T-Mac ... It is his fault

Research in communication suggests that the actual words only contribute seven percent to an overall message, while the remaining 93 percent comes from nonverbal cues (e.g., posture, body movement, gestures, facial expressions, etc.). Consider this a loosely correlated extension of "Actions speak louder than words."

Houston's Tracy McGrady is one loss away from falling to 0-7 in playoff series. Earlier in the week, McGrady made a failed attempt at humor regarding his postseason failures, even stating that everything was his fault, including mistakes in concession beer orders at the Toyota Center.

One one hand, McGrady is correct. Last season against Utah was probably the only time that a McGrady team was favored to win a playoff series (and even that was nearly a coin flip). In this year's rematch, Yao Ming is out injured and Utah is better than a year ago. So, another loss is expected. And of course McGrady needs help.

Still, as one of the most talented basketball players on the planet, and one who earns better than $19 million annually, he needs to do his part -- and often more than that. McGrady tires in the fourth quarter, a fact that he has also admitted. He's scored 12 total points in four fourth quarters in this series and missed his first 11 fourth-quarter field goal attempts. McGrady has access to top-notch strength and conditioning coaches, yet he isn't in good enough shape to finish games strong?

But it's the actions, the nonverbal communications, that indict McGrady the most. It's his shrugged shoulders, pained expressions and passiveness. He appears disengaged, detached, arrogant and aloof. And so, when he fails, it's natural to draw conclusions that McGrady could do more. And for not doing everything that he can McGrady is at fault.

My take on McGrady's Game 7 loss to Utah last season