Remembering Tracy McGrady's Greatness As He Retires From The NBA

Tracy McGrady is retiring from the NBA after 16 seasons. (bleacherreport.com)

It's sometimes hard to remember, what now with the likes of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard dominating the game. Tracy McGrady never reached LeBron or Kobe status, but he was one of the best offensive players in the league just as LeBron was entering it. 

McGrady is retiring from the NBA after 16 seasons and seven all-star appearances. That is an eternity in professional basketball standards. McGrady held on well past his prime, now just a sliver of the greatness he exhibited for more than a decade.

Young NBA fans today know of McGrady, but they only remember the twilight years. That's the only problem with holding on to the limelight for as long as possible. What some tend to remember is the last four years spent with five teams, the last in San Antonio when he didn't even play, averaging less than 10 points per game.

That was not the McGrady who was an offense force for most of his career. That was what was left of a great player trying to fight off age and injury.

Let's not let those last few years overshadow how dominant McGrady was throughout his career. Despite averaging seven and 9.3 ppg his first to seasons and 8.2, eight and 5.3 his final three, McGrady still averaged 19.6 ppg for his career.

McGrady will be remembered most for his Orlando years after spending his first three seasons in Toronto. McGrady averaged four of his five highest totals of his career in Orlando in four seasons with 26.8, 25.6, 32.1 and 28 ppg. He then had four more years averaging more than 20 ppg in Houston.

McGrady was a household name in the early to mid 2000s. People wore his Magic and Rockets jerseys and bought his Adidas shoes. Kids pretended to be T-Mac playing in the driveway. Watch his career highlights and it becomes clear why. Like when he scored 13 points in 33 seconds against San Antonio, or his monster dunk on Shawn Bradley. And he was always good for a few passes to himself off the backboard. All of these can be found in the video below.

McGrady is calling it quits in the NBA but is leaving the door open to playing overseas. It's difficult for great players to walk away from the game they've know for so long, which is understandable. It's impossible to find the thrill of competition outside of the game.

What McGrady doesn't need is to continue playing for his legacy. That has been written already. If McGrady does extend his already successful career, let's just hope the next chapter doesn't overshadow his greatness from not that long ago.

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Is Dwight Howard Strong Enough For The Lakers To Build Around?

Dwight Howard had a less than impressive first year in Hollywood. (bleacherreport.com)

The roller coaster that was the Los Angeles Lakers' 2012-13 came to an end with a anticlimactic sweep in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Not exactly a Hollywood ending. Kobe Bryant's future is in question thanks to a torn Achilles. And Dwight Howard's future is uncertain because he's been, well, Dwight Howard.

Howard's natural athletic ability can be overshadowed by the holes poked in his emotional and personal state. The Lakers would likely want Howard to be the face of the team that it builds around once Bryant hangs up the sneakers, whenever that may be. But many are wondering if Howard can handle all that comes with being a superstar in LA.


It's well known that Howard wants to be a celebrity, as well as a basketball player. Winning games is great and all, but being on TV is cool, too. Was Howard on the phone with his agent trying to get a cameo on Modern Family while the rest of the team was shooting free-throws every day for the past year? That's the only excuse I can think of for shooting 49 percent from the free-throw line. And since he has yet to appear on the popular sitcom, it's not a very good one.


Howard got away with being the joke-cracking, Superman-calling, attention-seeking basketball player he loved portraying in Orlando because he won them games, and they had no other superstar with a different style to compare. But the Lakers have had the pleasure of watching Kobe Bryant for 17 years; a guy who works harder than anyone else, focuses only on basketball and is very serious about winning, and battles through injuries. Not to mention the five championships he's won. That's a hard act to follow, and Howard is not following well.


It was in his Orlando exit that we learned more about the real Dwight Howard. Howard wanted to be in a big city where his stardom could grow. What didn't grow was his likeability or his statistics, as he averaged nearly six fewer points and two fewer rebounds than the 2010-11 season in Orlando (Howard only played in 54 games in 2011-12).

It feels like Howard is trying to be Shaquille O'Neal 2.0, but is falling short in every category. Shaq never averaged fewer than 20 points while in LA and still kept basketball first while juggling a career off the court. Howard is still trying to learn that loveable "Shaq being Shaq" quality that O'Neal had mastered from an early age.

LA is a place that can make a star athlete one of the biggest name in sports, but it and its fans can also rip feeble minds to pieces. Howard has some maturing to do if the Lakers are going to hand him the keys, and he's going to have to decide what his priorities are. Leaving for another team would be the easy thing to do, so if Howard decides to stay in LA and face the critics, that would automatically show growth. But it won't be enough. 


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Winners and Losers of the 2013 NBA Trade Season

J.J. Redick was among the NBA players traded before the Thursday deadline (cbssports.com)

The clock for trading players in the NBA expired Thursday at 3 p.m. EST and, to be honest, the trades made didn't live up to the hype built up in the weeks before the deadline. Sure, several players changed teams, but no major names will be showing up on new rosters or appear on upcoming tickets in different uniforms. Josh Smith, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce all stayed put. For the sake of completeness, however, let's figure out who won and lost the trade season.

The Orlando Magic had a busy final day of the trade deadline, trading away four players in two deals.

The major player in the mix for the Magic — and the most valuable player moved by any team before the deadline — was shooting guard J.J. Redick, who is now a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. Redick was part of a six-player trade which also included the Magic sending Gustavo Ayon and Ish Smith for Doron Lamb, Beno Udrih and Tobias Harris.

In a separate deal, Orlando parted with another former Duke player Josh McRoberts for Hakim Warrick from the Charlotte Bobcats.

The Bucks acquire Redick during his most successful season in the NBA. The sharpshooter is averaging 15.1 ppg, nearly six points more than his career averages of 9.2. Redick is also improving in field goal percentage, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals (although the difference in the final two stats is slim).

It seems like Redick, in his sixth season in the NBA, has come into his role on an NBA team and has learned how to be successful moving from a star at Duke to a supporting character in the NBA.

The Bucks seem to have won this trade due to the fact that Redick is having the best year of his career. Brandon Jennings is already the premier scorer, so Redick can resume the role of 3-point threat and give the Bucks some needed offensive firepower. Doron Lamb is the youngest and possibly has the most upside of of any player the Magic got in return, but he is mostly unproven, averaging just 3.4 ppg. However, this was a smart time for the Magic to trade Redick if it was going to happen because his stock was looking to climb by the season's end.

We already touched on one angle of the Houston Rockets/Phoenix Suns trade, which reunites Marcus and Markieff Morris in the Suns' logjam of a frontcourt. If played at the same time, the twins' chemistry could give Phoenix a small spark. They aren't going to be beating top teams at the end of this season, but they are developing players again with rookie and social media star Kendall Marshall getting minutes as the second-string point guard, prompting a swap of Sebastian Telfair to the Toronto Raptors for center Hamed Haddadi and a protected second-round pick.

Haddadi is on his third team of the season, having been moved in the same deal that sent Rudy Gay to Toronto, but is unlikely to get minutes playing behind Marcin Gortat and Jermaine O'Neal in the desert. That deal overshadows another deal the Grizzlies made: sending Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington, Josh Selby and a conditional first-round pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Jon Leuer. The most notable portion of this trade — other than Memphis going under the luxury tax — is the pick, as it was the only future first-rounder traded this season. Under the new CBA, first-round picks are more valuable than ever. This is the sixth first-round pick the Cavs had obtained via trade since 2010 and will continue to help Cleveland solidify a young core around Kyrie Irving.

Easily the busiest team over the course of the trade season, the Grizzlies also received Dexter Pittman, a 2013 second-round pick and cash considerations from the Miami Heat in exchange for the rights to Ricky Sanchez, a forward selected in the second round of the 2005 draft by the Portland Trail Blazers who is currently playing in Argentina.

The Blazers may have missed out on Sanchez, but shortly before yesterday's deadline they welcomed Eric Maynor into their guard rotation. Maynor had played decreased minutes with the Oklahoma City Thunder after injuring his knee last season and becoming the third point guard option after returning. The Blazers get a much needed reliable, if rusty back-up for rookie stalwart Damian Lillard while OKC shaved approximately $1 million in salary by receiving cash and the rights to 27-year-old Greek forward Georgios Printezis.

The most forward getting the most attention because of a trade, though, is Thomas Robinson. Drafted as the No. 5 overall pick less than a year ago by the flailing Sacramento Kings, Robinson was dealt to the Rockets along with frontcourt brethren Francisco Garcia and Tyler Honeycutt for fellow Kansas Jayhawk Cole Aldrich, Toney Douglas and Patrick Patterson. While Patterson is putting up better per-game numbers than Robinson this season, Robinson has been mired in a crowded rotation of big men and played 410 fewer minutes than Patterson. Comparing the per-36 minutes numbers, though, reveals that while Robinson is averaging 1.7 turnovers and 1.5 personal fouls more than Patterson, the rookie is putting up better defensive stats than his replacement with 4.1 rebounds per 36 and holding the edge in assists, steals and blocks, as well. Patterson is the better player right now. He's also more exciting at the moment, scoring more points per 36 minutes than Robinson, but this trade is another bungled move in a series of them for the Kings. Giving up on a player so early is foolish and the Rockets don't intend to do the same thing, having said they intend to keep Robinson (and, for now, they have by refusing to flip him immediately after acquiring his contract). Robinson is going through typical rookie struggles and should even out next season, if not before.

Of the more ancillary moves, Jordan Crawford landing in Boston will give the Celtics more offensive firepower in the absence of Rajon Rondo, whose back-up, Leandro Barbosa, also tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and was traded in return to the Washington Wizards along with Jason Collins. With Barbosa and Collins entering free agency this summer and only one-third of their current contracts left, the Wizards save a bit of money (Crawford's contract goes through 2013-14 with a $1 million pay raise next season) and can continue restructuring around John Wall without Crawford living in bench limbo.

Other trades included the New York Knicks sending Ronnie Brewer to the Thunder for a 2014 second-round pick and cash, and the Atlanta Hawks receiving Dahntay Jones (for Anthony Morrow) and Jeremy Tyler (for cash and future draft considerations) in separate trades with the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors, respectively. The Warriors were involved in a second trade, taking in a protected second-round pick from the Philadelphia 76ers as Charles Jenkins and a bit of cash goes to the City of Brotherly Love.

Who wins and who loses, then? Here's a quick recap, with the lessons, as always, being that most trades have more to do with pocketbooks than with play on the court and the Maloofs hate Sacramento:

Winners: Bucks, Celtics, Rockets, Thunder, Trail Blazers, Wizards
Losers: Kings (and their fans)
Line-Steppers: Everyone else


*Kyle Davis contributed to this article due to conflict of interest.

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What to Make of Dwight Howard as a Laker

Dwight Howard's not sure why you're so upset. (icareitmatters.com)

There's no reason to like him.

Dwight Howard is personable in public, likes to crack wise, and, hell, he even recorded a Kidz Bop album (quality not to be mentioned) in an attempt to endear himself to fans. He is can be a good sport and sells it all with a charming smile.

Howard damaged his public image, though, as he snaked his way out of Orlando and the extension he chose to sign that would have kept him as the Magic's centerpiece for the 2012-13 season. Maybe, to the casual fan, that's no big deal. But NBA diehards will not — should not — forget Howard's actions.

Howard tried to preserve his reputation by stating publicly his intention to stay with the organization that drafted him in 2004. Amidst rumors that Stan Van Gundy could be a victim of the Dwightmare, Howard put on a fabricated front. All was naught, because word leaked that, despite signing the extension, behind closed doors Howard still desired a trade.

He may redeem himself in time. Lakers fans will love him as soon as his first promotional photos are released, if they aren't already fawning.

As they should. No matter your take on Howard's tactics leading to the massive four-team trade which landed him in Los Angeles — and, including draft picks, shuffled more than 12 players around the league — he made the right choice. That statement does not need to appear in bold font because it should not shock anyone.

Few places can offer the talent that will surround Howard as the yellow-clad team of Staples Center. Remember, the Lakers were Howard's original team of choice before being swayed by the Brooklyn Nets. Howard has wanted to be part of a superstar cast rather than be a roster's headliner since the beginning of this messy saga.

The Orlando front office simply wasn't getting it done. Gilbert Arenas is not Kobe Bryant. As strong as he came on last season, Ryan Anderson is not Pau Gasol. For what he can do, Jameer Nelson is light-years away from being Steve Nash.

If he wants a ring sooner than later, Howard did the right thing. If he wants a bigger or longer contract in a place of his own choosing, Howard has the right to explore free agency next summer. The trade was, ultimately, a business decision made by the Magic. They forsook better offers from Brooklyn and the Houston Rockets, and were forced to settle for less.

Dealing Howard before seeing him on the court again was right for multiple reasons (locker room presence, the aftermath of back surgery, et al.). The Orlando front office is right for having done it. And for all the hemming and hawing, Howard is right purely on a basketball level for having forced the Magic's hand.

Assuming he wants to win now, Howard has improved his place in the NBA, even if he unmasked himself in the process.


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NBA's 2012-13 Schedule Released Thursday

Dwight Howard prefers Jameer Nelson to the Magic's 2012-13 point guard. (Zach McCann/Orlando Sentinel)

The NBA released a schedule for the 2012-2013 season on Thursday. A full schedule; not a 66-game imposter. Old rivalries will continue to simmer, new jerseys (not New Jersey; that no longer exists in the NBA) will be donned, and new storylines will overtake Orlando's Dwightmare (eventually).

As usual, the Christmas Day docket is must-watch material, and opening night will feel like seeing an old friend who moved to warmer climates. Plenty of people have already analyzed the schedule, and Eric Freeman highlighted 10 under-the-radar games that should be fun to watch. Get your fill of reading "vs." and "at" while you can because Association-branded basketball returns in 94 days.


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Cart Before Horse: Brook Lopez gets a Max Contract

Mired on a team with few highlights for years, Brook Lopez quietly developed into a serviceable center. It wasn't until the (then) New Jersey Nets dealt rookie forward Derrick Favors, point guard Devin Harris, two first-round draft picks and cash to the Utah Jazz for Deron Williams that any positive attention appeared in Newark.

Brook Lopez reveals his charbroiled secret to scoring in the post. (Getty Images)

Williams-to-the-Nets meant a top-tier facilitator paired with one of the few legit 7-footers in professional basketball. Their first whole season together, 2011-2012, should have been full of ESPN Top Ten plays. An early foot injury derailed that possibility, limiting Lopez to just five games.

Fast forward to this summer. The Nets moved across the Hudson River to roost in Brooklyn, continued flirting with the Orlando Magic in an attempt to acquire the increasingly dramatic Dwight Howard, and had to handle Lopez's restricted free agent status with kid gloves. Then it became clear that, when the Dwightmare is over, Howard wouldn't wake up on the East Coast.

Despite his injury, Nets management had to re-sign Lopez. What's more is, they had to offer Lopez at least $58 million over four years unless they wanted to start a bidding war with the Houston Rockets — another team pursuing Howard — or Portland Trailblazers, who missed out on RFA Roy Hibbert when the Indiana Pacers matched the maximum offer sheet the All-Star center signed with the Blazers.

Make no mistake: keeping Lopez is not a move to patch holes. He is a threat to score 20 points in the paint each night, and there are exactly zero NBA teams that would shy away from a center who can fill the bucket like that. Unquestionably, though, there are problems with the deal, and with Lopez. The Standford product puts up points, but is somewhat of a liability on the defensive end. Through four pro seasons, Lopez is averaging just 7.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 34.1 minutes on the floor. Worse yet is that the numbers dipped last season to 3.6 rebounds and 0.8 blocks. Whether or not the numbers from such a small sample size are indicative of what he would have done over a 66-game season, those are unacceptable statistics for a center at any level of basketball — Biddy through The Association.

Lopez has a new contract and, as often is the case in pro sports, he must now prove that he's worth even a fraction of what he's owed. The general populous would do inscrutable things for $60 million. All Lopez has to do is keep making a ball go into a basket, and ensure that his hands work when that orange sphere clangs off the iron.


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NBA Summer League: It's Happening

Alec Burks gets the better of Jacob Pullen in college, upped the ante Monday. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

NBA Summer League competition began this week as D-Leaguers, young players already in The Association and others hoping to make rosters took to the court in Orlando. Squads representing the Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz squared off in the early game before giving a turn to the offseason versions of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers.

Two of the more notable performers were Utah's Alec Burks and point guard Jacob Pullen, playing for the Philly offshoot Liberty Ballers. Both Big 12 alums filled their respective stat sheets. After a quiet rookie season, Burks scored 31 points going 10-14 from the field, 1-2 from three-point range and 10-11 at the foul line. Pullen — having missed out on being drafted in 2011 and then playing pro ball for a year in Italy — shot 8-14, including 4-7 on trey attempts and 3-3 at the charity stripe, which was good for 23 points. He had a team-high four assists, but also committed four turnovers.

As always, a good showing in summer league doesn't necessarily equate to good statistics in actual NBA games, or even making a team's roster, so temper any expectations for a few more months.

Games slated for today pit the Detroit Pistons against the Orlando Magic (currently in progress), and the Brooklyn Nets against the Boston Celtics. All summer league games can be seen for a subscription fee through NBA.com, where box scores are also available.


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The Dwight Howard Trade Saga - No Sleep Till Brooklyn

bleacherreport.com

The words Dwight Howard told Yahoo! Sports Sunday night were not surprising to anyone who has kept up with his trade saga. 

It was just surprising to actually hear Howard say them. 

Howard told Yahoo! that he would only re-sign with a team on his list of acceptable trade locations. Why he even mentioned his “list” of teams is unknown since he continued the interview by saying, “There’s only one team on my list and if I don't get traded there, I'll play the season out and explore my free agency after that.” 

So he didn’t come right out and say it was Brooklyn he wanted to be traded to. His words were still vague, which isn’t surprising. But the timing of his comments cuts through his jungle of veiled hints rather easily. 

On Friday, Howard met with new Orlando Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan. Afterward sources told ESPN’s Chris Broussard that Howard let Hennigan know he wanted to go to Brooklyn.

Hennigan didn’t tell Howard during the meeting whether or not the trade would happen, but for everyone involved, Howard needs to play for the Nets.

While Howard’s words to media continue to be ambiguous, his actions are filling in the blanks. It just doesn’t feel like this can all be about basketball. Howard wants to be a star off the court as much as on the court. He wants endorsements and commercials, and to be the biggest fish in a giant pond, much like Kobe Bryant in LA. 

Surely that’s why Howard is choosing Brooklyn over the Lakers, who have also shown interest in trading for Howard. The Lakers are much closer to being a championship-caliber team, especially with a powerful inside force like Howard, while the Nets have a long way to go. One of Howard’s chief complaints in Orlando is that he didn’t have a strong supporting cast. But Howard would always be second to Bryant, and he knows this. He was the man with Orlando, and took them to the NBA Finals, but the stage wasn’t big enough for him. 

Much of Howard’s recent time in Orlando has been questioned. His effort lacked at times during the trade period last season, and the rumors that Howard tried, successfully, to get coach Stan Van Gundy fired drew the attention of the players, team and fans off the court. After Orlando signed new players and fired their coach and GM to please Howard, Howard now says he was “blackmailed” into staying with Orlando last season. 

When the trade didn’t happen last season, the feeling I got was that fans and the team looked at it as a relief; it was a celebration that the superstar was still in a Magic uniform. But Howard wasn’t happy, and that was clear. One way or another, Howard would be leaving Orlando.

The Houston Rockets and the Lakers are among the teams vying for Howard’s services, but I would heed them to get out now. The Rockets or Lakers may land Howard, but they won’t be getting the full player and person they want. Howard wants Brooklyn, and is anyone confident that, should he instead go to Houston, he will be any different that this last year with the Magic? If Howard isn’t happy, everything else goes out the window. Rockets fans will be cheering for a player that is not fully invested in the team and community, and his effort and production will surely reflect this. 

Let the Nets have their shot, should they want it, but other teams should put their feet down. We don’t know if the behavior over the past year is the real Dwight Howard, but it brings up a lot of concerning questions. If the Nets turn him away, then he may be worth pursuing. The rejection may humble him into appreciating a team that will welcome him and support him. But until then, it will be impossible to change his mind and attitude, and it is not worth the risk.

The saga has gone on way too long, and it will end with Magic fans losing their superstar in a stinging way. LeBron James’ The Decision set the bar for how not to handle leaving for a new team, but at least LeBron’s heartbreak to the city of Cleveland was like pulling off a Band-Aid. It was painful, but it was quick. 

Howard drug the city of Orlando and its fans with him on his continuous roller coaster that should have left everyone sick on board. He has the talent to make the Nets fan base very happy, but also has the potential to take an innocent Rockets fan base on the same roller coaster ride that won’t leave anyone happy.


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