I certainly hope that a healthy #3 will be back for the start of the season. And I hope that this being a contract year combined with his desire to sell more jerseys (in the name of his movie of course) will help keep #3 motivated for an entire season.
That or how almost every move DD likes to shoot down. Ariza for the full MLE? Too much money for a role player. DD Not bringing back Von Wafer? Why? He's Kobe-esque. DD Who are these draft picks? Why do we spend so much on second round draft picks. DD I like Magette. 'Low bball iq' Well, he was rumored to the Spurs, so I'll side with Popavich's opinion. DD But every move Morey has done, he's basically questioned. DD Then when somebody debates with him, he comes out with, no, you're wrong, I'm right, I work with people in team settings, blah blah, DD Now when people call him out on this TMac thread it's I knew we could never have a healthy discussion about him LOL
I agree with him being ready by the start of the season. He's doing on court drills already and camp is still 2 months out. I disagree with them using to help build his image back up. I actually think they are not saying anything to help salvage whatever is left of his image. If they start talking up his return and for some reason he isn't ready by the start of the season people will be calling for DM's head if he doesn't trade him. If he is ready by the start of the season then they can use the "Look how hard he worked to get back so fast" line. I just don't think that's their goal with this.
and counting on the fact that Artest doesn't play well WITH Tmac, and he is gone now while the organization didn't try too hard to keep him... interesting theory, lets wait and see...
I think the better the Rockets do the sooner T-Mac will be back. If the Rockets look like they could contend, he will be inspired to come back in and give them what they need to win, so that he will look like the hero, help him in his contract year etc. If the Rockets look like a lottery team, he won't be inspired and won't come back until mid season, and then try put on a show for his contract year. I believe that if the Rockets are out there losing, and losing ugly, T-mac won't be inspired to work super hard to make it back early.
I know someone who is really,really,really close to tracy and he will be back before the middle of the season. Like I said last year, don't be surprised to see tracy here after this year because contrary to what everyone thinks, the elite wings aren't anxious to play with yao. In fact, many of those guys ask tracy about playing with yao and he says its cool, but not as easy as one may think. I said this last year and some didn't believe me. Since I don't talk in codes or riddles and I'm pretty polarizing, then its all for not.
[Half serious comment on] DD, let me know when the drugs wear off. [Half serious comment off] TSlack when he comes back will continue to play poor team basketball but possibly get his "numbers." I doubt that Yao will come back next season at all; even if he does, he won't be very effective.
he's in a contract year. the faster he's out there and doing well, the better it is for him to get another contract. if the team is not doing too well and he comes back and helps them out, that will make him look better also. if he's just out there for stats, teams will see that and will treat him like another AI.
And fwiw, McGrady will be back on the court in Red because he's the best player on our roster. It's an undeniable truth. As for the organization's tactics, they flubbed last year up horrifically by not taking control of the situation and by having subpar medical equipment. They need as much "good PR" as TMac does. So don't expect Morey, Adelman, or Les to step out onto too many limbs. Notice we haven't heard the annual "We have a championship level team" speech from the ever-exhuberant but often deluded, PETA loving, Mr. Alexander. They're gonna play it conservative and close to the vest because frankly, outside of the playoffs, it may as well have been the entire organization boarding the fan bus with their collective pants down. From pre-season favorites and magazine covers, to boarding busses in boxer briefs, coaches throwing players out of playoff games, and Mother Nature going Kathy Bates on Yao. Yao's a dirty birdy....
I agree. Tracy and the Rockets are not idiots, they know how the fans feel and how bad last year looked. This is a very logical theory and hopefully a true one. I only hope that if he is coming back he doesn't come back too fast and risk another injury. I know its his contract year and he is going to be fighting for possibly his last big contract. So we shall see. Good post though DD
so before the middle of the season meanin very early in the year or december-ish? and i've never heard that about yao before.
Maybe, but if the team is already out of contention when he comes back, they could say, "Wow! He's playing well. Too bad his injury kept him out for the whole year. We should sign him. Just think how ready he will be for next year and beyond." They will still think he worked hard if he comes back and is productive after the surgery he's had, no matter if it's the beginning or the middle of the year. Plus Tracy is scared of injury. The more he plays the more chance he has of getting injured. If he plays more and the Rockets still lose, it will hurt his value in the contract year. Also it's harder for players to want to work hard just to lose. But if the team looks like they are close to doing something, Tracy will be able to seize the opportunity and come back earlier.
our team is not going to be THAT BAD. we're going to be 6-8 games below .500 AT WORSE i think. tracy saw what this team can do without him and yao last yr v. the lakers. he has to be itching to return on the court and prove something. and since most people have counted us out, if tracy can help the team do something, it can only help his image
I like your optimism DD Too many people have been complaining about our prospect next season, including one blesphemic anti-Morey thread. I think we are a playoff team.
As I mentioned in your last Rocket Talk video I think this theory is interesting and very, very possible. The latest rehab pictures certainly add fuel to the fire about a sooner than expected return for Tmac. What is surprising (but shouldn't be) is the band of idiots on this board that somehow can't realize that Yao going down was an event that changed everything. Of course, the McGrady situation changed when the franchise Center went down with a possibly career-ending injury. Since when did changing your opinion or predictions based on new, vital information become a bad or dishonest move? Maybe I'm just cranky today but I'm at a loss when I read some of things people post here.
