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T-Mac: A Valuable Trade Target for the Lakers
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Anyone who has been keeping tabs on the Detroit Pistons this season knows that Tracy McGrady has been well worth his pay check (veterans minimum at $1.2 million). Humbled by a lousy contract and limited playing time T-Mac has adapted into a pass-first point guard who has great size at 6'8 and an above average basketball IQ.
Although T-Mac has lost a lot of his athleticism and does not possess the requisite speed to consistently beat his defender off the dribble he has shown the ability to adjust his game according to an assigned role. When you couple his resurgence as a point guard with his size and length he becomes a valuable player to a contending team looking to add depth before a playoff run.
The Los Angeles Lakers may want to look into acquiring Tracy McGrady before the trade deadline and heres why:
- With T-Mac's size and skills he becomes an extremely interchangeable player in virtually any situational lineup.
- If the Lakers choose to play big (think Boston in the Finals) they can run with this lineup:
- PG: McGrady (Is not a defensive liability because L.A will let Rondo shoot the outside jumper anyways)
- SG: Bryant
- SF: Odom
- PF: Gasol
- C: Bynum
- If the Lakers choose to play small (think playing Orlando with Turkoglu at PF) they can run with:
- PG: Fisher
- SG: Brown
- SF: Bryant
- PF: McGrady
- C: Odom
- L.A. can pair T-Mac with Odom to lead an unconventional, yet tough to guard, second unit, while also using their versatility to fill holes in the first unit (foul trouble, Fisher's defensive struggles, etc)
- McGrady only has a 1 year deal at the veterans minimum therefore if he is not a good fit they can ditch him after the playoffs are over or even bench him before season's end if need be.
- Given a chance on a contending team like the Lakers, McGrady will be hungrier than ever to win a championship, at 31 years old. Yes we know T-Mac is a 2nd round virgin however he has also played in 7 different playoffs and holds a 28.5 ppg average.
- It appears as though McGrady has checked his ego at the door for this season, however it if ever becomes an issue on the Lakers, there is no better coach at controlling his players than Phil Jackson.
