The Marriage Between Tracy McGrady And The Rockets Just Isn’t Working
Tracy McGrady, Dime #27
I refuse to be a cliche and quote a certain line Apollo 13 line here, but there are a few issues down in Houston. For awhile now, there has been some tension between Tracy McGrady and Rick Adelman and management, but the emotions are starting to boil over. According to a Yahoo! Sports article, McGrady and Adelman engaged in a heated argument before the Rockets’ game in Minneapolis on Wednesday night.
Ever since McGrady pissed off the organization last February by publically announcing his intentions to have surgery and shut down his season before he talked to the team, the two sides have been at odds. The communication between T-Mac and Adelman has reportedly been horrible. Now that he is healthy, McGrady has been wanting to make his season debut but the Rockets have stalled his return – citing they want to evaluate his knee first.
After McGrady surprised his coach, by dressing up in his uniform and going out to warm up on the court before the Wolves game, Adelman brought McGrady back into his office where the two had a closed door meeting. Sources in the article said that things got so heated, people could hear yelling.
The article also mentions that T-Mac feels like the Rockets don’t want him back on the court. That claim could have some truth to it. The Rockets are off to a decent start and were able to make it to the Western Conference Finals without McGrady. There is speculation that they don’t want him to mess up their chemistry. Also, there are some financial incentives to benching T-Mac. According to the article:
“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.”
November 20th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
fallinup says:
This early in the season. You’d think the right thing Houston would do is let McGrady play to showcase him… then trade him for the right pieces to help them now. It’s not like Houston is gonna win a chip with that squad right now.
Maybe they are afraid TMac will break down again, and don’t trust him. Hence the keeping him inactive and recouping some of that monster salary.
November 20th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
808 says:
“The article also mentions that T-Mac feels like the Rockets don’t want him back on the court.”
Hell yah…If I’m Rockets management, I’m doing the same thing: I don’t want McGrady on my team either. And he’ll be even harder to shop around if he gets on the court, starts jacking up his B.S. treys, and goes down to injury AGAIN.
Gotta get max value for this bust…
November 20th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Shady says:
Anyone else sitting at a desk at their low-paying job and just get really pissed off to see that T-Mac makes $282,946 per game while not even playing? This guy makes more in one game than the average family makes in 5 years. And he has NEVER made it out of the first round.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
George W Kush Sr says:
@ Shady
100% CO-MUTHAFUCKIN-SIGN
November 20th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
POPPI GEE says:
Rockets stallin. They need to stop trippin and if they gonna check the knee then check it and clear dude or trade him. Just don’t keep that man sideline pimpin against his will.
Personally I think they need to let him play. Rockets are in a situation where they went and got Ariza (when they should have got a center) and he expects to start and I don’t blame him. Still had they got a big instead of Trevor then they could go ahead and play McGrady and still have a decent big-man right now and more than likely be at the same record they have now or even better.
Thing is aside from being healthy (lol which is a big factor I know) and playing better D at this point, offensively and basketball iq wise McGrady is the better.
Rockets now are scrappy and find a way, but eventually that dies out and dies out really fast when you deal with experienced teams.
I hate it cause I am a Rockets fan first and McGrady fan second but i wish it was a way it could have worked. Seems like Lamar bout to get that you gotta come from the bench treatment like Iverson.
Houston dug their own hole with this one and it will be a nasty one if and when McGrady does come back and can really go. If he does come back and is still a big shadow of his former self, then not so much.
Last player to blow up at Rick was Von Wafer and he is gone lol, odds don’t favor Lamar. Oh well I will root for both no matter what happens. Just wish I could be able to root for them as a unit.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
POPPI GEE says:
fallinup I can dig what you wrote too.
I dislike this too because I feel like Houston waisted some good years with this dude when he was healthy and ballin.
Had a chances to get way better help for him over the years and squandered it like the Rudy Gay debacle.
As far as Trevor he is aight and all but really I need to see more. On the strength I ain’t to impressed.
Again Houston has dug their own hole salary wise, player movement wise and now drama wise. Can’t even feel to sorry for the Houston brass cause they brung it on themselves.
Still I do hate it for McGrady, dude has deserved better still deserves better.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
POPPI GEE says:
MAN! Got my pressure all up for nothin lol.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6731426.html
Word is, I guess Yahoo or some place reported it first and reported it wrong. All is well in Houston so we can relax!
Houston Up!
If it ever does go south though, it’s the Houston Brass and strength and conditioning guys fault lol. Make that clear early.
Deuces!
November 20th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
fallinup says:
@ POPPI
Good find. My first thought when I read that Yahoo article was, “TMac yelling?! and throwing a fit?”
It just doesn’t seem like him.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
rell says:
Houston isn’t the only one worried about money. McGrady wants to get on the floor so he can increase his stock this offseason. If he doesn’t get that much PT this season he will be lucky to get the mid-level in free agency.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
eyes says:
@Shady
When you make comments like this you sound like a hater. You sit at home & watch another man’s money. A women trait. Those 5 families or more probably don’t have a person in it who could have made a junior high school team. The players for the most part deserve everything they get. You guys always remember the bad. This guy was a top 5 talent & could have had 3+ rings if he had a dominant or All Star along with him. Imagine they would have handed him a team like Lebron out the gates. He came straight out of high school & had a Penny Hardaway like career. For a few no one in the league had his skills. Lebron James still isn’t better than T-Mac in his prime. Take a chill pill and at least hope he could get healthy to get back on the court. I sometimes feel you guys wish these athletes play for charity for your amusment. If you have nothing good to say. Work on making some money you deserve. If you don’t mind what is the bar for you. LOL.
The one thing I hate about most bloggers. If any player doesn’t deserve their salary. What does the owner or coaches & assistants deserve. What does D.Stern deserve. What do bad referees deserve. Bad CEO’S,COPS etc. Bad bloggers like you who dont know much about ball. What do you get out of that comment? Do you feel better about yourself. They say anybody who hates someone else usually hates themselve. Look in the mirror. Dont you wish you could play like T-Mac now. You’re jealous you don’t start in rec league.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
SJ says:
@Gerald- To say you’re not going to do something cliche is actually pretty cliche.
I read about this earlier. I can’t see the Rockets letting him play anytime soon, when insurance is going to be covering his salary. Houston is doing well for themselves right now without TMac and to drop an extra $300k from their pocket each game for probably the same outcome at the end of the year DOES NOT make sense. Now, if putting him in the lineup would lead to the Finals for the Rockets, I’m sure they’d be willing to let him play. However, we all know that is not going to happen this year.
I feel a bit bad for TMac… and not because of his looks. Sure, he could use some sympathy there, but where I feel the most sympathy for him is the injuries and playing time. He is an All Star. He can still play like one. I can see him being traded this year. It might be best for both parties.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Brown says:
This boils down to a money issue. This is a business. They don’t want him cleared to play because there’s 60+ games left on the schedule and will save the franchise millions of dollars. It’s a shitty situation for McGrady, but at this point he’s nothing more to Houston than a gigantic expiring contract they’re only paying 20 cents on the dollar for.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
zaboo says:
I doubt the insurance company is just gonna sit there and gladly pay 80% just because the rockets dont want to play him. If they have people getting spied on for workers comp cases, im pretty sure they have people scoping out injured players. In that thought, I think it was a bit selfish on tmac’s part in that he’s out there warming up when there’s no way of him getting off the DNP list for that game. The insurance company couldve said hey he’s out there warming up, he’s all better, no more benefits. Then the mri comes back bad and the rockets have to struggle to get the insurance to start paying again.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Marcus says:
“Had a chances to get way better help for him over the years and squandered it like the Rudy Gay debacle.”
You mean getting Shane Battier.. one of the best defenders and teammates in the NBA wasnt a good move? Rudy is an exciting player.. dont get my wrong.. but that trade was made to improve the team and it has.
Right now Tmac is reaping what he sows… last year even in the games he played he didnt give 100%.. or usually even a 50% effort. Right now the Rockets cant have a player playing that will take a half-a$$ed approach which is a rick with Tmac even with him in a contract year.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
SWAT says:
@ GEE wow fam tht was good ish!! I was a bit worried whn first reading this…boy the media will make a story out of anything and twist it to fit their own agenda. i hope these boys can keep it 2gther because honestly we need mcgrady. Htown up!
November 20th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
sans says:
Yo, the Rockets did not make the Western Conference Finals…and Adelman should have been like “Do you want to give us back 80% of your money or will you shut up and put your suit back on?”
Rockets are doing sick, Aaron Brooks is legit (Go Ducks), and TMac ain’t giving anybody 30 the first time he suits up. Anyone else think he gets the AI treatment this summer?
November 20th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
Octopus Jonny says:
Houston, how bout this. Mike Redd plays 10 games, T-Mac plays 10 to show both sides that dudes are healthy. Bucks send Mike Redd and Kurt Thomas (or Francisco Elson, your pick) for T-Mac. We get rid of Mike Redd, you get rid of T-Mac and get a serviceable big. Win-win, let’s do it.
November 20th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Nevacare says:
I’m a diehard Rocket fan. I WAS a Tracy Mcgrady fan, but he’s done. The fans ,Media Management & probably some of his teammates are disgusted by him here in Houston. Free up that cap space & get somebody who can play at least 75 games in a season. They’re going to bring Yao back even with his injury problems because of the marketing & media contracts & all the other revenue he generates. T mac is a goner they have all the role players now gaining valuable expeirience now they’re waiting to try & lure a stud in 2010
November 20th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
the cynic says:
T-Mac is just another in a long line of athletes who can’t let go. He has been notoriously lazy, but immensly talented, throughout his career. I have a hard time believing T-Mac is anywhere near ready to play 9 or 10 months after microfracture surgery. Maybe if he was a ruthlessly hard worker like Kobe or Lebron, but he’s not. All T-Mac is thinking about is showcasing his game for a fat contract, a la Elton Brand. T-Mac listen to the Rockets, you have a better chance at a fat contract the less you play cause you are finished and if you can’t get along with one of the most relaxed and talented coaches in the league then you are truly F’d in the A
November 21st, 2009 at 12:06 am
ProphetGK says:
Trade him to the Hornets ASAP!!
November 21st, 2009 at 1:20 am
arisloco says:
Trade TMAC now! I’m pissed with the Rockets keeps on delaying his comeback. They ain’t going nowhere without TMAC on their lineup. I’ll still support TMAC whichever team he gets to play out of the Rockets uniform. Damn it!
November 21st, 2009 at 11:02 am
QQ says:
T-Mac.
Damn. Just go away. Your team is everything you are NOT.
Just think about it guys.
The Rockets are full of scrappy roleplayers that are playing with heart, with passion, with joy, and plays with each other without thinking of their own stats. And they are WINNING.
T-Mac is the OPPOSITE of all of that. What a coincidence.
November 21st, 2009 at 11:27 am
AB_40 says:
can we get a three way trade with big Z mcgrady and monta ellis with T-Mac ending up in cleveland. I don’t care about Z and monta won’t never amount to be a real no .2 option which is his ceiling a number two on a bad team.
Delonte and Z for Tmac and david anderson(big man who can shoot) do it after the win streak stops and I will be a happy man
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:52 pm
GABRIEL BROGDEN says:
I hope he comes back quickly…
…I wanna see some young up and coming CRAM on TMAC!!!!!!
Then say:
“Welcome back Tracy. Things have changed.”
November 24th, 2009 at 2:26 am
tmacallstar10 says:
Vote McGrady to all-star game, that’ll show em