Tracy McGrady already a failure or still has a future?
Tracy McGrady is a young deserving player who came to the NBA in 2007. He is one of the unfortunate players who have been chewed up and thrown to the side by each of the team he played for. He has played for 4 teams already since he was picked in the ’07 NBA drafts as the 9th pick, and has yet to win a championship.
Tracy was along with the LeBron James of his time, unquestionably he was the face of Orlando Magic in 2000 but lamentably his luck was unlike King James. Tracy might be a seven times NBA All-Star but the poor athlete has not been blessed enough to play for the top teams of NBA.
He came to the Toronto Raptors in ‘97 and played for them until 2000, after that he was traded to Orlando Magic in a sign and trade deal. In 2004 he was again traded in a seven player deal by Orlando to the Houston Rockets.
Tracy thought he would have luck with the Houston Rockets, giving them as much as he could but ended up hurting his back after falling in a game against the Indiana Pacers in 2006, followed by two other injuries, one in November 2007 when he injured his elbow and his left knee by December. After dealing with a team like Houston Rockets for the past six years, Tracy McGrady has finally become a free agent.
2010, will this year be finally a good year for McGrady? Will he finally able to go to a championship winning team after 13 years of suffering?
This year’s playoffs were epic as every basketball enthusiast exclaimed, how overwhelming the match between the two long term-rivals was, the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Boston Celtics. The match happened a few weeks from now, but the rivalry as to the new rumours has not yet ended; the battle between the two has started off-court via cell phones.
Apparently both franchises have participated in a virtual battle against each other regarding Tracy McGrady. So now the question is what should Mcgrady take into consideration?
For starters which coach would be best for a player like McGrady who has ‘impaired’ written all over his body? Phil Jackson is a coach who is considered a Zen Master, has mentored players like Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman and Pippen. Phil made Ron Artest the man he is today. He has the ability to mould all sorts of players into champions.
Doc Rivers who is currently the coach of the Boston Celtics might not have as many championships under his belt but he has moulded his aging team players into true stars, taking them to the NBA championship four times.
The coaching bit might give an edge to the Lakers as they have a more experienced coach which McGrady might want to opt for.
Experts say the second most important thing for McGrady is to determine his teammates, and how supportive they are? Which team is more likely to make him feel at home?
The Boston Celtics are running mighty then on their roster as they might have star players but all are aging fast and the team needs some fresh young players on their roster for backup. Celtics top players like Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and veterans like Rasheed Wallace are extremely friendly team mates and welcome new players easily without bringing their egos before them e.g. Jermaine O’Neal who was recently signed on as a new centre for the team, has given good remarks in his recent interviews.
However when it comes down to Lakers, the team is mixed with veteran and young players but is also infested with players who are famously known for having inflated egos. Kobe Bryant who is their top most player, is not an easy person to get along with, even a toddler can see the big halo of ego around him.
The Celtics certainly could use this advantage to grab McGrady’s attention as their roster is filled with more friendly players compared to the Lakers.
Third most important thing for Tracy would be to look in a team is ‘minutes’. Tracy is a player who seeks for as many minutes as he can. Here is another advantage to the Boston Celtics as their key players like Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are aging who need to catch a gulp of air once in a while; Tracy is likely to get at least 45 minutes of game play in each game.
Although when it comes to the Lakers it is a tight spot. Lakers line-up is filled with iron horses at the small forward spot and at the guard position. So for McGrady to think he will get more than 22 minutes off the bench will be close to impossible.
With three important factors determined, where is Tracy McGrady likely to end up? Experts say that if Tracy is looking for championship titles he should surely go to the L.A Lakers as he might not get as many minutes or the spot light but the team is strong and is likely to compete in the next championship ruthlessly. However, if he wants to play with aging stars and grab as many division titles as he could than he should opt for the Boston Celtics.
So now the question remains, will Tracy McGrady be another victim of the National Basketball Association? Will he be amongst the pool of talented players who were abused and used by the league and thrown to the side?
All these questions will remain unanswered until Tracy decides on which franchise he will opt for, hopefully within this week.
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