I thought McGrady's playoff resume would look better than it did because I remember putting up stellar numbers in the post-season and being among the all-time leaders in scoring per game despite failing to get out of the first round.
A closer look at his playoff series performances is interesting.
2001 = lost 3-1 to Milwaukee Bucks. That was the great Bucks team that went to the ECF with Ray Allen, Sam Cassell and Glenn Robinson. No shame in losing to them. ORL was overmatched. McGrady had only a 48% TS% but great per game numbers at 33.8ppg 8.3apg 6.5rpg.
2002 = lost 3-1 to Charlotte Hornets. Both teams finished with 44 wins on the season. No Jamal Mashburn for Hornets as he was injured. He only played half a season. They were 23-16 with him and 21-22 without him. Baron Davis was there. Even matchup with ORL having the best individual player. Maybe slight advantage ORL. Tracy had a big series with 30.8ppg, 6.3rpg and 5.5apg. This was the first of a three year run with good TS% at 55-56% all three years. Baron Davis went for 25ppg 9apg 9rpg and 2.8spg to lead Charlotte over Orlando. Mike Miller had a vanishing act which hurt ORL.
2003 = lost 4-3 to DET. This was the year before DET won the title. DET were a better team with 50 wins to 43 for ORL. Tayshaun wasn't a regular yet. No Sheed. But they had Chauncey, Rip and Big Ben. Chauncey not quite a star yet (16ppg 4apg on the season). Still they were a great defensive team thanks to Ben and their two guards both went for 20+ppg in the playoff series. ORL were leading 3-1 before getting hammered in each of the final 3 games (31pt loss, 15pt loss, 15pt loss). T-Mac was impressive with 31.7ppg 6.7rpg 4.7apg. And in the second year of his three year run of positive TS% at 56%.
2005 = played Dirk's Mavs. First year without Nash. Yao emerging as a star but not the top ten player he would become. Only an 18ppg 8rpg guy that season. DAL better W-L record at 58 wins to 51 wins. I would consider it a fairly even matchup and it was a tight 7 game series. T-Mac would have maybe his best playoff series at 30.7ppg 7.4rpg 6.7apg 3 stocks with strong defense on Dirk. Final year of his 3 year run of positive TS% at 55.6%. Dirk would score 21ppg but on only 35% FG% 47% TS%. McGrady had out-dueled him. DAL supporting cast out-performed HOU. DAL 3rd to 5th scorers all scored 13-14ppg (older 6th man Stackhouse, older role player era Finley, pre-star Josh Howard) while Houston's averaged 8ppg-11ppg (old man Wesley, Sura, Jon Barry, Mike James).
This is where McGrady's playoff resume takes a disappointing dip. He has two consecutive postseasons against the Utah Jazz. This is the same team that Kobe Bryant made mince-meat out of because they had no high level wing defenders & no shot-blockers in the paint. He attacked them mercilessly off the bounce attacking the basket and destroyed them. T-Mac shot long jumpers instead. This is where T-Mac's three year run of positive TS% end in the post season and he has back-to-back 47.8% TS% against this dodgy defensive team in the Utah Jazz.
T-Mac's per game stats are good but down from his 3yr run in ORL and 1st yr in HOU. He averages 25.3ppg 5.9rpg and 7.3apg in 2007 and 27ppg 8.2rpg and 6.8apg in 2008. Better in 2008.
Both years Deron Williams & Carlos Boozer out-duel Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. In particular Boozer. Yao Ming could not defend Okur on the perimeter or Boozer facing up from the mid-post or in the PnR. Boozer too quick for him. Utah won in 7 and then 6 games the year after. They had Houston's number.
Still, both of these were even matchups for Houston as was the DAL series. All 3 of them fair game. McGrady lost all 3. As he did in ORL against Charlotte in another fair game series. In only 2 of his 6 playoff trips did he face a team that was better than him and heavily favoured. In the other 4 of 6 he had winnable series and lost all of them.
He had good TS% in half of the 6 series and bad TS% in the other half. He had great per game numbers in all 6 series. In only one of the 6 playoff series did his defense stand out.