In part deux of my "Oldies but Goodies" blog, I will be looking at another aging former superstar: Tracy McGrady (hilarious poster.)Once one of the most explosive scorers in the league (remember this game when he scored 13 points in 35 seconds to beat the Spurs? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXUfP7fUD5w),
T-Mac's career has been derailed by the dreaded microfracture surgery. Although he may never be the same as he was, McGrady would still be an asset, possibly even a starter, depending on how his condition has improved from last year and the failed New York experiment. Let's take a closer look.
Potential Destinations : Bulls, Clippers. ?
Why he hasn't been offered a deal -
McGrady has had some serious nibbles from the Chicago Bulls, a contending team that could offer T-Mac a chance to get to the second round of the playoffs (while being an active member of the roster.) Most insiders still think he will end up in Chi-Town, especially now that another one of the Bulls' targets, Eddie House, signed with the Heat. The Bulls, however, have shown apprehension over the fact that T-Mac has stated that he will be trying to come in and be a starter. New coach Tom Thibodeau and the Bulls' front office have repeatedly stated that they will not sign McGrady if he cannot accept coming off the bench. Other than the Bulls, T-Mac has worked out for the Clippers. They may be a secondary choice for McGrady as he has voiced his desire to play for the Bulls and recently the Lakers. The Clippers also resigned Rasual Butler to shore up their small forward position, which makes it less likely for them to move on McGrady.
The second reason McGrady doesn't have a contract, is the concern over his problematic knee. Although T-Mac made it through his workout for the Bulls without raising any red flags, physically, there remain concerns about the condition of McGrady's surgically repaired knee. While microfracture surgery is becoming more common, it still amounts to a surgeon inflicting multiple fractures inthe knee in order to regenerate cartilage. The procedure has reduced the athleticism and explosion for the players who have endured it. These examples include Penny Hardaway, Chris Webber, Allan Houston, and Amare Stoudemire. For those who have been able to come back successfully, year two is when they tend to make large strides. Last year, McGrady had trouble staying on the court for big minutes in consecutive games. For a team with championship aspirations, roster spots cannot be wasted on players who may not be able to make it to playoff time healthy.
As far as fitting in with the team goes, I tend to agree with the Bulls fron office when they say that McGrady will have to play a smaller role. He doesn't exactly fit with the starting line-up and how Coach Thibodeau wants to play. First, Derric Rose is more of a scoring point guard who commands the ball (Usage % of 27.2; 12th overall, and highest among point guards according to http://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2010_leaders.html) T-Mac is also a player who likes to create off the dribble to either score, go to the line, or pass (an underrated part of his game). T-Mac's career Usage % of 30.30 is ranked at 8th all-time on basketball-reference.com (which requires that a player play greater than or equal to 15,000 minutes over his career.) Coach Thibodeau has expressed his offensive philosophy in the half court consisting of playing off the Rose-Boozer pick-and-roll. If McGrady started, he would be reduced to playing off the ball and spotting up to shoot threes since is no longer an athletic finisher. If this is going to be the Bulls' strategy offensively, new acquisition Kyle Korver would be a better fit as he set an all-time record for three-point efficiency last year (converting 53.6 %.) Defensively, Thibodeau has show to be aggressive and wants to force turnovers. T-Mac wouldn't fit as a starter defensively etiher as he has always been inconsistent defensively. Ronnie Brewer would fit better if Thibodeau valued defense at his starting two-guard position over offense.
Why he still deserves that cash -
Unlike Shaq, McGrady is not asking for a contract greater than his market value. He has repeatedly expressed that money i sno longer his first priority after making over $62 million dollars the past three seasons. McGrady has even been open to takeing a non-guaranteed deal from the Bulls, enabling them to pull the plug on T-Mac if it doesn't work out. The fact that McGrady would come with that low of a price tag shows that he is willing to do what it takes to be a part of something special. It's almost such a low-price that it is a no-risk situation. If he comes in and plays well, it is a steal; if he comes in like Allen Iverson did last year on the 76ers, then they can just cut him.
In response to questions on coming off the bench, McGrady is quoted as saying "I won't have a problem, but that's not what I'm really shooting for. I think, yeah, if I was the player that I was in a Knicks uniform, I would hav eno problem coming off the bench. But I've worked extremely hard and I'm far from being that player. Trust me. It's up to me in training camp, to prove I'm a starter." If you take those words and pretend that someone like Ronnie Brewer or Korver said them, you have the perfect attitude for a bench player. No one ever dreams of coming off the bench in any sport, if they did, we would label them as lacking competitiveness and soft. Coach Thibodeau should want that type of desire and mindset on his team. He should also have the confidence in his coaching abilities to be able to decide whether McGrady should start or not and stand up for his choice. It's foolish for any front office to ever expect a player to com in wanting to come off the bench.
Despit my reasoning why T-Mac would not fit as a starter in The Windy City, I do think McGrady would an effective role player off the bench, even if that isn't what he wants. When you look at the Bulls roster, they will probably start Rose, Brewer, Deng, Boozer, and Noah. That leaves a second unit of CJ Watson, Korver, James Johnson, Taj Gibson, and Kurt Thomas. Who is going to make plays and create opportunites for other players on the second unit. Watson and Korver are good three-point shooters, but this bench unit doesn't have someone who can come in and keep the team afloat offensively when Derrick Rose and Boozer have to come out. McGrady would slide into that spot perfectly. Although McGrady was inconsistent last year, he did show flashes of the old T-Mac (like in his debut when he logged 26 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds.) And while he is not throwing any alley-oops to himself any time soon, McGrady definitely can come in and not only score but see over the defense to find Watson, Korver, and Gibson in scoring opportunities.
So Chicago, sign T-Mac to the no-risk deal and don't look back. You have the infrastructure to keep him in line, and he desperately wants to help you win. Your bench needs it.
