Changing Views: T-Mac's Latest Injury Update a Wise PR Move?

In any mystery, there are always multiple pieces to the puzzle, but in this case, they just don't seem to add up.

In Jonathon Feign's latest article, it claims the Rockets brass and McGrady have set upon a date, Nov. 23 to be exact, when McGrady will be re-evaluated with an MRI—in hopes of clearing him to be able to practice with his teammates and get back on the court.

So what doesn't make sense? McGrady wasn't supposed to come back until the All-Star break anyway, so what's so ground breaking about this news? In fact he's still greatly ahead of schedule.

It's more so the training regimen McGrady has gone through this offseason and the hype brought with it. The past seven months, the former NBA All-Star was not in Houston, but in Chicago rehabbing with Tim Grover in hopes of having direct and easy access to rejuvenate his career with one of the best trainers in the business.

Reports out of that camp were optimistic, McGrady has clearly lost considerable amount of weight, and weekly videos of his rehab were launched on their promotion site, skillzlab.com.

McGrady claimed he was ready, and Grover reassured Rocket fans that T-Mac would be back, and play at the level we've all been accustomed to seeing. In those videos, it showed intense workouts, and different tests to measure his explosion—all of which he reacted well. 

The Rockets organization however has not been on the same tune. It seemed at first Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey was trying to downplay anything McGrady claiming a realistic goal would be any time from after January to post All-Star break. Within a matter of weeks, when Morey went to visit McGrady in Chicago, his tune had completely changed going from post All-Star break to as early as late November and early December.

As the weeks went by, the optimism grew larger. McGrady had returned to Houston, as he had apparently finished what had been a successful rehab in Chicago. So as the Rockets media day began, McGrady apologists and "haters" alike were awaiting to see him both in his new No. 3 jersey, and announcing to the media that he'd be back early in the season in hopes of pushing the Rockets back into the playoffs for the third consecutive year in a row.

Instead, a report comes out claiming McGrady has not been cleared to practice, and doctors will re-evaluate him on Nov. 23 when he'd receive an MRI.

"I think he'll be rehabbing until Nov. 23," said Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey. "We just took an MRI to give us the state of where he's at and the doctor who did the surgery and our team doctor agreed that up until then he'll be rehabbing and we'll take another MRI then and take the next step."

The first thing that comes into play is, what was the result of this recent MRI taken on McGrady's knee? With his tremendous improvement this offseason, it possibly could not have meant dire news—so why not reveal to the media and public what was enclosed in that MRI?

Okay, okay, I'll buy the story for the moment, but it's still hard to believe. Let's go back to last season.

McGrady came into camp in poor shape due to his multiple surgeries in the offseason. With poor games, and his constant in and out of lineup gimmick, the Rockets and McGrady eventually shut it down, leaving fans bitter in what was the most hyped Rockets offseason since '94 the first time they won the NBA Championship.

In this streak, as the Rockets experienced more success than they had in over a decade—without McGrady, speculation came across as if McGrady were not needed and the Rockets were better without him.

He had been labeled a quitter, choker, and a player that plays a brand of basketball that's not conductive to winning. His PR had been forever damaged. The only way to retrieve that reputation he once had is by showing how hard he worked in the offseason recovering from microfracture knee surgery, to regaining that All-NBA form he enjoyed just two seasons ago.

The Rockets organization has been mum on the situation, but until the question became too unavoidable, both Morey and the Rockets slowly started to admit the date towards McGrady's return was sooner rather than later.

I'm not saying the Rockets are lying about McGrady's situation, but more so holding back on information in which they only know. If McGrady were to magically return before Nov. 23, then both his reputation, and work ethic to return to the court won't be questioned, a positive step in getting back that credibility he had as a player.

Ultimately it's about him proving it on the court, but getting on the court in time before the season becomes a lost cause is equally important. Only one thing is for sure, McGrady won't come back 'til he's fully ready, not making the mistake he made last season rushing back, but only failing to make it worse.

"Listen, I won't make the mistake I made last year," McGrady said. "Me, I feel like I'm ready. But it's not my option to go right now. I'm listening to my doctors and I don't want to rush anything."

For reasons in the Rockets are not giving out full details on McGrady's most recent MRI, McGrady's rehab in Chicago being well documented, and what he has on the line this season, not only for his reputation, but as an NBA player in the upcoming future, don't be too surprised to see No. 3, McGrady, back on the court sooner than than later.