To say that Houston Rockets guard Tracy McGrady has something to prove this season may just be the understatement of the century.
McGrady has been a superstar in the NBA for close to a decade, but people seem to forget, or just dismiss, how good he has been.
McGrady won back-to-back scoring titles from 2002-04, and has played in seven all-star games. He is responsible for one of the most impressive single game performances in league history when he dropped 13 points in 33 seconds to singlehandedly beat the San Antonio Spurs in 2005.
But his 12-year career hasn't been all glamour.
The problem with 'T-Mac' has always been that his body never seems to cooperate with his unwavering desire to win.
Nagging injuries have piled up over the years – so much so that McGrady nearly called it quits in the prime of his career.
The latest setback came toward the end of last season, when the 30-year-old opted to undergo a risky microfracture procedure on his troubled knee. The injury forced McGrady to miss the start of the 2009 season, but he is reportedly on pace to return to the court in the coming weeks.
Expect a refreshed T-Mac to return to the Rockets' starting five. According to McGrady, he is in the best shape of his career and has never felt as strong and mentally prepared to compete.
The veteran will have to be ready.
He will return to a Rocket team without superstar teammate Yao Ming, who is out for the season due to foot surgery.
The team is thriving because of the play of forward Trevor Ariza, a free agent acquisition from the Los Angeles Lakers, and young point guard Aaron Brooks.
Ariza has stepped up offensively and provided a viable scoring option for the team in the absence of T-Mac. Brooks is the quarterback on the court for the Rockets and has upped his scoring as well.
When McGrady returns, he will instantly make the Rockets an NBA Finals contender.
But in order for that to happen, McGrady must exercise his playoff demons and find a way out of the first round for the first time in his career. In the history of sports, I can't think of a player that has had more bad luck in postseason play than McGrady.
It's not like the guy hasn't played his heart out, either. McGrady has the third highest scoring average in NBA playoff history, behind only Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson. The missing component has always been the lack of support for him in big games.
The final part is that McGrady is entering the twilight of his career, and the window may be closing on his playoff hopes.
All he has to do is win one playoff series to silence a decade of critics who continue to ask whether or not he can win the big game.
I think he can do it, and wouldn't it be sweet for the former scoring champ if he not only wins a playoff series, but also rides that momentum to the NBA Finals?
That would be the ultimate statement.
E-mail: matthew.parrino@ubspectrum.com
