Tracy McGrady’s sleepy eyes danced with championship dreams when asked about Rockets center Yao Ming being back.
“I don’t think anyone wants to see us in the first round,” Houston’s all-star forward said recently.
Or the second round of the playoffs?
“Or the second,” McGrady said.
Or the …?
“Or anybody at any given time,” McGrady said.
Don’t laugh. “T-Mac” may be on to something here.
Yao was averaging 26 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots per game before he suffered a fractured right tibia plateau against the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 23. The five-time NBA all-star scored more than 30 points in four of the five games before his injury. He was finally growing into the superstar he was projected to be after being selected first overall in the 2003 draft.
Surprisingly, Houston went 20-12 without the 7-foot-6, 310-pound Yao and is now fifth in the Western Conference. The Rockets have a solid mix of role players in center Dikembe Mutombo, forwards Shane Battier, Juwan Howard and Chuck Hayes and guards Rafer Alston, Luther Head and Bonzi Wells. Houston has an impressive 38-24 record and coach Jeff Van Gundy is getting NBA coach of the year consideration. Yao returned to action last week, struggling in his first two outings averaging 13.5 points and eight rebounds, but he came back strong with a 24-point, 13-rebound performance in a 116-91 victory over New Jersey on Friday.
Right now, Houston isn’t better than the four teams ahead of it – Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio and Utah. But if Yao returns to his old form, the Rockets could be tough to stop. There is no center in the Western Conference capable of stopping Yao when he is on top of his game. Also, the double and triple teams used against McGrady when Yao was out won’t work anymore.
“I still feel in my mind that we’ll be one of the best in the West,” McGrady said. “I think we can be up there with them. It won’t matter. They will still feel that we’re the same. We have to prove it, though.
“We haven’t proved anything. It really doesn’t matter how we pan out in the regular season. It matters how we pan out in the playoffs.”
The biggest concern for the inside-outside duo is just being on the court.
McGrady’s back is always a concern. Remember when he collapsed on the floor at halftime against the Nuggets in Houston last season after a back spasm? The seven-time all-star has missed seven games with back spasms this season and one with a sore lower back. Whether Yao can stay healthy also will be in question for the rest of the season.
“I’m going to be healthy. My game? I’m sharp right now,” McGrady said. “I just need my big fella back to relieve some pressure off me.”
McGrady acknowledged that Dallas, Phoenix and San Antonio are the powers of the West. But don’t forget about T-Mac and Yao. If healthy, they can shake up the West.
“They know how good we can be,” McGrady said.
Footnotes
The mother of Stanford’s 7-foot sophomore twins, Brook and Robin Lopez, stated to an agent at the Pac-10 Conference Tournament on Thursday that her sons would not be leaving school early to play in the NBA. … Expect the Mexican national basketball team to make a run at asking UCLA junior forward Lorenzo Mata to join Nuggets forward Eduardo Najera and Seattle SuperSonics guard Earl Watson during the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas this summer. Rumors persist that Mexico could go after former University of Utah coach Rick Majerus. … There were mixed reviews about former NBA swingman Penny Hardaway’s workout with the Nuggets in Memphis, Tenn., on Feb. 25. One view was that he could help the Nuggets now. The other was he isn’t in shape to help any NBA team. … Don’t look for Nuggets assistant Mike Dunlap to go after the University of Denver coaching position. Dunlap is a candidate for Colorado’s basketball post. … New Orleans Hornets forward Peja Stojakovic says he is done playing in international competitions for his native Serbia and Montenegro. … Orlando Magic sharpshooting forward Pat Garrity, a former Lewis-Palmer High standout, said he doesn’t plan on exercising the final year of his contract that pays $3.8 million next season. “It doesn’t make any sense for me to opt out,” said Garrity, who has an offseason home in Aspen. … Word is the Portland Trail Blazers have not contacted former Nuggets general manager and former Blazer Kiki Vandeweghe about their general manager and president openings.
ON THE REBOUND: HUMPHRIES HOPING TO RETURN TO HOOPS
Remember Jay Humphries? The former University of Colorado guard averaged 11.1 points and 5.5 assists in 11 NBA seasons with Phoenix, Milwaukee, Utah and Boston. After coaching pro basketball in China and South Korea, the former Los Angeles Lakers scout is back living in the Denver area, hoping to get back into basketball in some capacity. Here are his views on the state of CU hoops:
Spears: Who should CU hire to replace Ricardo Patton, and would you recommend yourself?
Humphries: I wouldn’t recommend myself. I’ve been gone for a while and there is a lot for me to learn about college basketball recruiting and those type of things. I’ve been in a pro atmosphere for quite awhile. I’ve talked to a lot of alumnus and their spirit has been down. It’s just been a tough situation and (Patton) declaring before the season that he wasn’t coming back even made it harder.
Spears: Who is the front-runner?
Humphries: I hear different names. (Air Force coach Jeff) Bzdelik for one. (Phoenix Suns assistant and former CU assistant) Alvin Gentry. I think Alvin possesses a lot of (needed) qualities if he was serious about the job. He’s a great recruiter. He recruited me here. … He’s done two stints at the university. He knows what it takes to win in Boulder. He has family in Boulder. I just think he’s a perfect fit.
Spears: What do you think about CU junior Richard Roby likely staying for his senior year?
Humphries: I didn’t think that he was ready (to turn pro). If you’re going to go out in a hardship case, you have to be one of the top guys coming out where you have some time to adjust to the NBA. You just can’t be that mid-second rounder. It’s a tough NBA life because you’re always at the end of the bench.
SPOTLIGHT ON … PEJA STOJAKOVIC, HORNETS FORWARD
Background: The nine-year veteran has been an NBA all-star three times and was a 2004 all-NBA second-team selection. The Hornets acquired the 6-foot-9, 229-pounder July 12 from the Indiana Pacers for the draft rights to forward Andrew Betts. Stojakovic is one of the NBA’s most-feared 3-point shooters. He entered this season averaging 18.4 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 39.9 percent from 3-point range.
What’s up: Stojakovic averaged 17.8 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 40.5 percent from 3-point range during the first 13 games this season. He has been out of action since undergoing surgery on his lower back to remove disc fragments Dec. 17 in Oklahoma City. He expects to be re-evaluated by a doctor this week and hopes to get cleared to increase his level at practice.
“I’m hoping (to return),” Stojakovic said. “I’m not making any predictions. With that kind of injury you have to go day by day. We’ll have to see how it feels. So far I haven’t had any setbacks. … It’s gradually improving.”
What’s next: Stojakovic is projected to return possibly by month’s end. But if the Hornets aren’t in the Western Conference playoff picture, they might opt to sideline him the rest of the season. The addition of Stojakovic could give the Hornets a big push to make their first playoff appearance since 2004.
“I’ve never missed this many games in my life,” Stojakovic said.
Spears’ take: Expect the Hornets to be in the mix for a playoff spot in late March. Stojakovic will return to the roster by April to aid that push. Considering how poor the West teams fighting for the final three playoff spots are playing, Stojakovic’s addition will be huge for the Hornets. But if New Orleans does make the playoffs, he must overcome his reputation of not hitting big shots in the playoffs.
Billups tops list
Nuggets player-development coach and assistant Jamahl Mosley, a former Colorado basketball player, recently gave his top-five list on CU’s top players of all time.
1. Chauncey Billups
2. Scott Wedman
3. Jay Humphries
4. Donnie Boyce
5. Shaun Vandiver
Marc J. Spears can be reached at 303-954-1098 or mspears@denverpost.com.
