, but he never made much effort on that end. And even Van Gundy has called him out in recent years about the amount of work he has put in when he was with the Rockets. Vince also had the same issue, but I'd take maxed out T-Mac over him for range, playmaking, and length advantages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 QUOTE (thxfrthmmrs @ Feb 9, 2014 -> 01:54 PM) You're kidding right? Even when he was the best offensive player in the league, T-Mac wasn't the biggest competitor on the court, often settling for outside jumpers when he could take anyone off the dribble. He was an All Defense talent when he tried, but he never made much effort on that end. And even Van Gundy has called him out in recent years about the amount of work he has put in when he was with the Rockets. Vince also had the same issue, but I'd take maxed out T-Mac over him for range, playmaking, and length advantages. GMAB. Let me guess - you have to scream, yell and punch guys in the face to be a competitor. Guess what, LeBron doesn't do that either and he might be the GOAT in 5 years. T-mac routinely had those Magic teams in the playoffs with guys like Pat Garrity, Darrell Armstrong and Andrew Declerq. T-mac put up most of his great scoring seasons in the early 2000's which was the peak of defense aka, grab, maul, punch, wrestle, etc. In Houston, neither he or Yao could stay healthy at the same time. I don't know what Van Gundy said and don't really care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowand44 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Durant one assist away from going triple double with 41 points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Feb 9, 2014 -> 02:27 PM) Durant one assist away from going triple double with 41 points. He sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowand44 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Feb 9, 2014 -> 02:31 PM) He sucks. I seriously drop everything I'm doing whenever he's playing. LeBron is still a better player but I'm obsessed with watching Durant play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Feb 9, 2014 -> 02:33 PM) I seriously drop everything I'm doing whenever he's playing. LeBron is still a better player but I'm obsessed with watching Durant play. His offensive game is peerless. Combine that with the efficiency, and we might very well be witnessing the GOAT scorer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thxfrthmmrs Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Feb 9, 2014 -> 02:20 PM) GMAB. Let me guess - you have to scream, yell and punch guys in the face to be a competitor. Guess what, LeBron doesn't do that either and he might be the GOAT in 5 years. T-mac routinely had those Magic teams in the playoffs with guys like Pat Garrity, Darrell Armstrong and Andrew Declerq. T-mac put up most of his great scoring seasons in the early 2000's which was the peak of defense aka, grab, maul, punch, wrestle, etc. In Houston, neither he or Yao could stay healthy at the same time. I don't know what Van Gundy said and don't really care. He got two scoring titles through undeniable talent but yet questionable work ethic. If he had put in more work in his jump shot, use better shot selections, and compete harder on defense, he could be have been hands down best player in the league for at least 5 years, that's how talented he is. If you choose to ignore a comment coming from a guy who coached him for 4 years, and who is around him for everyday of the basketball season, that just shows how ignorant you choose to be sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 QUOTE (thxfrthmmrs @ Feb 9, 2014 -> 02:41 PM) He got two scoring titles through undeniable talent but yet questionable work ethic. If he had put in more work in his jump shot, use better shot selections, and compete harder on defense, he could be have been hands down best player in the league for at least 5 years, that's how talented he is. If you choose to ignore a comment coming from a guy who coached him for 4 years, and who is around him for everyday of the basketball season, that just shows how ignorant you choose to be sometimes. No, the ignorance is coming from you for not acknowledging the chronic back issues and all the other physical ailments that cut down his career. I'm sure Van Gundy could go back and say a lot of things about guys he's coached, you know, since he won exactly nothing and the only thing he's really remembered for is calling MJ a con-man and hanging off of Alonzo Mourning's leg like a f***in' idiot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willard Decker Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 QUOTE (thxfrthmmrs @ Feb 9, 2014 -> 02:41 PM) He got two scoring titles through undeniable talent but yet questionable work ethic. If he had put in more work in his jump shot, use better shot selections, and compete harder on defense, he could be have been hands down best player in the league for at least 5 years, that's how talented he is. If you choose to ignore a comment coming from a guy who coached him for 4 years, and who is around him for everyday of the basketball season, that just shows how ignorant you choose to be sometimes. I was a Tracy McGrady fan and agree with this. As good as he was- and he was one of the five best players in the league when healthy- McGrady's work-habits left much to be desired. Several years ago, I read a story about him and Kobe Bryant detailing a trip to Africa with other NBA players. McGrady and Bryant were walking back to their hotel after dinner. Tracy asked Kobe if he was planning to go to the gym that night to shoot. Kobe told him that he wasn't. McGrady took that as his cue to turn in for the evening. A few hours later, he decided to cure his insomnia by going for a walk, a sojourn that took him to the aforementioned gym. A commotion from within the building drew his attention, so he went inside. He found a small crowd of spectators watching Bryant progress through ball-handing, shooting and defensive drills. A scenario such as this may seem insignificant, but it also captures the difference between the two men and may explain why one remained dominant as his athleticism failed, whereas his counterpart became an afterthought. --Captain Decker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 If only Rose's work ethic was better, maybe he would've - oh that's right, he still would've gotten hurt over and over and over. Just like Grant Hill and Penny and others. If your body betrays you, nothing else matters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willard Decker Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Feb 9, 2014 -> 02:48 PM) No, the ignorance is coming from you for not acknowledging the chronic back issues and all the other physical ailments that cut down his career. I'm sure Van Gundy could go back and say a lot of things about guys he's coached, you know, since he won exactly nothing and the only thing he's really remembered for is calling MJ a con-man and hanging off of Alonzo Mourning's leg like a f***in' idiot. No one disputes that McGrady's career was altered by the injuries you've mentioned. But he's hardly the only athlete to suffer such significant set-backs. Larry Johnson suffered a similar injury and remained an effective player for several seasons before retiring in 2001. He was no longer an All Star-caliber power-forward but managed to remake himself into a key role-player on several Knicks teams coached by Jeff Van Gundy. Grant Hill was never the same player following his ankle injury but refined his game to become an effective spot-up shooter and defensive stopper- attributes that allowed him to prolong his career far beyond what most believed his body would endure. He retired this past off-season and now hosts NBA Inside Stuff. My rationale in sharing these examples is to point out that McGrady- who was more talented than either Hill or Johnson- could have remained an effective player due to his length, ball-handling and passing abilities. I don't know that he would have been able to sustain the scoring pace he established during his peak seasons in both Orlando and Houston, but there's no doubt in my mind he could have played a significant role for a contending team. Instead, he found himself on the bench as his San Antonio Spurs teammates tried unsuccessfully to dethrone the Miami Heat. --Captain Decker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willard Decker Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Feb 9, 2014 -> 03:01 PM) If only Rose's work ethic was better, maybe he would've - oh that's right, he still would've gotten hurt over and over and over. Just like Grant Hill and Penny and others. If your body betrays you, nothing else matters. Apples to oranges. No one questions Rose's work-ethic, though his psychological make-up has come into question given his reluctance to return to the court last season. I don't know if such questions hold merit. What I do know is that comparing Rose to McGrady doesn't make sense. --Captain Decker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowand44 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 This Lakers roster right now is just incredible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thxfrthmmrs Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Feb 9, 2014 -> 02:48 PM) No, the ignorance is coming from you for not acknowledging the chronic back issues and all the other physical ailments that cut down his career. I'm sure Van Gundy could go back and say a lot of things about guys he's coached, you know, since he won exactly nothing and the only thing he's really remembered for is calling MJ a con-man and hanging off of Alonzo Mourning's leg like a f***in' idiot. No doubt injury has derailed his career, but what I am trying to get at is even when healthy, McGrady wasn't trying as hard as he could have, and yet, he was close to being the best player in the league for a few years. If you have time, please read this piece, it pretty much sums up McGrady's career in 10 minutes. http://tuesdayswithhorry.com/2013/08/28/th...hat-comes-next/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Feb 9, 2014 -> 03:07 PM) This Lakers roster right now is just incredible. Kaman's size is really giving Noah problems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thxfrthmmrs Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Feb 9, 2014 -> 03:01 PM) If only Rose's work ethic was better, maybe he would've - oh that's right, he still would've gotten hurt over and over and over. Just like Grant Hill and Penny and others. If your body betrays you, nothing else matters. Please, stop trolling. You are confusing injury to work ethic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willard Decker Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 QUOTE (thxfrthmmrs @ Feb 9, 2014 -> 03:18 PM) Please, stop trolling. You are confusing injury to work ethic. I think he's trying to make the point that work-ethic doesn't matter where injuries are involved, an assertion that most in professional sports would dispute. A strong work-ethic may enable an athlete to undertake a more rigorous rehabilitation and return from injury more quickly. It may also provide an opportunity for said athlete to develop new skills related to his sport, skills that may sustain his productivity in the face of declining athleticism. In any case, it has been my observation that athletes who approach their profession with the proper seriousness and dedication have longer careers than those relying solely on innate ability. --Captain Decker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 (edited) QUOTE (thxfrthmmrs @ Feb 9, 2014 -> 03:14 PM) No doubt injury has derailed his career, but what I am trying to get at is even when healthy, McGrady wasn't trying as hard as he could have, and yet, he was close to being the best player in the league for a few years. If you have time, please read this piece, it pretty much sums up McGrady's career in 10 minutes. http://tuesdayswithhorry.com/2013/08/28/th...hat-comes-next/ No doubt about it. Like in 2003. If T-mac had tried more, he would've averaged 35 ppg and a 32 per instead of 32 ppg and a 30 per. T-mac had a higher per than Kobe from 2001 to 2005. In 35 playoff games from '01 to '08, he averaged 29.5 ppg, 7 rpg, 6.5 apg, 1.4 spg, 1.1 bpg. But he could've done more! No. His body is what did him in, not a lack of work ethic. T-mac was as cut, fit, trim as anybody of that time and he played an insane amount of minutes. You can' play the minutes he did at that level if you're work ethic sucks. Edited February 10, 2014 by Jordan4life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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