link - http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2605338 Healthy Parker, McGrady have sights set on Mavs NEW YORK -- Tony Parker is healthy, says Tim Duncan is, too, and is ready to help the San Antonio Spurs reclaim their place atop the Western Conference. But don't count out Houston. That's the message from Tracy McGrady, who feels great and believes he and Yao Ming can lead the Rockets back from a horrible season to be competitive with San Antonio and Dallas in a powerful Southwest Division. "I think if we continue to be healthy through the complete season, then we're right up there with the best of them, because I like our additions," McGrady said Wednesday. "If the two of us can be healthy, anything is possible." Parker and McGrady were at the NBA Store to promote NBA Live 07, which shipped to North American stores Wednesday. McGrady is featured on the cover of the game in most places, though Parker shares the cover with Boris Diaw in his native France. Video games were about the only kind of action McGrady got at times during a frustrating 2005-06 season. Chronic back pain limited him to a career-low 47 games and helped create some emotional pain, too. During All-Star weekend in Houston, he talked of some unspecified personal issues, acknowledging that he had to be persuaded to attend the media session on Friday afternoon. "I've been dealing with back issues since way back when since my Orlando days," McGrady said. "It's just I've been able to play through it. "Last year I just had so much stress on me because I was dealing with the team's struggles, dealing with my issues, dealing with the death of my wife's mom and all of that. I think stress goes to the weakest part of the body, and my back is the weakest part and it hit me." Throw in the foot problems that forced Yao to miss 25 games, and the Rockets went from a team with high preseason expectations to one that ended up in last place with a 34-48 record. But Yao was terrific in the world championship, McGrady said he is healed up after not playing since March, and the Rockets had a good offseason highlighted by the acquisition of Shane Battier. McGrady thinks all that could be good enough to make Houston a threat next season. "I just wasn't healthy last year," McGrady said. "I went out the first game of the season and I just had back issues the whole season. But I'm healthy now. I'm just motivated and determined to get back on the basketball court." Parker feels the same now after he and Duncan had time to recover. Parker was forced to withdraw from France's team on the eve of the world championships because of a broken finger, but said he will play next week when the Spurs train and play a pair of exhibition games in his home country as part of EA Sports' NBA Europe Live tour. Duncan missed only two games, but was rarely in top form while battling foot pain. He still averaged 18.6 points and 11 rebounds, but Parker expects him to be even better this season. "He got the whole summer off and he worked very hard on his game," Parker said. "I think he wants to get back on MVP form, so I expect a lot from him this year." The Spurs will need it if they hope to return to the NBA Finals this season. The 2005 champions edged the Mavericks for the best record in their division and conference last season, but Dallas beat San Antonio in a thrilling seven-game series in the second round on its way to the finals. "Now we're going to use that as motivation," Parker said. Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press
