Tracy McGrady: Lakers, Celtics Battle for NBA Free Agent

We're just a few weeks removed from the latest epic showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics on the court.

Now, it appears the two titans are facing off on the cell phones as they both work to sign Tracy McGrady to a pivotal role in an attempt to return to the NBA Finals.

McGrady has gone from a used-up spare part in New York, to a commodity in the suddenly-thin free agent market.

If T-Mac has truly reached the point in his career where he's ready to be a role player in a chase for a title, which team would be the better fit for the fallen star?

Coaching

Phil Jackson is the Zen Master. He's able to meld any piece into the wild mix of personalities on the Lakers bench.

Jackson has shown a particular talent for rehabbing stumbling studs.

He made Ron Artest into a quality piece of the puzzle this past year and was able to fit Dennis Rodman into a tightly established duo of Pippen and Jordan.

Karl Malone and Gary Payton didn't work out so well in Los Angeles. Those two players would seem to be a closer comparison to McGrady.

Doc Rivers may not have the resume of Jackson, but he has the recent experience of taking three superstars and instantly melding them into an NBA champion.

ADVANTAGE: Celtics

Supporting Cast

The Celtics are mighty thin. That's the reason the McGrady rumors have started in the first place.

Their starting five is of high quality players, but they are aging quickly. Their bench is ultra-thin at the moment, with Glen Davis and Nate Robinson the only sure things.

The Lakers have a mix that is veteran and established. Their starting five is veteran but far from looking worn. Their bench includes Steve Blake and pieces like Lamar Odom, Luke Walton and Sasha Vujacic that are all championship tested.

ADVANTAGE: Lakers

Fan Support

McGrady would come to the Los Angeles mix as a former star.

The team may take the opportunity to hype a lesser example of Miami Thrice, but it's more likely he's brought in and told to earn his hype.

The fans will embrace him accordingly. There will be no overflow of love from the outset.

The Celtics fans will take him in instantly because he's a big name to add to an anemic bench mix. There's frustration galore that the team hasn't done enough to keep up with the Eastern Conference frenzy of moves.

Signing McGrady would be seen as a sign that the Celtics are doing all they can. Thus, T-Mac would be welcomed as a much louder move than the attention he would get in L.A.

ADVANTAGE: Celtics

Pressure

The desperation to beat L.A. will lead to a much larger expectation in Boston for McGrady. He will be expected to step in as a sixth man and instantly fit in—finding his role, and contributing accordingly.

In Los Angeles, he'll have a much smoother learning curve. Jackson will be given time to find him a role that makes the most sense for everybody.

There's more pieces to pick up minutes and key baskets, so any contributions from McGrady would be gravy in this mix.

ADVANTAGE: Lakers

Competition For Playing Time

If it is minutes that McGrady seeks the most, Los Angeles isn't the spot. The starting lineup is filled with iron horses at the guard and small forward spots. He's looking at average 22 minutes a game max in that rotation.

In Boston, the possibilities are so much more plentiful. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are both aging and are going to need more breathers.

Rajon Rondo already has a history of breaking down. Back issues don't go away for ballers.

He's really only competing with Robinson for bench minutes, as draft pick Avery Bradley will need to earn minutes more.

There's potential for 30 minutes per game for T-Mac in Boston, easy.

ADVANTAGE: Celtics

Best Shot at a Title

Boston is on the downswing.

There's no way around it. I still thought they had one more run in them last year, but Kevin Garnett looked like a broken man against Pao Gasol.

The Celtics haven't done enough to add youth to the mix. Robinson and Rondo are fresh. Davis is an up-and-comer, but not an everyday star.

The Celtics core—the guys that get the big shots—are borderline geriatric.

Los Angeles has some older guys, but they're all playing with fresh legs. That may be a function of better rotating by Jackson. Winning titles is a fountain of youth as well.

Whatever the case, the overall mix of youth and vets is still primed for three more runs at a title. They have the air of invincibility with two straight titles.

ADVANTAGE: Lakers

Intangibles

The Celtics have a core that is hungry to prove they're not done. But they're fighting the aging process, which is a little harder to overcome.

When I look at Garnett, Pierce and Allen, I don't get a sense that they feel they have anything left to prove.

The off-the-court buzz isn't that special. Boston is a working class town without a ton of glitz or glamour.

Kobe has watched the Miami situation and the instant coronation of the 2010-11 title to the South Beach Boys.

That's made him angry, and Bryant has proven time and again that he plays otherworldly when he's angry.

The L.A. scene trumps even South Beach for pure wow factor. It's not unusual to bump into Adam Sandler at a bar. The parties and the glam factor is through the roof.

Add in Dyan Cannon's brownies and this is a no-brainer.

ADVANTAGE: Lakers

Home Arena

Staples Center may be a newer building, but it has been built on championships. It has an instant air of a winning tradition.

Maybe it's simply because Jack Nicholson's always there, but there's always a sense that a big-time show is taking place on that court. The front row is often filled with a who's who in pop culture.

The new Boston Garden has one title in its rafters. It's a generic knockoff that falls flat on its face, trying to capture even a whiff of the overall Boston Celtics tradition.

There's no Showtime factor.

There isn't "only show in town" sense that the Lakers have most every time they take to their home court. Maria Menounos doesn't quite create the buzz that's apparent every night in L.A.

ADVANTAGE: Lakers

Sharing the Stage

The Celtics have won the most titles by far of any team in town, but they have a constant struggle for the back page of the sports section.

The Patriots and Red Sox are easily more of a story and garner far more attention. Tom Brady as a beat is more exciting than the Celtics most days.

With no NFL team in town, the Lakers own the story in Los Angeles. The Dodgers have been out of the winners circle for so long that they're secondary. The Angels are still the stepchild of L.A.

USC football owns the headlines, but they're likely headed into a quiet period thanks to the NCAA sanctions.

ADVANTAGE: Lakers

The Decision

If it is minutes that McGrady crazes to rehab his image, the Celtics are the clear-cut winner.

If he's concerned about fitting into a superstar mix, I think the Celtics had the slight edge—though it's certainly debatable.

If he's looking for a big splash coming in the door, he'll likely get more of that in Boston.

Every other consideration goes the way of the current NBA landscape.

The Lakers are champs. They are the place to be. All other teams are simply chasing the rings they already own.