Tracy McGrady was one of the most gifted scorers of his generation. A two-time scoring champion, T-Mac had size, skill, and a smooth jumper that made him nearly impossible to guard. And now, he believes that if he played in today’s NBA, he’d be even more dangerous.
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On a recent episode of the Club 520 Podcast, McGrady sat down with Jeff Teague and made a bold claim. He said he could average 40 points per game in today’s league. He wasn’t trying to sound arrogant. Just honest.
He pointed to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 32-point average this past season and said the league is wide open now. There’s more space, more possessions, more freedom. In his era, McGrady averaged 32 points in a season where teams barely scored 80. The paint was crowded, defenders could hand-check, and the game was far more physical.
Now? Players shoot 8–10 threes a night, live at the free throw line, and barely get touched when they attack the rim. That kind of environment is tailor-made for someone like T-Mac, an elite shot creator who stood 6’9. He said, “I’m not going to be arrogant and say 40. In my mind, yeah, I feel like I could score 40.”
Even the late, great Kobe Bryant once said that McGrady could do nearly everything he could, but he was taller. There were several players who Kobe thought were tough to play against, and he enjoyed their competition. But something made T-Mac stand out.
“The guy that always gave me the most problems was Tracy McGrady…He had all the skills and all the athleticism, but he was 6’9. And he was really really tough to figure out,” Kobe said. That’s high praise coming from one of the greatest ever.
Jeff Teague agreed, too, saying McGrady had it all, including a smooth midrange game and elite footwork. It’s easy to imagine him thriving in today’s fast-paced, offense-first system. McGrady added that today’s defenders aren’t allowed to get physical. Once a player gets to his spot, the defense has no real answer. That’s why T-Mac feels confident that his numbers would skyrocket today.
It’s not just nostalgia talking. T-Mac’s game was ahead of its time, and in this era, it might have broken the scoreboard.
