Normally I'd believe Thorpe (and Martin), but it has this nasty PR move/empty talk feel to it, that you hear every off-season (McGrady-Grover instantly comes to mind).
McGrady's recent workouts are any indication, it would be easy to assume that his game will have all of its dimensions back this season.
"I think he's gonna be a player like he used to be in his younger days, because his body is balanced now," Reavy says confidently. "He's using all his muscles properly and everything's absorbing a force and creating a force versus just the knee."
"One-hundred percent ready to go and he's been ready," Grover told The Post from his Chicago athletic compound where he's been working with McGrady since Christmas. "No limitations, no anything."
"Any team who wants to come down to Chicago, to come look at it, I don't pull any punches," said Grover, who made a career of training Michael Jordan and took on Kobe Bryant last season. "Put him through anything they want him to put him through. Whether it's a trade or buyout, he's ready to go."
“It’s really no comparison to how I feel now and I how felt trying to play all of last season,” McGrady said. “My knee is feeling extremely strong. The most important thing is I’m confident in it. You guys just stay tuned. I’m out here grinding in Chicago, trying to get back right, but yes I will be playing for the Rockets in the ‘09-10 season.
“I will be in uniform for the Rockets this upcoming season, I guarantee you that, and I will be a lot better than I was last year. I will be back to the player that I once was.
“I will guarantee you that.”
McGrady doesn’t know when he will rejoin the Rockets, but he believes it’ll be sooner rather than later.
“I’m not really worrying about a target date right now,” McGrady said. The most important thing is just to get myself healthy, which I’m confident that I will be for this upcoming season.
“I feel that if I go out there right now I could get somebody 30 (points).”
I do trust Thorpe and Martin a lot more than Grover and McGrady, but until I see it I won't put too much into all that. Been there done that. Let your actions do the speaking.
