Tracy McGrady fumes over playing time

[MoBetta]

damn the link keep messing up. just go to the ajc blog

Portland–Hawks forward Tracy McGrady’s private frustrations over his playing time finally boiled over after he played just 4:39 during the 97-77 loss to the Blazers late Saturday.

“I’m tired of this [bleep],” McGrady said. “You can put that in the paper, I don’t give a [bleep].”

McGrady didn’t play after halftime against the Blazers. He didn’t dress for Atlanta’s 101-99 victory at Phoenix Thursday but said it was his decision to rest for the second game of a back-to-back. Against the Blazers, McGrady never returned after Marvin Williams replaced him with 7:21 left in the first half.

McGrady has played in 26 of 32 games this season for an average of 18 minutes before Saturday’s game. Last season with Detroit McGrady averaged 23 minutes in 72 games.

McGrady said Hawks coach Larry Drew hasn’t offered him an explanation when he doesn’t play him many minutes.

“If you don’t feel I can help, come tell me that,” McGrady said. “He ain’t told me nothing. I just want to help these guys win, man, which I know I can. But, damn, four minutes?”

McGrady made his comments after Drew’s postgame news conference. Earlier this week Drew, speaking generally about the limited amount of minutes available for his many veteran players, said he thinks it’s important to offer them an explanation when they don’t play much.

McGrady said he’s previously approached Drew about the topic but doesn’t plan on doing so again.

“I have before but I’m only going to do that one time,” McGrady said.

Drew has said he’s mindful of saving McGrady’s body from wear and tear. McGrady was a two-time scoring champion before a series of injuries that includes a herniated disk in his back. He suffered back spasms on Jan. 11 and sat out three games.

McGrady said that when he suits up, that means he’s ready to play.

“My body feels great,” McGrady said. “If it didn’t, I wouldn’t play.”

Under CBA rules, McGrady would be eligible for a trade on March 1. He didn’t go so far as to say he wants out of Atlanta but said he wants to play a bigger role for the Hawks.

“Hopefully, I’m here,” he said. “I like it here. I like the guys. That’s what I love most about it. I like the guys in this locker room. But at the same time, I still can play. No doubt in my mind.

This team is headed for disaster

Edited February 19, 2012 by MoBetta

[arhawkfan]

It's either gonna get a lot better or a lot worse in a hurry. I'm afraid it's gonna get bad.

[AJtheGreat]

The ship is slowly sinking further and further

[arhawkfan]

Drew might have lost the team

[Bawse]

Drew might have lost the team

Drew never had the team. This team has ran itself since last season.

[Joker]

Drew needs a savior. Like D'Antoni needed Jeremy Lin, LD needs someone. That someone isn't on the roster right now.

[AHawks89]

Wonder if LD sat him so long because Marvins family and friends were at the game? I think they said something about it before the game.

[Diesel]

Wonder if LD sat him so long because Marvins family and friends were at the game? I think they said something about it before the game.

Why are we appeasing Marvin and losing by 20? Marvin played 25 minutes to TMac's 4. I would rather go to war with Tmac than with Marvin.

LD's days may be numbered.

[Wurider05]

its not like marvin played bad. This was obviously an issue before this game as stated by TMAC himself.

[Randy]

At least this explains the question about Marvin's minutes. Some of us were puzzled that he would be pulled even when he was having a good game. In the Portland game, I could see Drew figuring that there was no point in wasting T-Mac on a lost cause.

[Joker]

T-Mac has a lot of empty possessions where he does nothing at all. Like a J.R. Smith type. I see why T-Mac was never a true superstar. Too many times when he doesn't have the ball, he doesn't do anything.

Edited February 19, 2012 by nbasuperstar40

[Eddielives]

Does Tracy have a history of doing things like this? I don't know. If he doesn't, then I think it's a sign that there is a rift between the coaches and players. It would definitely explain the erratic and passionless play our Hawks have displayed this year so far.

[Joker]

T-Mac is like Terrell Owens and Shaq. He is not good for locker rooms of teams that aren't great. He finds an issue and turns the team v. thier coach like he did in NY and DET. This is why I didn't want T-Mac. Trade T-Mac. He's a good talent still but he can barely play 15 mins consistently.

[willthepureshooter]

Tmac has a good reason to be pissed! Drew has some type of love attraction with Marvin. He refuses to demote or bench him when he's obviously not contributing to the team as though he should. I bet other players are feeling the same way but are too scared to say anything. Larry seems as though he doesn't have a clue. Ivan gets pulled, Willie gets pulled when he's hot, Teague gets pulled for stupid reasons(Phoenix), Radmanovich gets pulled when he's hot, and Pargo got buried on the bench once the "great white hope" came back from injury. I'm tired of seeing Drews bullsh*t too.

[MaceCase]

Say what? This is Marvin's fault? Marvin who came alive and put up 8points in the 3rd and was active yet didn't see the game again for the last two minutes of the 3rd and the entire 4th? Nope, this is all on Drew. Overextended Teague who was pure horse dung, was afraid to use Zaza again after 7 minutes in the 3rd because he had 4 fouls and felt that Vlad with his inability to hit the 3 or rebound would have been a better option than bringing back Zaza, using Ivan or HEY! using that defensive C we're supposed to be working out on a 10 day on Aldridge. This is all Drew and nothing to do with any individual player for why Tracy didn't play.

[GameTime]

“Hopefully, I’m here,” he said. “I like it here. I like the guys. That’s what I love most about it. I like the guys in this locker room. But at the same time, I still can play. No doubt in my mind.

This is profound.

[willthepureshooter]

Say what? This is Marvin's fault? Marvin who came alive and put up 8points in the 3rd and was active yet didn't see the game again for the last two minutes of the 3rd and the entire 4th? Nope, this is all on Drew. Overextended Teague who was pure horse dung, was afraid to use Zaza again after 7 minutes in the 3rd because he had 4 fouls and felt that Vlad with his inability to hit the 3 or rebound would have been a better option than bringing back Zaza, using Ivan or HEY! using that defensive C we're supposed to be working out on a 10 day on Aldridge. This is all Drew and nothing to do with any individual player for why Tracy didn't play.

Marvins trash! That's the plain truth and LD refuses to bench his *ss for some odd reason. It takes away from the first teams chemistry, and now teammates are starting to notice and speak about it. Willie Green has outplayed Marvin for the past ten games but Drew never makes a change. So what do we do Macecase, keep losing because we believe one day Marvin will get it? I'm tired of watching him shoot airballs and get blocked driving to the hole at 6'9.

[Watchman]

Tmac has a good reason to be pissed! Drew has some type of love attraction with Marvin. He refuses to demote or bench him when he's obviously not contributing to the team as though he should. I bet other players are feeling the same way but are too scared to say anything. Larry seems as though he doesn't have a clue. Ivan gets pulled, Willie gets pulled when he's hot, Teague gets pulled for stupid reasons(Phoenix), Radmanovich gets pulled when he's hot, and Pargo got buried on the bench once the "great white hope" came back from injury. I'm tired of seeing Drews bullsh*t too.

Do we have to put up with this bigot's crap?

[MaceCase]

Does Tracy have a history of doing things like this? I don't know. If he doesn't, then I think it's a sign that there is a rift between the coaches and players. It would definitely explain the erratic and passionless play our Hawks have displayed this year so far.

He has a long history of being a Prima Donna. He wanted out of Toronto which is fine, he was young and wanted to get paid closer to home.

He bitched about getting help in Orlando which is fine because Grant Hill was eating all of their cap. He bitched when they traded his lover in Mike Miller, admitted he quit on the team and then the final straw for him was when they drafted Dwight over Okafor....Then he demanded an extension and a trade.

In Houston all was fine till he picked up a few injuries and became his own doctor telling the team when he'd be back. Had that true *ss hole moment with the All Star game in post Katrina New Orleans where he refused to play because he feared for his life. Apparently he felt that the city was a post apocalyptic world filled with roving sea mutants. Bitched that the team got better without him and his selfish attitude was being made out to be the scapegoat, once when there were rampant rumors he'd get traded because of the attitude he announced he was taking it upon his own volition to get microfracture surgery on the eve of the trade deadline. Never dedicated himself to rehab until contract year when Adelman refused to play him so finally traded to NY.

Felt in NY he wasn't getting the minutes or the chance to show the real TMac that had rehabbed back to pre microfracture form (you'll hear or read this meme at least 40 times over the next 3 years). Became a free agent, practically proclaimed himself the missing link to a Chicago championship (you'll also hear this meme 40 times over the next two years), Chicago passed over him 40 times, finally settled into Detroit.

Was a good citizen in Detroit for the most part.....until he helped orchestrate the mutiny against Kuester and the practice walkouts and refusal to enter games. Became free agent, claimed best shape ever and missing link to Chicago making the Finals or Heat winning it......ends up in Atlanta. Good citizen until minutes now being an issue for him.

To summarize, yes, he has a history of actions like this. I came up with all of this just off the top of my head and memory....

[MaceCase]

Marvins trash! That's the plain truth and LD refuses to bench his *ss for some odd reason. It takes away from the first teams chemistry, and now teammates are starting to notice and speak about it. Willie Green has outplayed Marvin for the past ten games but Drew never makes a change. So what do we do Macecase, keep losing because we believe one day Marvin will get it? I'm tired of watching him shoot airballs and get blocked driving to the hole at 6'9.

And Marvin has outplayed TMac, your point? Perhaps you'll notice that Willie is now the first off the bench with Joe moving to the 3, so really, address all of your erudite commentary for someone else who actually gives a f*** about your ramblings.