In the aftermath of Tracy McGrady’s 52-point dominance Friday night in Orlando, several Bulls players questioned the coaching staff’s strategy not to double-team the league’s leading scorer.
Almost simultaneously, coach Bill Cartwright did a slow burn over what he perceived as lack of defensive responsibility, wondering on the charter flight to Miami why no player had knocked McGrady on his rear.
Questioned on the subject before Saturday night’s game against the Miami Heat, Cartwright’s slow burn boiled over.
“If a guy is that hot, you have to guard him,” an impassioned Cartwright said. “That’s your job. If you can’t do your job, then maybe you should step out and let somebody else take him.
“When a guy is scoring, you do whatever you can. Deny him the ball, get up on him, take a foul, anything. I know when I played, I took responsibility to guard my own guy.”
No Bull fouled out guarding McGrady. And McGrady hit deep shots from the perimeter, even though the game plan called for defenders to make him drive.
McGrady’s performance even claimed a victim on Saturday as Eddie Robinson sat with a strained right hamstring, sustained while trying to stop him.
Beached
Two weeks ago Saturday, Donyell Marshall took advantage of the All-Star break to luxuriate with his fiance on Miami’s famous beaches.
Since then, Marshall’s statistics have relaxed as he continues to struggle to find the form that made his first half of the season such a success.
Marshall has three of his team-high 22 double-doubles after the All-Star break but entered Saturday’s action averaging 5.8 points and shooting 25 percent in his previous five games.
“I’m terrible right now,” Marshall said. “I can’t make a shot. It’d be one thing if I were missing 18-foot jumpers. But I’m missing stupid 3-foot hook shots.”
To his credit, Marshall isn’t using nagging injuries, including a sore back, as an excuse.
Marshall badly wants to play in all 82 games this season, something he never has accomplished in his eight NBA seasons. Marshall’s career high is 81 games with Utah in 2000-01.
Marshall, Jalen Rose and Trenton Hassell are the only three Bulls to play in all 57 games.
“He looks like he’s a little out of steam right now,” Cartwright said. “But Donyell’s a pro.”
This statement applies to Marshall’s attitude toward Cartwright’s inevitable decision to start Eddy Curry alongside Tyson Chandler, which would send Marshall back to the bench and the role in which he began this season.
Marshall started against the Heat and finished with six points and three rebounds. He played just 18 minutes because of his sore back. He came off the bench for the first 15 games this season and said he’s comfortable in either capacity.
“Either way I’m going to play,” Marshall said. “I just want to be out there in the fourth quarter.”
