JOANNE C. GERSTNER, Off the Dribble Blog, 4/20/11, http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/20/yaos-uncertain-future/
I am certain that Yao should not return too. At least to the Rockets. He may find a good role as a limited minutes player for a Championship type team like Shaq for the rest of his career now.
You can also dream about the lottery. That's also nice. Dude played a grand total of 5 games in the last 2 seasons and people are mentioning his name and playoffs together.
According to my physics teacher, a person of Yao Ming's size has too much torque on his body for his ankles to handle, therefore preventing him from efficiently playing once injured. I would still like him to play though.
Just sign him for 2 years and see how it falls. It's not like we're winning anything next year. Worst case scenario is best for our future through tanking. Best case scenario, we make the 8th seed or finish one game better than this season and get to see a recovering Yao on the floor again. Championship window is all but shut. Let's just enjoy what our youngin's + a recovering Yao can do.
im glad that yao wants to stay here although i do think he wont see much court time on any team. i say sign him for less money for the next couple of years and let him continue to rehabilitate. Its not like we're going to be in the playoffs anytime soon. there is a part of me that says "we're rebuilding, so yao has to go" but i dont want to see him rotting away on some crappy team somewhere. hes given alot to our franchise and if he wants to play again, i want it to be with the rockets. LMB
I love Yao (not in a gay way), but we need to look past him, obviously. A large part of us were banking on his return last season, which didn't happen. I dont think it will ever happen. We just have to plan our future without him and if by some grace of God he returns AND can play more than 20mpg, we can then start a strategy w him.
]I am certain that Yao WILL return. I remain slightly unsure if he should return. However, I am greatly uncertain if he can last when he returns.
If I had to put money on any individual athlete having the drive and will to return, it would be Yao. Yao should return.
Shaq weighed alot more than Yao and could pull off 360 dunks in his day. Shaq is a genetic freak of nature with both crazy size/power and athleticism that you will encounter once every <insert big number> years.
Yao needs to sit out next season and fully heal and then show us he is ready. this half year junk rehab is not going heal him enough. to play at a consistent level.
thats what im concerned about too. if we're going to resign him, i say 2 years and very little money. after so many seasons ended due to injury hes no longer the player he was and i think if he rushes into it, he could end up injuring himself again and put us in this same position next year, and the year after. LMB
Oh I think that the Return of Yao is going to be great. The only way the return of Yao hinders the team, is if he goes all out for the money. No way he should get massive mula "money". I think it should be more of a 1 year trial. See how he can come back. Let's not get perturbed here, there have been several players who've been derailed by injury for 4 or 5 years, and they come back successfully. Yao is a smart player with a high IQ; a healthy Yao WILL help the Rockets in whatever manner he comes, be it a backup or a 25 minute starter. If he passes the season with flying colors, then give him a contract based on his performance. But I hope that Yao understands the situation and doesn't hold the Rockets hostage.
