This is all Tracy McGrady's fault

After watching the Warriors get killed on the boards last night in Game 1 against the Jazz, it became clear to me whose fault this is. No it's not Chris Mullin's fault for not having better rebounders on the team, nor is it Don Nelson's fault for not playing Biedrins more to have him sluff off of AK-47 to help on Boozer. It's T-Mac's fault.

For someone billed as an NBA "superstar," it seems a little odd that T-Mac has never gotten out of the first round. It's not like he hasn't had the opportunities or the time. He's been playing in the league for 10 years. And on Saturday night, he had a chance, AT HOME, to close the door on the Jazz.

So let's be honest here, and by honest I mean brutally frank. T-Mac isn't a superstar. Superstars can actually will their teams to victory, through both leadership and play. They win a playoff series when up 2-0 against an opponent. They win game 7 at home. They can get their team into the second round of the playoffs at least once in a decade. T-Mac hasn't done any of these things. And I don't care that some people say, well his teammates (aside from Yao) aren't that great. Superstars should be able to pull less than incredible teams into the second round.

Now I realize T-Mac played an exceptional series, but after the Rockets went up by 5 with under 4 minutes remaining in game 7, T-Mac began to defer to other teammates. He should know better than anyone else that as good as Yao is, Yao doesn't have the ability to close out games. And there's no one else on the Rockets who can do it either. It's all on T-Mac's back.

I watched the game when T-Mac scored 13 points in 35 seconds to give the Rockets a huge win over the Spurs in the 2004-2005 regular season. Where that T-Mac went, with ice in his veins, we'll never know.

Instead, we got the same old T-Mac. Great player, but always coming up just short. So now the Warriors are facing Deron Williams, who when he's on is as good or better than BDizzle. And we're facing the bulked-up Boozer who we should start drug testing immediately who killed us on the boards.

I don't know about you, but I would have rather seen the Warriors face Skip to My Lou while running Yao into the ground. It would have been great for you T-Mac. You'd have gotten the first round monkey off of your back and you'd be averaging 40 a game on the Warriors - all while the Warriors would be winning the series easily.

If we lose this series to the Jazz, T-Mac, it's all on you.

-WCK

Playoff Musings: Rockets v. Jazz

Even though AK-47 went crazy in this game (a total of 8 pts!), his incredible outburst wasn't enough to lead the Jazz to victory. T-Mac did his best Steve Nash impersonation by dishing out 16 assists. He also scored 26 pts. Yao had an off night, but was money down the stretch at the free throw line. The man is one hell of a free throw shooter. If Shaq had ever had Yao's touch, he would have gone for 50 a game in his prime. Mehmet Okur, who is best known for playing against himself in a pickup game for a Turkish fruit drink, didn't do his job for the Jazz, scoring only 9 pts. Although the back and forth nature of this matchup would make you think it's a good series, it really hasn't been all that great. Both teams have had totally shabby performances by key players on the road and that 67 point stink bomb the Rockets threw up in Game 3 was a crime against humanity. Plus, a series where it goes exactly according to plan, where the home team wins every game, just isn't exciting.

-WCK

Kobe over Jordan? Please... Why Even Look Past McGrady?

Now, I must say I hate making arguments like this when one guy's team is doing well and everyone is pulling for him and another guy is now setting up tee times. But, for Kobe I will make an exception. I think it is interesting how similar Kobe is to mafia kingpin John Gotti, the "Teflon Don." No matter what he does he stays out of jail, keeps selling jerseys (suggesting many people somehow still like him), people keep calling him a winner and the best player in the NBA and blaming everything on his supporting cast, Phil Jackson, Sammy the Bull, etc.

First of all, I don't think you can judge Kobe's career based on when he was playing with Shaq, who was probably the most dominating force in the history of the NBA. I think to accurately judge Kobe as a player you have to look at what he's done without Shaq. The interesting thing is how similarly it parallels T-Mac's career. First year without Shaq: Kobe did not make the playoffs with past All-Star Odom and future All-Star Caron Butler (a better supporting cast than McGrady's had until the past two years). Second year: Lakers went way up in the first round (3-1 to the Suns) as a serious underdog then got run out of the playoffs - eerily similar to T-Mac with Orlando against Detroit.

Then this year, the Lakers are getting so embarassed by the Suns that I am seriously concerned about Lamar Odom's mental health. And I can't blame him. Besides the personal issues Odom's been going through, NOBODY seems to appreciate what a truly great player he is. Odom is a Top 20 player in the league and he's stuck playing with an absolute cancer in Kobe. Also, has anyone else noticed what's happened with Caron Butler since he left the Lakers? He was an All-Star this year and that's while playing with Arenas who isn't excatly a pass first guard! So everyone is making the argument that Kobe has had no supporting players since Shaq even though the Lakers got 2 All-Stars in Butler and Odom to play with him and he simply ruined their games.

I haven't seen anyone receive this many excuses since the mentally disabled kid in my 1st grade class. It just boggles the mind especially because there is no indication that Kobe is anything other than an egomaniac with all the charisma of Barry Bonds. And yes I am a SF Giants fan, but it just hasn't been the same since they signed Bonds and had to dump Will Clark and Robbie Thompson. And yes, I realize by the numbers that makes zero sense... That being said, Lakers fans kill me because a number of them are also serious Dodgers fans who can never understand how Giants fans can root for the Giants with Bonds on the team... ummm, hello?! I'll take steroids allegations over rape allegations any day and I would hope everyone else would too... it is kind of sick how the media can't get over steroids in sports, but Kobe's rape charge was yesterday's news once he hit a fall-away jumper... bizarre.

That being said, I don't think there's any way that you can argue Kobe's career has been more impressive than McGrady's if you factor in Kobe playing with Shaq. Not to mention the fact that you have to mark Kobe down for the elbows, the attitude, the criminal charges, and for breaking up one of the great basketball dynasties. Would McGrady have won those same 3 championships in Kobe's place? Absolutely. Would he have let his ego break up a 3-time Championship team? Hell no. Factor that in and I say McGrady over Kobe any day of the week...

--dwyermaker

Playoff Musings: Rockets v. Jazz

Strange game tonight. T-Mac and the Rockets went AWOL in the first half (33 points) before turning it on in the second half (51 points). Meanwhile Utah was decent in the first half (42 points), before crapping the bed in second half (33 points). By the way, what the hell has happened to AK-47? He used to be a huge fantasy basketball staple, now he seems totally lost on the court. He's awful. Maybe he should finally take advantage of that groupie allowance his wife has given him. It might clear his head.

-WCK