[Chron] Dick Justice:What can the Rockets expect from Yao next season?

He's going to get hurt again if he plays that much.. Coaches fault before

 

I am anxious to see Yao, It sucks that everytime he is out there we have to worry about a freak accident that could take him out the entire season, or his career.

I agree that there should be no untouchables on this team, and Morey can and will do anything and everything possible to get this team back to the top of the league yet again.

I can't wait for this offseason and see what unfolds, we have so much leverage with our future picks from NYK and the contracts of Jefferies, Battier, Ect.

Here is to a great and bright future.

 

Rockets are now admitting Yao is only good for 2 quarters(25 minutes). Yao might only be able to play the 1st quarter and 4th quarter at the most.

I have said it time and time again. The Rockets need star PF/C in the draft, not a SF upgrade for Battier/Ariza. They need to tank and hope their guy drops like Brandon Roy, or they need to pray to the basketball gods for a trade up.

At the least, they will have to go after Bosh in a sign and trade. That only works if Bosh demands a trade to get out of Toronto, like Francis in Vancouver or T-Mac in Orlando. I don't see Bosh making a big fuss like Francis or T-Mac though.

When Yao breaks his foot again, hopefully, he retires like Mutombo and Barkley.

 

You mean if? At least have some optimism

 

Big Z had the same surgery and has had several seasons at +30 minutes a game plus he has not had any real serious injury issues for many years now. Hopefully he is able to get back into shape and regain his career but I would let his body decide how many minutes he can play every night.

 

Each patient is different. Same surgery does not mean same minutes after rehabbed.

If the Rocket's medical staff is saying that Yao maxes out at 25 minutes, then they see Yao's condition as worse than Z. It would be foolish to not listen to them and overplay him.

 

Next season? Who knows when he's going to play again..

 

what I'm saying is that none of us should go into this assuming he can or can not do 25 minutes. He will recover as best as he can and his body should determine what he can or can not do. Justice is just making assumptions with the 25 minute a night limit. He might be dead on or he might not be. We will see next season, but if Yao can handle 30 plus minutes a night then I assume he will play 30 plus minutes.

 

I like Yao but his injury scares me. I just feel that its only a matter of time before he reinjures his foot again.

I think Morey knows that the rockets should not depend on Yao, but due to financial success with china, nothing will change.

 

Looks like the best decision in the history of pro hoops. Lets say no one is untouchable, yet pin any hopes on a guy who cant play more than 25mins. Sign me up for that plan.

 

All you can hope for is an 18/10 player. That's pretty much about it. Any hope for a "dominant Yao" for years back is pretty much gone IMO. Am I writing him off? Absolutely not because he has the tools (i.e. his shooting and his BB IQ) that can keep him in the NBA as an effective and efficient player.

If he can get 18/10 and Brooks' and Martin's production can translate from this year to next year, this team will be pretty good. Not championship-level, but still a good team. Now the question is: can we be happy with just a perennial playoff team without having a real chance to make it to the Finals or can we be patient enough to build a team that can be elite?

 

It's wrong to say that everybody is untouchable. I think Lowry, Battier and Scola is untouchable. They're the foundation of this team along with Yao. They're the heart of this team. They know how to step it up when playing in big games. They just know how to switch. Other players are just one dimensional offensive players.

 

You shouldn't speak so matter-of-factly, Mr "BetterThanEver". The Rockets have never "admitted" to Yao being capable of 25 minutes or even guessed. He hasn't even started running yet. As you said, each patient is different, so don't go off acting like you know what is going to happen with Yao. For all we know he could come back "BetterThanEver" himself, logging 40 minutes a game (which probably wont happen ).

In Barkely and especially Deke's case, they were at the end of their careers and had much more wear on their tires. Mutombo had to be begged out of retirement the previous offseason to play, and that didn't even happen until midseason. So the situations are completely different. Yao should play as long as he wants.

Also Bosh is an unresticted free agent commanding at or near a max salary. Nothing like Francis or T-Mac. Bosh has every right to just walk away from the Raptors organizations, so there's no need for him to "make a big fuss". If he's going to leave regardless, The Raptors would want to at least get something out of it, that's how sign & trades work. All that we would need to do is convince Bosh to sign with us and offer adequate compensation for Toronto.

 

2 of the players you mentioned were almost traded this season before the deadline, while Lowry is a free agent.

 

Battier and Scola are probably the most likely to go in a deal, seeing as we have Ariza to replace Battier, and assuming we trade for a big, the 'acquisition' to replace Scola.

"You have to give something up to get something in return." Those were Morey's words when talking about trading Landry. We should all take that to heart, seeing as that could be a hint towards the future.

 

If Yao were a healthy player, Houston might be a destination for some big free agents. He's really skilled. But then again, if he was never injured to begin with, the Rockets might have had enough success without a super hero. McGrady too.

I still think of "what-if" McGrady was healthy last year...Artest-Yao-McGrady...Eh.

 

It's pretty clear that Justice is getting his information from the Rockets.

 

Superstars do not fall from trees. If you can't get one, your best bet is to hope your own injury prone superstar does not break down mid-season.