It seems the Houston Chronicle is a wee bit fed up with McGrady's... fragility: Suppose Houston decides to remove him as a distraction (they seem to be able to win without him). Would it be worth taking a flyer on him just for the hell of it? McGrady for Travis, Ike and the contract of LaFrentz works. If we did this when Webster returns, he could just inherit Travis's minutes while McGrady rests up for the new year... And McGrady's contract runs out in...2010.
I think Houston would want a major piece in return for him. I also have concerns about McGrady when he doesn't have the ball in his hands; he seems to disappear for stretches of the game.
Houston's record over the past several years without McGrady is awful. Yao is the player that they've managed to win without.
last season the rockets were 9-7 without tmac. but the main reason the team has been better without yao than without tmac is because tmac can handle the ball while yao can't. the rockets have essentially been a two man team surrounded by role players. tmac doesn't have to depend on others to get him the ball, while yao being a post player does have to depend on his teammates. and since tmac has been the best guy at actually getting yao the ball, when he's out the team has struggled. with the addition of ron artest and the play of aaron brooks so far this season, the rockets should be able to do a much better job of playing without tmac this season. but i'm almost certain the rockets won't be trading tmac this season. they got artest to make it a big three and now they are going to let the season play out. if things don't work out, i wouldn't be surprised to see tmac leave to the highest bidder in the offseason but the blazers shouldn't be interested.
People always talk about the Blazers being snake bit but when I hear that phrase I always think of the Rockets. They're contenders on paper every year but can't stay healthy!
He's not a PF so I don't see him getting minutes here at all. I certainly wouldn't play him at all, as it would be a waste of time, it would slow or derail our development, and he's basically an albatross around the neck of whomever he plays for.
I know T-Mac is (was?) a rare talent, but I've got to ask why would this team be interested in a player who can't seem to stay healthy, and doesn't show a whole lot of inclination to play through pain (I read somewhere that his doctors told him that he runs no risk of further injuring his knee, it's just going to be painful). This team has had enough injury concerns without adding yet another player who may or may not every be healthy enough for long enough to provide a meaningful contribution. pass.
He'd curse us with his first-round exit disease. If he's a constant distraction for Houston for always being out of the lienup, why would we want to inherit it?
