Tracy McGrady playoff resumes vs other top 50/75 players & Hall of Famers

[L.Kizzle]

People like to bring up Tracy McGrady's playoff resume and failures. Well, I'd like to bring to you 3 other Hall of Fame and top 50 players (now top 75) with a worse track record than T-Mac.
I will get to other Hall of Famets down the line. This is just the first three comparisons.


Dave Bing - 7 time All-Star / 3 time All-NBA
Peak series 28/5/4 in 1968
31 playoff games (5 seasons at 6 series.) Only got out of the first round when he joined Wes and Elvin in Washington his 2nd to last season in the league.


Pistol Pete - 5 time All-Star / 4 time All-NBA
Peak series 27/5/5 in 1972
26 playoff games (4 seasons at 5 series.) Only got of the first round when he joined Larry Bird in Boston his final season.


Tiny Archibald - 6 time All-Star / 5 time All-NBA
Peak series 20/5/2 in 1975
Made the playoffs only ONCE in his first 9 seasons before joining Boston Celtics early 80s Finals contending teams.


Tracy McGrady - 7 time All-Star / 7 time All-NBA
Peak series 34/8/7 in 2002
50 playoff games (9 seasons at 12 series.)
Led the playoffs in scoring twice. 30+/6+/5+ in four separate series and 25+/7+/6+ in two other series .
Didn't get out the first round until joining 2013 Spurs.

[BigShotBob]

He lost to the Hornets when their only star was Baron Davis in the first round

[L.Kizzle]

He lost to the Hornets when their only star was Baron Davis in the first round
Jamal Mashburn was there as well as an All-Star.

[Real Men Wear Green]

He lost to the Hornets when their only star was Baron Davis in the first round
But was he a choker? I don't recall him playing particularly badly and he dominated his first match up with Glenn Robinson. The whole time in Orlando they were hampered by Grant Hill's contract and injuries. Briefly had a real chance in Houston but they couldnt stay healthy either. Regular season when healthy he was as good as any wing other than MJ LBJ and KD. That doesn't make for a GOAT argument but he could be justifiably placed in the top 75.

[Charlie Sheen]

People like to bring up Tracy McGrady's playoff resume and failures. Well, I'd like to bring to you 3 other Hall of Fame and top 50 players (now top 75) with a worse track record than T-Mac.
I will get to other Hall of Famets down the line. This is just the first three comparisons.


Dave Bing - 7 time All-Star / 3 time All-NBA
Peak series 28/5/4 in 1968
31 playoff games (5 seasons at 6 series.) Only got out of the first round when he joined Wes and Elvin in Washington his 2nd to last season in the league.


Pistol Pete - 5 time All-Star / 4 time All-NBA
Peak series 27/5/5 in 1972
26 playoff games (4 seasons at 5 series.) Only got of the first round when he joined Larry Bird in Boston his final season.


Tiny Archibald - 6 time All-Star / 5 time All-NBA
Peak series 20/5/2 in 1975
Made the playoffs only ONCE in his first 9 seasons before joining Boston Celtics early 80s Finals contending teams.


Tracy McGrady - 7 time All-Star / 7 time All-NBA
Peak series 34/8/7 in 2002
50 playoff games (9 seasons at 12 series.)
Led the playoffs in scoring twice. 30+/6+/5+ in four separate series and 25+/7+/6+ in two other series .
Didn't get out the first round until joining 2013 Spurs.

Feels like there's no in between with Tmac... only a choice between one or two extremes. Either he's measured by that 02-03 season or he's a choker.

Admittedly, I'm guilty of this.

[Phoenix]

Between 2000 and 2005 I don't recall Tmac never 'not' being the best individual player in his playoff matchups. He had a good enough team in Houston on paper but by then he was on the back-nine of his brief prime and Yao as his co-star had his own injury issues. The Hornets series in that span might have been the only one where it was like, ok TMac you as the best player could have probably swung the series your way but even then, the Hornets had most of the better players in that series. He was just mostly swinging uphill during his prime in terms of the talent he had to work with. I have a hard time thinking he just wasn't good enough to win a playoff series because worse players have done so.

[L.Kizzle]

Between 2000 and 2005 I don't recall Tmac never 'not' being the best individual player in his playoff matchups. He had a good enough team in Houston on paper but by then he was on the back-nine of his brief prime and Yao as his co-star had his own injury issues. The Hornets series in that span might have been the only one where it was like, ok TMac you as the best player could have probably swung the series your way but even then, the Hornets had most of the better players in that series. He was just mostly swinging uphill during his prime in terms of the talent he had to work with. I have a hard time thinking he just wasn't good enough to win a playoff series because worse players have done so.
Worse players had better teams. Mentioning the Hornets they had a better team. McGrady was the better talent by far in the series.
Baron avg 22 on 37% shooting. Mashburn was injured that series looks like.

[fsvr54]

Jamal Mashburn was there as well as an All-Star.

Man... talk about a forgotten and underrated player. Was a big fan of Mashburn's game

[Phoenix]

Worse players had better teams. Mentioning the Hornets they had a better team. McGrady was the better talent by far in the series.
Baron avg 22 on 37% shooting. Mashburn was injured that series looks like.

That's my point dude. Precisely why I said the Hornets had by far most of the best players in that series, but their best player( Davis) was worse than Tmac. Orlando needed herculean performances from Tmac just to make the playoffs, let alone win in the playoffs.

[dankok8]

Lenny Wilkens and Rodman making it over T-Mac is a farce. Bing is kind of a tough sell too.

Pistol and Tiny were historical players that had pretty great peaks themselves. I can understand cases for why they would be over T-Mac.

[Phoenix]

Lenny Wilkens and Rodman making it over T-Mac is a farce. Bing is kind of a tough sell too.

Pistol and Tiny were historical players that had pretty great peaks themselves. I can understand cases for why they would be over T-Mac.

Why would Tiny be any more 'historic' than Tmac though, in the grand picture?

[L.Kizzle]

Why would Tiny be any more 'historic' than Tmac though, in the grand picture?
I'm guessing him, Pistol and Earl Monroe brought a new style to the league.
McGrady did as well. The huge do-it-all wing.

[dankok8]

Why would Tiny be any more 'historic' than Tmac though, in the grand picture?

Tiny had an unreal season in 72-73 that rarely gets talked about. He literally led a team of role players to the best ORtg in the league and averaged 34/11.

[Phoenix]

Tiny had an unreal season in 72-73 that rarely gets talked about. He literally led a team of role players to the best ORtg in the league and averaged 34/11.

Yeah I know, but does that make him a more 'historic' player? Maybe I need to understand what you mean by 'historic' in this context. To me, someone like Wilt, Russell, Oscar, West are 'historic' players. Dr. J is historic. I can understand Pistol's style as being 'historic'. Kareem is historic. Obviously MJ, Magic, Bird, Lebron, Shaq, Kobe etc etc and etc.....

[L.Kizzle]

Yeah I know, but does that make him a more 'historic' player? Maybe I need to understand what you mean by 'historic' in this context. To me, someone like Wilt, Russell, Oscar, West are 'historic' players. Dr. J is historic. I can understand Pistol's style as being 'historic'. Kareem is historic. Obviously MJ, Magic, Bird, Lebron, Shaq, Kobe etc etc and etc.....
Probably the pts and ast league leading. Tho Westbrook almost did that as well in his MVP seasons. Was 2nd in assist.

[fsvr54]

I'm a huge basketball fan and have never heard of Dave Bing, or maybe I just don't recall

[L.Kizzle]

I'm a huge basketball fan and have never heard of Dave Bing, or maybe I just don't recall
He's a 70s guard. Not remembered nearly as much as Tiny, Clyde, Pearl, Pistol probably because he don't have a cool nick name lol. Seriously. He dont have a nickname.

[dankok8]

Yeah I know, but does that make him a more 'historic' player? Maybe I need to understand what you mean by 'historic' in this context. To me, someone like Wilt, Russell, Oscar, West are 'historic' players. Dr. J is historic. I can understand Pistol's style as being 'historic'. Kareem is historic. Obviously MJ, Magic, Bird, Lebron, Shaq, Kobe etc etc and etc.....

Historic because he had a historic season. He was the only player to lead the league in both PPG and APG in the same season too until Harden a couple of years back.

[Gohan]

Man... talk about a forgotten and underrated player. Was a big fan of Mashburn's game

You should of seen the praise iverson used to give him. He wouldnt stop talkin about him lol

[L.Kizzle]

Historic because he had a historic season. He was the only player to lead the league in both PPG and APG in the same season too until Harden a couple of years back.
Harden didn't do it. Him and Westbrook came short the same season. Harden second in points and Westbrook second in assist in 2017.

[BigShotBob]

Jamal Mashburn was there as well as an All-Star.

Jamal Mashburn was hurt during that series iirc he averaged literally nothing