In 2010, in a New York minute, Tracy McGrady came to the Knicks, and then left. And now, just as swiftly and not as quietly, he and the Big Apple may be headed for a reunion.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, after finishing up a workout with the San Antonio Spurs, McGrady was headed East to workout for the Knicks.
The Spurs have brought several players to San Antonio to evaluate over recent weeks, and have yet to make a decision on whether McGrady could possibly fit into the team’s plans this season. The Knicks have discussed the possibility of adding another perimeter scoring threat, and want to evaluate McGrady for a possible return. McGrady played 24 games in 2010 with the Knicks.
Now, McGrady used to be perhaps the best scorer in the NBA. He used to be one of the most underrated perimeter defenders in the game. And he used to be one of the most athletically gifted players at his position.
But he’s not anymore.
And yet, for the Knicks, given the current situation they’re in, his presence could be a borderline necessity. Ronnie Brewer may not be at full-strength for the start of the season and we already know it’s going to be a while before Iman Shumpert is fit for duty. And once he is, who knows how much of an impact he’ll be able to make; it may take some time for him to regain his on-court swagger.
That’s where McGrady comes in. J.R. Smith is best served coming off the bench, he has been his entire career. If Brewer isn’t ready for opening day or finds himself on the injured list at any point before Shumpert is good to go, McGrady would allow the Knicks to keep Smith as their sixth man, as opposed to thrusting him into the starting lineup, where he’s not known to excel.
No, McGrady isn’t going to return to All-Star status, and it would be naive of New York to count on him for anything more than 20 minutes per game, but he provides extra depth at the shooting guard position, where the Knicks—courtesy of injuries—are becoming increasingly thin.
So, while McGrady isn’t a savior, he is a valuable—and more importantly, affordable—stopgap the Knicks could use to plug a potential hole. I mean, this is the team that didn’t shy away from adding Jason Kidd, Kurt Thomas or Marcus Camby, so why should age, injury-proneness or deteriorating abilities be an issue now?
It shouldn’t. And if New York is smart, it won’t be.
Because while McGrady doesn’t ensure the Knicks will contend for a title, he does provide the team with options. And it doesn’t take a genius to see that the Knicks are nearly fresh out of those.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
