Tracy McGrady made his long-awaited return to the hardwood in last night’s win over the Pistons. His return to your fantasy roster should wait a bit longer.
Tracy McGrady broke the news of his imminent return via his Facebook account, which may be an NBA first.
Another first – T-Mac and the Rockets were actually on the same page, and McGrady actually appeared when he said he would. McGrady and Rockets management have disagreed – often publicly — on a just about every issue relating to his injury, treatment and schedule for his return. It wouldn’t have been at all surprising if Rick Adelman left McGrady on the bench last night, even after his much-anticipated status update.
His performance didn’t really live up to the hype, though. McGrady played just eight minutes in the game, took two shots and hit one of them – a three-pointer. Luis Scola and Aaron Brooks led Houston with 23 points each, as the Rockets beat Detroit, 107-93.
With Trevor Ariza sitting out a one-game suspension for going all “WWE” on Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan, rookie Chase Budinger made his first career start and played well, racking up 16 points, 12 boards and 5 assists in 40 minutes.
What’s Next for McGrady?
The Rockets’ hot start — they entered last night’s game with a 13-10 record despite the absence of their two highest-paid players, McGrady and Yao Ming – has been one of the best stories of the NBA season to date. They’re playing an unselfish brand of basketball and winning without superstars, and it seems clear that Adelman isn’t looking forward to adding McGrady to the mix.
That, of course, sets up the next disagreement. Eight-minute cameos won’t satisfy McGrady for long.
Houston does have other options. McGrady has the largest contract in the NBA this year – but it expires after the season. That makes him one of the most sought-after players in trade talks – Miami is reportedly interested in pairing T-Mac with D-Wade, while building even more flexibility to make deals in 2010.
Is McGrady worth a roster spot?
As a Houston Rocket, my guess is no, except, perhaps, in the deepest leagues. But if he’s traded, there’s a chance he could produce useful numbers – depending, of course, on the team and his role. I can seem him playing quality minutes as a sort of point forward in Miami down the stretch – but I’m not at all convinced that the Heat have what it will take to pry such a valuable commodity away from Houston.
Read the rest of the article and get this week’s waiver wire picks at NBA FanVoice > The Return of T-Mac.
