From Wiki ------------------------------------------- The surgery --- Microfracture surgery is one of the articular cartilage repair surgical techniques that works by creating tiny fractures in the underlying bone. This causes new cartilage to develop from a so-called super-clot. Microfracture surgery has gained a profile in the sports world in recent years; numerous professional athletes including members of the NBA (most notably Greg Oden and Amar'e Stoudemire), NFL and NHL have undergone the procedure. The surgery is quick (taking as short as 30 minutes but it is not unusual to take as long as 90 minutes), is minimally invasive, and can have a significantly shorter recovery time than an arthroplasty (knee replacement). Combined with a high rate of success, these factors have caused orthopedic surgeons to use the procedure with increasing frequency. The recovery ---- Current studies have shown a success rate of 75 to 80 percent among patients 45 years of age or younger, even among professional athletes.[3][5] With the help of physical therapy, patients can often return to sports (or other intense activities) in about four months. However, this is a best-case scenario and depends on the severity of the cartilage damage (and any other conditions existing in the knee). Normal patients and professional athletes who play at the highest level however are quite different, as Chris Webber, who underwent the surgery, has stated that a full recovery in four months is nearly impossible. Webber returned to the NBA eight months after his surgery but was never the same.[15] Microfracture surgery itself is relatively minor. It is an outpatient procedure and causes only small discomfort. The harder part is the restrictions that are placed on the patient during the post-operative recovery period. This can be a major challenge for many patients. For optimal re-growth of joint surface, the patients need to be very patient and also extremely cooperative. They usually need to be on crutches for four to six weeks (sometimes longer). Sometimes a brace is needed. This all depends on the size and/or location of the joint surface defect that is being repaired or regenerated. The patients are encouraged to spend approximately 6-8 hours a day on a CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) machine that helps with optimal re-growth of joint surface. Patients usually feel pretty good and think they can avoid these critically important steps, and even start running and jumping (or playing sports) before the internal aspects of the knee, and the joint surface, are ready. ------------------------------------- Link for more info Tmac being asked to spend 6 hours a day on a machine, when the team can not even get him to do his rehab....not likely.... If he gets the surgery he would have to be DILLIGENT about his rehab, otherwise it could be Katie bar the door on his career. DD
Yeah, it really depends on how badly Tracy wants to "prove people wrong." He's got money. He's got scoring titles. He's got fame although becoming a bit tainted. Do he want post season success bad enough? Not really knowing him, and only going off what an observer would think...it would be too much effort to MAYBE be a shadow of what he was. Seems like retirement from the game is the way to go, and I think that's what McGrady might do. I hope he does work hard to come back, it would make a hell of a story, but if I were to put money on it, I would bet on retirement. He, as always, controls his own destiny (sorry for the cliche). We'll see how much pride he really has, how much heart, hunger, etc. We'll see...
Agreed, all the guys that came back from it had a hunger for the game, I don't see that same hunger from Tracy. It is all on him....IF.....IF....he gets or needs the surgery, that is still up in the air..... DD
This seems to be the point every apologist is missing. Medicine ain't exactly the profession of saints these days. If you are dead set on having a certain operation performed, so long as the liability is not excessive for the physician there will be somebody out there willing to accept your money to do the procedure. The damning thing for T-Mac is not that he sought out so many second opinions in search of one that could legitimate his excuses; it's that he saw the best doctors first and still refused to believe them. I appreciate the discussion btw people who like me don't want to make gross conclusions but are instead baffled by the facts that are circulating out there. I think the fact that Feigen and the Rockets are in a no-comment, wait-and-see mode themselves confirms the fact that the Rockets had no input on this decision of T-Mac's to go into Operation Shutdown (literally). And as far as all the arguments that have been on why McGrady would willingly put himself through such an ordeal as surgery (or say that he would be willing to at least), all I can say is that we shouldn't make attempts to rationalize what is going through his head right now. 90% of it is emotional; the night he clanked that dunk someone photoshopped a "Want to get away" Southwestern Airlines add to the back of it, and that's probably exactly how he feels right now. He doesn't care what it takes, he just doesn't want to gtfo as fast as possible without regards to the means for which he does it. He hasn't thought about the fact that it entails rehab once again, and rehab which as DD has shown is of a more strenuous nature on which T-Mac has given no evidence that he will be able to follow through. So take it for what you will, I don't want to speculate on his exact reasoning for his actions, but the results are clear. He has in one fell swoop removed himself from the team while preventing the administration from having any mobility whatsoever in being able to move his contract. I don't think he's lying just to block the trade, but the trade rumors certainly were a precipitating factor.
I don't dispute anything you say above. I am, however, missing the reason why he'd want to block a trade involving him. For someone who seems to care about self image so much and seems to be a prideful person (hence this whole incident), why would he want to block a trade and stay on a team that is apparently wanting to move him? What good would that do? He'd be on a team that doesn't want him, he'd be in a city where the fans have already turned on him, etc. Nothing about the whole entire situation makes much sense though. So I'm one of the people just sitting and waiting to see how this all plays out.
this is just my opinion, but I think you are looking at it too simplistically. being traded is not just about the basketball aspects (even though in most cases those are the determining factors). there are also family issues, real estate issues, moving issues . . . it basically turns a players life upside down. given that tracy would have no control over where he would end up, i could definitely see him not wanting to be traded. on top of that there's also the pride issue of being traded off as a spare part because the team doesnt want you anymore. who knows.
he wants the year off so he can have a big season next year....thstt's when his contract ends....its so obvious.
I've supported Tracy all season. Stuck up for him when the majority of people ripped him apart for a couple bad performances, or sitting out because he was hurting. No more. He just looked for an excuse to get out. Decided to do it right before the trade deadline when he knew there was a possibility he could be traded. Such talent gone to waste by apathy. Lets move on. Lets pretend we will never have to hear from him again. From now on, there is no Tracy on the Rockets, in my mind.
Missing cartilage is something players can play with. I guess it really depends on the extent, and some players can tolerate it more than others. It's likely McGrady doesn't tolerate the pain as well as most would, and we know he gets easily dejected when things aren't going the way he hopes they would. Also, he's concerned that he'll never get back to being an elite player, and his ego can't handle that. Perhaps he's looking at 2010 as his chance to have a fresh start with another team, and he wants to be as prepared physically as he can be. The Rockets, understandably, don't care about him after 2010. They want him to help the team win a championship right now. So they're pushing him to gut it out. Maybe they believe that's what most players would be able to do -- but McGrady isn't most players.
I still can't believe this Tmac makes $20M+/yr...I used to think he was up there with KB, LBJ, Wade. Apparently we as Rocket fans were all fraudulently misrepresented!!
Hammer meet nail...... I wish he would have at least given the rehab a chance first......but honestly, I am going to side with Tmac, he should do whatever is right for himself and his career, over all else. If microfracture gets his knee healthy, do it now, he would be back by next season's trading deadline and a big chip to play. DD
Yeah I hear ya, but what's worse? Loss of pride of being traded, or staying on that team that wants you traded? I would think if McGrady is who we think he is, he'd rather be traded than stay somewhere where people don't want him. Who knows what's going on? Many have said, at least we can go forward with the season, but truth is, we haven't heard anything one way or another from the Rockets. So in reality, nothing's changed just yet. It's still, "is he going to try or sit?" :\
The microfracture is BS. We are talking about a guy that when asked about possibly needing a follow up, minor surgical procedure on his knee responds with "no, no...that's the last thing I want" as if that was some kind of torturous experience that no man can endure. He isn't getting surgery but he has packed it in this season. He was only halfway into the season mentally when he showed up to training camp fat and sore. He was 75% done before he took his "rehab vacation" and after that failed he unofficially called it a season. He needs to find a way to shield himself from the criticism so he drops "microfracture" to the media. Meanwhile, he will get opinion after opinion after opinion until the season ends. Once he knows the summer is here and the spotlight has dimmed a bit he will lay low, come back next season and say he didn't need surgery after all but instead needed a long, long rest.
DD, I the guy wasn't aa hard worker, he oldnt molded his into one of the top players. In fact, his career wouldve been over after his 1st contrct.
