It became known late Sunday (see article) that Tracy McGrady is having more of a problem with his left knee than earlier thought because of a “deep bone bruise.”

I know alot of skeptical fans may think McGrady may be faking or dogging it, but I have to come to his defense a little bit. That’s because I had the exact same injury 3 years ago on my left knee, and it hurt like hell. At first I was hoping it would heal and the pain would go away, but I was surprised it took longer than I thought. In fact, I still feel it to this day. I have had it MRI’d since the injury and the doctors say they can’t see anything, but I still feel it.

So personally, I’m actually going to give McGrady the benefit of the doubt because I have suffered the same injury. Ironically, I hurt it at a Rockets game at Golden State when I fell flush on my knee on concrete, and I have never been in so much pain in my life.

In a way, there’s a bit of silver lining to McGrady’s expected absence for the next 7 games (or more, or less, who knows). It will give everyone the opportunity to really see how well the Rockets can play without him over an extended period of time. If the Rockets tank while McGrady is out, like they did last year, then everyone will appreciate what he brings to the team and the calls for him to be traded should subside.

However, if they play extremely well with players like Luis Scola, Aaron Brooks, (who weren’t there last year), Bonzi Wells (who basically wasn’t there), Luther Head, and maybe even Mike James or Steve Francis, then we’ll all know that McGrady may be more expendable. If that’s the case, I’m hoping that the injury doesn’t reduce his physical ability — like it has mine — to the extent it diminishes his overall value. That would be even worse. Given his pain is gone and he’s now rehabbing his knee and leg for more strength, he should be okay, but it wouldn’t surprise me if his pain came back.

Raymond has done a great job of translating this interview with Yao after the Rockets win against the Raptors where he was suffering terribly from the flu. Yao is such a gamer. It’s truly inspirational how selfless he is.

When you read the translation, think about how sick Yao must have felt. Then think about this: as sick as he was during this game, why in the world did Rick Adelman pick this game to play him the most amount of minutes in his entire NBA career in the first half: 23 out of 24 minutes!?

How could he have done that when Yao was at his weakest and sickest, and doesn’t even play him that kind of minutes when he’s healthy? You know Yao is such a pro, he wasn’t going to complain. But I just don’t think Adelman knows all that’s going on sometimes, as seen by how slow he was in giving more playing time to Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola.

Yao Ming double-pumps in mid-air over Toronto’s Rasho Nesterovic before shooting the ball toward the basket, which bounced around the rim for a bucket in the fourth quarter. Yao led the way in the fourth quarter with 8 big points, and would lead all scorers with 25 points on 8-of-19 shooting, and 9-of-9 from the free throw line, to give Houston a 91-79 victory over the Raptors.

The Rockets found a way to win their second game in a row without Tracy McGrady and go 15-15 on the season, beating the Toronto Raptors 91-79. It wasn’t a pretty win, but when the Rockets needed to get over the hump in the fourth quarter, Yao Ming was The Man. In a stretch of about 5 minutes, Yao scored 8 points to help put the game away

At the 6:43 mark in the fourth, Yao calmly hit a turnaround jumper to make it 76-70. On the next possession, he elevated for a jump shot from just outside the left side of the lane, double-pumped in the air (pictured above), then threw up a shot that rattled on the rim a couple of times and dropped through to make it 78-72. When you’ve got a soft shooting touch, you’re going to get some nice bounces on the rim that will fall your way.

Read the rest of this entry »

Yao Ming shoots over Memphis’ Stromile Swift and Pau Gasol on his way to 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting in a convincing Rockets victory over the Grizzlies. Yao also finished with 12 rebounds and 5 blocks.

What else can be said other than the obvious? Although they were playing against a struggling 8-20 Memphis team, the Rockets played very well Friday night in the absence of the injured Tracy McGrady, and beat the Grizzlies soundly 103-83.

It was another good performance by the Rockets without McGrady around (remember the 2OT game against Denver last week where the Rockets played pretty well?), and you’ve got to think it’s not just a coincidence.

As much as I see on Internet Web sites comments from Rocket fans saying McGrady should be traded, I have been a little more conservative on that notion (shocking, huh?) because I have thought if McGrady doesn’t go crazy with stupid jump shots, he can still be a very effective weapon.

But I think there is something even better that’s happening when the Rockets play without him. Unlike last year, other players now seem to be stepping up in his absence. Part of the reason is because the talent on this roster that the front office has assembled seems much more comfortable stepping out from behind McGrady’s shadow.

Read the rest of this entry »

With the holidays being so busy, I didn’t notice until now this article that was published 10 days ago. I don’t take too kindly to it. It’s another example where Tracy McGrady seems to say the wrong thing, even if you can understand why he thinks that way.

It’s okay for a player to say they respect another player’s game, but when McGrady was recently asked if he thinks about what it would have been like to play with Dwight Howard of the Magic, he responded:

“Oh yeah, I think about that a lot. And when I’m with my (Orlando-based) trainer (Wayne Hall), we talk all the time about how good me and Dwight could have been together.”

So is Yao not good enough for you, McGrady? A guy who never has dissed you?

When later asked about the idea of playing with Howard after his current contract held by Houston ends in 2010…

“I’ve thought about it. You never know.”

You just don’t say these things, even if it’s true. He should have responded by saying he is thinking about today, not two years from now.

In your mind, does the drumbeat to trade McGrady get even louder after these statements?

Our Raymond has pics in the forum of Yao Ming and Dikembe Mutombo making an appearance Christmas Eve at the Dave & Buster’s restaurant and video arcade in Houston at Steve Francis‘ charity event for 100 children of the Boys and Girls’ Club of Houston.

Pictured below is Francis, Yao and Steve’s little girl in Yao’s lap. Awww, isn’t that cute?

It’s good to see the players are doing something Christmas-y during their break to benefit others (unlike that “Casino Night” at Toyota Center with season ticket holders on Sunday, December 19th.) Although Steve has been struggling on the court, I’ve got to give him props for being so involved with the community in his adopted hometown. The city of Houston definitely appreciates him.

Click here to see more photos of Yao, Deke, Francis, and the kids from the Boys and Girls Club.

Yao Ming walks off the court in the second half of the Rockets-Detroit game after bumping into Luther Head, producing a cut above his eye that required four stitches. Yao would score only 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting in 26 minutes of action. Click here for more photos from the game.

After an exhilarating game against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night, I was so looking forward to the Rockets game against the Pistons Sunday night. Would the Rockets show they have turned the corner and play an inspiring game against one of the league’s best teams? Or would they melt under the pressure?

After the Rockets took a step forward Saturday, they took another step backward Sunday, losing 94-82 at The Palace in Auburn Hills. The game wasn’t as close as the final score would seem to indicate.

It’s easy for the national headlines to blame the loss on the Rockets losing Tracy McGrady to injury in the game (more on that later), but the Rockets have shown they can be very competitive without him. The Rockets still had a chance to win this game, but for some stupid reason Rick Idle-man didn’t play Aaron Brooks when he should have. Has this coach learned anything about his players yet? Why does it always take him about 3 times longer than everyone else to figure out who should be playing?

Read the rest of this entry »

Yao Ming shoots a jump hook over Chicago’ Ben Wallace in a game the Rockets won handily, 116-98. Yao scored 18 points and grabbed 8 boards in a game where he sprained his thumb, but x-rays were negative, and Yao would come back into the after the injury to play for a few minutes with a bandage on his thumb. Click here for more photos from the game.

You’ve got to give credit to the Rockets for bouncing back from that heart-breaking 2OT loss against the Denver Nuggets Thursday night, and playing better offense Saturday night in a big 116-98 win over the Bulls. It was the most points scored by the Rockets all season, and had to be one of their best shooting games (48.4%) while also shooting 10-of-22 from three-point land (46%).

It looks like Rick Idle-man has finally learned — a couple of weeks later than what many of us have been saying — that he’s had a stud point guard on the bench in Aaron Brooks who can likely solve some of the offensive problems that have plagued them all season. At least Idle-man is learning, folks. Better late than never.

Brooks continued to show his speed is extremely tough to defend, as seen when he went coast-to-coast on a highlight-reel layup in the second quarter that reminded you of a Tony Parker. Even though it doesn’t surprise me, IT LOOKS LIKE THE ROCKETS CHRISTMAS WISH OF GETTING A POINT GUARD THAT CAN SCARE THE DEFENSE HAS COME TRUE!!

Kudos go out to Rockets’ GM Daryl Morey and the rest of the staff who wanted Brooks, when just about everyone was saying they should have drafted a power forward with their first pick in the draft. Their selection is starting to pay off in a big way.

Brooks pushed the ball most of the time he got the ball, which encouraged his teammates to hustle to get into position so he could deliver the rock to them for some easy buckets. And that he did. In a little over 17 minutes, Brooks dished 6 dimes and only had 1 turnover.

He also made 2-of-5 shots, but that’s not as important as the decision-making he showed in not trying to wow us with his 3-point shooting acumen (which he has), and just played good solid PG play, unlike some other guards have been doing this season, tempted by the glory of hitting the three when they have no business shooting them.

Read the rest of this entry »

Yao Ming calmly shoots a second free throw that gives the Rockets a one-point lead in double-overtime against the Denver Nuggets, but the Rockets lost the game a couple of minutes later on a last second shot by Denver’s Anthony Carter. Yao was a force in the game, showing leadership, and scoring 26 points and grabbing 19 boards in 52 minutes of play. Click here for more photos from the game.

I wasn’t too disappointed in the double-overtime loss to Denver last night. I have been saying for a few days now that the objective for the Rockets is to get the 8th seed in the playoffs. Forget about getting home court advantage. The Western Conference is so tough anyway, there isn’t much difference between an 8th-seeded team and a 3rd- or 2nd-seeded one.

It would have been great if the Rockets were at the top of the conference, but since that’s not going to happen this season, the important thing is for the Rockets to try to become a dangerous team that no one wants to play in April and May.

It was really interesting to watch the Rockets move the ball better than they have all season without Tracy McGrady in the lineup. Coincidence, or not? I think we all know the answer to that one.

TNT analyst Magic Johnson even said at halftime what many people have been thinking, but no really has had the balls to say at a national level. When asked the question what the “real problem” was with the Rockets, Magic replied:

“The real problem? You’ve got to trade one of them. Yao Ming or Tracy McGrady’s gotta go.”

You could have heard a pin drop in the studio after that statement. Magic continued:

“It’s not working out. It’s really not working out. We’ve seen it for all these years. They get eliminated in the first round. I thought they were going to play well together. It doesn’t work. Even tonight, I’m seeing the ball move more than I’ve ever seen it move watching a Houston Rocket game. (The ball goes) into Yao Ming, it’s rotating, it swings. But they can’t play together. The ball don’t move when they are together. You would almost have to keep Yao Ming, he’s still going to be the guy who sets the shots up for people. But one of them has to go because it’s not working for me.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Yao Ming shoots a jump hook in the lane against Orlando on Wednesday, December 19th. Yao finished with 19 points and 17 boards in a game where the Rockets shot 34% as a team and lost 97-92. Click here for more photos from the game. Click here for photos from the pre-game shootaround where former assistant coach Patrick Ewing paid a visit.

At first I was upset how the Rockets couldn’t make a shot and blew an early 16-5 lead to let a struggling Orlando team beat them 97-92 Wednesday night. This is a Magic team that had lost 5 of their last 6 games, and in their past 7 games their defense was atrocious, giving up a whopping 107.3 points per game.

So their coming to Houston was just what the doctor ordered, with Houston hitting only 28% of their shots by halftime, 34% overall, and scoring 15 points on average below everyone else who has played Orlando the past 7 games.

But now that I’m a realist and have come to the conclusion that this Rockets team is going to be mediocre for awhile, it’s time to start thinking how the Rockets can salvage this season. Forget about going deep in the playoffs. For me, the goal for this team is to make a late, strong run to get at least the 8th playoff seed, get their offense humming, their defense back to par, and then acquire a few key pieces in the off-season to make a stronger push next season.

Read the rest of this entry »