Tracy McGrady is back.
With his expected return thought to be no sooner than early December, at best, the Rockets swingman told Yahoo! Sports that he will make his return to the court on Nov. 18 against Minnesota.
For the past eight months, McGrady has rehabbed his surgically repaired left knee.
In an email to Yahoo! Sports, McGrady wrote, “Excited to get back and compete at a high level again. For a full year I had to play on one leg against the best and I couldn’t compete with anybody the way I was feeling. It’s gonna be a relief to get out there and play knowing what I went [through] last season and this summer.”
McGrady played in 35 games last season before undergoing microfracture surgery.
He averaged 15.6 points on 38 percent shooting from the field and was clearly hindered because of the knee, relying more and more upon the jump shot.
McGrady was expected to take another MRI on the knee on Nov. 23, but the play of rookie wing Chase Budinger may have led him to move up his return.
Budinger has averaged 10.6 points on 52.5 percent shooting this season and is undoubtedly the Rockets’ swingman of the future due to his athleticism, shooting ability and savvy offensive ability.
The bottom line is, at 4-2 so far, including wins against Utah and Portland, the Rockets have surprised and have played at a high level even without McGrady, a fact that probably doesn’t sit too well with the seven-time All-Star.
With Budinger one of the Rockets’ top bench players, McGrady’s return would likely mean either Trevor Ariza or Shane Battier get sent to the bench.
It would likely be Battier. The Rockets didn’t spend their mid-level exception to have Ariza as a glorified sixth man, plus the professional and team-oriented Battier would not complain about the move.
Either way, it would make sense for the Rockets to see what McGrady can do before February’s trading deadline.
He is in the final year of a contract which reportedly pays around $20 million this season, and would likely play well to showcase for a new suitor and earn one last, big deal.
If he doesn’t play up to par, and he provides no aid at all to the Rockets, the team might consider dealing him, considering it’s a buyer’s market in these hard economic times for NBA teams.
At best, McGrady is a No. 1 offensive option that would allow Brooks and Ariza to assume the complimentary roles that fit them best.
McGrady is a playmaker, and with a Rockets team that struggles in the halfcourt and has no true, legit lead player, he would help immensely in that area as a scorer that could demand a double team and make plays for others.
However, at worst, McGrady is a ball-stopper who settles too often for jump shots, particularly the aggravating kind that are just a step inside the 3-point line.
Yahoo! Sports reported that, while McGrady is awaiting final clearance from team doctors, Rockets sources don’t expect there to be any problems.
- Dennis Silva II/The Katy Capsule
