McGrady to miss three more weeks

Dec 2, 2008 - 8:47 PM HOUSTON (Ticker) -- The Houston Rockets will be without injured All-Star Tracy McGrady until Christmas.

McGrady delivered the bad news Wednesday, saying that he will need three weeks to rehabilitate his surgically repaired left knee.

The announcement came one day after McGrady visited renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews, who agreed with the Rockets' initial assessment that the two-time scoring champion would likely miss only a week.

McGrady, however, claimed that he rushed back from his offseason operation and that he will need more time to recover from the injury that has plagued him throughout the first month of this season.

"Obviously, I came back a little bit too early," McGrady told reporters following Tuesday's practice. "My knee is still healing and it's not ready. ... I have to rehab for a couple of week and I have to gradually work my way into practice, and we'll go from there.

"But right now, I won't be playing for a couple of weeks."

McGrady evidently does not agree with the Rockets' medical staff, which released a statement Monday saying that Andrews had confirmed the team's original diagnosis that the swingman is suffering from "general soreness" in the knee.

According to the statement, the Rockets gave McGrady the one-week timetable in the hope that the 12-year veteran would play reduced minutes to decrease the stress level on his knee.

"I wasn't involved in the statement that they put out," Rockets coach Rick Adelman told reporters. "All I is know is when he does go on the court, he's got to be able to push himself and go through it. If he can't do that, then it's best for him not to play until he feels comfortable doing that."

McGrady, 29, has missed Houston's last three games due to the injury. The Rockets have gone 1-2 over that stretch and are 21-48 without McGrady since the seven-time All-Star joined the team prior to the 2004-05 season.

In 15 games this season, McGrady has averaged just 15.6 points - his lowest mark in nine seasons. The swingman has failed to score in double digits five times this season.