TmAc or Iverson in their primes???

[Ari Gold]

who wuld u rahter hav on ur team

[mavsfan1000]

Iverson. lol T-Back. Can't get out of first round.

[Halberto]

Iverson: most inefficient superstar ever.

[mavsfan1000]

Iverson: most inefficient superstar ever.
T-Mac. Softest and most injury prone superstar ever. Pick your poison.

[baseline bum]

Iverson no question. Yeah, the east was weak when he made the Finals, but that same east kept bouncing McGrady in the first. Too bad, as McGrady should have been great. I remember watching him in Toronto and thinking he'd become an elite defender with the way he could block shots at the 2/3. He really looked like he had the potential to be another Pippen before he decided he had to be the man and ran off to Orlando. One thing you can say about Iverson is he did everything he could with the size and talent he had. McGrady will always be an even bigger what-if than his cousin Vince.

[ALVAREZ6]

http://sportsmed.starwave.com/media/nba/2003/0312/photo/a_iverson_i.jpg

http://planetill.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/AllenIverson.jpg

[Greg Oden]

This wouldn't even be close if T-Mac could've avoided injuries.

[Muser]

T-Mac imo.

[nkdlunch]

tough one. both locker cancers. both ballhogs. both losers.

it's a lose lose situation.

[djohn2oo8]

Iverson, no doubt. McGrady's problem isn't just that he was always a me-first kind of player, it was that he had zero work ethic. All of those injuries could have been avoided if he had been focused in taking care of his body like Kobe does. And he would always skate through practice without trying to make the team better


The words from Tracy McGrady’s former coach and general manager earlier this month were blunt. McGrady truly could have been one of the greatest players ever had he worked harder.

McGrady, 31, doesn’t exactly see it like that. The two-time scoring champion and seven-time All-Star, far removed from his marquee days following numerous injuries, doesn’t believe he would have attained even higher levels had he worked harder. But McGrady does admit there was an area he was lacking in during his heyday.


“I just wasn’t a great practice player,’’ McGrady, a Detroit guard, said in an interview with HoopsHype. “I just wasn’t. I wasn’t.’’

“I just think I could cruise through practice and still be effective. Some guys have to really go (all) out to really have an impact on practice. My ability was just I had God-given talent to where I could just cruise through practice and still be an effective practice player… I was inconsistent. Some days, I have really good (practice) days where I just go hard and a lot of days where like, ‘Uh,’ and I just go through the motions. But I work hard. But I’m just not the best practice player.’’

“I got by and I still was head and shoulders above what I played with, and I think that’s what they were saying,’’ McGrady said when asked about comments by the two. “Like, if I would have went the extra mile of practicing hard, who knows what I could have been? But that part I don’t really buy into. But I think the way I work out individually, to get ready, to prepare myself for the season (has been acceptable).


“I really don’t see how, maybe I’m wrong on this. I don’t just see how going hard in practice is going to take my talent to another level. I just don’t see that… As far as the team jelling and practicing like that, yeah that’s how you make your team better. I’m saying me personally, I just didn’t see how me practicing hard was going to take my talent to another level. I always felt like working on my individual skills was taking my talent to another level… Now when I say I wasn’t a great practice player, it’s not like I sat out of practice. I was participating. I always participated.’’


Read more: http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/tomasson/2011/03/16/talking-about-practice/#ixzz1IqW9BYpx





Granted 04-05 T-Mac was probably the best of his career, still a disappointment that Les knew this before he traded 4 him

[Muser]

At least T-Mac went to practice.

[stretch]

T-Mac might have been the most talented and naturally gifted player in NBA history. Unfortunately he didnt work hard enough to help avoid all the injuries he suffered. But I have never seen a player that seemed to be able to dominate so heavily while look like he wasnt even trying.

If he had the work ethic of a guy like Jordan or Kobe, there is no doubt in my mind that he would be the greatest basketball player ever.

[Axe Murderer]

The old cliche "Hard Work Beats Talent When Talent Doesn't Work Hard" certainly applies here.

AI certainly was talented but T-Mac was as talented as it gets, yet AI was one of the hardest working, toughest guys in the league. He singlehandedly led a team full of nobodies to the NBA Finals while McGrady has never been out of the 1st round

[ALVAREZ6]

TMac def was a slacker. With his height and length he could rise up over anybody for a jumper, much like Melo does now. He had great talent, it's a shame he was a lazy piece of shit though. :cry :cry my back hurts, same back injury every year :cry :cry :cry

[baseline bum]

Too bad Iverson was essentially done once he hit 30. He relied on his athleticism about as much as any player I have ever seen, and on top of that he had that Ewing mentality of thinking he was still 25 when his career started winding down. Man, his crossover was legendary though.

[Venti Quattro]

T-mac. But both are just terrible stories right now.

[Greg Oden]

T-Mac might have been the most talented and naturally gifted player in NBA history. Unfortunately he didnt work hard enough to help avoid all the injuries he suffered. But I have never seen a player that seemed to be able to dominate so heavily while look like he wasnt even trying.

If he had the work ethic of a guy like Jordan or Kobe, there is no doubt in my mind that he would be the greatest basketball player ever.

+1 There's nothing T-Mac couldn't do at a top level.

[Kai]

This thread is depressing.

[xtremesteven33]

Iverson proved more than T-Mac ever did. Not even close...

[SomeCallMeTim]

T-Mac, hands down.

[IronMaxipad]

Iverson, hands up.

[ffadicted]

TMac

[stretch]

+1 There's nothing T-Mac couldn't do at a top level.

lol being a poon and not calling in last night

lol jordan bieber

[Cry Havoc]

Iverson was a great player, but extremely inefficient, even in his prime. He missed a ton of shots and turned it over a lot. Who knows what he could have done on a better team, though.

I'd say it's a toss up. Give me Tmac for the first 3 quarters and AI for the 4th. So I guess I'll go with TMac.

[Spur_Fanatic]

T-Mac

[Chieflion]

T-Mac. Lets face it. If T-Mac had Dikembe Mutombo instead of Pat Garrity, he would make the finals too.

[mavsfan1000]

eGDBR2L5kzI

[Fernando TD21]

Iverson, no doubt. McGrady's problem isn't just that he was always a me-first kind of player, it was that he had zero work ethic. All of those injuries could have been avoided if he had been focused in taking care of his body like Kobe does. And he would always skate through practice without trying to make the team better



Granted 04-05 T-Mac was probably the best of his career, still a disappointment that Les knew this before he traded 4 him
eGDBR2L5kzI

edit: mavsfan1000 beat me to it. :lol

In their primes, I'd pick T-mac.

[LkrFan]

T-Mac talent wise, but AI had more heart.

[Greg Oden]

lol being a poon and not calling in last night

lol jordan bieber

next time I'll stay at the house and listen to a show 10 other people were listening to and call in.


Good to hear from you, man!

[mystargtr34]

T-Mac... he had one of the most pathetic rosters in history so the not getting out of the first round argument is a little weak. Would Kobe have ever gotten out of the first round if he played with the 05-07 Lakers roster for 5 years? Pretty unlikely.. and even then Lamar Odom was >>> the second best player on those prime-McGrady Magic teams.

Pretty close though.

[baseline bum]

T-Mac... he had one of the most pathetic rosters in history so the not getting out of the first round argument is a little weak. Would Kobe have ever gotten out of the first round if he played with the 05-07 Lakers roster for 5 years? Pretty unlikely.. and even then Lamar Odom was >>> the second best player on those prime-McGrady Magic teams.

Pretty close though.

Then he shouldn't have left Toronto if he couldn't carry a team. He had a golden situation with what would have been a very good Raptors team:

G Doug Christie
G Vince Carter
F Tracy McGrady
F Charles Oakley
C Antonio Davis
6 Alvin Williams

He could have played the exact Pippen role: point forward and defensive stopper. Unfortunately, McGrady could give a shit about playing on a team and was everything Iverson was ever accused of being, in addition to being someone who just coasted on talent.

[TE]

Man...........this thread makes me feel old in some way.

[Chieflion]

Then he shouldn't have left Toronto if he couldn't carry a team. He had a golden situation with what would have been a very good Raptors team:

G Doug Christie
G Vince Carter
F Tracy McGrady
F Charles Oakley
C Antonio Davis
6 Alvin Williams

He could have played the exact Pippen role: point forward and defensive stopper. Unfortunately, McGrady could give a shit about playing on a team and was everything Iverson was ever accused of being, in addition to being someone who just coasted on talent.
That's nonsense. McGrady joined the Magic to team up with Grant Hill or possibly Tim Duncan. Unfortunately, Grant Hill's career in Orlando was riddled with injuries, which no one would have predicted. Vince Carter also skipped town after a few years anyway and most of those players were old as shit. Alvin Williams wasn't even in the NBA for a long time.

McGrady carried his so called team to the playoffs in his first year with the Orlando Magic. Grant Hill played a total of 4 games in that season. Team record: 43-39

The next season, Grant Hill only played a total of 14 games. The other best player, Mike Miller, only played 63 games. Team record: 44-38

In the 2002-2003 season, Grant Hill again only played 29 games. McGrady carried the Magic by scoring 32.1 points per game and would have won in the 1st round (this was also the first year where they instituted the 7 game 1st round playoffs) if the 1st round was still only 5 games and advanced against the number 1 seed. Team record: 42-40

In the 2003-2004 season, the Orlando Magic sucked and T-Mac played only 67 games. They finally got some legit help inside with Juwan Howard, who was also quite inefficient as a center in terms of scoring and he couldn't grab a damn rebound. It was too late after all these years with bad luck, signing old and washed up players like Patrick Ewing. Tracy McGrady was then off the team before next season as the Orlando Magic move towards a brighter future with rookie Dwight Howard.

To say that prime Tracy McGrady couldn't carry a team is ridiculous. He certainly did it. One man cannot win even a playoff series. Jordan couldn't do it in his early years, Kobe Bryant didn't do it.

Let us take a look at what Vince Carter did with the Raptors in the same span of time.

After finishing 45-37 with both McGrady and Carter on the same team, McGrady chose to sign with a team that gave the chance to become a superstar. Carter, on the other hand, was practically at the peak of his career. They finished 47-35 the season T-Mac left and lost in 7 games to the MVP Allen Iverson and the 76ers. Vince Carter's points per game doubled the next highest scorer Antonio Davis.

In the 2001-2002 season, Vince Carter played only 60 games and they had a record of 42-40.

In the 2002-2003 season, Vince Carter played only 43 games and the team sucked and finished 24-58.

In the 2003-2004 season, Vince carter was finally somewhat healthy and the team ended up with a record of 33-49, again failing to make the playoffs.

After that season, like McGrady, Carter was traded to the New Jersey Nets and was hated by Raptor fans after he supposedly quit on the team.

In the end, the only conclusion would be that bad luck fell upon McGrady's choice to join the Magic. If Grant Hill would have been healthy, both McGrady and Hill in their primes would be at least 25 per game scorers and the most unstoppable wing duo since Jordan and Pippen.

Vince Carter didn't carry that squad for long enough. Things might have been different with T-Mac by his side but as you can see, the Raptors were shit with the exception of one season.

The choice between Grant Hill and the chance to be number 1 option with a chance to win (Grant Hill's career being plagued with injuries not withstanding) or playing with Vince Carter and bury his talent and end up with most likely a lesser record if injuries to either Hill or Carter did not happen, it was an easy decision to make for Tracy McGrady. His stint at Orlando happened to be jobbed by injuries to Grant Hill.