Tracy McGrady has been nothing but a small blimp on the NBA radar for quite some time now. Those of us who loved his game hated watching him fade away. We hated it even more when he would resurface only to immediately sink again.

It finally got to the point that T Mac was more like a buoy than the NBA superstar player who caused every0one to sit up their seats once a stadium announcer introduced his name.

Would that player ever resurface, or would he remain in limbo, like a buoy?

It ironically, and unfortunately, took an injury to Rodney Stuckey for McGrady to get some starts and the minutes to show that he still has what it takes to be a premier player with a member of the Detroit Pistons.

It appears McGrady’s game has undergone an evolution of sorts, arguably for the better, that as the starting point guard in Detroit he’s been extremely effective in as a distributor and less of a scorer. Perhaps his loss of a step has caused him to see passing creases he used to ignore in the past.

On January 3rd against the Utah Jazz McGrady fell one rebound shy of recording a triple double. He finished with 11 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds, marking the best performance of his 2010-11 season thus far.

Is the Tracy McGrady revival in session? (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Chris Young)

T Mac continued to rekindle his ball handling skills and managed to commit only 1 turnover in 34 minutes on the road against a tough Jerry Sloan coached Utah defense.

If McGrady can finally, and I mean FINALLY stay healthy, he is  (knock on wood again just for the heck of it) on the path to reviving and reinventing his game as a 6’8″ point guard.

Not to dig on Rodney Stuckey, but Stuckey has proven to be ineffective at scoring around the basket, and even though he has increased his free throw attempts and is scoring about the same amount of points 16.3 PPG this year versus 16.6 in 2009-10) while shooting the ball four times less per game, it appears that the Pistons must have more McGrady, even if at the expense of Stuckey, in order to be more competitive.

It makes complete sense that Stuckey hypothetically could be better suited to play the shooting guard position, and allow Ben Gordon to play a Vinnie “Microwave” Johnson role, and scorch second units. If not Gordon, perhaps Stuckey.

The bottom line is if McGrady can play anywhere near the way he did prior to 2008, he must be rewarded as many minutes as possible.

Regardless of what happens with John Kuester’s Detroit Pistons and the mercurial relationships between him and his players, it’s truly splendid to finally see T Mac playing meaningful basketball.

Watching T Mac transform his game into a more complete player at the point guard is just an added bonus.

Tracy McGrady’s first game as a New York Knick exceeded expectations for both minute allotment and overall performance. T Mac played a staggering 32 minutes dropping in 26 points on a variety of jumpers, slashing moves to the lane, also adding 5 assists and 4 boards while shooting 58.8% from the field.

However, McGrady had to sit the majority of the overtime period due to (He admitted post-game) being exhausted.

Considering the duration of time missed over the past two years and how he was underutilized in Houston this season, it is unimaginable to have foreseen this type of breakout performance in his first outing for the Knicks.

McGrady is looking to make New York fans believers.

McGrady’s 32 minutes are the first true starter-caliber minutes he’s played since February 9th, 2009.

McGrady’s shocking and inspirational game combined with David Lee to form a competitive dynamic duo, producing one of the Knicks’ most memorable games. Unfortunately, they lost in overtime. They are still the Knicks.

Had McGrady not run out of gas, and played more during overtime, a different outcome might have halted OKC’s current 9-game winning streak. But hey, the guy missed a lot of time and is coming back from microfracture surgery, so 32 minutes in a close overtime loss is good enough for his first game.

The Knicks showed up and competed against OKC and are a better team with McGrady starting. The 1-2 punch of T Mac and Lee has the potential to make attending a game at the Garden a worthwhile experience again for Knicks fans.

What I wonder now, especially since T Mac opened all of our eyes wide open on Saturday, will be how well will he performs in Madison Square Garden tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks.

How well will he bounce back after logging heavy minutes against an extremely athletic Thunder team? Will muscle fatigue and soreness in his knee render the second game back a dud, cause a reduction in minutes, or can he “will” himself to a solid performance?

The Knicks match up against a competitive Milwaukee Bucks team currently hovering around .500 (26-28), who, like New York, completed a trade prior to the trade deadline, acquiring John Salmons from the Chicago Bulls.

Like McGrady, Salmons has paid dividends for the Bucks, averaging 19 points in his first 2 games for the Bucks, both wins.

If he continues to play pain free, and conditioning improves, McGrady will continue to regain the skills he possessed prior to his derailment from the knee injury. If so, look for T Mac to have consistent and solid performances over the final stretch run.

Mark Stein of ESPN and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports have both mentioned breaking news via their twitter feeds that a deal has been made involving Tracy McGrady and Kevin Martin.

According to the twitter reports, the three-team deal has Kevin Martin, Jared Jeffries, Hilton Armstrong, and Jordan Hill heading to Houston. Additionally, New York agrees to swap first-round picks in 2011 and gives Houston their first-round pick in 2012. The 2011 pick is Top-1 protected and 2012 is Top-5 protected.

Tracy McGrady and Sergio Rodrigez will be sent to New York.

Carl Landry, and Joey Dorsey, and Larry Hughes end up heading to the Sacramento Kings.

McGrady will likely seek a buyout. (Credit: picapp.com)

A important question remaining unanswered is the level to which T Mac can play at. For the season McGrady was limited to 6 games with averages of 7:35 minutes and 3.2 points. The Knicks better hope T Mac has gotten remarkably improved during his time off.

Rockets GM Daryl Morey is legendary for crafting this deal. Obtaining Kevin Martin is huge for the Rockets, almost more so than the dumping of McGrady’s insanely large contract.

In addition,  Houston acquires New York’s draft picks, which project to vital lottery picks.

One door closes, a much nicer door opens. (Credit: picapp.com)

Kevin Martin has the opportunity to revamp the Rockets offense, and will no longer compete with Tyreke Evans for the ball. He must be extremely happy.

He gives a tough defensive team a scorer capable of 20 or more points a night. With the Rockets currently ranked 9th in the Western Conference, Martin is the type of player that can create separation from Memphis and New Orleans and into the 8th playoff spot.

Kevin Martin had this to say to Yahoo Sports’ Marc J. Spears:

• “I’m definitely excited for a new opportunity with my old coach. That’s the funny part.”
• “Sacramento gave me an opportunity. I was a late first round pick. I could have been playing overseas.”
• Let the young guys develop. I appreciate them letting me go to a playoff caliber team at this time of my career.”

Martin will likely go ballistic offensively in Houston with his old coach, Rich Adelman, who is fully knowledgeable on how to utilize his talents.

Trade talks involving Tracy McGrady heading to the New York Knicks have been thrust into overdrive today.

The deal, according to a report on Yahoo, is a blockbuster including McGrady, Joey Dorsey, and Brian Cook being shipped to the Big Apple in exchange for Jared Jefferies, 2009 draftl pick Jordan Hill, and possibly Al Harrington. Larry Hughes is also being mentioned, as well as a plethora of future draft pick considerations.

Can McGrady return to the Eastern Conference elite? (Credit: picapp.com)

McGrady and his $23 Million expiring contract represents a glimmering spark of hope for Donnie Walsh to purge his roster of the  aftermath of Isiah Thomas’ atrocious tenure as a General Manager.

Acquiring McGrady allows the Knicks to evaluate T Mac to determine if he has anything left in the tank.

Regardless of McGrady’s abilities, the Knicks get to maneuver tons of salary cap space to go after LeBron James and the amazing class of 2010 free agents.

With New York faltering out of playoff contention and currently ranked 11th, they will likely  give McGrady the opportunity to play, which is something Houston was not interested in doing.

The question is, will McGrady actually be able to play? Is he capable of still playing?

He has missed a lot of time, and allegedly is in Chicago training hard and regaining strength with legendary trainer Tim Grover.

At the very least, New York fans can have something to cheer about: Donnie Walsh successfully dumping out Isiah’s trash.

We are now only weeks away from the NBA trade deadline. Rumors are circulating, and the buzzing trade chatter is heavily amassing.

Some teams will be mortgaging young talent in order to take on expiring contracts in hopes of clearing cap space for the free agency fiasco in 2010.

Other teams will be looking to capitalize, and claim talent while dumping salaries. Other teams, realizing that their season is all but lost, will break up rosters that have not been able to achieve what management had originally envisioned.

Here are the teams with the most to lose/gain from the fiasco.

Portland Trail Blazers

Who can fill in for Oden/Pryzbilla for Portland? (Credit:picapp.com)

The Trail Blazers obviously need help in the paint. They have had the fortune of Brandon Roy willing his team to wins, but it is unlikely he can carry them all year. Juwan Howard’s body, at age 37, will likely not be able to secure the center position for the rest of the year before wear and tear takes its toll. The saying “You can’t teach height” must be racing through Kevin Pritchard’s head as he diligently investigates potential acquisitions to help the Blazers in the middle.

The Blazers have a wealth of depth in the backcourt, and a plethora of athletic, defensive-minded young forwards. The issue is Joel Pryzbilla and Greg Oden have contracts running past next season, so the Blazers brass must consider the adverse effects of another long term contract vs. salary cap space.

Sacramento Kings

Will Martin mesh with Tyreke? (Credit: picapp.com)

Kevin Martin might return to the floor as early as Friday after missing the last 32 games after suffering a fractured left wrist. He has been practicing, and now coach Paul Westphal has a blessing of a dilemma in discovering if Martin and super rookie Tyreke Evans will be able to coexist in the backcourt.

There is zero chance Tyreke Evans is dealt anywhere. If there are any hiccups between the two stars having any negative impact upon team chemistry, look for Martin to be shipped out immediately. Look for Martin to be sought after by teams with inadequacies at the shooting guard position. Phoenix and Dallas immediately come to mind. Both teams are looking for a chance at contention this season, and would be willing to trade prospects and draft picks in order to land Martin’s scoring skills.

Toronto Raptors

I hear the weather is always nice in Los Angeles. (Credit:picapp.com)

Chris Bosh rumors are surfacing aplenty, with recent chatter mentioning Bosh heading to Los Angeles in exchange for Andrew Bynum. This deal would be a huge gamble for the Lakers, but Bosh puts L.A. over the top in the Western Conference.

It is hard to imagine Bosh signing elsewhere after winning an NBA Championship and tasting the Los Angeles lifestyle. He might even put his All Star promotional video production skills to use and land himself work during the off season.

Bynum would find himself in Toronto as a focal point of a rebuilding franchise with Hedo Turkoglu, Andrea Bargnani, and Jose Calderon. Bosh is a weak interior defender, so adding Bynum would give the Raptors a long-term defensive solution. Bynum tends to disappear when Pau Gasol is playing, so in terms of his career thriving, this could be a dream come true.

Chicago Bulls

Does anyone want Hinrich? (Credit: picapp.com)

You would have to be living under a rock to not know the Bulls are trying to unload Kirk Hinrich. Everyone and anyone knows this, to the point of detriment to his trade value. Hinrich is a solid defender, outside shooter, and an all around decent NBA player. The problem is Hinrich has 2 years remaining on his contract after this season, worth $17 million.

Also not boding well on his value is the fact that he is shooting a career-low 37% from the field and 71% from the line this season. When your specialty is shooting, and you are not shooting well, it is hard to retain trade value. The Bulls have indicated that everyone on the roster except Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah to be available, as long as Hinrich’s name is included potential deals.

Houston Rockets

Iggy could do this for the Rockets, instead of against them. (Credit: picapp.com)

The Tracy McGrady saga is difficult as he has the largest contract in the league ($23,239,561). This is the ultimate situation for teams looking to dump contracts and create salary cap space for the free agency fiasco of July 2010.

The teams falling into this category are: the Washington Wizards, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Chicago Bulls. Of these teams, Philadelphia has the best package to offer Houston in terms of immediate roster help.

Philadelphia could package Andre Iguodala with Samuel Dalembert in exchange for McGrady. This is the most logical deal for the Rockets who are without Yao Ming for the season (if not longer) and in need of a center who can rebound and block shots.

Iguodala is an immediate impact player for the Rockets. This deal could put the Rockets into contention this season. The Rockets can assign Ariza, Battier, or Iggy on any teams top offensive threat. Adding Iggy to the offensive attack of Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry will make life hell for opponents during the 4^th quarter.

]]> http://protectthepaint.com/2010/01/13/nba-trade-talk-chris-bosh-andrew-bynum-tracy-mcgrady-and-more/feed/ 0 http://protectthepaint.com/2009/12/28/tracy-mcgrady-is-done-in-houston/ http://protectthepaint.com/2009/12/28/tracy-mcgrady-is-done-in-houston/#comments Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:29:20 +0000 Adam Sedie http://protectthepaint.com/?p=3452

Tracy McGrady is the odd man out in Houston. Houston has found a way to win without him, scrapping through hard fought bouts on a nightly basis to the tune of a respectable 18-12 record. Head coach Rick Adelman does not want to disrupt the chemistry and hard work the Rockets are displaying without McGrady.

Who can blame Adelman? It is commonly known in sports that if you are on a roll, you stick with what is working. Unfortunately for McGrady, that does not include him being a part of the Rockets future. Mike D’Antoni has also followed this trend in New York with Nate Robinson.

Someone get me outta here! (Credit: picapp.com)

McGrady’s frustration stems from his stunted playing time and has escalated to his departure from the team. He has left the Rockets and returned home. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo has reported that T Mac will head to Chicago and continue his training with legendary trainer Tim Grover of Attack Athletics.

Considering McGrady is the highest paid player in the NBA but netting 7-8 minutes of game time, his frustration comes as little surprise. Once considered a top-tier player, two years worth of knee injuries and a microfracture surgery, there are murmurs within the Rockets organization that he is capable of being nothing more than a role player.

What McGrady has going for him is that he is the highest expiring contract in the NBA.  This has appeal for teams looking to sign marquee names next year. This remains possible but will likely not occur until the February 18^th trade deadline.

The hindrance for any team in the NBA trying to acquire McGrady is that to make a trade possible, the suitor team would have to give up far too much. Realistically, McGrady’s large contract paints a clear differential between clearing cap space and mortgaging the future.

Rockets GM Daryl Morey has amassed a solid roster to help combat the lack of Yao and T Mac. His cunning eye for talent and savvy for acquisitions might find a trade that another team cannot resist.

So what happens next? Does McGrady accept a buyout, become a free agent, and try to land himself on a contender for a massive pay cut? Sadly it seems that a buyout for less than his contract worth might be the best chance McGrady has to get on the floor this season.

As the deadline approaches, and teams begin to break things up, McGrady should hear his name in trade rumors. Until then, McGrady should continue to work on his game and strength training conditioning for the foreseeable future.

The Houston Rockets are playing their hearts out these days, winning games with tough defense and solid fastbreak basketball.

Houston fans should cringe upon reading the following update: Tracy McGrady has announced that he is coming back November 18th.

He then rescinded and called it a target date.

Does Houston need T Mac, or Yao Ming for that matter, moving into the future?

Yao, you should consider retirement. (Credit:picapp.com)

Sure, McGrady has put up big numbers during his career, but has he helped his team go anywhere when it counts?

It is a huge asterisk to his career at this point. Coming in close at second: missing X-Amount-of-games due to Variable-Injury-Y.

Anyone who has ever played team basketball will tell you that nothing disrupts team chemistry like an injury-plagued player. Sure, you know the talent exists, but is he going to be too sore, off his game, rusty perhaps?

McGrady, in a “Forrest Gumpian” sense, is similar to a box of chocolates: You never know what you’re gonna get.

Houston plays noticeably better without Yao slowing them down in transition. Sure he is the biggest giant in the league, but he also has the slowest feet to match that body. At least in Yao’s defense, you know what you are going to get, and the guy would try to play on crutches if he was allowed to.

Trevor Ariza is playing like an All-Star these days, and is thriving in his new starter status. He has doubled his scoring output with the offense now running through him.

Chuck Hayes gives the speedy young rendition of the Rockets everything a team loves and heralds most. Hayes is all defense and hustle possessing a strong will to battle with any big in the league. Hayes is a constant disruption to teams and they must focus on him, or pay the price.

Hayes creates multiple fast break opportunities with his whopping 2.43 steals per game. His solid passing skills allow Aaron Brooks and Trevor Ariz to score easy buckets using their speed on transition in the open court.

When speed cannot match an opposing teams strength, the Rockets have Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola to equalize with tough, gritty muscle.

Carl Landry is playing out of his mind. Maybe getting shot last year woke up his inner beast, as near death experiences tend to do so in most people. Knowledge of seeing solid minutes all year also boosts confidence, and he is making his mark as the Rockets’ best reserve.

It’s unfortunate the Rockets have $39 Million invested in T Mac and Yao this year.

It would be nice if the Rockets trade McGrady’s expiring contract to a team in need of cap space for 2010. With $22 million in trading chips, the Rockets could add depth to their roster with the talent they could net for McGrady.

Furthermore, if Yao can’t play again due to his injuries, the Rockets are currently proving to be in a solid position without him.

I speculate McGrady gets traded to one of several teams who are in the forthcoming LeBron James sweepstakes in 2010.

This past Thursday, Trevor Ariza verbally committed to a 5-year, mid-level exception deal good for $33 million with the Houston Rockets–a much more lucrative deal than the Los Angeles Lakers, his former team could offer. As irony would have it, he joins Houston hours after former Rocket Ron Artest agreed to a 3-year, $18 million deal with the world champs.

Ariza reportedly decided to make the move to Houston after L.A. declined to make an immediate offer once the July 1st free agent market officially commenced. Ariza should become an immediate contributor with Artest leaving, and Yao Ming out indefinitely. Tracy McGrady is also reportedly on his way out via the trade market.

Ariza was the glue for the 2008-09 Lakers team. (Credit: nydailynews)

With the Houston youth movement unexpectedly beginning because of the injury to Yao, the Rockets essentially are planning for Ariza to be one of the focal points of the offense. Aaron Brooks, Kyle Lowry, Carl Landry, Luis Scola, and Ariza represent a solid nucleus for years to come.

The Rockets will further alter the landscape of their roster by moving McGrady, although his value can’t be that high because of injury issues and the fact he’s never been on the roster of team that advanced out of the first round of the playoffs. New York seems interested in McGrady and has young players they could include in a deal.

Ariza and Kobe's friendship will have to be maintaind on the phone or via twitter now (Credit: ABC)

Ariza took the riches over a chance to win another title, and who could blame him. He capitalized on his maximum NBA free agent value after being one of the key guys on a team that won the NBA Championship. The Lakers obviously had a backup plan knowing they could sign enforcer Artest for less than Ariza.

The former UCLA Bruin was the “glue” guy for the champs. He did all the intangible dirty work, the stuff that doesn’t necessarily show up in the box score. He didn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective.

Trevor Ariza is a tenacious and active defender showing no signs of mental instability (Credit: lakers.topbuzz.com)

Ariza earned himself a nice paycheck and he will see the floor a lot more in Houston. At this point, he has more upside than Artest, but the question is how effective–without Kobe–can he be as a “go-to” guy.

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