Tracy McGrady Says Giannis Would Have 'Struggled' in His Era Due to Jump Shot
Tracy McGrady's resume speaks for itself, but the Hall of Famer offered a bit of a head-scratcher when discussing how Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo might fit into a previous era.
Appearing on The Big Podcast with Shaq, McGrady and host Shaquille O'Neal began debating whether some of the top stars of today would flourish in another time. McGrady made the point that Antetokounmpo might not be the dominant force he is now.
"I think he would have struggled because of how closed up the paint was back then," McGrady said at the 14:42 mark. "... It was tough offensively because the defense was so great and the paint was closed up.
"If you can't shoot, it's going to be hard. And Giannis' game is predicated on coming downhill. He's developed a little jump shot now, but I think it would've been tough for him to be who he is today back then."
Antetokounmpo's jumper is the biggest flaw in his game. He's shooting 29 percent from three-point range over his career, and nearly half (48.4 percent) of his field-goal attempts have come within three feet of the basket, per Basketball Reference.
But that hasn't stopped him from leading the NBA in scoring (29.4 points) this season.
The idea that the 6'11", 242-pound Antetokounmpo might struggle to cope with the physicality of the 1990s or early 2000s is also the kind of thing that raises eyebrows.
Kevin Garnett had almost the exact same frame (6'11", 240 pounds) and was a 15-time All-Star and nine-time All-NBA player. Garnett was a better and more frequent shooter from mid-range than Antetokounmpo, but it's not as if he was constantly bullied out of the paint during McGrady's era.
Go back a little further and picture any one of Chris Webber, Karl Malone, Shawn Kemp or Charles Barkley attempting to match up defensively with Giannis. Would they fare much better than the Greek Freak's current peers?
These discussions also tend to overlook how any player is a product of the league landscape. If you take Antetokounmpo and put him in the NBA 10 or 20 years ago, then he would've adapted to fit however the game was being played.
