Don’t fault McGrady for his one-and-done legacy

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...ug=ys-mcgradylegacy050308&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

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"There haven’t been any upsets, McGrady hasn’t let anyone down, and critiquing him for not making it out of the first round is akin to ripping on Pau Gasol for failing to make it to the second round with the undermanned Memphis Grizzlies in the face of competition out of San Antonio, Phoenix and Dallas. Save that vitriol for the top-ranked tennis pro bowing out against an unheralded opponent in the opening rounds. This is a team sport. Treat it as such.

That said, McGrady hasn’t exactly put himself or his team in position to pull off the upset because his offensive arsenal is lacking at times. The third quarter of Houston’s Game 6 loss to the Jazz on Friday was the perfect example – while the Jazz defense swarmed, McGrady was unable to contribute offensively by making himself a decoy off the ball. When he did get the ball in the low post, far from his comfort position, he missed a series of shots that other great wing scorers would have connected on.

It’s that way of scoring, far from pretty but awfully effective, that separates McGrady from the best of the bunch. Outside of driving to the hole, or if he’s not crossing over and pulling up for the 20-foot jump shot, McGrady is pretty lost. And that’s why he consistently has been unable to put points on the board late in games, once his tired legs fail him.

That’s a blown recipe for overachievement, however, and it’s hard to consistently criticize a guy for not playing over his head. The fact remains that, seven times since the year 2000, Tracy McGrady’s teams have lost in the first round to outfits that were better than his own. And though an individual can have a big hand in taking down another team in this league, it still is a team game.

And this guy hasn’t had the team. That’s a shame, and that shouldn’t be a reflection on McGrady."