T-Mac: “Cleveland To Me Is Really Not That Good”
Tracy McGrady has been out of sight, out of mind, and for the first time in a while during the playoffs, out of public criticism. But that’s about to change. Coming off like a self-appointed playoff expert, T-Mac told the radio station 790 The Zone that the Lakers are basically locks to take the ‘chip this season. He gives the top-seeded Cavaliers little credit, saying that they’re “not ready to take the next step.”
“It’s no knock on Cleveland,” says McGrady, “I think Cleveland’s gonna get there… Cleveland to me is really not that good. If you take what the Celtics did last year… You knew, they were either gonna get to the finals, or they were gonna win it. You can’t really say the same thing about the Cavaliers. Although, they had the best record in the league this year, a lot of people like, ‘OK, they havin’ a great year, but we don’t know if they can win the championship.’ They really didn’t do anything on the road with the elite teams in the league, they lost, they had a bad record when they went to face the elite teams in the league. I think they’re a good team, but I don’t think they’re ready to take the next step.”
Maybe McGrady doesn’t give any credence to Game 1′s of the first round, but the Cavs looked more convincing in their win over the Pistons than any other team still alive. And there really is no arguing with their 39-2 home record, their League leading defense (1st in points allowed per game, 2nd in opponent’s field goal percentage, 1st in opponent’s three-point field goal percentage), and the unbelievable play of LeBron James. As good as the Lakers look, you can’t write the Cavs off right now.
T-Mac’s comments just make him look like a sore, poopy-pants loser.
Source: Cleveland.com
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April 21st, 2009 at 12:22 pm
jzsmoove says:
wtf T-Mac!!! where the hell did u come from? things like this is what tarnishes what you do on the court (or lack thereof esp. in the 1st rd).
April 21st, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Steve A says:
I don’t think T-Mac’s comments make him look bad at all. I am sure he was asked and gave his personal opinion. The CAVS did lose twice to the Lakers, twice to the Celtics (once without KG). Having said that, his comments do have merit, whether one agrees with them or not. I do think they have a very good chance of winning the title, however.
April 21st, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Bruce says:
T-Mac just wants some media coverage, how else to start by talking smack! Show the guy some love. We all know his career, never made it out of the 1st round till later in his career.
When we talk about never made it out of the first round, TMAC comes to mind. What a curse!
April 21st, 2009 at 12:34 pm
NTstateOFmind says:
really soft guy to be talking that reckless
April 21st, 2009 at 12:41 pm
rock says:
i think half man half a season needs to shut the f
seriously?
for knee-mac to have anything to say about anything shows that his lack of heart is evident in everything he does
WHAT A BUM
i’m in chicago, but we all UNDERSTAND that LeBron and them have as LEGIT a chance to take the O’Brien trophy as the Lake Show (and there are no other contenders)
April 21st, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Jah says:
He’s trying NOT to sound like a hater, and I don’t believe he is…but I understand why people will say he’s being one.
He’s got a point. Cleveland hasn’t showed that they’re as “destructive” on the road against the elite teams in the league.
But despite all of that, I’m picking Cleveland as “the team to beat” right now, even though my head tells me that it’ll be the Lakers this year (since K.G. is out).
April 21st, 2009 at 12:51 pm
jbas says:
tracy mcgrady to me isnt that good.
get through a full season pal.
loser.
April 21st, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Diego says:
@5: LOL at “half man half a season.”
April 21st, 2009 at 12:54 pm
dagwaller says:
Not gonna bust on the guy (I would, but that’s already been taken care of), but I will say that I guess making it to the Finals two years ago doesn’t count as “being ready” to T-Mac.
April 21st, 2009 at 12:54 pm
itsakademiks says:
wait can i ask how the hell t-mac knows what “the next step” looks like?? son never even been out the first round he can miss me with that shit.
April 21st, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Big Shot BOB says:
Yeah it isn’t the comment that’s bad it’s who it’s coming from. I don’t think he has the right to say that since he’s never even come close. The right answer would have been “I can’t comment on that since I’ve never been out of the first round.” Now if someone like Shaq said it then it’s all good because he’s won several and know what it takes.
April 21st, 2009 at 1:09 pm
E$ says:
lol @ Tmac knowing what it takes to get to the finals…..You don’t ask ppl who can’t get out the 1st round question like that
April 21st, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Sanpitch says:
“…T-Mac’s comments just make him look like a sore, poopy-pants loser.”
you took the words right out of my mouth.
it’s not WHAT t-mac said it’s that T-MAC said it. how the hell does t-mac KNOW what a championship team is like.
April 21st, 2009 at 1:11 pm
hadoken says:
“half man half a season” is absolutely beautiful, rock. dime that REALLY needs to be put into regular rotation. i’ve always been a fan of tmac, but he seriously needs to shut his mouth. i still remember him talking $h|t when the magic were up 3-1 on detroit and then they still lost.
April 21st, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Dagomar says:
Maybe he can talk when he “takes that next step” out of the first round. Except his team is playing better without him.
April 21st, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Damon says:
so if tmac hasn’t the right to talk about championship teams and what it needs to win it, charles barkley shouldn’t either, right? at least if i follow your “great” logic.
he obviously is wrong and hasn’t watched the nba recently, but whats the problem with saying your opinion?
you also talk like he has failed in life, lmao, he has lots of money, thats all that counts.
April 21st, 2009 at 1:18 pm
parinaz suns says:
he’s just trying to stay relevant and in conversation even if it is because he sounds like a loser
April 21st, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Kayfah says:
the last i saw of Tmac he was in a louisville jersey for that march madness adidas commercial and he looked like a fatass
April 21st, 2009 at 1:20 pm
ticktock6 says:
I couldn’t care less what he says about Cleveland. But is he still a Rocket? Are they not still in the postseason? I bet his teammates can’t stand this guy.
April 21st, 2009 at 1:21 pm
BERN BROGDEN says:
08-09
CAVS on the Road vs PLAYOFF teams: 11-10
WINS:
DALLAS, CHICAGO, 6ERS TWICE, DENVER, PORTLAND, UTAH, DETROIT, SAN ANTONIA, ATLANTA, MIAMI
LOSSES:
N.O., DETROIT, ATL, MIA, LA, ORLANDO – TWICE, HOUSTON, BOSTON
*hitsay and igglesgay
Cavs beat the Sixers TWICE on the road but lose to the Magic TWICE on the road. And we know what the 6ers just did.
Cavs destroyed Detroit Saturday but lost to them during the regular season on the road.
Cavs beat Chicago on the road but lost to Boston. We all know Chicago took one from Celtics on Saturday.
I could go on.
My point is 2-fold:
1 – the regular season means only so much
2 – there’s tons of parity in this league, any given team on any given night can win any given game especially amongst playoff contenders.
April 21st, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Dirtball Rotten says:
WOW, i was the biggest TMac fan, but damn dude got injured to much, i had to call a brother soft but WTF cleveland has at least got out of the 1st round, man they got the best record this year. he is straight SET TRIPPIN
April 21st, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Detroit Dave says:
Maybe T-Mac had microfracture surgery on his head and not his knee?
April 21st, 2009 at 1:46 pm
hahns says:
hes just bitter bc he never got out of the first round and his team is about to do it w/o him.
what a loser.
April 21st, 2009 at 1:46 pm
POPPI GEE says:
Comments were fine! He was just expressing his opinion. It’s a good opinion and a lot of it’s correct.
and it ain’t like he said they were garbage he said they will probably make it.
Still just like the rest of many, we have this pre-notion that the Lakers are going to take it all.
People trying to make something out of nothing are the poopy pants losers.
April 21st, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Sanpitch says:
@16
so according to your logic all you need is money to be successful. sorry but you are wrong. case and point: paris hilton.
April 21st, 2009 at 1:54 pm
karizmatic says:
Maybe it’s a backhanded effort to get picked up by the Cavs.
April 21st, 2009 at 2:03 pm
POPPI GEE says:
Poor guy if he had come out and said the Cavs are great. The article would be “T-Mac disses all other playoff teams”. If he has said I like whole milk really article would have been, “T-Mac disses all players advertising for 2% milk”. Real bad case of trying to make something out of nothing.
Whatever this dude do is going to be twisted and made bigger than it is. Specially round playoff time.
D.C. said it best Whoop De …you know the rest hopefully.
April 21st, 2009 at 2:05 pm
dragonyeuw says:
While I think the comments have merit, the source is the problem. Without any kind of playoff success, Tmac isn’t the one to make those kind of comments, and be credible.
Having said that, Cleveland has a clear path to the finals. The Celtics are no longer a threat to them without KG, and I’m not convinced that Orlando has what it takes yet, especially with their reliance on 3-point shooting. But against LA, Lebron is in the unusual position of not being the undisputed best player on the floor. And it’s a no-brainer that LA has a much better team around Kobe than the Cavs have around Bron. I think it comes down to the supporting casts, because Bron and Kobe will cancel each other out. I’d love to see a game 7 between the two teams though.
April 21st, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Damon says:
lol, i was joking about the money thing. but at least tmac made that money, paris didn’t do anything…well, maybe some movies…lmao
April 21st, 2009 at 2:11 pm
TJ says:
The fucked up thing is that he didn’t even think about picking the Rockets.
April 21st, 2009 at 2:20 pm
doc says:
t-mac can say what he want.The bottom line is hes a fucking bum as of April 21 2009 so as long as he aint predicting hiself to go all the way hes on the right track.
April 21st, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Taj says:
Dude needs to go back under that rock he’s been hiding for the past 4 months… Cleveland looks the most ready to go to the next level.
Of course he wouldn’t put his Rockets in that debate, because he doesnt think they’re ready WITHOUT him…
April 21st, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Big Freeze says:
I don’t think Tmac was hating, but rather he was speaking from the heart. He obviously doesn’t think much of the Rockets either seeing how he picked the Lakers as a lock for winning the chip.
Maybe he can take next season off and come back like Grant Hill.
April 21st, 2009 at 3:05 pm
markoresh says:
atleast Cleveland can make it out of the 1st round.
April 21st, 2009 at 3:15 pm
rangerjohn says:
all you hating on tracy better stop, you better start taking his word as gold because that man KNOWS WHAT THE FUCK HE IS TALKING ABOUT when it comes to losing in the playoffs.
April 21st, 2009 at 3:16 pm
ticktock6 says:
It is pretty douchey to say your own team’s going to lose. Anyone playing ON the team, as in: currently, as in: in Portland about to suit up for the game tonight, would be just crucified by the media & fans for saying that. It’s obvious he doesn’t consider himself part of the Rockets. Which is B.S. They pay his (overpriced) salary.
April 21st, 2009 at 3:17 pm
kevin k says:
somewhere T-Mac is laughing at all this comments and us knowing that he made millions playing ball while we only wish….. sigh life is truly not fair
April 21st, 2009 at 3:27 pm
doug says:
aah the little baby Andrew Katz getting his little feelings hurt because T-Mac isn’t joining in on the hype and he’s not an Lebron-zombie like the rest of yall cats getting paid to over hype this cat prematurely. T-Mac is not hating he’s of the same school of thought that most every legit player in the league is, you have to earn your stripes. Lebron is good but yall were calling this cat King soon as he came into the league and he isn’t King of anything but Akron yet. Win a ship than I’ll start buying in I agree with T-MAC they’re not good on the road against the elite teams. The Lakers punched all of the elite teams in there mouth at there home Cavs and Celtics and both teams were healthy at the time we played them.
April 21st, 2009 at 3:43 pm
POPPI GEE says:
^^^Preach!
April 21st, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Rio says:
T-mac cannot even get out of the 1st round! How can he even talk? He is suspect himself. When was the last time he played a full season?! He could not even walk in LBJ shoes. Same height, both play multi positions but they are really no comparison!
April 21st, 2009 at 4:08 pm
tangman says:
no team has the chemistry that cleveland has… and this clip proves it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4S3X6ZoE8w
April 21st, 2009 at 4:19 pm
i am a witness says:
DA JACK ASS aint even pick his own rockets team what a traitor!!!
April 21st, 2009 at 4:33 pm
dagwaller says:
hahaha rangerjohn that’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen you say.
April 21st, 2009 at 4:43 pm
BERN BROGDEN says:
08-09
LAKERS on the Road vs PLAYOFF teams: 11-9
WINS:
DENVER, DAL, N.O-TWICE, 6-ERS, BOSTON, CLEVELAND, HOUSTON, SA, CHICAGO, DETROIT
LOSSES:
MIAMI, ORLANDO, HOUSTON, SA, UTAH, DENVER, PORTLAND-TWICE, ATL
Yeah, LA punches all the elite teams in the mouth! Sure!
So, Miami and Portland are elite teams according to T-BACK and his choir.
Cavs beat Portland, beat Utah, beat Miami, beat Atlanta, beat all on the ROAD.
LA can’t say the same againt these “elite” teams, can they?
“The Lakers punched all of the elite teams in there mouth at there home.”
PUHHHHHLLLLLEEASE!
That my friend was — PURE FICTION.
April 21st, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Stilllow says:
T-Mac I use to like you until you started whining like a baby jumping from team to team blaming the coaches and organization for your own faults. You are done your career is over but you want to try and disrupt a team no one gives a chance to I don’t recall you taking your team to the finals with no help so shut the f**k up bi**h.
April 21st, 2009 at 5:39 pm
doug says:
Tangman by chemistry do u men teamates jumping into eachothers arms to pose for pictures before games or Lebron throwing baby powder 20 feet in the air before the game. Man please I hope they do this before the Lakers play them in the finals, pose for a team photo before you get beat. Any of yall who think there beating L.A this year are on something different. We beat them in cleveland we beat them in L.A we’ll beat them anywhere they feel like getting beat.
April 21st, 2009 at 5:46 pm
doug says:
Brogden you got some suspect stats we never lost to Houston this year we beat them everytime we played them, as far as beating teams we beat all elite teams on the road and at home MIAMI, ORLANDO,SA, UTAH, DENVER, PORTLAND-TWICE, ATL are not elite teams, none of these teams will be in the finals Man. We beat the only teams that anyone is talking about have a legit shot the celts and cavs. So your 11-9 record for teams you consider are elite is wack, none of those teams you mentioned will be in the finals and if they were we’d smash them. You better hope none of these teams are in the finals standing between Kobe and the Larry O’Brian trophy any of teams you just said were elite that we lost to we’ll get swept if we see them in the finals. Please man, and stop making suspect stat quotes we beat houston everytime we played them this season. Matter of fact your stat quoting priveleges have been revoked because you giving out wrong data.
April 21st, 2009 at 5:53 pm
doug says:
Brogden your an idiot “Cavs beat Portland, beat Utah, beat Miami, beat Atlanta beat all on the ROAD”.None of these teams are going anywhere in the playoff.Portland just got blew out by 30, Utah got beat by us and is probably going to get swept,Miami got beat by 30 points in the weak eastern conferenct and Atlanta will lose in the second round if they don’t this round. Stop calling teams elite that aren’t. We’re talking about the top 3 teams in the L,colossal teams not your weak suspect list we beat all the teams that are realistic favorites to win it all Cleveland and Boston, we swept them I’m sure you turned it off in disgust before the game ended but we won those games you tool.
April 21st, 2009 at 6:10 pm
King says:
well they didnt do good against the two elite teams
April 21st, 2009 at 6:20 pm
doug says:
Those two elite teams are the only teams that have a legit shot at winning(Lakers and Boston) if the “they” your referring to is the cavs King. And it’s funny because i watch Brons body language when he plays Kobe and dude is still in awe. He still calls dude his idol please refer to olympic footage 2008 when bron was teasing Kobe for wearing his sweat pants high. If you look at dude when he’s playing Kobe he looks like the fan that got picked from the crowd to play one on one with Kobe. Dude is constantly side peering at Kobe when Cavs just get out of a time out. He’s in awe still and he’s not ready. When Kobe got the torch from MJ he went at MJ dude never looked like he was in awe of J eventhough we all know he was it was like he wanted to take the torch from him like really wanting to beat dude. When I see Bron posturing himself that same way and not like he’s still in awe of Kobe than i’ll know he’s ready I still haven’t seen it out of him.
April 21st, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Big Shot BOB says:
Wow Doug sounds like a bandwagon fan. The kind that just picks the best team every year becaue they think it’s an easy pick just so they can talk crap. Everyone thought that L.A. was an easy pick last year to and we all know what happened to Kobe and crew…went home crying
(
April 21st, 2009 at 6:33 pm
K Dizzle says:
Yao and Ron-Ron probably blew up Mac’s celly after this story came out.
“You think the Lakers set in stone for the chip?”
“You know we still in it right?”
“You saw us roll Portland over the weekend right?”
“Thanks for your support”
April 21st, 2009 at 6:43 pm
knock knock says:
tmacs telling the truth. haha at all these cavs fans thinking that lebron is clutch and what not. Cavs are fools gold. book it.
April 21st, 2009 at 6:46 pm
knock knock says:
by the way tmac can talk a lot more as he plays in the west. not the weak ass east where lebron only has to play the old pistons. Normally who would they be playing right now, Washington? you can’t compare the cavs opponents.
April 21st, 2009 at 6:48 pm
doug says:
Yeah big shot bob, you sound like you don’t know me I’ve been a Laker fan since youth and everyone on Dime blog accept for you knows that. All these cats no me and the one who doesn’t says something like he knows me.
April 21st, 2009 at 6:49 pm
doug says:
blog 53, Knock Knock feel you man the truth is a hard pill to swallow
April 21st, 2009 at 7:08 pm
doug says:
And you know the funny thing is when the suns were beating the Lakers every year in the playoffs and the league during the years they were trying to justify Nash’s winning the MVP two years in a row, I would always acknowledge it as Suns being a better team there was no reason to fight the obvious, some of yall we see the obvious ans still go against just because you hate the lakers or love your particular team. That’s not being a fan, that’s being ignorant to the facts.
April 21st, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Big Shot BOB says:
LOL @ Doug…Just messing around with you because you were so fired up about the Lakers man. Just don’t count your eggs before they hatch.
April 21st, 2009 at 7:11 pm
doug says:
yeah ur right, we still gotta play every game but they look good.
April 21st, 2009 at 7:40 pm
frankie says:
I never knew exactly what people meant by “crazy Lakers fans” til I read some of the crap coming out of doug’s mouth. Are you secretly a Laker? Are you Doug Morrisson? Maybe Doug Mbenga?
April 21st, 2009 at 8:09 pm
smoove chips says:
See.i’ve lived in the H for a decade.Lakers fan for 6 years now.
You now see what I went through.As a houston fan, what can you honestly say about this.i had to check out.a combination of bullshyt like this over the years gets on your nerves.I got to the point i couldn’t get mad anymore.
I’m glad rockets don’t have him in the lineup.lord know their fans needed a break.
it’s so ludicrous..and coming from this guy.There has to be another adjective to describe this guy.
Stupid.Naive.wildin’,crazy..just can’t cut it.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:57 pm
BERN BROGDEN says:
Right. Didn’t beat Houston. But Houston whooped Portland. and Portland whooped LA 2wice.
Read the headline: “Clevleland to me is really not that good.”
Solid. everyone’s entitled to an opinion. so why are they really not good? ‘Cause they lost to the defending Western champs and they lost to the defending champs? Really? that’s why they’re not really good. SA’s elite? Beat them. Orlando. Ok, another loss. but orlando just lost to sixers, who cavs beat on the road, didn’t orlando beat la? does that mean anything? does it mean anything in the playoffs? chicago beat boston on the road, a team cavs won on the road.
So, thats’s 1-3 vs top teams. On top of that, Lebron and crew won by the largest differential, with the 2nd rated D, and the 2nd best road record. Yeah, Ok T-Back, “Cleveland to me is really not good.”
Yup, Tracy, if you say so.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Markito says:
Rock you nailed it with half man half a season. I get where TMAC is coming from, considering LA is the favorite since Kobe has a real solid team behind him compared to LBJ.
Lakers fans though should not be that complacent. They still need to play and win the games.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Bifflefeet Bigsby says:
This is coming from a guy that…well, you know his playoff and injury history. Is he trying to be an analyst next year on TNT? Lebron is the best player to ever live on planet Earth, TMAC is not even close to him.
April 22nd, 2009 at 12:15 am
Red says:
Tracy McGrady is the kind of player who would say something like this. He wouldn’t know success if it was under his nose.
Have fun watching the Rockets advance in large part because you’re not on the court, T-Mac. What..a..joke.
April 22nd, 2009 at 3:45 am
Ernesto says:
That radio gig was supposed to be a four-part interview. Sadly, the line dropped out after the first.
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:14 am
JesusforThree says:
Anyone here thinks it’s just sad that T-Mac didn’t even give a b.s. statement like how Houston can win it all this season?
Anyway. The time he starts playing in the 2nd round of the playoffs, is the time i’m going to start taking what he says seriously.
April 22nd, 2009 at 7:59 am
rick773 says:
I think his comments may have been taken slightly out of context. However TMAC talking about Championship mettle is the equivalent of Yinka Dare hosting a passing clinic
April 22nd, 2009 at 8:37 am
rathauneak says:
“half man half a season” …CLASSIC!
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:21 am
smoothh30 says:
T-MAC has a right to his own opinion like we all do so i can respect what he’s trying to say, get better soon MAC, the game needs you.
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:41 am
LakeShow84 says:
He’s right though.. as much as you dont want to hear it Dime..
But since its Tmac its going to turn into a discussion about him..
And beating the snot out of team in SHAMBLES, has no chemistry, no leader, and no identity dont mean shit to no one.. so the Detroit arguement is weeeeaaakkkk…
April 22nd, 2009 at 10:43 am
LakeShow84 says:
Also last year after playing Boston he said that was the best defensive team he has EVER seen and they will win a championship if they can play like that..
and they did.. im not calling him a messiah but doo aint a moron.. just cuz hes falling apart dont mean his brain has stopped working..
April 22nd, 2009 at 12:14 pm
dagwaller says:
Ernesto – that was pretty good.
April 23rd, 2009 at 12:57 pm
iRuleZ says:
Maybe TMac is RIGHT. WHY?? Did Cavs win in the series in Lakers??? They suck because they didn’t. Even the score is not close bcz they r not in the level. CAVS r just pretending to be a strong team as if they were like this season. Obviously look in the matchup, they didn’t even stand a chance.., even in the Rox they cannot win. So if the LAL or HOU goes to final WEST will obviously win.
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Buck says:
I can’t believe how you people hate on T-Mac so much and you obviously didn’t hear or watched the Jim Rome Show. Just like most Americans, you believe every damn thing the media publish. He wasn’t bashing the Cavs at all. He also went on to say that if the Lakers get by the Rockets (which is his team) they would probably win the Championship. But once again you people must find something negative about a guy because of what. He hasn’t made it out of the first round. PLEASE.. Have any of you? But you have your opinion right. Well so does T-Mac. He wasn’t trashing or talking down about no team and he praised his own. Now IDIOTS!!! Publish that!!! lol
May 1st, 2009 at 1:09 pm
kyle says:
i love t-mac and cant stand the cavs
May 1st, 2009 at 1:11 pm
kyle says:
i hate all of you haters that hate on t-mac. when he’s healthy he is the best player on the planet.
June 1st, 2009 at 10:10 am
theo says:
now idiot no-minded people shut up and listen to mcgrady…..who are you and critisizing a man being in the league for 12 years??you are just nothing at all….now put sth in your mouth and jusat watch cleveland being out of the final as TMAC said….the man is an expert and one of the best…you better start watching only ruggby