SOLOMON IS it physical? Is it mental? It really doesn’t matter. One word tells you all you need to know about Tracy McGrady’s state of mind during the first half of this season. Petrified. “I was actually petrified at times to go to the basket or to have a fast break and to jump off my leg. I was,” McGrady said with emphasis as if he needed to convince anyone. It has long been time for McGrady to shut it down and stop trying to play on one leg. He’s not anywhere near that good. Finally, he and the Rockets came to their senses, and McGrady will take a couple of weeks to get his knee (and his mind) ready to play basketball. The Rockets could have used McGrady down the stretch Tuesday night when they folded late in a 105-100 loss to the Lakers. But not the McGrady that we have seen for most of the season. Yes, it would have been nice to see how the Rockets would have matched up with the Lakers at full strength — that’s one reason 18,557 — the largest home crowd in team history — showed up at Toyota Center. But it will be better to see them match up with the defending Western Conference champions at full strength in May when the season really matters. Playoff are what matters The Rockets have made moves all season out of some sort of odd fear. Did somebody tell them the playoffs began in December this season? Ron Artest will be out for about 11/2 weeks with a bone bruise in his ankle. Had he sat down when he first hurt himself, he might already have been back and ready to go. Shane Battier overdid his offseason rehab and hasn’t been at full strength all season. McGrady wasn’t ready when the season began and still isn’t. That’s life in the NBA. Injuries occur, so deal with them. The Lakers on Tuesday night played without Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar and Luke Walton — three members of their rotation. Too much uncertainty We’ve yet to reach the midway point of the season, so it’s too early to start monitoring the standings. But the Rockets should be good enough to win games with McGrady and Artest out for a bit. This is why Yao Ming was drafted No. 1. At this point in his career, he should be able to lead a team. Nights like Tuesday, when he had 19 points and 17 boards should not be uncommon. (Shots like the last brick he threw up when the team needed a 3-pointer never should happen again.) The uncertainty of who was playing and on what nights was starting to wear on the squad. For a while, McGrady, Artest and Battier were playing musical chairs for a seat on the bench. Each would show up at the arena, see if the other two were playing and then decide whether to suit up. That is no way to run a team or develop consistency. Plenty of help The Rockets played fairly well through all of that anyway. Now it’s time to maintain while McGrady and Artest get healthy. There are a lot of NBA teams that would be happy to roll out a starting lineup of Yao, Battier, Luis Scola, Rafer Alston and Von Wafer. That’s a solid unit. Of course, Wafer is no McGrady, and he won’t score 23 points every night like he did against his former team, but McGrady hasn’t been McGrady, either. McGrady, a 12-year veteran, will attempt to turn back the clock to the offseason. “I will act like it is July,” McGrady said. “Physically, I have to get stronger. Mentally, I have to believe in my lower body.” Perhaps McGrady is too sensitive to pain, but it’s his pain, not yours or mine. This isn’t the NFL, where a player has to worry about being cut low by some 350-pound lineman, but try going coast to coast on a bad wheel. Just try attacking the rim from the wing when you don’t know if your knee will buckle on that last step, the power step that gives you lift. Time to get healthy Whether it is physical, mental or physi-mental, McGrady needed to get out of the lineup and start the 2008-09 season over. He says he has been taking one for the team, fighting through an irritating if not unbearable pain to help the team get off to a good start. Well, we’re past that now. Don’t count him out McGrady has vowed to return with a vengeance. “I know how good I am, and I know when I come back at the end of the season, I promise you, it is definitely going to be a different story,” McGrady said. Criticize all you want, he says, and if you want to make McGrady laugh, tell him he is washed up. “That’s funny, that’s real funny,” McGrady said. We’ll see who laughs last when McGrady returns. It’s about time he took a break. Mcgrady hater analysis continues here.......
I think it's a good idea for him to sit out til after the all star break. Just rest it until he's healthy enough to play at a high enough level that he won't hamper the team's potential. Great players are not only great athletes, but mentally they have an edge over many other players. He's lost that edge and the confidence, and he needs to be healthy before he can regain his swagger and help the team. So let him rest, and let some other bench players get some playing time so they can help us down the stretch.
1) he had very minor knee surgery. many times when players have a scope, it's not even reported. but because its tracy, he acts like its a big deal. 2) if he had done the rehab he was supposed to do and strengthened it over the summer, he never would have put himself, and the team in this position. 3) he is scared that his knee is weak, but its his fault the knee is weak. so . . . i'm supposed to be sympathetic that he was lazy and now has a weak knee as a result? i think not. 4) the fans arent the only ones "hating". his teammates are "hating" and his coaches and management are also "hating". opposing scouts are "hating". his own team's training staff is "hating". national reporters are "hating". so, what does that tell you? 5) he's supposed to be a professional. does any of this behavior sounds like a professional to you? would kobe make this kind of huge deal out of a freaking knee scope? hell no. it makes tracy sound like a huge wimp to cry and moan this much about a freaking scope. he should have been back in the weight room in less than a month. 6) even if you get past all of that other stuff, tracy is the LAST person who should be making promises like he is, and bragging about having the last laugh. dude, tracy, you have flamed out every year. your teams have had no success. you don't get to laugh at ANYONE until you actually do something that matters. get real. call me a hater, go ahead. sorry that I think tracy should be worrying about his career right now instead of running his mouth and worrying about his image.
no, i dont "fell" better. i wont "fell" better until that cancer is off my team. the other thing that would help me "fell" better is when people quit being apologists for a lazy unprofessional bum. if tracy wanted respect he could have earned it by now with a little hard work. he's getting what he deserves.
Solomon is a suck up to Tmac, always has been. Hey, maybe he can get a discount on TMac's car on ebay. So sure Tracy, go get healthy, meanwhile all your teamates that put in the work to get healthy for the season will carry the load for you, even though the team was built with having you on the floor. I am sure that all the other times he quit, teamates forgave him too, hey I wonder if Orlando has any suck up writers on their staff too? DD
kicking my dog would require some effort. which means he wouldn't do it. he's probably too petrified of blowing out his knee to try to kick my dog anyway.
