Rockets guard Tracy McGrady is recovering slowly from injuries to his shoulder and knee.

He will play the season with an arthritic left shoulder, and his knee is still far from one-hundred percent.

"My knee is about 75, 80 percent right now," McGrady said. "It took longer than expected. I was expecting to recover 100 percent in four months, but the doctor told me it would be six months or even more. My shoulder had, after surgery, kept bothering me. I had another MRI and discovered I have arthritis in there, so I have to have surgery again on my shoulder. That?s something I have to deal with again this season, but my knee should be ready by opening night (Oct. 29)."

McGrady will not need shoulder surgery until next off-season, but that the condition could hinder his play.

"It?s not anything that is going to keep me out of games, but it?s going to bother me," he said. "I played through it last year. I didn?t realize how bad it was. I?ll be ready to go."