All the talk around the NBA ever since "The Decision" has been about superstars joining forces to try and win a championship. After LeBron James and Dwyane Wade there was Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire and now there's talk about Deron Williams and Dwight Howard.
Long before it was hip to try and get to a title on the shoulders of two players, Tracy McGrady was a part of two past attempts. First with Grant Hill as a member of the Orlando Magic and then with Yao Ming in Houston with the Rockets. Unfortunately, much like his running mates, McGrady could never stay on the court and simply never proved to be a big enough star to carry a team by himself when he did manage to play.
Despite getting to the playoffs seven times, McGrady never got out of the first round.
Now that the former star has found a place in the NBA as a role player, he's waxing poetic about how to build a winner despite never being one himself.
Speaking to Adrian Wojnarowski after his Atlanta Hawks easily defeated the New Jersey Nets, McGrady said it wouldn't work with Williams and Howard in Brooklyn.
"If it's just Dwight and D-Will, he's better off just staying in Orlando," McGrady said. "You want to go to a team that's a championship caliber, and just him and D-Will won't get it done. There's got to be other pieces around to make it look sweet."
Since McGrady feels the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets wouldn't be allowed to sign or draft any players to build a winner around the two stars, he feels the two must join forces in Dallas with the Mavericks where they could create their own "Big Three".
"You've got Dirk Nowitzki there. They're going to have [cap space] there. That looks sweet. Dirk. D-Will. And then you get Dwight Howard. That's it, right there."
Never one accused of being a future GM, McGrady is clearly unaware it would be nearly impossible for all three players to fit under the cap with the Mavs. As a guy that always wanted the last penny in each contract -- who can blame him? -- McGrady should know it would take both Williams and Howard leaving $30 million on the table to sign with Dallas instead of whichever team they are with at the end of this season.
More than anything, it seems like McGrady is still bitter about never having what it takes to win a playoff series in his 14 year NBA career. Maybe he looks back and wishes he had found a way to add a third star so he could have hidden from his inability to be a clutch player. Since it didn't work for him, it won't work for Williams and Howard.
As for those two players that won't be able to anchor a team by themselves? Williams has been to a Conference Finals and Howard an NBA Finals, which is a whole lot more than McGrady -- never a winner -- will ever be able to say.