If Tmac had stayed with Toronto, Could that team have challanged the lakers?

Power Forward - Slight Advantage Lakers

Robert Horry and Samaki Walker are better than Antonio Davis and Jerome Williams? That is a huge advantage for Toronto, in addition to the other matchups.

 

I think the big question is whether or not McGrady and Carter would have been redundant. The SF position is probably the least essential in terms of its ability to affect the team as a whole. One of them would have logged most of their minutes in this position.

Keon Clark doesn't have the type of game that does much against Shaq.

Toronto would have a slight advantage at PF. Horry and Walker are decent complimentary players, but Antonio Davis was once quite good. He's declined substantially, but not enough to give LA the edge.

I'm also not sure if I'd give Toronto the edge at PG. Alvin Williams is adecnet player, but so is Fisher.

The question, like in most of LA's match-ups, is whether Shaq can dominate enough to either:

A. force the other team to completely work their defensive strategy around stopping him, thereby allowing Fisher, Horry, Fox, & co to shoot 3's all day long while wide-open.

B. Score 40 a game while pulling down 20 rebounds.

Against Clark/Hakeem, I bet he could. And it seems like Bryant always manages to steal one game on his own. He gets his 25/6/6 the other games... but one game he goes nuts.

The interesting part in this match-up, is of course, whether McGrady could neutralize Bryant offensively. I tend to think McGrady's a bit overrated as a defender... so no. But if he could, LA would have zero room for mistakes.

 

Horry's had a few big shots in the playoffs, but I can't ever remember him taking over a game, as a Laker.

I definitely like Toronto, but I tried to stay away from predictions because I'm going to be called biased anyway. I honestly believe McGrady is as good or better than Kobe... much better defensively, rebounding, and blocking shots, and almost has the same accuracy on the perimeter jumper. Both can get to the basket effectively, though Tmac seems to be better in the post. If those two cancel each other out, you're left with Shaq and the Laker role players (Fisher, Horry, Fox) against Vince, Antonio Davis, and the Raptor role players (Williams, JYD, Clark)

As good as Shaq is, I'd take the Raptors in this scenario. The Raptors would just have more quality players than the Lakers could handle. Plus, the Raptors would have two go to guys at the end of the game: McGrady and Carter. The Lakers would just have one, as Shaq can't shoot free throws. That, to me, gives Toronto overall a slight edge.

 

Would McGrady have become the player he is today living in the shadow of Vince Carter?

If they had resigned McGrady, would they have had the money to sign players like Alvin Williams, Antonio Davis, Jerome Williams, or even Hakeem for that matter, to such large contracts?

If they had resigned McGrady, would they have even selected Morris Peterson in the draft two years ago?

There's too many unanswerable questions in determining whether or not that hypothetical team would have come into fruition.

 

IMO, I believe the Raptors would look good on paper. TMac would not be what he is today if he was still stuck with his cousin. But if they would have been satisfied with the following starters

Davis
Carter
Olajuwon
Tmac
A. Williams

that would be an interesting team to watch and see what the outcome could have been.

 

I've thought about this before kbm, and I would have to say no.

I just don't think Tmac would be the player he is now had he still been on Carter's team. And the Lakers were so dominant in the playoffs last year ...

 

I think they could challenge if T-Mac just became a 2nd scorer so that Vince could drop some of the load. But, no way T-mac develops into the player that he is now.

 

T-mac if he would have stayed in Toronto he would clearly not be the player he is today T-mac was being weighed down and being used when the coach wanted him used.
Knowing that Carter is his cousin it was a difficult decision but he clearly had his mind made up that he was gone when it was his time.
T-mac now is a star and by far is better than Kobe.
No matter how many rings Kobe has T-mac is an all around ball player! I still love that monster dunk he did in the all star game.

 

TMac better than Kobe?

Today vs. the Wizards

23 pts/11 rebs/15!! assists

Oh yea..his team won too.

 

C-Eric Montross
PF-Antonio Davis
SF-Tracy McGrady
SG-Vince Carter
PG-Alvin Williams
6th-Keon Clark

The Raptors would definitely start a big slug like Eric Montross against Shaq and having Keon come off the bench at the 3/4 and really mess up the Lakers in the post.

Yah, I think that lineup could beat the Lakers.

 

Also, I think Tracy not staying in Toronto was a huge mistake. He ain't gonna win anything in Orlando. That team is a disaster now. They win when the 3pt shots are falling and get blown out when they aren't.

Tracy could easily be a 24/7 player in Toronto and get the credit he does now. It's all a matter of patience and maturity and I don't think he had enough then. I wouldn't be surprised if he regrets it a bit.

Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Keon Clark would definitely be the most dynamic scoring trio the league has seen since Kareem, Magic and James Worthy.

 

Keon Clark

He might turn into a quality center, he might not. Sort of silly to claim that he could form a trio with Carter and McGrady.

He's definitely not developed enough yet, and it's never certain that someone will develop.

 

Give Keon 15 shots a game and you have Rasheed Wallace w/o the wild 3pt bricking ability.

Keon's a PF btw. He might come in the game as a C but he never guards the other team's Cs.

Keon is the 2nd best player on the Raptors right now.

 

If Keon had Wallace-type skills, he'd be getting 15 shots per game .

 

I think Milwaukee or Philadelphia would beat that Toronto team.

 

Are you gonna tell Antonio Davis or Hakeem Olojuwan that they're gonna sit so Keon can become a star? Politics.

Seriously though, every time Keon gets decent PT and shots he comes through huge.

I give it a year before Dream is the first guy off the bench. Unless the Raptors go to the finals and Dream plays great in the playoffs.

 

BTM, I see you giving props to Keon all the time, but cmon, Sheed?

Does Keon have that unstopable fadeaway that Sheed does?

When I think of Keon at his best, I think of Camby, but with a medium range jumper to boot. Borderline star, helluva roleplayer. At his worst I see pre- double- double Cato.