"Superstar." "It's my time
to be "The Man."" When those words jumped at will out of the mouth
of the 21-year-old known by family and friends as "Punkin' Head" this summer,
most people just laughed. Most thought this 21-year-old's pumpkin
had grown just a little too big too fast. How dare he? Who does he
think he is? Questions surely asked by fans and foes all over the
country.
Apparently Tracy McGrady knew then
and now exactly who he is. He's the budding Superstar guard of the
Orlando Magic. He's the youngster who straps on his cape and carries
his magic wand out every night attempting to baffle even the most hardcore
of fans. Tracy McGrady is doing his best David Blaine impersonation
thus far this NBA season, leaving coaches and fans mesmerized by his every
move.
Look at McGrady's numbers: 25.9
points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game.
Compare those to that of NBA darling Kobe Bryant, whom many consider at
least one of the top-5 players in all of the league. Kobe's numbers include
an NBA leading 29.6 points per outing, along with 5.1 rebounds, and 4.7
assists. Remember, Kobe has Shaquille O'Neal constantly drawing double
and triple teams, which in turn get the 6'6" guard open shots and room
to create. How about distant cousin "Air Canada" himself, Vince Carter.
Carter is averaging 29 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. All three
players produce great outputs almost every night. All three with
a great future ahead of them. The comparisons aren't to take anything
away from Kobe or Vince, just to show that T-Mac is coming on very strong
against what some say are the top two shooting guards in the league.
Kobe is clearly the leader of the pack for the time being. His defense
is far superior to that of McGrady's (editor's note - not sure about that!)
and light years ahead of Carter's. Still Tracy, the second option
a year ago in Toronto, has grown up fast.
Critics say to look at Orlando's
record. Yes, the Magic is struggling horribly so far this season.
Just 14 wins compared to a disappointing 16 losses at the time of this
writing. Orlando's record is just one of several negative issues
on a team thought to be an Eastern Conference contender at the beginning
of the year. Grant Hill is now gone for good this year, lost to more
surgery resulting from a never-healed broken ankle. If the team from
O-Town is to even make it to the playoffs now, it's going to take more
than McGrady.
Then again who knows. Maybe
this season's struggles are best for Doc Rivers and the entire Orlando
Magic organization. Just another challenge for an often challenged
team. Think about it. Now, T-Mac is forced to be "The Man"
every night. He, not Hill, is drawing the double and triple teams,
taking the game winning shots, and will take the brunt of the blame for
Orlando's shortcomings. Hill already knows what it's like to have
the entire weight of a franchise and city on his back. After this
season so will McGrady. That has to be a scary proposition for opposing
teams.
Come February 11th, Tracy McGrady
will most likely step on the court in Washington, D.C., a starter in his
first ever All-Star game. Don't be surprised if "Punkin' Head" gets
best of show.
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