T-Mac still thinks he has it...

By SOLANGE REYNER
THE LEDGER

AUBURNDALE | NBA free agent Tracy McGrady says there's no question that he can still be the scoring threat he once was while with the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic.

But McGrady, in town for his 13th annual street-ball tournament at Auburndale High School on Saturday, is also fine with playing the role of facilitator for whichever team he signs with next season.

"Last year I showed my ability as a facilitator," said McGrady, who played point guard at times during his one year with the Pistons last season. "I can bring the element of scoring, but for the most part I can also help set up other players and facilitate."

McGrady averaged eight points per game last season, the lowest since his rookie year when he put up seven a game.

In Orlando, he won the NBA scoring title two seasons in a row. In Houston, he averaged 21-plus points per game for four seasons before undergoing microfracture surgery on his left knee in early 2009.

That injury, McGrady says, limited his playing ability over the course of the next two years, and set him back in terms of movement, balance, and most important, confidence.

"For me, it's been a long road back," said McGrady. "Physically I felt it would come back. Mentally, it was getting my confidence back and trusting my knee and trusting my body. Confidence is not naturally instilled in somebody, and sometimes a byproduct of confidence is success. But my body feels great now and I'm ready to go."

While McGrady's performance Saturday was in no way an indication of what kind of shape he was in — he jogged lightly up and down the court and let teammates do most of the work during his team's first round win — some spectators, and current pros, still think he's a premier player in the league.

He's intent on winning his tournament — a $10,000 winner takes all event — so today's games might look a tad different if the game is on the line.

"When I heard Tracy was playing, I wanted to see what he looked like. I was curious to see if his game was still at a high level," said Keith Worth, a school teacher at Fort Meade. "And it still is. You can tell he turned it on when he had to."

Eric Robinson, the boys basketball coach at Auburndale, coached McGrady at the youth level in the early '90s and has followed his pro career. He thinks McGrady can latch on to a contender where he can fit in and not have to run the show.

"I've seen the things he's capable of doing, and he's still got it. We're not looking for him to perform like he did ten years ago, but just to be able to show that he can still play in the NBA," Robinson said.

Fellow pro Jermaine Taylor, a free agent who was with the Sacramento Kings last season, played with McGrady on Saturday and was the main reason the team advanced to the second round.

At one point, McGrady hit what seemed to be an effortless 3-pointer from beyond the arc. The crowd snipped with "ooh" comments.

"He still looks the same to me," said Taylor. "He just makes things look so easy."

http://www.theledger.com/article/20110717/NEWS/110719521?p=1&tc=pg

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAdxNVKkndg

T-mac Pistons mix