Tracy McGrady (and the Rockets) Could Be Back Before You Know It

Once Yao Ming was ruled out of the 2009-10 season after surgery to repair his broken left foot, Tracy McGrady was cast away from the thoughts of most. Mac underwent microfracture surgery in February, speculatively ruling him out until the middle of '09-10. But without Yao, the season seems doomed to begin with. This will potentially be Mac's final campaign in Houston, and given the state a Yao-less, McGrady-less Rockets will likely find themselves in by the time Tracy is cleared, there's really no use to having him, is there?

This can all be nullified, however, if McGrady comes back early in the season and saves Houston from doom. And that's exactly what it appears may happen.

Jonathan Feigen, via The Baseline, reported Friday that Houston GM Darryl Morey visited Tim Grover's gym in Chicago this week to check up on Mr. McGrady. And he apparently liked what he saw.

"He's way, way ahead of schedule," Morey said. "He's already playing. I don't think anyone could have predicted he would be playing now. He still has a long way to go. There is a lot of rust to shake off."

The way this is phrased, Morey sounds like a bro who knows he really shouldn't get too excited about the dame across the bar he just made eye contact with ... dangit that dame looks wonderful, but she's also aging, gimpy and emotionally quizzical. Morey doesn't want to pin his season on Mac because, well, Mac is coming back from microfracture at age 30. But ... hmm ... just imagine the possibilities.

With Luis Scola, Trevor Ariza, Shane Battier and Aaron Brooks etched in as apparent starters, scoring will be a big need. And with all due respect to Chuck Hayes' improved free throw stroke (no!), McGrady fits that role like latex. Inefficient latex, sure. But it still works. (Sometimes.)