I was at work listening to the radio a few months ago and they had Steve Francis on, he claimed his last year in Houston when Morey and Adelman were saying he couldn't play because of his leg injuries, that he could have easily played and played the way he likes to play the game.The same thing is happening here. We have seen the videos, a month in a half ago in Boston, Mcgrady was repeatedly jumping off his left foot and dunking the basketball with ease. Not to attack Morey, because you have to love the guy for being such a great GM for our Rockets, but the guy is obviously is pulling a Drayton McLane and taking the money over the team success. Now I could be completely wrong and very well may be, as he could be waiting for that MRI, but im getting tired of this drama and the bad mouthing Tracy gets for WANTING to PLAY.
[rquoter]...Assuming that McGrady is covered under the NBA’s Temporary Total Disability (TTD) insurance policy, Houston can start to collect up to 80 percent of his prorated per-game salary after he’s missed 41 consecutive games. McGrady sat out his 42nd straight game Wednesday in Minnesota, and the league insurance plan would reimburse the Rockets for any additional missed games. For the rest of the season, the insurance policy could cover 80 percent of his per-game salary of $282,946. Even if McGrady returns to the lineup for one or more games this season, the insurance would still pay the Rockets for each additional missed game...[/rquoter] As others have pointed out, we now know why the MRI date scheduled was set in stone, as an insurance policy on his insurance policy. It's a smart financial move by the Rockets, even if it alienates McGrady and weakens the team in the short term. (This assumes the Rockets never planned to keep McGrady past this season, and instead will either trade him or let him go this offseason.) McGrady will still have to play well when he does return in order to get another deal, and the Rockets and/or (presumably) the team he is traded to can cash some disability checks if he is re-injured. Bad for basketball, good for business.
Also, to those blaming McGrady for wanting to come back at Minnesota: if I'm reading the above correctly, wasn't McGrady wanting to come back during the 42nd game? In other words, wasn't McGrady resigned to waiting until insurance covered him the rest of the season, and voiced his anger to reporters when the Rockets didn't play him in that 42nd game?
This team in the halfcourt with Mcgrady, is a much better team. Our first unit is not a running team so I still dont understand why people assume Tracy will hurt the team. He will start. He takes the pressure off Ariza and Brooks and makes our 1st unit significantly better with the ability to create shots for other players. I for one, am tired of watching Ariza try to create for himself.
The Rockets are not punishing McGrady. What good could come out of being petty and starting a feud with a guy you want to move? Other teams smell blood when things like that happen. Plus, when was the last time you heard Morey or Adelman say anything bad about the guy? They have been nothing but accommodating to Tracy and his ego even when it hurt the team. They are not going to throw him under the bus now without a really, really good reason. More likely it's a combination of the Rockets wanting the insurance money and the team wanting to be sure he is fit before letting him play. We all know the guy is a flat-out liar when it comes to his health so it's better to be safe than sorry. I'm not saying the Rockets really want him back on the court because I doubt they care that much considering how good the team is without him. I'm just saying they are not going to hold out a healthy player just to get revenge on the guy for him being a bum last year. I would imagine, on a personal level, they are so sick of this guy they wish he would get hit by a dump truck tomorrow but they are professionals and will continue to be even though their star player isn't.
Let that vato play man.....either two things happen he plays well or he injures himself. Either way what do we have to lose?
really? what if he doesn't play well and doesn't get injured either? and "he plays well" =/= the team plays well. there's a lot at stake, like team chemistry, or leslie's wallet. logic, man.
Actually, they traded Skip and he didn't know until he watched TV. Now, that doesn't make Morey and Rick bad people. Nor does it make the hundreds of GMs out there who've done the same thing year after year. Players get traded and don't find out about it through the media all the time. But T-Mac essentially does the same time and he's the worst man alive. Then again, like I said, T-mac isn't the one with the power.
bad for basketball if you think t-mac elevates us from playoff team to a dark horse contending team. since morey and adelman are in no rush to have t-mac back i don't think they think he will help that much.
Soon the Players Association, the NBA front office will get involved as well. They will put pressure on the Rockets to either play him or trade him. It might be wishful thinking but I hope things get resolved soon.... one way or the other. REMEMBER TRUE ROCKETS FANS: TEAM ABOVE ANY PLAYER. ANY.
I see that this site still has a bunch of pathetic Tmac fan boys who can't get over there infatuation with one of the biggest losers in NBA history. A guy with all that talent that could never get his team through the first round of the playoffs, and mentioned more than once that he wasn't always completely into it when regarding the sport of basketball. Tmac couldn't ever get the Rockets anywhere in the post season and the first season that he was gone the Rockets finally advanced behind the leadership of Ron Artest of all people. Tmac screwed over the team last season and he'll remain in management's dog house from here on out until he is traded and rightfully so. He is a team cancer at this point and won't be able to play like the Tmac of old any way. Some of you people really need to let it go and realize that there is a great Houston Rockets team to watch right now. They may be a superstar away from being a true contender, but they're fighting really hard and doing what they need to do. I love this current team and I will root for them no matter what they end up doing. Go Rockets!
It's funny how, what is it, 12 games into the season we are a playoff bound team? Lil early for all that right? Teams will know what the Rockets are trying to do with their current play style. They will expose each player's weaknesses. Where do you go when you HAVE to have a basket? Who do you depend on in the current lineup? I don't know man, I hope I'm wrong. I sincerely hope I'm wrong, but I just don't think our current team can make the playoffs. Maybe squeak in at the 8 spot? I hope they prove me wrong if the squad stays as it is now. That would be exciting to watch.
This entire episode is just shameful. As a disclaimer I am as big a TMac and Yao fan as they get and I do blame TMac for last year's PR debacle and his actions. Having said that, I still expected much more from the Rockets organization. Star players have always been egoistical and petty but as an organization you should be better than that. To not give TMac a chance to play and prove himself is just not right. Ttime to ship TMac somewhere. Oh well, we will always have that 13 seconds.
Dude have you ever watched a Rockets game in the last 3 years? Tmac isn't creating shots for anyone, because he doesn't attack the basket anymore. He's nothing but a jump shooter off the dribble and he isn't a good shooter either. His athleticism won't be the same anymore either. It never is after microfracture surgery. Look at the players before him that have had the same surgery. None of them have been completely the same, and we're talking about a guy that is soft as it is and avoids contact at all costs. Tmac won't be creating shots for anyone but himself at this point and that's not a good thing for a guy that isn't a good jump shooter. Drop the homerism for Tmac. His stint here in Houston is finished.
And you just take Steve at his word? If Steve Francis still had it, you'd think he'd be playing with SOME team or another.
Rockets saying anything to Tmac to get him past that 41 game date except actually telling him why they are doing it. Sounds like the organization doesn't want to tell him certain things about the insurance and his scheduled comeback.. Maybe they are afraid he will let it slip when he has his famous brain farts to the media which in turn would probably get the Rockets in trouble with the insurance company and the NBA There are certain things that you just cant divulge to McGrady.. There is definably a trust issue. I cant blame them though Tracy sees the cameras and the tape recorders and he goes nuts.
Leadership of Artest? Couldn't have been that the team was actually a good team outside of Yao and Tracy for the first time in years right? Not just a bunch of hand me down role players for once. Tracy gets dogged a lot. Deservingly so, if all reports of his "drama" are true. He hasn't done all bad here though. I don't know, maybe I"m not mean enough to just put down someone so bad, and I always feel like people can always come back and redeem themselves. I've always said, he could say he hates Houston, but if he wins, no one cares. It has been, and always be about winning. Tracy has only been able to win in the regular season. And if he doesn't change that, he'll always be regarded that way. NO matter how well or bad he plays in the post-season, he'll be branded that way. Much like how KG was. KG is a great talent, much like McGrady. But now KG's the man b/c he finally won with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. One of the most clutch players and one of the smoothest shooters in the game.
As a business owner I guarantee you they told Tmac NOTHING about this..... The Rockets are a smartly run organization, they would never put millions of $$$$$ at risk by informing a player whose lips are looser than Jenna Jamisons. DD
I understand what you're saying but there have been success stories too Jason Kidd John Stockton Amare Stoudemire Zach Randolph
