McGrady: LeBron Should Have Joined Bulls

[The Regime]

Tracy McGrady says LeBron James would have been better off signing with the Bulls, according to a report in The New York Daily News.

 

"[Chicago] was a better decision, a better place for him," McGrady told the Daily News. "You can't just go somewhere and have that type of chemistry he had in Cleveland."

 

McGrady's Pistons played the Knicks in a double-overtime battle on Sunday afternoon.

 

He said one of the reasons the Heat are off to a disappointing 9-8 start is the chemistry of James and Wade on the court.

 

"When they're on the court together, they're terrible," McGrady said. "Him and D-Wade don't complement each other. They're somewhat the same type of players, 'Bron and D-Wade. ... Both of those guys need the ball, and they don't shoot the ball like Ray Allen. That's why they're having trouble scoring in the halfcourt, because they can't get a rhythm, because one of them is dominating the ball. That guy might be getting off, but the other guy [isn't].

 

"That's why when they're on the court together, they're terrible. They're rhythm players that need the ball. I'm like that. I can't stand out there and catch and shoot. I've never been a guy that sits out there waiting for the ball to come to me."

 

http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/70308/20101129/mcgrady_lebron_should_have_joined_bulls/

[deestillballin]

He is speaking the truth.

[Real Deal]

Dude is money.

[Hawks Fly High]

You right. He just hit the nail on the head. In this Miami offense Lebron or Wade are merely reduced to just jumpshooters which isn't exactly their forte. Now that i think about i have to give props to the Boston management, the Big 3 they made balance each other so much better than Miami.

[Clutch]

and handle the ball even less with a pg like rose?

[Cleveland's Finest]

Rose handles the ball just as much as Wade does, so I don't see the difference. Noah is better than Bosh, but still it just wouldn't work.

 

New York would've been best because Amare and him would complement each other and they would have Felton as the point guard, who's doesn't need to drive as much as Wade and Rose.

 

Dare I say Cleveland would've been the best. LeBron is the best point guard when he wants to play it, and he had all the jumps shooters and defenders in Cleveland.

[Real Deal]

Thing is, Rose and LeBron would be better off because Boozer doesn't play like they do. He's not Bosh. And Noah would prove to be a ton of help on defense, and the same with Brewer, Gibson and even Deng (who is a better defensive player than James Jones or Mike Miller).

 

Rose put in a lot of work this summer shooting the ball, so that's just another good thing. He wants to improve and adjust his game.

 

Asking Rose to adjust to LeBron would be much easier than asking Wade to do it. LeBron would still have the ball less than he did in Cleveland, but Rose would play into the point guard role well, and it would be James getting easier buckets, the Bulls playing fast-paced basketball, and teams getting ran out of the building.

 

There's a big difference.

[AllenIverson#1fan]

Dude's a killer. Which is why I'm saying the Heat need to get rid of James instead of Speolstra.

[htown11]

Lol McGrady still playing part time analyst during his interviews....

[Check my Stats]

The legacy was in Chicago, I still think the titles are in Miami if they can get it sorted out. I was a huge advocate for him going to Chicago/NY though, honestly we don't want to see LBJ and Wade play with each other, we want to see some historical battles in the playoffs.

 

Watching Wade and Bosh go against LeBron and Amare or LeBron and the Bulls for a few playoff series would have been extremely fun. It really is a shame that everything went the way it did.

 

Rose was pretty outspoken about not wanting LBJ to come or something like that. He didn't say it that clearly, obviously, but he wasn't a huge advocate for him to come from what I remember. It sounded like the Bulls weren't giving LeBron enough 'perks' either, which is pretty funny. Good old LBJ.

 

The prospect of LBJ in Chicago would have been fun, and Wade-Bosh would have been pretty devastating too if you think about where they could have spent that other 14M.

Edited November 29, 2010 by Check my Stats

[platoon793]

Thing is, Rose and LeBron would be better off because Boozer doesn't play like they do. He's not Bosh. And Noah would prove to be a ton of help on defense, and the same with Brewer, Gibson and even Deng (who is a better defensive player than James Jones or Mike Miller).

 

Rose put in a lot of work this summer shooting the ball, so that's just another good thing. He wants to improve and adjust his game.

 

Asking Rose to adjust to LeBron would be much easier than asking Wade to do it. LeBron would still have the ball less than he did in Cleveland, but Rose would play into the point guard role well, and it would be James getting easier buckets, the Bulls playing fast-paced basketball, and teams getting ran out of the building.

 

There's a big difference.

I doubt Chicago would have Boozer if they signed LeBron. And Chicago has desperately needed a post presence for the past few years, so I think Boozer is a better fit than LeBron would be.

Edited November 30, 2010 by platoon793

[AboveLegit]

I doubt Chicago would have Boozer if they signed LeBron. And Chicago desperately has needed a post presence for the past few years, so I think Boozer is a better fit than LeBron would be.

Boozer wanted LeBron to join him in Chicago and they had the cap space to sign two max players.

[bigdog17k]

Pretty much what he said about them being on the court together is right on.

[platoon793]

Boozer wanted LeBron to join him in Chicago and they had the cap space to sign two max players.

I know Korver, Brewer, and Watson joined, but did that really add up to the other max contract? Sorry, I was away during the summer (4 week program thing) and I wasn't able to really catch up on this stuff. Was also more focused on the World Cup, lol.

 

But either way, I don't think Rose and LeBron would really play that well with each other. Both players need the ball to really be effective and both are slashers, and Rose has improved his shooting, but he still isn't a great jumpshooter or anything.

Edited November 30, 2010 by platoon793

[Real Deal]

The plan was actually for Amare and LeBron to go to Chicago (well, Amare and Wade at first). They had the money, no doubt.

 

And I left off Watson and Korver because they wouldn't have been there, but I just remembered Brewer signed in the off-season as well (forgot he was dealt from Utah to Memphis, for some reason I was thinking the Jazz traded him to Chicago).

 

Either way, the Bulls would give LeBron defense up from (Noah, and Gibson off the bench at the four), a power forward in Boozer or Amare, a bit of defense with Deng, and a guy that would adjust better than Wade (Rose).

 

There would be no gaping holes at the center or point in that five, either. In fact, LeBron could play the two, Deng starting at the three, or vice-versa.

 

C - Noah

PF - Boozer or Amare

SF - Deng

SG - LeBron

PG - Rose

 

That's a dangerous team, and once you throw in Tom Thibodeau (who is the well-respected coach that assistant coached the 2008 champs, the Celtics), you're adding a defensive mastermind that is not afraid to stand up to his players (like he did Rose last week).

 

LeBron owns Chicago, begins his fight in the East against an aging Celtics team and an uncertain Magic squad, and he paves a road as the undisputed #1 option on a team where the greatest of all-time actually made his name first.

 

There's no doubt in my mind that going to Chicago would be better for him.