Adelman says team can’t afford to carry McGrady For a decision to be based on something so simple, the question of when Tracy McGrady will play basketball quickly grew complicated. After all the drama of his declared target date now two weeks past and insistence that he is ready, McGrady has returned to Rockets practices and continued to travel with the team, hoping for his chance like so many players on the fringe of a roster. Rockets coach Rick Adelman said again on Wednesday that there is “no timetable” for McGrady's return. There is, he said, one criterion to meet for McGrady to make his season debut. McGrady, Adelman said, must be ready in Adelman's estimation to help the Rockets win. As uncomplicated as that seems, however, the decision seems more about basketball than health considerations, with the Rockets wanting McGrady to improve in private workouts and team practices, rather than to move his next step of rehab to actual games. McGrady's most recent prediction about when he would return had him playing by the Rockets' current road trip. That now seems unlikely. “We have to keep talking about it and evaluating it,” Adelman said. “It's more than just throwing him out there. It's how is it going to affect our team, how is he going to help us, how many minutes can he play. All those things I feel in my mind I have to be certain about.” The decision has been made more difficult, Adelman said, because the Rockets can no longer afford a step back if McGrady works his way back on the court. “Last year, we were able to work him in, even if he struggled some, because we had Yao (Ming), we had Ron (Artest); we were pretty good,” Adelman said. “This year, how much effect will he have on us? That's what I'm trying to judge now. He's coming along, but you want him to be able to go out and do well and us do well, so it's a win-win situation. “Tracy wants to play, but we want to be very cautious about it. We tried that last year, when he was in and out of the lineup. We want to be sure when he is there, he doesn't have any setbacks. When the time is right and we feel he is going to be a positive addition, we'll make that decision.” Not a distraction The Rockets, insist, however, that there has been no distraction from McGrady's moving closer to the court or contending he is ready to be there now. After knowing for months that they were have to play without McGrady and Yao Ming, they play now with McGrady's availability uncertain, but said they are not concerning themselves with the timing of his return. “Somebody could start thinking about it, but we're not coaches to decide,” Luis Scola said. “We're not his knees to decide when he's going to be helping us or when he'll be able to do what he was doing forever. “We just need to play through. Right now, he's not on the team. We can't do anything about it. He looks good. We have to worry about what we have to do to win with the team we have.” Fewer changes Last season, when McGrady and Artest went in and out of the lineup, sometimes shortly before tipoff, the continually changing lineups became a distraction. The Rockets had 17 different starting lineups last season; one this season. Eventually, they do seem to expect another change, even if there is still little clue about when that will be. “I never played with anyone who has had microfracture (surgery), so I don't have a baseline,” Shane Battier said. “The things that make him special — his court vision, his presence — are still there. Obviously, timing will be an issue. “We haven't seen him go up and down. But he doesn't look too bad.” http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6750354.html
The organization is learning from their mistakes. Last year, there was always a certainty. Artest and McGrady will always return according to schedule. This year, the organization is sticking with a "ready when I say he is" motto. I like that a lot. We ensure our players are not only physically and mentally ready, but prepared for the new offense as well.
I like the Rocket's front office's approach to this. Our team is gelling, we're playing relatively well, no need to rush something that can break up what we have. I also like the way Tracy is handling it. Hopefully he proves he's ready and can fit into the team when he comes back
If that's the case I hope we're at least being fair and upfront with him about it. It's very disingenuous to give this vague "timetable" that suggests an eventual return all the while intending on never actually letting him set foot out on the court. At least if we're honest and assure him that we're aggressively looking to trade him it might reduce the pouting/distraction factor. Make no mistake about it: if the goal is to never let him play, we can't keep stalling like this. Eventually he's going to stop taking this [relatively] quietly and before long we'll have yet another T-Mac soap opera on our hands. As incomprehensible as that sounds.
This is the thing. What are we waiting for? Trade deadline? If they want him to play, sound more positive about it. If they don't, at least announce it. It can't hurt his trade value as it's already at an all-time low. Right now the constant "is he going to come back?" and him doing warmups but not playing must be distracting.
I think the message sent by the team has been pretty simple to understaad: You play to win the game. So, Tracy McGrady will play when the team thinks playing him helps to win the game. It's the same with Scola, Brooks, Andersen, Ariza, Dorsey and everyone else. The team play those guys when they think they can help win the game. I think some of us simply assume Tracy McGrady can help to win the game when he says he can. I don't understand why it's so hard to understand that Adelman could have a different opinion, especially in light of what happened last year. YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!
First off, the organization should activate him off the inactive list then maybe we could first play him in the garbage time? That ain't gonna disrupt the flow of Rick's offense we're running now I guess, and he ain't said nothing about his role at the start of his comeback. Second off, the intensity of practices and team workouts might be far below than in actual game, but he could gradually adapt himself to another role that the criterion he needs to meet as coach Adelman said in the interview. When he goes at full capacity in practices, I guess they could see something behind doors and knows exactly what level his rehab has phased at. At last, with his likely return being put on hold, I think we should put our concentration more on the game plan and focus on both ends of the floor and win more games before his return is a done deal.
Hey guys, The future is unpredictable. They can trade him or not trade him. They can play him or not play him. He may play well or may hurt himself in the first game back (remember tAmare?). All options are open. That's for the best... Unpredictability - isn't that why you watch the games? Why rush it?
The organization has consistently said this, Tracy will get his chance, when he is healthy enough, or if another of the wings goes down with injury. Right now, he is 5th on the depth chart, and has to work his way up, he is talented enough, but is he healthy enough to do it? Time will tell. DD
at least I like the way Tmac is handling this, just work your ass off and keep your mouth shut, do it!!!!!!!!!!!!
Perhaps, but i think you guys are reading too much into this. He's coming off of microfracture surgery. He has to prove that he's fully back and the he can play adelman's system which is working for them without him. Holding him out untill he proves that he's better than battier ariza and budinger is a good thing. If he's really back he should be demolishing them in practice. Keeping tracy out till he's fully healthy is better for him in the long run and more importantly better for the rockets.
yeppers Those who want him to play Do you ever consider he may 1. ReInjure himself 2. Actually REDUCE his trade value? Rocket River Risk / Reward?
