NBA Update: Tracy and the Chicago Bulls
The unwillingness of the Tracy McGrady to play for the Chicago Bulls comes as a shock. Though still not confirmed, Tracy has shown signs that he wouldn’t want to play if he were to be given a secondary position in the team.
Although, he has shown no prominent signs of this but it seems obvious from the statement that he delivered in the press conference. He spoke as a part of the Chicago team saying that “we feel really good” and Bulls will get much from the starters.
However, when he was asked about how he would feel coming off the bench? He showed no signs of resentment you can say and answered that he was happy to be in Bulls. Saying that he had no problem with coming off the bench but that’s not what he was looking for. Adding to this he said that if he was a part of his former team the Knicks, than this would be without a doubt no problem. His hard work and managing to battle is injury troubled career, he is expecting more. His skills and his hard work is worthy of a starting position and he would prove this in the training camp he added.
This statement shows that Tracy isn’t particularly happy with a bench start and his other statements also put question marks over Chicago signing him. The talented, now an old player added that without him and Boozer, the Bulls are a 0.5 winning averaged club. The 32 year old also added that he along with the other players added, can boost the Bulls scoring by 30 points. Tracy said that if he teamed up with Thibodeau, Chicago would be one of the big teams in the NBA defensively.
As it appears and as the statements keeping on coming from Tracy, many think that Tracy is not a player who can come off the bench and score 30 points. It’s just that this player wants to be a highlight of the Chicago Bulls.
This past Monday, Tracy passed the physical audition but he was not able come into agreement with the Chicago Bulls about his secondary position in the team. This however is one of the two points on which Tracy would have to agree if he wants the Bulls to offer him a deal.
Different sources have come up with different faces of the story. The fact for all of them remained the same that Tracy was not interested in signing a deal, which would treat him as a secondary player in the team. ESPN issued a statement after the interview and workout that it was unlikely that Tracy would be a Chicago Bulls player. Another source said that after the enthusiasm in which the meeting started it ended in somewhat disappointment for the Bulls.
Tracy, even though aware of these two demands of the Bulls, does not seem to accept them which is the reason for the delay of the deal being finalized. The Bulls keeping in mind this would be reluctant to bring in a player of his ego, even though they are short of players in wing scoring positions.
Tracy’s statistics at the Knicks include an average of 9.4 points, 3.9 assists and 26.1 minutes in 26 starts. Thibodeau is well aware of the fact that the level of destruction he can cause to opponents on court, while he assistant coached him in Houston.
The Bulls however, also consider the injury pruned career that he has had thus far. Any team would want to sign a player like him but would also want a regular so that the job could be done every time they come on court. Given the amount of talent he has, he is surely a potential superstar but the frequent injuries he comes across hinder his road to glory. This is might be one of the reasons that the Bulls want him on the bench so as to support the starters. Whether or not he come on terms with the Bulls remains to be seen and it is up to him to decide.
Tags: