Yao is having another 'surgery' to prolong his stay in the USA again. I just really hope the CNA realizes the importance of Yao participating in Dreams Big Man Camp the two off seasons before the 2008 Olympics.
YES, he has. I posted that end March. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=126572 Given the early exit from the playoff, Yao Ming will take the time off to fix some of the injuries of his body. He is going to have that minor surgery on his left big toe mid May, that required approximately 2 weeks for the recuperation. Then the full month of June will be devoted to rehabilitation training and probably the workouts with Hakeem "the Dream" Olajuwon. It is not yet firm that he will return to China together with Luther Head for the FIBA Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp in Shanghai (July 5 ~ 8), or he will stay in USA to rejoin the national team, as the national team is scheduled to play in NBA summer league (in Las Vegas ?). Also it is not known yet whether he will play in the 3rd FIBA Stankovic Continental Cup in Hangzhou and Zhengdu, China July 28 ~ August 2 featuring Angola, Slovenia, Venezuela, New Zealand and China. But he most probably will join the national team to play in Europe in August in those 3 to 4-nation exhibition tournaments in Germany and Turkey. IMHO, those 4-nation exhibition tournaments will be beneficial to Yao Ming, as it is very close to Eurobasket 2007 (the European Championship), which is going to be held in Spetember in Spain (September 3 ~ 16) and those European countries will be pitching their top players/A Teams in those tournaments as worthwhile warm-up to the Eurobasket 2007.
That would be hilarious if they made Yao play in the summer league. I wonder how many points he'd drop against the Rockets.
IMO Yao shouldn't play in any tournaments this off-season. He needs to let his boduy rest after having several major surgeries over the past couple of seasons. He needs to spend the entire off-season rehabbing with his personal trainer. If Chinese basketball make him play these insignificant tournys he'll breakdown again next year and will not be 100% at the Olympics.
Of course rehabilitation/strength and conditioning with Anthony Falsone is a given. Playing against such national teams of Germany, Italy, France, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia & Montenegro, Turkey and Lithuania are considered insignificant ? Naaaaaah,in his recent interview, he held different opinion about training with and playing for the national team. He said it is less intensive than NBA, and it serves him well in maintaining his competitive form and condition.
Yao should take the summer off, get rested, get some personal training on his weakness, improve something on his own, (or maybe get married) ... come on, CNT, give Yao a break
My impressiion is that while he'll be with the national team, he'll have Falsone with him and focus on his personal work. He'll just be doing the fitness stuff with the team and be there to support them. I think as long as he isn't not competing extensively and seeing game action, it should be fine... I mean, honestly... summer off is kinda overrated. Bonzi took the summer off and see where that got him?
He was supposed to go to China last summer and play for the team but he was hurt. The CNT didn't make a lot of trouble. They let him rehab. Yao owes it to them to go play this summer.
I will leave it up to Yao, if he wants to play for the CNT....good for him in representing his country. DD
And bad for us that Yao loses another summer to playing stupid exhibition tournaments that will never improve his game. Boy, I really seriously consider trading Yao for KG or even Pau Gasol.
Yao for Gasol and Miller? If they win the lottery, they can take Durant. I'd almost not be upset if that happened.
Yao should ONLY practice with Hakeem this summer to toughen him up. He played like a nancy boy against Utah. Okur bodied him up.....freakin' Okur? He needs to work with someone to help him break out of his shell and toughen up his low post play. He also needs to work on his balance and torso strength. Those NBA players down low knock him to the floor way to much for a 7'-6 guy; Yao please play to your size dude you are killing me softly here... Ok venting over in 5 -4 -3 - 2 - 1
Yao needs to work on a few things this summer: 1) improve his grip on the ball so he doesn't get stripped so many times 2) improve his ball handeling, get better on putting the ball on the floor. Right now, he basically cannot drive. If he catchs the ball too far from basket, he can only shoot J's. Watch TD back out his defenders, or drive to the middle or to the baseline. Yao needs to learn how to put the ball on floor if needed. 3) timing! he need to improve rebounding and most of it is about timing for him 4) bank shots. if he masters that, then nobody can block him. those tournaments are not important. 2008 is the year China needs him, not now.
