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Who Takes The Blame
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Joined: 05 Dec 2012
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 Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:17 am Post subject: Tracy McGrady says he wants to play with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers |
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| Quote: | Following his first NBA Finals appearance of his career in 2013, former NBA superstar Tracy McGrady retired from the NBA and took up minor league baseball briefly. With that short career over and that hunger satiated, feelings about McGrady wanting to still play in the NBA still linger. He's been an All-Star, an All-NBA player, a superstar, one of the most marketable players of his era, and an MVP candidate. He was one of the most talented offensive players to ever lace up his sneakers.
McGrady is just 35 years old, but hasn't played much in the past few years due to various knee and back ailments that come from a professional basketball career that was tough on his body. And yet, T-Mac believes he can still play in the NBA. In an excellent long-form piece on Bleacher Report by Les Carpenter, McGrady says he can still play but doesn't want restrictions on the type of player he's allowed to be. He also says he'd love to play next to Kobe Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers as their second star.
"The thing is, I can still go, man," T-Mac says. He is driving from lunch to his daughter Layla's junior high school volleyball game, but the workout is still on his mind.
"My body is still in shape. I can go. It's about opportunity, though. … I want no limits on who I am and what I can do, not stand in the corner and shoot jump shots," he says. "I want to be involved, that's not saying 10 to 15 shots, I want to be involved. I don't want to stand in the corner and shoot threes. That's not me."
The ideal team, T-Mac says, would be the Lakers. The Lakers are inexperienced. The Lakers need players. He could be the second star the Lakers must have to go with Bryant.
"This Kobe," he says. "I could play with him."
If only T-Mac could find a team that agrees with him. Even Williams, who fondly remembers the back-to-back NBA scoring titles McGrady had for his Magic a decade ago, sighs softly when asked about the comeback.
"Tracy has milked every bit of basketball talent out of his body," Williams says. "There's nothing left."
It's hard to let go of the idea that our favorite stars can still play in the NBA when their careers have all but passed on. Plenty of fans still want to see guys like McGrady and Allen Iverson make a comeback in the NBA so we can relive how good the players are or have memories of what they used to be right before our eyes. It's tough to come to the realization that our stars of the past can't be stars anymore and that coming back would be a fruitless venture for fans on most occasions.
And yet, the idea of McGrady teaming up with Kobe on a hapless Lakers team that has to 1) protect their top 5 protected pick owed to Phoenix and 2) set Kobe up to keep attacking the all-time scoring list as he's close to passing Michael Jordan for third all-time doesn't seem terrible. Assuming McGrady could be a "second star" in the NBA today is a tough sell. His body and conditioning haven't let him be that for at least six years.
McGrady's conditioning after being away for a year-plus could be detrimental to his body and the ability to stave off injuries. What would the Lakers have to lose though? Either McGrady bumps their Q rating a bit and helps generate more interest on the court for a team that has become a punch line in the NBA or he fizzles out shortly and the Lakers just go back to Wes Johnson and Nick Young as the wings next to Kobe. |
http://mweb.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/24876531/tracy-mcgrady-says-he-can-still-play-but-doesnt-want-limits-to-his-play |
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thurloly
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Joined: 14 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:19 am Post subject: |
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lmao...no thanks  |
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yinoma2001
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:20 am Post subject: |
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Great if 2008.
Not so great in 2014-15.
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From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals |
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saacman5033
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Joined: 23 Dec 2008
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Location: HNL
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:20 am Post subject: |
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| I think he fits with what we want to do this year. Team tank says welcome aboard TMac! |
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GoldenThroat
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Joined: 25 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:22 am Post subject: |
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My seat belt is still buckled.
(5 LG Cool Points to anyone who gets this reference  ) |
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22
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Joined: 05 Apr 2013
Posts: 17063
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:24 am Post subject: |
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| If we're not going to sign young player with potential like Q miller, might as well let TMac ride off into the sunset lol |
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K0BEE 2.0
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Joined: 17 May 2013
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Location: I wish I knew
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:24 am Post subject: |
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| Please let this be true, he would be the best FA signing right now... considering the garbage that's out there........ he would average 12-14PPG easily. |
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laker4life
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Joined: 26 Nov 2001
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:27 am Post subject: |
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| FO should do it so it looks like it is doing something. |
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Who Takes The Blame
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:28 am Post subject: |
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| We been saying we need to sign another veteran that can set Kobe up to get his points so he doesn't have to chuck. We struck out getting these top free agents so i say go for it. |
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governator
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:29 am Post subject: |
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| why not, would love to see TMac running with Kobe for 10 - 12 minutes per game... pure entertainment. AI too? |
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Who Takes The Blame
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:31 am Post subject: |
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| GoldenThroat wrote: | My seat belt is still buckled.
(5 LG Cool Points to anyone who gets this reference ) |
We still won't be going anywhere if we sign T-Mac? |
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ringfinger
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:34 am Post subject: |
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| This would be like the basketball version of that movie "Grumpy Old Men" |
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laker4life
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:35 am Post subject: |
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| ringfinger wrote: | | This would be like the basketball version of that movie "Grumpy Old Men" |
Bring back Artest too and we will be a traveling circus again. |
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lakersken80
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:36 am Post subject: |
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| Why not? Its not like their winning anyways...might as well see a show. |
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AirShooter
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:36 am Post subject: |
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After all the expiring contracts are gone after this season, if the FO strikes out again on landing a marquee free agent, the Lakers can just sign up all the golden oldies to give Kobe his farewell tour. Lamar Odom, Panda Friend, etc. You even have Byron Scott's "smashmouth" outdated, obsolete pre-analytics 1980's basketball to go with it.
It would help the Lakers secure that Top 3 pick in the modern NBA. If the Lakers tank is successful this season, then the Lakers will owe the Suns a first round pick next season, except it will be Top 3 protected instead of Top 5. So the Lakers will need to tank AGAIN to keep their pick. |
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Lakers95
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Location: Southern California
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:36 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | He also says he'd love to play next to Kobe Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers as their second star.
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"It's gotten so bad that...."  |
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lakersken80
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:37 am Post subject: |
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| governator wrote: | | why not, would love to see TMac running with Kobe for 10 - 12 minutes per game... pure entertainment. AI too? |
Doubt this would happen. |
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LakerLand247
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:38 am Post subject: |
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| AirShooter wrote: | After all the expiring contracts are gone after this season, if the FO strikes out again on landing a marquee free agent, the Lakers can just sign up all the golden oldies to give Kobe his farewell tour. Lamar Odom, Panda Friend, etc. You even have Byron Scott's "smashmouth" outdated, obsolete pre-analytics 1980's basketball to go with it.
It would help the Lakers secure that Top 3 pick in the modern NBA. If the Lakers tank is successful this season, then the Lakers will owe the Suns a first round pick next season, except it will be Top 3 protected instead of Top 5. So the Lakers will need to tank AGAIN to keep their pick. |
Thon Maker comes out next year at least he's trying to.
Last edited by LakerLand247 on Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:39 am; edited 1 time in total |
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KobeRe-Loaded
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:38 am Post subject: |
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You had your chance 10 years ago
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dont_be_a_wuss
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:39 am Post subject: |
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| why not. We don't have anyone we are developing |
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Mini Mamba
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:41 am Post subject: |
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| I'd rather see T-Mac start at SF then Johnson. |
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Andre2K
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:43 am Post subject: |
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I say go for it, can easily be Kobe's Pippen
Note: I'm sure Byron Scott likes him already, he doesn't want to stand in the corner and shoot 3s
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Last edited by Andre2K on Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:45 am; edited 1 time in total |
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dont_be_a_wuss
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:44 am Post subject: |
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| How is his defense btw? |
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55
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Joined: 04 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:46 am Post subject: |
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| GoldenThroat wrote: | My seat belt is still buckled.
(5 LG Cool Points to anyone who gets this reference ) |
The "search" option isn't working too well, but if you can bring up one blast from the past, it has to be "Not signing T-Mac will haunt us for years to come". |
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Don Draper
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Location: LA --> Bay Area
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 11:47 am Post subject: |
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| dont_be_a_wuss wrote: | | How is his defense btw? |
Like if you fused Harden and a pirate with two peg legs. |
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