Two-time scoring champ carries a little baggage By FRAN BLINEBURY Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle If the eyes are truly the window to the soul, you half expect to tiptoe up to Tracy McGrady's sleepy chocolate brown peepers and see Miles Davis lounging inside there in silk pajamas on a crushed velvet sofa. McGrady makes everything look easy. Pulling up for a jump shot. Driving to the hoop for a mind-bending dunk. Doing anything he wants on a basketball court with a minimum of effort. McGrady makes everything look cool. Maybe too cool. From the way he handles his celebrity to the way he handled the nightmarish season he just went through in Orlando, where the Magic started out 1-5, at one point lost 19 games in a row and finished a miserable 21-61. What the Rockets got Tuesday by swapping Steve Francis for McGrady is a bigger player — 6-8, 210 pounds — and a more difficult matchup for opposing defenses, an almost-impossible-to-guard complement to Yao Ming in the middle. Not to mention a two-time NBA scoring champion with averages of 32.1 and 28.0 points in the last couple of seasons. They also got baggage in the form of questions, which is why a player of his stature was available in the first place. There is the tendinitis in his knee, which McGrady said was the reason he shut it down for the last nine games of the season. There have been chronic problems with his back. There is uncertainty about his competitive fire. When McGrady is at the top of his game, there are few others like him — languid, smooth, like syrup running off a stack of hot pancakes. Whether he is flipping the ball off the backboard glass and throwing it down for a dunk in the All-Star Game or reaching up to flick away a would-be jumper by Kobe Bryant and then smiling sheepishly, it is a style that can only be described as sweet. "He's doing things we've never seen before," Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle once said. The fact is, different parts of McGrady's game have been seen before in so many different players. But perhaps never have they been rolled all into one. He is a jazz riff with two legs. From preps to pros McGrady, 25, was born in Auburndale, Fla., a spot on the freeway that connects Tampa and Orlando. He played basketball, football and baseball in high school, and nothing ever seemed beyond the reach of his talent or imagination. So just two years after Kevin Garnett made the jump directly from high school to the NBA, McGrady, then 18, took flight from Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C., and became the ninth overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft by Toronto. Joining his cousin, Vince Carter, on the Raptors, McGrady at first said he'd be willing to bide his time and wait his turn. But after averaging 15.4 points and 6.3 rebounds in his third pro season, his patience ran out. McGrady entered free agency in 2000 and flirted for a good part of the summer with the Chicago Bulls, who wanted to make him the successor to Michael Jordan in their backcourt and the centerpiece of their franchise. Instead he eventually forced a trade to Orlando for a future first-round draft choice in a plan to be united with fellow free agent Grant Hill with the Magic. Dynamic duo derailed However, Hill immediately began suffering problems with a broken bone in his foot and has spent most of his time in rehab. That has left McGrady trying to carry all of the load for the past four seasons and never getting very far. Finally, when this past season collapsed around him, McGrady began looking again for an exit. There is no denying his almost unstoppable offensive talents, which are partly the result of a long, athletic body. In fact, it is length — the word all of the scouts use — that is usually first brought up to describe McGrady. His sleeve measurement is 50 inches, and his fingers are extra long like those of a piano virtuoso, giving him the reach and wingspan of a 7-footer. Add to that his athletic moves — the kind more likely to be seen from a player who stands 6-3 — and you have a player who is special. You trade a player of Francis' considerable skills only if you are trading up. And in terms of talent, that's the case with McGrady. "If everybody was out on a playground somewhere, it wouldn't take long for all of them to figure out who was supposed to get the ball," said former Magic coach Doc Rivers, now in charge of the Celtics. "No matter how good everybody thought they were before he showed up, they'd know to get him the ball." The end in Orlando The knocks have come in the areas of leadership, maturity and heart. McGrady's team had a 3-1 lead on Detroit in the first round of the 2003 playoffs but could never close out the Pistons, losing 4-3. A former teammate, Horace Grant, who played with Jordan in Chicago, said McGrady didn't have the drive. Grant claimed McGrady was lazy and a malingerer. Word leaked out last season of McGrady's missing a shocking number of practices, begging out early on others. There are tales of his falling asleep more than once during video sessions. Too easy. Too cool. As last season became a disaster, McGrady seemed to disengage from the Magic. His defense became virtually nonexistent. He moved his offensive game outside and merely launched jumpers, saving the banging on his body but shooting only .417 from the field. He even spoke of retirement. As the season wound down, McGrady talked openly of opting out of his contract one year before it expired. He didn't want to wait anymore for Hill to mend. He didn't want to wait for the Magic to rebuild. Then last week he told team owner Rich DeVos he wanted to move on. Now, as he prepares to join his third team for his eighth NBA season, McGrady says he wants to play for the Rockets, wants to play with Yao Ming. So cool, so easy to be Tracy McGrady.
Here's the thing with Blinebury- guy definitely has talent for writing, in the use of metaphors, the way he varies sentence structure, etc. From a purely aesthetic point of view, he is a great writer. The problem is that he's not strong when it comes to content. His writing is like eye-candy- sure, it reads well, but it kinda rings hollow. Sleepy chocolate brown peepers? Great use of imagery, but do we really care about this? My answer is no. Unlike others who criticize Fran for being a Rockets hater, I have no problem with his critical views- most of the time, he has a valid point, and it is not his job to be a fan of the team. I just think he's in the wrong field. He's been doing this for years- equating sports to the meaning of life and trying to come up with the oh-so-clever phrase that will make the reader stop and gasp in awe of his literary sensibilities. Note to Fran, if you read this board: SAVE THE POETRY FOR THE UNIVERSITY LECTURE! We know you can turn a cool phrase, but please God no more "jazz riff with two legs" quotes. Remember the KISS principle: Keep it simple, sourpuss!
Well, there's no denying that there are flaws there. Skipping practices, beggin out of practices, falling asleep at video sessions, do you guys think this stuff is made up? He's worth the risk, and he's only 25, so he can still grow out of that.
I'm not sure that it's been touched on enough of how disappointed TMac must feel about his time in ORL. I know he's expressed that he has no regrets, but his tenure just never played out the way he had truly imagined. Between him and GHill, they were supposed to be kings of the East. How frustrating it must've been for him to choose the Magic because of Hill only to never play with the guy. God forbid, it would be similar to a situation where Yao got hurt. The guy wants to win. And to think he feels Houston is a special opportunity - Playing alongside Yao Ming. I always got the feeling Cat and SF3 felt Yao was intruding on their turf or something (From the moment Yao arrived to the screams from crowd pleading for them to pass the ball). But TMac could go anywhere in the league, and he wanted to play with Yao. That speaks volumes to me ... about the man's appreciation of Yao Ming ... about his desire to play ... about his desire to win. TMac respects winning. TMac respects a purpose with a successful end in sight. He wouldn't be coming to Houston to play for JVG with thoughts of BSing around. I think TMac just wants to be fufilled. In a similar mold to Jordan, he feels there's a destiny for him to claim. And no matter how great you are on paper, true greatness will be measured by Championships. His first words to Yao would be "Win me a Championship" and "Let's light up Houston," or something like that. He's got his eyes on greatness. I have a feeling were gonna enjoy TMac being "easy."
Blinebury tends to be one of the more pessimistic writers when it comes to Houston's sports teams. If he didn't like the trade, I doubt he would bull**** with it. He used to openly bash Drexler when he was on the Rockets.
Two-timing flopping champ writes a little tee-pee By IROC it, about FRANCIS BLINDFURY Copywrong 2004 Houston Crunkicle So cool, so easy to be a sports writer. Why just one glance into my 15" TFT monitor told me I was about to take a journey worthy of the porceline throne variety. A little push here, a slight grunt there... and hey, I can push out something that floats too. No, it may not be quite as attractive in length and girth, but it floats out here in the cyber-cesspool nontheless. And if you oogle it too long, you may also sense that it has that unmistaken signature maloderous stench... almost as if someone wanted to lure you with the sound of a thundering "splash," only to leave you with that hollow, empty "funk." Too cool, too easy. Some call it "Crap laden, fact tweaking." I call it being a sports writer. link to the story
If anyone can Motivate our boy, IT'S JVG!!. i'm not worried about his motivation or the lack of it!. he'll be fine...
At least with tmac we will get some more respects from the refs even if he brings nothing else. If I remember right we were like the worst 5 teams in the nba in terms of fta. With tmac and the yao combo and the natural media exposure along with that I certainly hope we will at least crack the top 10 next season. Referees respect is critical if you want to win a championship.
Orlando thought it would be easy too The question is. . . would we get something as good as what Orlando Got? REMEMBER SCOTTIE PIPPEN . . . trading him should have been easy too Rocket River I have no worries about this trade
Considering He is a Unrestricted Free agent Next season, we could nothing in return if he decides to packup and leave. i hope he Signs the Extension now
I disagree JVG is a curser JVG is a yeller JVG is a MFer MFer JVG is NOT a Motivator I think our 3rd quarters this past year says one of two things 1. He not a motivator 2. his half time adjustments sucks I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt on the Latter Rocket River Rudy may not have JVG's basketball IQ .. but he was a LEADER OF MEN JVG has not proven that to me yet. . .
Dude, Maybe T-mac is the One looking for a coach like JVG. I dont think there is one player in the league who dosent know wht JVG is all about!. By Picking The Rox as his First choice, he Also picked JVG as his coach too!.
That it is a good point... yet, I can't help but ask, "Did T-Mac really know what he was getting himself into?" I hope so. I hope it all works out.
"You trade a player of Francis' considerable skills only if you are trading up. And in terms of talent, that's the case with McGrady." that rings true. can't figger why rocket fans are griping about the rest though. Whinebury managed to regurgitate the valid questions about TMac, stick it in some flowery prose and get paid. nice job if you can get it.
