Video: T-Mac returns to floor, takes a couple shots

Clutch DON'T KNOW!

He said Tracy was not going to play in a Rocket's uniform again, he played last night and he said Ron Artest was going to be traded last year, he never was. He is 0 fer.

I think Clutch needs another inside source! :grin:

 

A rare time we're in agreement. I'd also rate him OK, but I think that's the best possible result considering it's his first 7 minutes. No matter how long Adelman waited to play him, I wouldn't expect him to come in a dominate off the bat.

Physically, he looked much better than last year from the knee standpoint. That's encouraging.

I think it's also good to give Ariza a reason to look over his shoulder on those 1-9 nights.

 

You really must be a rookie.. b/c I saw one specific defensive possession toward the end of the 1st quarter where Tmac looked confused on defense, switched to someone on top who was being guarded by Landry, therefore leaving Landry to have to run to the guy Tmac was guarding.. and then a subsequent transition play where he was pointing fingers on who to guard instead of focusing on his own defensive assignment..

BUT that's coming from a hater .. so wth do I know...

 

Great assessment Dude! Great!

 

I agree, competition could not be a bad thing, could it?

More options are always good.......and if you read Adelman's comments they are still worried about Tracy being able to push through the injury....the only thing holding him back besides conditioning, is that you can clearly see he is still not confident enough to go all out.

That is the next step to getting more playing time, he has to play harder all over the floor.

DD

 

Sorry, but my expectations were just fine. Look at it objectively:

A formerly all-nba player undergoes microfracture surgery. He spends around 9 months rehabbing and training. When he feels he's ready to play, his decision is not supported by management. He is so adamant about his readiness that he performs publicity stunts and talks to the media. The player and the management go back and forth on the issue until the player is finally allowed to play.

If his performance last night met your expectations, then you have a lower opinion of him than I do.

 

I don't think anyone has ever questioned his abilities and if he says he has his health back and the team thinks he's healthy then great.

My problem with T-mac is the behavior when he's not hitting his shots or when the going gets tough, he quits.

He quit on Orlando as he quit on us in Toronto last year. I can remember the often persistent feeling of dread (as a Rockets fan) that when his shot wasn't falling he would come down with a miss and come up with a limp.

Not a hater, just a lover of the Rockets. I also love hustle and team basketball.

When I see T-mac diving for loose balls (like EVERY OTHER PLAYER THAT GETS MINUTES ON OUR TEAM) and taking charges (like EVERY OTHER PLAYER THAT GETS MINUTES ON OUR TEAM) then I'll go out and buy a T-mac jersey and start the "Keep T-mac in Houston" non-profit.

I will also hope that DD will be on the board and make the first $5 contribution.

 

They were NOT publicity stunts. They were blown out of proportion by the media. He and Adelman both explained and joked about the jersey incident, because he was excited like a little kid to be playing soon. The times he talked to the media was just after practice interviews where he said that he was ready to play, and they made a big deal about it, and invented the story about arguments behind doors.

Last night he again said that he could've kept playing. I'm glad but kind of surprised they didn't make a headline out of that too. Maybe they realised their credibility is about to get blown up anyway, so they're being more cautious.

 

I would also like to clarify, when I see him diving for loose balls and taking charges on a night when his shot isn't falling and when the team is down by 20 in the third quarter then I'll start looking for board members for the "Keep T-mac in Houston" club.

 

He knew the coach had no intention of playing him. He also knew that cameras and media were present and that he was a newsworthy individual. So yes, coming out of the locker room in his uniform was a publicity stunt.

 

I was at this game and saw the return. The Toyota Center was pretty empty (of course) but I would say 90% of the crowd cheered when he checked in. I made a statement about how much of bum McGrady has been for the Rockets and one of the fans that cheered turned around and acknowledged that. I guess people just want to cheer for anything.

He actually looked pretty good. His timing was off as expected and he missed a rebound or two he should have secured but his movement looked great. He also looked more lean and fit than he has in 3 years. Defensively, he looked to be working pretty hard man to man but he still can't fight his way through a screen if his life depended on it. Overall, he looked healthy and humble. He looked like the new guy on the squad. No scowling, no barking at team mates just playing the game like he was glad to be out there but nervous to not make a mistake.

His jumper looked good. I have no idea about his quickness or explosion because he made no attempts to get to the rim but based on his fitness level and his attempts on the boards I would guess we can expect to see something close to 2007-08 McGrady in terms of athleticism.

Just my take.

 

So he's not allowed to wear his own jersey, to show his excitement? The media drew their own conclusions from it.

 

not going to lie it was good to see the man that carried us through injuries for many years to take the court again. he was really trying on defense but his offense off the ball didnt look great, he wasnt great using screens or setting them for anyone else, but its his first game, and its a new system for him atleast so he can only get better. his slow walking at times just showed he might not be in total game shape but you could tell that he was out there to compete to prove something and get that monkey off his back that he is back from injury now he just has to regain form and timing and learn the system to the T. i dont see how hes going to play much when ariza is back so this is quite intresting that we really might not even have minutes for him. our team is so stacked that where can you plug the guy in? def sounds trade is coming soon but till hes gone hes a rocket and im glad hes back

 

He was going up high for some rebounds. I like when he drew the foul by driving to the hoop.

- I feel like he is a rookie all over again, trying to earn his spot.

 

True...it will be a process...once he gets back to form then there will be plenty of mix n matching with the 2 and 3 position. Either Ariza+Battier then T-Mac+Budinger, or, Ariza+T-Mac then Budinger+Battier, or, T-Mac+Battier then Ariza+Budinger, etc...it will be a team-oriented Rockets and not a T-Mac oriented team. T-Mac can show Ariza some moves and Battier can mentor Budinger to be a well-rounded player, and when T-Mac and Battier are no longer part of the team, then Ariza+Budinger is the future.

PS: Pls let's not talk about some trade ideas as of the moment, let's support T-Mac's comeback for the benefit of the team first then let's pass judgement by Feb deadline.

 

AND IF NO ONE NOTICED THIS, MIGHT AS WELL BRING IT UP:

T-MAC WASN'T WEARING ANY KNEE SUPPORT!

 

I did see him gently move out of the way when the Maxiell scored. I want to know about his D and rebounding. Not O. He did have 3 rebounds though.

 

He wasn't guarding Maxiell on that play - he was on the rookie (I forget his name) and it was a 2-on-1 situation. Someone else blew a defensive rotation, and by the time Maxiell got the ball there was nothing McGrady could have done there other than perhaps commit a hard foul which would have been unnecessary. The Rockets wanted to push the pace, and it's sometimes better to take the bucket and then beat the opponent to the other end of the court for a fast break score, and that's what they did several times last night to jump out to a nice lead early. Committing defensive fouls slows the game down and gives the opponent time to settle into a half court defense. The Phoenix Suns made this strategy famous.

 

Wow, haven't posted on CF in forever, but I have to my thoughts on Tmac's return. I have one simple observation, and I'm surprised that no one else has really mentioned this other than Dave_78.

The one thing that struck me almost immediately when I saw Tmac play...was his physical stature. Tmac is backing to looking lean. He's got that same physical appearance he had back in his Orlando days and even 04-05 with the Rockets. In simple terms, he does not look like a fat@ss like he seemingly did the last couple of years. I take this to be a good sign. Granted, he still isn't anywhere close to moving like he did back in those days...but I just have a feeling his body is equipped thsi time around to regain his speed and explosiveness and take advantage of it.

 

good take dave. i saw the same thing. i saw a guy who's excited to return and fit in. he looks like he'll return to at least early part of 08.