McGrady unsure whether Rockets want him

Tracy McGrady and coach Rick Adelman engaged in an emotional and sometimes loud closed-door confrontation about the star’s uncertain status on Wednesday night, sources told Yahoo! Sports.

2 months ago ak2themax 20 comments 0 recs |

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radio says that the writer's source is McGrady himself

by fiddycent on Nov 20, 2009 11:35 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Here is the problem

Tracy McGrady is making this situation VERY difficult. It is a very simple situation really if you look at it from the beginning in February of last season.
McGrady told the press BEFORE telling his team about season ending surgery.
At that moment, McGrady was put under strict rules stating that he had to complete his rehabilitation 100% before he can come back to the line-up. The specific date for that is his final check-up MRI scheduled next week.
All we are talking about is a WEEK here.
Why is McGrady rushing things once again?
He has already come back early from several previous injuries to still not be healthy!
The team and administration wants McGrady to come back HEALTHY for NBA style basketball.
This is much different than playing practice games.
McGrady needs to sit down, shutup, and wait his turn to go out there rather than trying to push his boss around.
This is becoming national news because McGrady cannot be patient enough to just WAIT ONE WEEK without making a scene.
All Tracy has to do is follow the rules and everything will be OK.

by Musashiden46 on Nov 20, 2009 12:22 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

All Tracy has to do is follow the rules and everything will be OK.

From the indications in the article, this is not the case.

by Only_A_Lad on Nov 20, 2009 12:36 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

We might be reading a lot into the article.

But it sounded like he was complaining about the lack of communication with Adelman. I could envision a scenario where Morey and Keith are telling him wait until the 23rd, but he’s trying to get Adelman to tell him exactly WHAT happens on the 23rd. Does he go back to practice? Does he ride the bench? Does he work his way to the starting lineup? If I were any athlete, I’d want to know this even a week out.

It looks like, once again, McGrady might be going about things in an inflammatory manner, but he has some legit questions.

by Moondebah on Nov 20, 2009 12:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Well,

I was referring to this line:

In the preseason, sources say McGrady asked management to let him play approximately 12 to 15 minutes total in two exhibition games to gauge where he stood in his comeback. The organization, sources say, told him he would need to pass a standardized conditioning test. McGrady did but still stayed on the sideline.

But I think you’re basically right. I criticized “conspiratorial thinking” throughout this whole affair, and I’m not going to start relying upon it now. I doubt that the Morey, Les, and Adelman are sitting around in a darkened room and plotting the demise of McGrady’s career. What I suspect is that, because of the tensions involved here, there’s just a general lack of communication between management and labor, and the result is that McGrady feels increasingly pushed aside and prevented from making his comeback.

As for what exactly happens on the 23rd, Morey had an interview (which I’ll post whenever I get time to write again) a few days ago where he – for the first time really – described what the plan is. Basically, they want to see how Tracy’s knee holds up after extended activity, so he’ll go through the extended practice on Monday and then have his knee MRI’d.

by Only_A_Lad on Nov 20, 2009 1:04 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

If Tracy thinks he is ready to play, they should let him. Maybe start by playing him for one quarter and see how it goes, the Rockets could use tracy against the Hawks

by Krisztian on Nov 20, 2009 4:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

i think RA was quite explicit about this. We cannot afford to take risk as there’s no one to turn things around if things don’t work out. No margin for error this season, no game that we can use for experimentation. RA wants to see things proven in practice before risking a game loss.

by raong on Nov 23, 2009 2:09 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

no need to rush

He should take advantage of the extra time for his recovery since his services is not that urgent at this point . Our team is able to cope up with the "no superstar ’ in the roster.If we are 0-12 in team standings . maybe he has a point, or unless he really wants to re- injured himself again and take a rest until his contract expires..

by CONAIR on Nov 20, 2009 12:45 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Why wouldn't he be unsure?

What, exactly, does Houston owe McGrady, beyond the highest salary in the NBA this season?

Go on, try to beat them. Try to score on them. Stay in front of those guards. Try to tap out an offensive rebound on that Lilliputian front line. They're so awful, you're so good ... go on. Beat ‘em. - Kelly Dwyer on The Rockets

by Xiane on Nov 20, 2009 1:03 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

there's a general understanding

that if a player can perform his services he’ll have the opportunity to do so.

by Only_A_Lad on Nov 20, 2009 1:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Like Cook?

Yes, I understand the distinction. Cook is technically available to play 48 minutes a night, if anyone were inclined to do that.

Ok, a little thought experiment here.

NBA season is 82 games. McGrady’s check is (roughly) $22 million for the year, or (roughly) $270k per game. If the Rockets now start collecting insurance (per the Yahoo article) on McGrady, he’d have to sit approximately 22 games to basically cover the Rockets luxury tax hit this year. 22 games (including last game against MN, and this one against ATL) has him coming back on Dec 27th against Cleveland, give or take a bit for the math not being exact.

Anyone?

by Xiane on Nov 20, 2009 1:18 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I for one, sure hope that the Rockets, do not take that route.

Rockets at one point of time felt that McGrady was worth paying 22 Million dollars a year to play basketball.

This sort of math, is probably exactly, why is McGrady is probably creating a stink. He is probably afraid that he may not play the entire season, and the rockets can recoup a majority of his salary through insurance. I am not a supporter of McGrady, but I do think the Rockets organization would be doing a disservice to their fans, if they don’t put a potentially capable player such as McGrady for entirely non-basketball reasons.

Good observation!

Kari

by Kari on Nov 20, 2009 1:25 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I had wondered about the magic date of Nov 23rd for an MRI set at the beginning of the season,

and this article sheds some light on this.

Essentially, it looks like the Rockets organization decided that making McGrady sit out until Nov 23rd would give them greater downside protection should McGrady’s body does not hold up later in the season, compared to the potential upside of playing the first 15 or so games of the season. They have taken a calculated risk, and McGrady went along with it.

Now that date has come and gone by, he probably feels that he should not be kept off the floor any longer. By forcing the issue, I think, he is trying to get the Rockets organization to explicitly state what would it take to start playing. The longer he sits out, the less chance that he has to ‘show case’ his talent to get another contract.

In an awkward way, the better the current crew of Rockets play, the more it diminishes any potential upside that McGrady may bring to the team upon rejoining. Many are going to be watching to see, if his return would actually spoil the chemistry of the current roster.

*I hope he gets mad enough, selfish enough, and he still has the chops, to really push this Rockets team deep into the playoffs. *

That would be a sweet redemption for McGrady, and for the Rockets organization that committed 22 Million dollars for him.

Kari

by Kari on Nov 20, 2009 1:18 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I wonder the same thing.

Adelman finally has a team running his offense, and despite the supposed lack of personnel, Houston is a top 10, and occasionally top 5 team in scoring. The weakness on D looks to me like a glaring lack of Yao, something TMac explicitly doesn’t fix. In fact, a good night from Ariza gets you roughly the same number of points, or 80% of the points, with much more D than Tracy typically played. A jacktastic night from Ariza looks much like a jacktastic night from McGrady, except you still get D, and if you sit Ariza he doesn’t pout.

Sure, Ariza will never hold a candle to McGrady’s offensive output, but he doesn’t have to – the system is working. Do we suddenly want to commit 25% of our attempts to an uncertain McGrady, and also risk that he won’t play within the system? If I’m Rick Adelman, I would be distinctly unenthusiastic about bringing McGrady back at this point. He’s already shown his flair for the dramatic. What does that same ego get you if he’s playing 12 minutes a game for a month?

by Xiane on Nov 20, 2009 1:24 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

a poster from another site mentioned fans as rockets fans and t-mac first rockets fans. I think you’re right about mc-grady being not much of an upgrade over ariza at this point. But most fans in the latter category think of t-mac as the t-mac 5yrs back. Back then he is definitely an upgrade. But now, i would have to agree with you.

by raong on Nov 23, 2009 2:16 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

This is pretty simple everyone

The Rockets told the insurance company Nov 23rd at the earliest (That seems pretty obvious). They don’t want to deal with the paperwork and headache of doing it earlier because there is absolute 0 incentive to do so.

www.TheDreamShake.com Co-Founder and Writer

by UofTOrange on Nov 20, 2009 3:46 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

There is that one incentive though

you know, the whole winning more games and being a better team with your best player finally healthy thing.

by goingforthecorner on Nov 20, 2009 11:16 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

There's one issue with that

No one knows if he can help. Why go through all that for 1 or 2 games?

www.TheDreamShake.com Co-Founder and Writer

by UofTOrange on Nov 21, 2009 7:05 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

more of the same, fans being fanatics see their idols at their prime. T-mac being the best player on the team? I no longer believe so, so many downsides.

by raong on Nov 23, 2009 2:19 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

There is that one incentive though you know, the whole winning more games and being a better team with your best player finally healthy thing.
by goingforthecorner on Nov 20, 2009 9:16 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

That is the 22…..Can McGrady keep pace and contribute to the team w/o slowing things down? Certainly he knows this is not the same team when was last on the court.

by Dmndjaq on Dec 5, 2009 2:40 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs