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Tracy McGrady returned to practice with the Rockets on Tuesday, eyeing a possible return when the Rockets get out on the road late in the week.
Afterwards, T-Mac was looking to win back a few fans.
Local Channel 2 went to McGrady's home to talk with him and his trainer Wayne Hall, and both said T-Mac has made major strides during this recent stretch where has sat out.
"The knee feels good," said McGrady. "I'm confident about it. That was something I was lacking. I tried to come back early and I didn't have the physical and mental aspect to go out there and compete against some of the best players in the world. It just didn't work out for me, but now I feel like I'm back."
McGrady said after his shoulder surgery in May that he hadn't lifted a single weight -- that is until 10 days ago.
"He's improved tremendously," said Hall, who said McGrady has slimmed down and improved his speed and strength. "I'm so proud of the guy because in 10 days, it's a miracle. He's really put in the work."
McGrady conceded that he knows the fans aren't too thrilled with what they've seen from him this season.
"I [too] was frustrated at the beginning of the season because I wasn't able to be myself," said McGrady. "I was just eager and anxious to get out there because of what we brought as far as our roster, having Ron Artest and adding some of the pieces that we did. I was just excited about getting out there and getting my team off to a good start. Now if that hurt me with my fans, so be it. I'll get them back because I believe in my ability."
Well, it's a first step, and certainly a far cry from the team-under-the-bus toss ("It's kind of hard to get in a groove when you touch the ball once every five minutes") that we heard after the Raptors effort debacle, but we'll see if McGrady can turn it around from here.
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