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| Monday, October 23 Updated: October 24, 10:29 AM ET Hill's one thing, but Tracy is another By Mitch Lawrence Special to ESPN.com |
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ORLANDO -- The ballots haven't even been distributed, but already Grant Hill knows how he'll vote when it comes down to Eastern Conference All-Star forwards. It's not who you think.
"Tracy will be an All-Star this season," Hill said of his new Orlando teammate, Tracy McGrady. "I've already put my vote in. Me, I don't know how I'll do." Hill still has five pins in his left ankle, a result of his offseason surgery. So far, he has only played 28 minutes in the preseason. On Sunday, Hill made it through his first practice, but only because Doc Rivers cut it short by 45 minutes. Orlando knew that Hill was coming off major surgery when they signed him to a $93 million deal. They can afford to be patient. "We really haven't seen Grant," Rivers said. "He's trying to push it, but I told him, 'didn't you sign here for seven years?' The last thing I want him to do is rush it and reinjure it." In Hill's absence, McGrady has been everything for the Magic, if not more. He's been the athlete they expected. But he's even quicker than they thought. He's been prolific getting to the basket. But he's a better perimeter shooter than they imagined. Rivers looks at his 45 percent field goal accuracy from last year and thinks that was a different player. He's been the long-armed defender, capable of blocking four or five shots a game. "Usually, I'm good when it comes to knowing what someone can do," the Magic's second-year coach said. "But I missed a lot with this guy. We have to remember, though, he's still only 21 and sometimes he makes the mistakes a 21-year old is going to make. Like, he tries to thread the needle on every single pass. But overall, it's like, 'Wow, look at this kid.' " McGrady, of course, had been playing in the vast shadow of Vince Carter in Toronto the last three seasons. "Now, I'm able to do more," he said. "Before, I had to play within the team concept. I'm just going out there and having fun and trying to be exciting and showing people what I can do." But there might be more.
"I just think he's improved," Hill said. "Sometimes, it takes a few years of learning for a player to gain the the confidence and take the next step. That's what I see with Tracy. I think me being out has helped him. He's had to step up and be the guy. For us to win, he'll need to be that kind of player. I have no problem with that." Around here, no one does.
Rim Shots I
1) Who spilled the beans that Smith, via ex-agent Eric Fleisher, and the Timberwolves had cut an illegal future deal where he could have earned $90 million? Someone with direct connections to Andy Miller and Dan Fegan -- Smith's current agent and most recent agent -- if not one of the two. The motive was that Miller and Fegan were not going to get a commission off the secret deal. Now, working together, which Smith apparently doesn't know about, they will get the commission on whatever new deal is reached, even though Smith will get considerably less. Meanwhile, Fleisher stands to lose several million dollars. 2) Why was the secret deal in writing, instead of consummated verbally? Fleisher insisted on it. Fleisher and T-wolves VP Kevin McHale became bitter enemies over the Kevin Garnett contract, with Fleisher going behind McHale's back to get Garnett an additional $21 mil and a record $126 mil deal from owner Glen Taylor. Because of the bad feelings between the agent and Minny exec, Fleisher wanted to deal only with Taylor. But here's the catch: With Taylor facing extensive heart surgery as the Smith negotiations started, Fleisher covered his bases by having it put in writing, just in case Taylor didn't survive. That's where there's a smoking gun.
Rim Shots II
Mitch Lawrence, who covers the NBA for the New York Daily News, writes a regular NBA column for ESPN.com.
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