McGrady eyes return on November 18th

[Andrew]

Source

After eight months of rehabilitation on his surgically repaired left knee, Tracy McGrady has told Yahoo! Sports he plans to return to the Houston Rockets’ lineup on Nov. 18.

After several league sources informed Yahoo! Sports of McGrady’s timetable, the seven-time All-Star forward confirmed he planned to make his season debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis next week.

“Excited to get back and compete at a high level again,” McGrady said in an email to Yahoo! Sports. “For a full year I had to play on one leg against the best and I couldn’t compete with anybody the way I was feeling.

“It’s gonna be a relief to get out there and play knowing what I went [through] last season and this summer.”

While McGrady is awaiting final clearance from team doctors, Rockets sources don’t expect there to be any problems.

One source close to McGrady says he’s “still feeling a little pain” in his knee, but the front office and coaching staffs are encouraged by his progress. Houston general manager Daryl Morey declined comment, but suggested the organization would have something formal to say soon.

Here's hoping he's actually ready to return. I admire his enthusiasm and desire to get back onto the court and compete, but no point rushing back if it means he'll be on the sideline again before too long because he came back too soon.

[J@3]

Picked him up in a fantasy league. Lets go T-Mac you selfish LeBron-like whore.

[Alejandrov011]

He should not return as Amare did for 3 games... He should heal 125% and the return... He will be back by 2010

[JaoSming]

i hope this time it lasts all season

[shadowgrin]

Just when i dropped him in a public league, this news popped out. Seems someone already took him from the waiver wire. I can't get him back.

[Lean]

Knee-Mac to be back. Cool. Though I personally believe he won't be that good as he was with the Magic in 2003.

[Modifly]

Though I personally believe he won't be that good as he was with the Magic in 2003.

He definitely wont be able to return to that level, but he probably will return to his 2007 form.

[Lean]

...but he probably will return to his 2007 form.

And get his knee injured again.

[NovU]

...but he probably will return to his 2007 form.

And get his knee injured again.

Or his back starts to bother him again.

[Lamrock]

Hopefully he comes off the bench when he comes back

[Andrew]

Once again, it seems T-Mac and the Rockets aren't on the same page in terms of his health.

The Houston Rockets say there is no definite timetable for the return of Tracy McGrady, despite the star saying he's got a date in mind.

"While we are all encouraged by the fact that Tracy's rehabilitation has been ahead of schedule, we must remain vigilant through the next stages of his recovery," Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said in a statement on Monday. "No timeline has been set for his return. He will return when team doctors, officials and Tracy all agree it is best. We will refrain from further public comments."

[JaoSming]

...yay more controversy

[Andrew]

McGrady should probably have a chat to the Rockets before he makes these announcements.

[Modifly]

Not exactly the case.

DALLAS -- Tracy McGrady is closer to getting back on the court after microfracture surgery, but no timetable has been set for the seven-time All-Star's return to the Houston Rockets.

"He's been able to practice and doesn't have the pain he had last year," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said Tuesday. "He still has a long ways to go as far as running the court and moving defensively."

There was an Internet report Monday that McGrady, who had surgery on his left knee in February, planned to make his season debut Nov. 18 against Minnesota.

However, McGrady backed off that statement on Tuesday, saying instead that Nov. 18 was just a "target date."

"It's a target date," McGrady told the Houston Chronicle on Tuesday. "I didn't say I was coming back; I said it was a target date just like we have a date to have the MRI on the 23rd. Everybody is blowing it out of proportion like I'm guaranteed to come back. I want to play, so that's what we're targeting. I've been working out every day, improving every day, and that's what it is.

"It's not a guarantee that I'm coming back. It's a target date," he said.

Adelman also was quick to dismiss that date.

"Coming off that surgery, you're not going to have the quickness you had before," Adelman said. "He's done OK. But he has a long way to go."

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4643120

[Lean]

Looks like T-Mac will pull off an Iverson on the Rockets.

[Andrew]

"It's a target date," McGrady told the Houston Chronicle on Tuesday. "I didn't say I was coming back; I said it was a target date just like we have a date to have the MRI on the 23rd. Everybody is blowing it out of proportion like I'm guaranteed to come back. I want to play, so that's what we're targeting. I've been working out every day, improving every day, and that's what it is.

"It's not a guarantee that I'm coming back. It's a target date," he said.

I find that a rather odd statement to make. I don't think anyone took it as an absolute guarantee that he would be back on that date, but when he publicly mentions a target date for his return, that gives the impression that there's a good chance he'll be back on that date. Nothing has been blown out of proportion here, if anything McGrady's initial comments lacked clarification as he just blurted out a possible return date without being 100% sure that he would be able to return in that timeframe.

[shadowgrin]

Just admit that you're wrong Andrew. It's ok, we still <3 you.

[Andrew]

Good to know.

[George7]

T-mac return will be a big comeback i hope
He would be a great player,and even better from magic's year(2003).

[Andrew]

Doesn't look like he'll make the first date that's been thrown out there.

[Lightning Strike]

Yeah, I haven't heard anything about McGrady either, which is a shame, I'd love to see him back in action.

[Andrew]

Seems he was a bit too eager in throwing out the 18th.

[Lightning Strike]

I'm actually eager to hear what the MRI has to say about his injury, McGrady is amazing but I wouldn't like it if he was playing on the court not at 100%.