Trade rumors surfaced over the weekend that had Tracy McGrady coming to the Pistons. The Pistons have reportedly denied interest. They should.
Although still a very good player, McGrady is not the explosive athlete he once was. He is older and has been beat down to a degree, particularly by back injuries. He had his moments last season, especially when the Rockets went on a long winning streak after Yao Ming was injured, but he misses a lot of games.
Honestly, I wouldn’t trade any of the Pistons core players one-for-one for McGrady, who has never been part of a winning playoff series. He is not the answer. The Pistons don’t need perimeter players. They need help inside. As the off season moves on, it appears more and more like the Pistons core will remain intact.
There just don’t seem to be any moves that would improve the Pistons. I strongly feel, if Joe Dumars does make a major deal, it must be for an inside player, or to improve the Pistons’ defensively. There is nothing wrong with the Pistons’ backcourt of Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey. That’s a strength. I also don’t get the issues many fans have with Tayshaun Prince. He is a unique player. The obvious player to move is Rasheed Wallace, but there just doesn’t seem to be a fit that would involve the Pistons getting a quality big man in return. And Wallace, despite his propensity for hanging around the 3-point line, is the Pistons only real inside presence.
The landscape could change during the season. Teams, after reviewing the way they are playing, often look to make moves. Phoenix (Shaquille O’Neal) and Dallas (Jason Kidd) last season are examples.
It’s less than ideal, but Dumars might not be able to shake up his team until after the season starts.

Random Thoughts

- Yankee Stadium is a treasure of baseball history, and that obviously will make the All Star Game interesting. It is, however, disappointing the way average baseball fans, who represent the roots of the game, have been priced out of enjoying the experience. You could take three Hawaiian vacations for the cost of spending three days in New York and buying tickets for the All Star game and its various sidehows. It’s ridiculous.

- The Tigers have no excuse for losing like that to the Twins, especially at home. The Twins have three players - Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer and Joe Nathan - of note. The rest of that team is made up of raw young talent, average major leaguers and 4-A players. The Twins are overachieving and the Tigers underachieving. That’s the bottom line.

- An underlying story entering the All Star break: The wheels are starting to come off the Tampa Bay Rays. That could help the Tigers move into the AL wild card race, assuming the Yankees continue their spotty play.