McGrady Returns to Orlando as a Member of the Knicks
Apr 9 2010 12:27AM
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Tracy McGrady hopes to have a vintage performance to secure a road win for the Knicks..
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It doesn’t really sound like T-Mac has the Knicks’ upcoming game circled on his calendar.
Tracy McGrady grew up in central Florida and played four seasons for his hometown Orlando Magic from 2000-04. But when the Knicks head down to Orlando on Friday night, it will just be another game for McGrady, who is focused mainly on continuing his recovery from a recent setback.
“What matters to me is my health,” said McGrady, who missed two games with a sore left knee before returning to the lineup in Wednesday’s defeat in Indiana. “I don’t care how I play when I’m in Orlando. There’s no real significance to that. It’s just another game. I’ve been back there several times now.”
McGrady was back in the starting five and scored four points and dished out six assists against the Pacers. The most important statistic, however, were the 25 minutes he played pain-free.
“I actually felt fine,” McGrady said. “The most positive thing with me is I know I’m progressing. I really don’t care how I’m playing right now. As long as I’m feeling good, my body is feeling good and my knee is getting stronger and adapting to being back on the basketball court and making different movements, that’s all I really care about at this point.”
McGrady, a seven-time All-Star swingman, underwent microfracture surgery last season and is still working his way back to becoming the player he once was. His best NBA season was back in 2002-03 when he averaged 32.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 points while playing for the Magic.
McGrady’s numbers this season are lower than usual since coming to New York from the Houston Rockets in a three-team deal at the trade deadline on Feb. 18, but that was to be expected. Still not 100 percent healthy, T-Mac is averaging 9.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 22 games with the Knicks.
“Nobody really expected me to go out there and be myself,” McGrady said. “It’s going to take a lot of time. I’m just fortunate enough to be able to play these last few months of the season to kind of get my feet wet a little bit and see how it feels again because I’ve been out for so long.
“I have the opportunity to go into the offseason and do my normal routine as far as working out, which I haven’t done in two years. So I’m excited about that and I should come back in great shape in September and be ready to go for training camp.”
Building momentum heading into the offseason seems to be a popular theme for the Knicks, but no one sounds more pumped up about the final four games of the season than newcomer Earl Barron, who was in the NBA D-League just a week ago.
Barron is expected to be in the starting lineup for the remaining four games of the season following three straight promising performances since signing a 10-day contract with the Knicks last Friday. He is averaging 14.0 points and 11.0 rebounds for the Knicks, who appreciate his size down low.
Barron is aware that this is a great chance to showcase his skills to the entire league as he looks to lockdown a fulltime job in the NBA next season.
“I’m very aware,” he said after posting 17 points and 18 rebounds in a 104-101 win over the Celtics in his Garden debut. “I’ve been in the D-League the whole year and I’ve been waiting for the opportunity that was not there in the past. I’m just trying to take advantage of it while I can.”
Tracy McGrady grew up in central Florida and played four seasons for his hometown Orlando Magic from 2000-04. But when the Knicks head down to Orlando on Friday night, it will just be another game for McGrady, who is focused mainly on continuing his recovery from a recent setback.
“What matters to me is my health,” said McGrady, who missed two games with a sore left knee before returning to the lineup in Wednesday’s defeat in Indiana. “I don’t care how I play when I’m in Orlando. There’s no real significance to that. It’s just another game. I’ve been back there several times now.”
McGrady was back in the starting five and scored four points and dished out six assists against the Pacers. The most important statistic, however, were the 25 minutes he played pain-free.
“I actually felt fine,” McGrady said. “The most positive thing with me is I know I’m progressing. I really don’t care how I’m playing right now. As long as I’m feeling good, my body is feeling good and my knee is getting stronger and adapting to being back on the basketball court and making different movements, that’s all I really care about at this point.”
McGrady, a seven-time All-Star swingman, underwent microfracture surgery last season and is still working his way back to becoming the player he once was. His best NBA season was back in 2002-03 when he averaged 32.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 points while playing for the Magic.
McGrady’s numbers this season are lower than usual since coming to New York from the Houston Rockets in a three-team deal at the trade deadline on Feb. 18, but that was to be expected. Still not 100 percent healthy, T-Mac is averaging 9.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 22 games with the Knicks.
“Nobody really expected me to go out there and be myself,” McGrady said. “It’s going to take a lot of time. I’m just fortunate enough to be able to play these last few months of the season to kind of get my feet wet a little bit and see how it feels again because I’ve been out for so long.
“I have the opportunity to go into the offseason and do my normal routine as far as working out, which I haven’t done in two years. So I’m excited about that and I should come back in great shape in September and be ready to go for training camp.”
Building momentum heading into the offseason seems to be a popular theme for the Knicks, but no one sounds more pumped up about the final four games of the season than newcomer Earl Barron, who was in the NBA D-League just a week ago.
Barron is expected to be in the starting lineup for the remaining four games of the season following three straight promising performances since signing a 10-day contract with the Knicks last Friday. He is averaging 14.0 points and 11.0 rebounds for the Knicks, who appreciate his size down low.
Barron is aware that this is a great chance to showcase his skills to the entire league as he looks to lockdown a fulltime job in the NBA next season.
“I’m very aware,” he said after posting 17 points and 18 rebounds in a 104-101 win over the Celtics in his Garden debut. “I’ve been in the D-League the whole year and I’ve been waiting for the opportunity that was not there in the past. I’m just trying to take advantage of it while I can.”
