Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady knows how difficult it is to advance in the NBA playoffs.
McGrady was one of the best players of his generation, leading the league in scoring twice while going to seven All-Star Games. But during his prime as a star player in the NBA, he never advanced past the first round. In fact, his first eight playoff appearances resulted in first round exits.
It wasn't until the end of his career when he signed with the San Antonio Spurs for their playoff run in 2013 that he was able to play beyond the first round.
During our interview with McGrady, he touched upon a number of topics, including why this season's Houston Rockets are not destined for a deep playoff run and the recently retired star player who could be the difference maker for them in the postseason.
McGrady, who currently works as an analyst for NBC, also talked about his podcast with cousin Vince Carter: “Cousins with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady.” New episodes are released every Wednesday on YouTube.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
[Editor's note: The following questions were posed before Chris Paul's recent retirement announcement.]
Q: I want to get some of your thoughts on one of your former teams, the Rockets. They're doing pretty well right now with Kevin Durant despite not having a natural point guard — Fred VanVleet with the injury and whatnot — they didn't really make a major trade deadline move. What are your overall thoughts on them and what is their ceiling? The West is stacked. Can you see them making a deep run in the playoffs?
McGrady: No, I cannot. I think that point guard is real pivotal for them to have. Chris Paul is there. He can solve their problems. I just think when you have a young point guard in Reed Shepherd and Amen Thompson. These two guys, if they're going to be your point guards, decision making is going to be so key in the stretch games, especially in playoffs — is going to be so key. Poise and patience is key in the playoffs, and time of possession, like all that stuff really matters. Right now you can get up and down and play pickup basketball in the regular season, but when possessions matter in the playoffs, you're going to need a smart point guard and somebody that understands the game and pace of the game, time and score and things of that nature.
I think what they lack is what is going to be the detriment of their team. Can they win a playoff series? Absolutely, depending on the matchup. But I also think they could lose a first-round matchup as well. I don't think they can make it to the Western Conference finals with teams like OKC, Minnesota, Denver. I don't think they're better than those teams offensively. I think it's going to be a big challenge for them in the playoffs.
Q: I think you bring up a great point. Because you got those young guys over there, and they're playing pretty well in the regular season. But as you know, playoff basketball is a whole different breed. It's one or two mistakes that's a difference in a game when defense is getting really tight. You bring up an interesting name there, Chris Paul obviously has a history with Houston. If he goes over there, do you believe he can kind of stabilize that team and give them an opportunity to make a deep run in the playoffs?
McGrady: I honestly believe he is the key to their success, because he is the perfect point guard for the playoffs for them. For Kevin Durant, for Reed Sheppard, he puts guys in their natural position. I don't want a 37-year-old Kevin Durant at the top of the key trying to ISO one on one. That's not what we want, that's going to be successful for them, for us. That's not going to work for us.
I need somebody that is going to put us in position to succeed offensively, defensively. I know we're going to strap up, but it's the offense where we need to be efficient, and we got to make this thing work to where everybody is involved and I utilize everybody on the offensive end. You can be a great slasher with Chris Paul. You could be a lob threat. There's so many different ways they could be effective on the offense with a smart point guard like Chris Paul with what they have on that team.
Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Q: Do you think it's conceivable though? Do you think that Rockets brass, the organization, they're really considering making that move for Paul?
McGrady: No, I think there's a relationship issue with — I don't know if it's the organization or another player on that team — is why that wouldn't work. I don't want to say the player's name, but I think it's a relationship issue.
Q: I was watching the press conference for the Rockets with Ime Udoka and the GM [Rafael Stone], and they were talking about why they didn't make any trade deadline moves. The way they sounded, especially the GM, was like they were content, because they're top five in offense, top five in defense. They didn't seem like they had this urgency to make a move for a guard when that's their missing piece right there.
McGrady: That could be fool's gold. It really could be. But hey, if they're content and believe in what they have, who am I? I'm just somebody that's on the outside looking at it differently. But you still gotta play the game, and we'll see who's right, who's wrong.
Q: Long story short, if you had to make a prediction, they're probably not going to make a move for Paul?
McGrady: I don't think so, no.
Q: Best scorer in the game today?
McGrady: The best scorer in today's game is Luka [Dončić], for sure. Luka is the best scorer in today's game. Just a variety of ways that he can score, how he uses his body, just highly skilled. Knows how to get it off on anybody.
Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Q: NBA Finals pick, if I were to put you on the spot right now, who's gonna win?
McGrady: Denver Nuggets over the — I can't believe I'm going to say this — the Detroit Pistons.
Q: What do you guys talk about on your podcast?
McGrady: We talk about everything, man. We talk about our kids. We talk about family, of course, about basketball, the extensive conversations that we could talk about on our podcast, we could bring more in-depth conversations on the game or a particular moment on our podcast that we can't on NBC.
We make ourselves vulnerable, something that was guarded by the both of us in our careers. I think we're unleashing that, letting people know who we really, really are.
Q: How do you and Vince compare and contrast?
McGrady: I'm a little bit more edgy and raw, and I take the chances that he won't take. I take those chances, but I'm trying to get him to take a little bit of those chances sometimes. But for me, it's like we complement each other well, because he comes from an educated background. Mom's extremely educated. He's educated going to UNC and graduated from UNC. I'm straight out of the gutter. Highest education in my household was high school. Mine was high school.
I never went to college, so to end up in this at the same finish line with the Hall of Fame. Both of us had amazing careers in basketball. Now we're both on NBC. It really doesn't matter your background and where you come from. We contrast each other really well.