“It would have been tough for Giannis Antetokounmpo to be who he is today, back then”: Tracy McGrady feels the Greek Freak’s predictable game in the paint would have cost him back in the day

NBA veteran Tracy McGrady believes Giannis Antetokounmpo would have struggled in his era as making jump shots was one of the primary tools to succeed during T-Mac’s era.

Over the recent years, the NBA has developed an image of being a guard-dominant league. With shooting being a necessity to climb to the top of the ladder. However, this notion seems to be changing with the current crop of big men, who can dominate in the paint, shoot the ball, and defend.

NBA superstars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid have brought the era of the bully ball back with a touch of the necessary skills required to sustain in the league today. Over the past three seasons, the league MVP has been a big man.

The reigning Finals MVP Giannis has cemented his position as an all-time great and continues to improve on his game. The Greek Freak looks confident from the free-throw line and has developed his mid-range game lately, shooting fadeaway jumpers.

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During a recent appearance on the Big Podcast with Shaq, Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady claimed Giannis wouldn’t have achieved as much success in the former’s era.

Tracy McGrady believes Giannis Antetokounmpo’s predictable game would have cost him in the previous era.

Having played in the Shaquille O’Neal era of dominance, it is surprising that T-Mac feels Giannis wouldn’t have succeeded in the late 90s and early 2000s. The league back then wasn’t as guard dominant as it is today, and the game in the paint was much more prevalent.

During a recent conversation with the Lakers legend Shaq, T-Mac spoke about the reigning Finals MVP not achieving this kind of success back in his era.

“I think he would have struggled because of how closed up the paint was, It was tough offensively because the defense was so great. If you can’t shoot, it’s gonna be hard,” said T-Mac. “And Giannis’ game is predicated on coming downhill. It would have been tough for him to be who he is today, back then.”

Nonetheless, the Greek Freak continues to show an upward trend in his graph as a player. The two-time MVP has not only improved on his free-throw shooting but has been making jumpers and attempting shots from beyond the arc lately.

The Bucks superstar is one of the leading candidates for MVP this season, averaging 29.4 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.4 BPG, shooting an impressive 54.7% from the field. At 27-years old, Giannis still has much of his prime left. The former DPOY’s ability to keep working on his game makes him an all-time great.

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Having won the scoring title twice, T-Mac’s statements come from a place of experience. However, the notion that big men should be able to shoot the ball is a relatively new concept.