Why don't the Rockets treat Yao like the Spurs treat Duncan. Basically the Spurs pick and choose about 20 games a year that Duncan can rest so then come playoff time he is completely healthy (I'm not sure how they pick the games, but games like vs. Warrior, Suns, basically teams that would require Yao to run A LOT seem like they would be good resting games). I believe this could do a couple things: 1) Help team learn how to win w/out the big man, which isn't that important, but it can't hurt 2) MOST OF ALL, give Yao rest for playoffs. He seems to be good for ABOUT 50-100 games at a time, before something breaks/gets hurt etc. So this way at least he is forced to play roughly 80 games a season + playoffs, then he gets summers off. This might seriously help prevent all those injuries. Thoughts?
We need to make sure we are in a good position in the playoff race to start giving Yao some rest. We don't wanna lose crucial games that we will regret later in the season.
I'd like to add it is USUALLY around 90 games with no long breaks (very rough estimate), where he gets hurt. He got hurt early in the year when he was doing a lot for Team China, I think other that that, it is usually late year injuries. Correct me if I'm wrong.
I'd much rather be a 6th seed with a healthy Yao throughout than a 2nd seed, and an injured Yao after the 1st round.
Maybe because Duncan is not injury prone and a proven winner on every level. He's simply one of the best.
I honestly believe he is not injury prone because of this. I've never seen this good care for a big man outside of Duncan (Shaq takes care of himself much the same way by just taking random games off), but Duncan's coach is protecting Duncan for his longevity. Duncan I agree is an amazing player and he could just be an exception, but big men don't have the longevity of smaller players, and less mileage on Yao could mean him playing longer.
Here is a guy who can take some of Yao' minutes. Larry Sanders is playing right on espn VCU vs George mason
EXACTLY. thats what the spurs did this season and last season and lost many crucial games. we better not do that so we can get a better playoff position.The whole reason we loose so many crucial games is because of yaos abcense so i wouldnt give yao a rest. the only time i would is when we play a team next year who play like the nets do this year.
Simple Answer bcuz we never had a team like the spurs did, without Yao we one of the softest teams in the NBA on the defensive end, no shot blocking ability, no one can post up and score like Yao, plus if we rest Yao for 20 games each season I can Gurantee you that we'll loose at least half of them, probably even more.
Ok lets consider that. 20 games off = 10-10 record, lets say with Yao it's a 14-6 record (assume that our record per 82 games with Yao is 55 wins). That means instead of going 55-27, we would go 51-31. Which will cost us playoff seeding for sure, but in the grand scheme isn't dropping a couple of seeds to have healthy Yao through playoffs > not having Yao for playoffs post 2nd round?
It's for the best to rest Yao unless there's serious playoff implications. I honestly would rather be a 8th seed with 100% Yao than a 1st seed with no Yao come playoff time. Is homefield advantage worth losing the best center in the league? That said.............we can't afford to risk losing out on playoffs if we rest Yao, so we ought to only do so sparingly early, like against Pacers (3rd in pace and stretch center Murphy?) or Warriors (no center) only.
Screw seeding. What good is playoff positioning if your big man will be out in the first or 2nd game of the second round? Rest Yao on 2nd nite of b2bs, against suck-azz teams and when he just is feeling xtra sore. I think David Anderson will be a servicable back up for Yao. Don't laugh--he is the opposite of Mutombo--he can score.
i wouldnt say necessarily sit him out he needs to jus have his minutes reduced greatly Yao is an incredibly effecient player on the floor therefore he could just play like 22-26 minutes per game or play Yao the beginning of the game the beginning of the 3rd quarter and then down the stretch to get the win if we need him, something like how Cleveland uses Shaq
Could really care less how Yao gets treated... We don't even know if he will come back or if he can come back.... All of these play him every other game.. no b2b... treat him like Duncan... Man people were calling Tracy - Stacy for this same type of bull crap and When Yao can carry a team and win a Championship like Duncan then he can treated as such... Right now the only thing that he's proven is that he's injury prone and you can's count on him... I would prefer to concentrate on the team that is playing now and see what pieces that you can fit around them to help them to the next step and Yao is not that person....
