McGrady’s season ends and questions begin
New York Knicks #3 Tracy McGrady, center, walks on the court as his teammates greet one another before an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks. (March 8, 2010) Credit: Photo by JASON DECROW
TORONTO — Tracy McGrady’s season with the Knicks ended last night with the former All-Star sitting out the final game of the regular season against the Raptors and contemplating his future not just in New York, but in the NBA.
“If it don’t happen this summer,” the 30-year-old McGrady said of his comeback from microfracture surgery, “I’m riding off into the sunset.”
McGrady played 24 games with the Knicks after he was acquired at the trade deadline on Feb. 18 and averaged 9.4 points, 3.9 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 26.1 minutes per game. There were highs, such as his 26-point debut on Feb. 20, but more lows (such as 0-for-7 from the field and scoreless in 29 minutes against the 76ers on March 19 and 3.9 points per game and 25.8 shooting percentage in his last five games). Overall, he said his time with the Knicks was “definitely worth it because I wanted to see where I was at, physically.”
For the Knicks it was worth it because the trade, which included sending first-round pick Jordan Hill to the Rockets along with the 2012 first-round pick, cleared almost $10 million more in salary-cap space for this summer’s foray into free agency.
Microfracture is one of the toughest surgeries to recover from, as evidenced by how quickly the careers of Allan Houston, Anfernee Hardaway and Chris Webber ended soon afterward. Jason Kidd and Amar’e Stoudemire are exceptions to the rule.
McGrady said he will get “the best doctors money can buy” this summer and spend the offseason trying to get himself to the point where he can play consistently at the NBA level.
“I’m going to push myself again,” he said. “I feel confident I’ll be ready to go and I won’t have to worry about calling it quits.”
