"Anyone with eyes can see Tracy McGrady's improved play on the floor, but what's gone unnoticed to the average observer is the positive effect he's having on the younger players.

He scored 16 in Tuesday night's win against Atlanta, but many times in the fourth quarter, he pulled Rodney Stuckey aside, or motioned for him to slow down and set up the offense as opposed to going full-throttle.

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Pistons coach John Kuester has noted not only McGrady's brimming confidence but also believes his unselfish passing and attitude is contagious.

"I'm not in the locker room but I see some good qualities," Kuester said. "There's no forcing of shots. He wants to get everybody involved."

McGrady is becoming a leader, a voice with credibility to whom the players turn. He remembers entering the NBA as a rookie in 1997, an 18-year-old Florida kid in a new country with the Toronto Raptors.

He wasn't one of those kids who came in thinking he knew everything about the league, so he aligned himself with veteran players who had no qualms showing him the way. He sought the counsel of Charles Oakley, Muggsy Bogues, Dell Curry and Doug Christie, just to name a few."