Tracy McGrady: Players Chicago Bulls should avoid in free agency – NBA Feature (Part 1)
In the midst of the lockout, when the franchises are looking to cut their cost and players are seeking options from the international teams, there are teams that are seriously considering roster changes in the next season.
The free agency was the first causality of the Lockout, but rest assured, it will be the first thing that will take place once the standstill subsides. And when that time comes, the teams want to be ready in all aspects to bid for the free agents.
One such team among them is Chicago Bulls. The Bulls want an option that can relive the scoring burden of All-Star Derrick Rose on the offense and have a positive impact on the front court.
This year, the Bulls had three picks in the Draft - 28, 30 and 43. Chicago picked up Marquette forward Jimmy Butler with their 30th pick and traded the other two picks with some cash to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who in return gave the Bulls their No. 23 first round selection.
Through that, the Bulls picked Nikola Mirotic, a skilful forward from Montenegro. Mirotic, who is the winner of the Euro-league's Rising Star Award, signed a five year contract with Barcelona in the previous season and played an important role in guiding Barcelona to the Final Four stage this season.
General Manager of Bulls Gar Forman had said after the draft, "If you look back historically, it's very unusual for players of that age to be playing such a significant role at that level at this stage of their development. Our feeling was he's definitely a lottery-type talent. We feel he fits how we want to play. We feel he fits Derrick Rose because of his ability to space the floor (with three-point shooting)."
With a feasible option at the forward slot, the Bulls are now looking to strengthen their shooting guard spot, where Keith Bogans scored at an average of 4.4 points per game in the previous season. Moreover, Bogans could be a free agent this year and a likely trade is possible and it makes the position uncertain.
There are many available options in this year’s free agency, but instead of evaluating, which players the Bulls should go for, right now, we will sort out the players, they should avoid.
Tracy McGrady
McGrady has a career average of 20.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game and has finished as the scoring leader of the league twice in 2003 and 2004. Besides that the Tracy is a seven time All-Star. He is a shooting guard, who can also play as a small forward and apparently, he is the perfect blend of experience and ability for Chicago
However, all those achievements came in his heyday. He is 32 now and is only a shadow of his past. Apart from the age factor McGrady also has fitness issues. In the previous season with the Detroit Pistons, he played 72 games and that too with reduced minutes. He has never played a full season throughout his career.
With time McGrady’s performance has also declined. In the last season, Tracy tallied 8.0 points, grabbed 3.5 rebounds and provided 3.5 assists per game and these stats are far below than his career averages. Above all, McGrady has a knack of having things his own way, a fact that became pronounced during his dispute with John Kuester last season. He was the major part of the player rebellion against the coach and as such, he can be a bad influence on the resurging Bulls.
Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in the article and the ratings assigned are the writer’s own personal views and has nothing to do with bettor.com’s editorial policy.
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