By BENZ0                   August 31, 2001

Editor's Note: Benz0's opinions don't represent those of InsideHoops. They represent Benz0. Enjoy the editorial.   :)

They say one makes their NAME in the regular NBA season and makes their FAME in the NBA playoffs. Well while Vince Carter has managed to use his dunking prowess to mask his ineptitudes and gain a little name for himself, his former side-kick, Tracy McGrady (aka T-Peso), has started to make his FAME and will eventually overtake Carter - The Mama's boy that Benz0 loves to hate. It's official! McGrady is now Benz0's 2nd favorite player next to Iverson. Thanks to my misguided support of Randy Moss and the MN Vikings last year, I now DON'T roll with players who have no heart, no killer instinct, and no defense. So Vince Carter gets the axe (lacks mental toughness and defense) and McGrady makes the grade. While Carter needed his Mama to speak for him and barely carried a veteran team on his shoulders in the playoffs (Alvin Williams and Antonio Davis carried most of the team in the playoffs), McGrady more than carried the load for a talent depleted Orlando team in the playoffs - in his first role as the "go to guy" no doubt. Don't get me wrong, I think Vince Carter will eventually find that mental toughness and maybe defense.But right now he's not ready.And until he shows more toughness or even defense, we shouldn't be putting him up there with the likes of Kobe Bryant and Iverson like most do just because he has the best dunks and a superb offensive game.

I'm not going to lie..When McGrady went to Orlando talking sh** like he had "game that people haven't seen yet", I thought for sure he was just going from being one 2nd fiddle to Vince Carter to being another 2nd fiddle to Grant Hill...Furthermore, I just knew McGrady's mom was nuts when she publicly stated how pi**ed off she was about her son not getting the same amount of publicity as Carter..I was thinking..No way was McGrady even near Vince Carter's level so he didn't deserve the credit Carter had been getting anyway.And I looked forward to Vince Carter squashing McGrady like a bug. Well that was then this is now.I'm now a McGrady fan and Vince Carter hater!

It's time for everyone to realize that McGrady is now one giant step ABOVE Carter and 98% of the NBA at that.

The things that put him WAY above Carter and the rest is his MENTAL toughness/killer instinct (which Carter apparently lacks), his OFFENSIVE skills, and his DEFENSIVE skills (which Carter again lacks). There's no doubt in my mind that McGrady should make first Team all NBA as well as the ALL NBA Defensive team. Have y'all seen how this brother plays defense? He's blocked everything from Glenn Robinson's HOOK shots to Kobe Bryant's jump shots..The Kobe Bryant All-Star game block was just ridiculous because he took Kobe's shot OUT OF THE AIR as it was going up!! Offensively he's complete. He can cross you over, he can shoot the jump shot with accuracy, he can post up, he can move without the ball, he can "SKY", he can beat the double team, he can pass, and to top it off, he made like 23 out of 27 free throws in the first 3 games against Milwaukee in the playoffs this past year.

Not only does McGrady have to score at least 40% of Orlando's points, but he also has to guard the other team's best player! The ONLY guards comparable to McGrady are Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton (in his prime) and maybe Sprewell.

Vince Carter, Stackhouse, Finley, Marbury, Ray Allen, Alan Houston, Jason Kidd, Paul Pierce (will eventually rise to Kobe status), Steve Francis, Baron Davis, Larry Hughes, just don't stack up to McGrady..They either lack it defensively, offensively, or mentally..

What's my basis for saying this? The stats don't lie. McGrady is the COMPLETE player. Witness his average in the Milwaukee Bucks playoff series in the first 3 games.." 37 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists!!!...Yes that means he almost averaged a triple double in the playoffs! While getting double teamed just about every time. Meanwhile Vince Carter in the playoff series against NY barely averaged 18 points with like a 29% shooting %.

Still not impressed?

OK, McGrady's Game 3 stats against Milwaukee in the playoffs were 42 points, 10 Assists, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks in 50 minutes of playing time. With 21 of his points scored in the 4th Qtr and overtime!!

So you say 42 points or more in the playoffs has been done before even this year by Iverson - 54 and Carter - 50. OK, realize that McGrady is the SECOND YOUNGEST player at 21 to ever score 40+ points in a playoff game (The youngest was Magic Johnson who scored 42 in the playoffs at age 20 and 9 months). Plus McGrady didn't have the luxury of having All-Star Antonio Davis and up and coming Alvin Williams on his team. Instead he had Michael Doleac and Bo Outlaw.

So you say that's tight but what makes him a superstar?.. Witness his Game 2 exploits against Milwaukee..He scored 20 CONSECUTIVE points against Milwaukee!!.. Oh yeah, he was also voted as an All Star starter this year by the fans, has won the NBA's Most Improved Award this year, and averaged 27ppg and 5apg in the 2000-2001 season.

Sorry Vince but IT'S OVER! Vince sure you scored 50 points in a playoff game and rule in the air. But you are INCOMPLETE defensively and mentally. Vince, look at it this way; Better to be outshined by family (cousin) than a stranger!

Time for the pretenders to pass the Torch..This guy is for real and is only 21..Imagine when this fool matures!!..People are so impressed with McGrady that they feel with a solid big man and the return of Grant Hill, Orlando's going to the finals next year..Benz0 tends to agree with them...A superstar is born..And the flame to a man's fame has been lit...