After taking six months off from working out at all and a full YEAR off from playing in competition, Yao has now played in a few exhibition games and a total of FIVE regular season games. What has he shown since coming back from foot-reconstruction surgery? In 18 minutes a game, Yao is averaging 10.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. Here are his stats from his last two seasons, alongside his stats from this year (extrapolated to roughly the same minutes for comparison): 2007 - 37+ mpg - 22.0 / 10.8 / 2.0 2008 - 33+ mpg - 19.7 / 9.9 / 2.0 2010 - 36 mpg - 20.4 / 10.8 / 3.2 In other words, the idea that Yao has lost a step or two is total and utter sh!te. If he were able to play 36 minutes per game this year, his stats would be right in line with his previous two seasons. The only significant change is that his defense has suffered a bit, but even that is most likely because he's still working his way back into game shape. So can we just drop this "Yao is done" myth once and for all? Sure, he doesn't LOOK as quick as he used to be (like his game was ever based on quickness), but he's every bit as productive offensively as he's been in recent years. The problem is that he's not allowed to play enough minutes to get the box score totals that many of you fixate on. P.S. JCDenton, I apologize for the lack of middle-school level charts to support my statements. :grin:
That's a more valid point than arguing that his skills have diminished or that he's not as good a player as he was before. And the jury's still out on how much we can count on him. This current ankle thing is unrelated to his foot problems. And by the way, DD, do you EVER sleep?!? :grin:
You tried to debunk the "Yao is done" myth. So I guess your conclusion is Yao is only "half done" because his offense was still there even though he was a spectator in defense?
Done as a NBA player? Your probably right, he isn't done, not yet, unless he gets another injury to that foot. Done as a Rocket player? Yep, at this point Fans have turned their back on him. It would be a mutual feeling if he left. Many Rocket fans, simply don't want the burden of not knowing when his next injury may come. I expect this to be his last year as a Rocket.
dont feel that his defense has diminished, it may appear that way because he has just come back after missing a year with no bball. i mean his blocks per game are solid.
So if you say he's "half done," you're arguing that he is absolutely useless on defense -- not merely somewhat compromised due to his still getting used to his new foot. Seriously? A 7'6" guy who's rebounding and blocking shots at the same rate he used to is now totally useless on defense? And which one of us is exaggerating?
I posted something like this in another thread when noobs where saying he's done, he has nothing left. Yao is far from done. People saying we need to get rid of him don't know. Good centers don't come around often. We need to keep him. He maybe shouldn't be the main guy on the team any more but he can be a big piece for us as a 2nd or maybe even the 3rd option with the right guys on the team.
Because stats are everything Anyone who has watched Yao this year knows he has lost a step. And Yao will never even come close to averaging 36MPG in a season. He can't even stay healthy playing 24 minutes a game and not playing on back to backs. You are insane if you think he can get back to his old self.
* This is the biggest asterisk since Roger Maris. If ifs and buts were candy and nuts Yao would be AWESOME!
Yao is an unfinished product. It is concievable that he can actually be better than ever before.He's shown flashes of his old self. he has looked great on offense at times. He seems to have more confidence than before his injury. True his mobility is not what it use to be... and true that has shown up on his defensive effort more than anywhere else. But even there he has shown gradual improvement before he went down. He is a giant who has never been fast but he has been faster than his current agility. There is no reason to believe he can't return to normal. There is no reason to believe his career is over. He just suffered a fluke injury that anyone could suffer. His foot has been x-rayed and is clearly healed and healthy. He will come back and continue to progress. If he breaks either foot again than I would write him off but not for an ankle bruise. Yes he is a slow healer and yes he will be the first to admit it takes alot to get him in game shape. he will also be the first to admit he still wasn't close to game shape before this last injury. So you can expect an after all star date before Yao is 100%. But barring injury there is no reason to think that can not happen. ANd I feel it will. And if we do get Yao back and we some how get the 8th seed we have a shot. We definitely need a trade for some athleticism. last year we were a below average athletic team. This year we are the worst. Losing Ariza made more difference than expected. I still think the trade might be okay because the one area I thought might be the easiest to improve would be the 3. But unfortunately until we do improve the 3 we suffer from the loss of Ariza. He gave an otherwise unathletic team a little athleticism. SO in my opinion we need a trade to really compete. We also need a shotblocker desperately on the current squad. Yao clogs the middle but 24 minutes doesn't cut it. We have the worst atheltic bigs. Even tonight showed Scola's defiencies in that area. He is depended on too much offensively and gives up too much defensively. It is why Landry was always in at the end of games. Hill looked good out there with Miller. I could see Yao and Hill finishing games if Hill can step up his defensive effort on a more consistent basis. Scola is desperately needed now for offense but he is just too deficient defensively for this current squad in spite of the fact he leaves his heart on the court. If we can make one trade to get a much more athletic 3 and Yao improves as I expect with could still be a force to be reckoned with. The problem is will it be too late.
What youre failing to acknowledge is that his "lost step" could only be lost temporarily. The sample size is too small to declare it as a fact that will stay that way. He's not in proper form, his timing, endurance, all that isnt there yet. It definitely affects how quickly someone can move, think, and react on the court. Not to mention his steps probably feel a little difference due to the change in his arch.
Good point. If Yao's defense turns out to be permanently compromised, then DM needs to adjust the roster accordingly.
What? Where does this come from? That's like saying Rockets fans turned their back on Sampson, or Hakeem in his argument with Patterson. That's just simply not true. Aside from Mad Max, who we actually just chose not to discuss, because it was bad karma to go against Rudy's advice that late in the season; there is only two. Aside from #33, who asked for it in the off-season, the only player the majority of Houston fans have turned their back on is TMac, and mainly because he wasn't so sincere and hardworking as Yao. And now you're telling us we are giving him the TMac treatment. Not even close. Yao is the Rockets. Still. How can you not root for him? Coming to the point of discussing trades involving him is one thing, but that is FAR from turning your back to him.
