"Looking at the Detroit Pistons and finding bright spots is difficult.

Tracy McGrady is one of the rare ones.

Some basketball followers thought McGrady would be more trouble than he would be worth when the Pistons signed him to a contract last summer for the veteran's minimum. They questioned whether he would accept a smaller role than he had been accustomed to in the past, whether he would be willing to come off the bench and defer to his teammates.

Those people have their answer: McGrady has not rocked the boat since joining the Pistons.

Of course, it is impossible to know what McGrady is like in private or what type of influence he has with his teammates in the locker room. But outwardly, he has been a model citizen and a leader for the Pistons, who could use more of both."