The truth is because he's got a back that can be aggravated pretty easily... but somebody else will say that its all JVG's fault.
If you saw the play yesterday, you will realize that holding his minutes back will not mean he wont be hurt. Its not the minutes he is playing, his back can go off at anytime. He was fine yesterday until he went up for a dunk, nobody was around the guy! His back is just screwed beyond repair. You can play Tmac 10 mins, but if he lands awkwardly or is hit hard, he is gonna get hurt.
Basically, this leads only one solution: trade him while he still has value, which I highly doubt would happen.
Or, continue the therapy that has him improving the severity of the back problem (there were no spasms this time... it just tightened up)... but actually get real specialists (ie - medical doctors) to provide constant supervision/advice/back strengthening exercises in between. Hell, he may no longer be asked to practice. He may no longer be allowed anywhere near a bench to sit like everybody else (did anybody else notice him sitting on the bench, and not doing his "lying down" right before he came back in... when he ultimately tweaked it?) He may have to fully change his life to slow down this process for the next few years... but if the Rockets are serious about the money they've invested in him, they should explore ALL lifestyle changes.
If you have someone playing with an injury, it's common sense to limit his minutes. During the playoffs would be the time to take the leash off. You don't see any logic in that?
With most overuse or acute injuries, yes... but this isn't an overuse/acute injury. The back can act up even if he's playing 10 minutes a game. Between game preparation/strenthening is more vital to this injury than actually "nursing" it during a game.
Just when things couldn't been going much better for us, even with a loss at Dallas... Life is cruel, I'm becoming more and more pessimistic.
Its not an acute injury that will heal if you bring somebody back slowly... the back is either strong enough to play or it isn't. In the long run, 35 minutes, 40 minutes, or 10 minutes.... it won't matter. Strengthening exercises between games must be ramped up... he needs to be doing that constantly to always keep the back lose. I have no problem with him missing back-to-backs after big minutes, or laying off the practice until the back is strengthened as much as it can be.
McGrady said Wednesday he would be ready for the Rockets' next game, against Denver on Saturday. "I'm not concerned about my back at all," McGrady said. "It tightened on me last night and we're just taking the precaution to not go out and try to rush back. I have a few days to rest, get some treatment and I'll be back Saturday."
Huh? Ok, just the simple fact that he can injure it while playing means that increased minutes will INCREASE his chances of injuring it. Now, take into consideration that a lot of back spasms are muscle related, don't you think that fatigue will only INCREASE his chances of straining it? DD
Spasms are a combination of muscle + nerve irritation. Its the nerves more than anything that get constantly irritated (for whatever reason) that cause the muscles to be in constant fasiculations. That is why he's being treated with electro-current therapy... it quiets down the nerves that supply the muscles that are tightening up. Now, I don't have a problem with limiting his minutes in games we don't need him (or we can win without him)... but we needed all 40 minutes of T-mac last night to stay in the game. The back needs to be strengthened enough to withstand that. Cramps are what happen when you fatigue a muscle... this isn't a back cramp. Nor is it a back strain.
The back will go off at anytime, playoffs or not. Playing it less doesn't mean there'll be a smaller chance of him aggravating it in the playoffs. The issue is moot.
