[usa today] Rockets can win with, without hurt McGrady

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Notes: Rockets can win with, without hurt McGrady

By Jon Saraceno, USA TODAY

The Houston Rockets need Tracy McGrady.
They just don't need him right now.

"I'm never worried about getting back a guy who scores (23) points a game and is your leading scorer and assist guy," Rockets first-year coach Rick Adelman said.

"There are still stretches where he can just take a game over. He's like Kobe (Bryant) and LeBron (James). But if we're going to have any chance to be a (playoff) factor at all, we need other (players) to step up on a consistent basis."

Adelman must reincorporate the two-time NBA scoring champ into a team that located its mojo without the veteran guard.

McGrady, injury-prone in recent seasons (he missed at least 44 games coming into this season since being traded to Houston in 2004), is out indefinitely. He warned that even when he returns, "It's going to take me a while to get back where I need to be," because his injury limits his cardiovascular conditioning. He has missed eight games in a row because of a strained left knee tendon.

Without McGrady, the Rockets are 6-2 and winners of four in a row entering Friday's game vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves at home. The road-weary Rockets (19-17) have crept within one game of the No. 8 playoff seed in the Western Conference but seek to establish a more consistent identity. Houston and Orlando have played the most road games (22). "The team has more confidence playing without T-Mac right now," center Yao Ming said.

During a TNT broadcast, Magic Johnson suggested that, "One of them (McGrady or Yao) has to go because it's not working."

The Rockets disagree. But because they have two big-time point producers, it's natural for teammates to defer. Standing around doesn't work very well in Adelman's up-tempo game that requires a more attack-oriented offense and ball movement. In the absence of McGrady, the Rockets take off more quickly on offense.

Adelman has had 12 teams during his 16 seasons which ranked in the top five in the league in scoring. "We try to give more freedom to players," Adelman said. "But with more freedom, comes responsibility."

The Rockets appear more energized without McGrady. With McGrady wearing street clothes, there is more ball movement, less hesitation to shoot.

"When I'm on the court, some of them don't (play) like that," McGrady said. "There is something positive that's come out of this. Guys have gained confidence and some sort of rhythm. They're playing well. Hopefully, I come back and don't ruin that."

He laughed … sort of a nervous laugh.