Chron: McGrady knows he'll hear plenty of boos in his return to Orlando

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3000795

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

ORLANDO, FLA. - For the first time since Tracy McGrady was the best player on the NBA's worst team, his name boomed through the TD Waterhouse Centre on Tuesday night.

Arena announcer Paul Porter had made the usual announcement: "Come on out Thursday, when Tracy McGrady and the Houston Rockets ... "

The boos echoed until they shook the arena the way cheers for McGrady once did. He was still miles away, playing the Indiana Pacers in Houston. But he had come to symbolize all the anger and frustration of a 61-loss season and of crushed hopes of greatness, which had grown when he came home to team with Grant Hill for the Magic.

The pain of McGrady's last season in Orlando is never far away. And after he was traded to the Rockets for Steve Francis in the offseason, that pain lingered. Orlando general manager John Weisbrod explained his thinking so bluntly that to McGrady, it was a smear campaign against him.

Before McGrady returned to Orlando for a preseason game, he said he would like to "choke the ... out of" Weisbrod. But McGrady did not play that night, forcing fans to focus their anger on him only as he walked to and from the bench.

McGrady, 25, will be an open target when the Rockets play the Magic tonight — whether it's during introductions or every time he touches the ball.

"It will definitely be a playoff atmosphere in there. No question about it," McGrady said. "Even the game I didn't play in the preseason, with all the booing — it will be real interesting to see what it's like when I'm on the court.

"They're fair-weather fans. It's real simple. Some people understand, and some people just don't get it. And all the things that the GM said about me — some people bought into that (stuff)."

Fueling the fire

McGrady made those things easier to believe when he said in a Sports Illustrated article: "Some nights I did slack off — and I knew that was a terrible thing to do — and I still was slacking off.

"That feels so bad. And I'm the leader, these guys are following my lead, so the whole team suffers even worse. That was wrong. Now, I would do it differently. I learned. I have to bust my butt no matter what. Last year was the worst experience of my life. And I learned. And believe me, I'm grateful for this opportunity here."

Weisbrod's sarcastic response: "This just in."

"At least he was honest, right?" Hill said. "I said last year (that) for him and his development as he goes forward, that was going to be a growing experience for him, and I think it was.

"On one hand, it was definitely tough losing 19 in a row and to have the kind of year we had last season. But we're professionals, and you've got to go out there and give it your all. I feel for him that that happened, but I feel bad for the fans who came out and supported him. That probably gives them more ammunition when he comes back if they boo, and it sounds like they will."

McGrady has since said his reaction to the losing season and his frustration was natural and unavoidable. Beyond that, he blamed the Orlando media for misrepresenting his comments and his play last season.

"It's not about playing hard or not; it's playing with that same passion," McGrady said. "When you are in a difficult season like that, it's tough. That would be tough on anybody. Anybody in that situation would kind of slack off at times. It's frustrating. If you really care about the game, you have to be frustrated, and sometimes the frustration takes over.

"It's quite funny to me. A guy doesn't play hard, and he still averages 28 (points per game) for the season? That's impossible. No. It's not about playing hard. It's about playing with that same passion like I am now, just having fun, enjoying it. And I wasn't feeling that last year. Last year, I went into games like even the game when I had 62 (points) — I wasn't happy. That's what I was speaking on.

"It just wasn't the same. We only won 21 games. It was a frustrating year. We lost 19 games straight, and everything was on my shoulders. People don't see that. They say it's not an individual sport, yet they point me out and say I'm supposed to elevate this team to its highest level. It's not an individual sport, but I was the only guy they were pointing out and bashing."

Similarities are there

Both teams have had similar seasons so far, with Orlando 21-16 and the Rockets 20-19. The Magic dealt Cuttino Mobley. The Rockets traded Tyronn Lue and Jim Jackson.

But the focus will be on Francis and McGrady. However, in Orlando, where McGrady, a native of nearby Auburndale, was more than just the team's best player, it will sound as if the game is only about him.

"Because we only see them once at their place and once at our place, it's not a rivalry," McGrady said. "But if you can handle all the stuff that comes with it, then use it. If you can use all the people in your ear, all the signs you see in the arena, all the booing that you will hear, you can use it to your advantage.

"I think I probably have adapted to going back, playing against a team I played with, after being traded after being in Toronto for three years and going back."

After leaving the Raptors as a free agent, McGrady was booed every time he touched the ball in Toronto. He went 10-3 with the Magic against the Raptors, 4-2 in Toronto.

Tonight will be tougher. The Rockets have lost their last two games. The Magic are coming off wins against Indiana and Detroit.

Not just another game

McGrady said the Rockets' struggles would not allow him the luxury of concerning himself with his homecoming. But he can't deny that tonight will be unusual.

"They're not going to get in my head, regardless of what the reception will be," he said. "I'm just going to go down there and play like I know I can play and get my team back on track.

"It is different. I played four years there. That's where my career took off. All the things going on in the offseason, it's spiced up a little bit. I'm excited about going back. I always look forward to going back home."

But home is not what it once was for McGrady. He will be reminded of that every time his name is mentioned tonight.

jonathan.feigen@chron.com

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Rockets Summary

Offsetting 'a bad whistle'

With Yao Ming regularly in foul trouble, coach Jeff Van Gundy said the Rockets have to do some things differently defensively in addition to learning to deal with their frustration about how they believe Yao is officiated.

Yao has averaged five fouls in the past four games. Van Gundy said cutting off penetration that puts Yao "in harm's way" would reduce the fouls. But he added that the Rockets must not let officiating become a distraction.

"There's no use," Van Gundy said. "It is what it is, and it's going to be that way. We all have to be a lot stronger minded when it comes to maybe not getting the calls we would like. Certainly, I don't like the way he's been officiated. But nothing's going to come of it.

"Hey, it's fact. He gets a bad whistle. We're going to be talking about the same thing next year and the year after. You get a bad whistle, and that's just how it's going to be. We have to adjust to that. One thing we can do is we're putting him in harm's way. We have to have much more one-on-one determination."

Van Gundy said Yao must be more judicious on making plays that could draw fouls.

"I understand his frustration," Van Gundy said. "But he has to also make sure, like his fifth foul (in Memphis, reaching in on a rebound) that he plays aggressively, but a bit more conservatively in areas he's more likely than not to draw a foul."

Digging early hole

In the past four games, the Rockets have been outscored by an average of 5.6 points in the first quarter. Other than the 25-25 opening quarter at Memphis, they have averaged 10.2 points in the other three opening quarters.

"We just eased our way into the game," guard Jon Barry said after the Rockets' 87-74 loss to Indiana on Tuesday. "We've been doing that. Even a couple games we won last week, we got away with it. The last two games, we couldn't."

-- JONATHAN FEIGEN