Tracy McGrady Would Like the Rockets to Give him More Minutes
Tracy McGrady had to battle just to get the Houston Rockets to let him on the court this season.
After announcing that he was having season-ending micro-fracture surgery last season on Facebook before letting the team know, there was undoubtedly some bad blood.
This season, McGrady began to suggest he was ready to return in November. The team thought otherwise. McGrady tried to force their hand by dressing and warming up with the team before a game despite the fact that he was still on the inactive list.
The Rockets finally relented, and he's played six games, averaging less than eight minutes a night, and that was enough for McGrady to suggest he's ready for a larger role.
The team, once again, feels otherwise, and McGrady is not taking it well, allegedly leaving them to head back home, albeit with team permission.
In a strange twist to a story that has had its share of weird plot turns, the Rockets said McGrady received the team's permission to fly back to Houston, in part so that be could be home for his the birthday of his young son, Laymen.
McGrady's comments in the reports suggest he still sees himself as the All-NBA talent he was pre-surgery and pre-turning 30. The stats suggest he's not at that level anymore.
Another aging superstar, Allen Iverson, has struggled with the thought of a reduced role. McGrady seems to have the same inflated sense of worth, with perhaps more wear and tear on his body than Iverson. The Rockets said they will resolve the issue Monday, but with a salary of $23 million for McGrady this season, there doesn't seem to be much they can do, short of eating the contract or trading him for another bad contract in return.
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