Who thinks this team is better w/out Yao?

i'm not sure about the "most of the season" part. but i know for sure a yao with a foot fracture torched tyson chandler with a 28/14 when covered 1-on-1.

and a few still insist we're better off w/o him, or suggest yao is nothing "great" but ft's. i'm angry, but meanwhile feel funny about this.

 

They might not be better, but they are more fun to watch. More fast break more movement etc. With yao it was throw into the post and just stand around. I think with this team a guy like amare would be a better fit. I think that is new wave of the NBA, with the current rules. I mean amare, gasol, dirk, boozer, west they can all run and have face up games. Duncan has won the last few years, but he has a good face up game.

 

Oh please, if you think Scola is not a good passer please check again, he made a couple of ginobili type passes yesterday, and about Scola not being able to post on bigger (and you forget slower) players, you don´t know, i do, Scola is a beast on one on one, he will score 8 out of 10 times.

Just check his back to the rim moves on video, he scores much more than he misses.

Maybe someone has some of the Argentina vs China games to check how scola posts up yao.

 

you memory might be still stuck with the jvg ball a little bit. starting from the 2ot game in denver, the rockets have not been playing jvg ball at all.

and "new wave of the nba"? what exactly are you referring to? fastbreaks? running and gunning? the suns (pre-shaq)? the gsw nellie ball? that's nothing new. seen 'em all before. man, other than the hand-check rules and the rid of illegal defense, there's nothing new in the 21st century in the nba. and the pace and winning formula in the playoffs still remains intact...

 

It happend in Dallas the first time we played them. That would be MOST OF THE SEASON. He was playing through the pain, but after a while the fracture can get much worse and more painful.





and thats the last time i'll bump this thread. I politely ask all the people have a brain, and know that we need a big man to stop bumping it as well.

 

There was the thought that Yao fractured his foot when he sprained his ankle in the Bucks game in early February due to the collision with Yi. But that report has been dismissed and the last report was that it was well before that and that Yao may have injured the foot as early as Nov. 6 against Dallas.

 

4th game of the season, really? While technically true that it is 'most of the season', I'd be willing to just say his whole season.

Meh, it isn't a bump if it is already at the top. But I love how you just asked for the last word

 

man, are you saying whoever post in this thread again have no brains? very mean...

 

This thread is silly.

The Rockets were 16-0 in their last 16 games with Yao, including beating the Warriors without McGrady and beating the Spurs with half-a-McGrady. During this span the team is 5-1 without Yao, with the five wins coming against bad teams and the loss coming against the only good team they've faced without the big fella: Utah. And somehow you reach the conclusion that we're better without Yao? And a few people actually agree?

Yes, they're playing a little faster without Yao. Did you ever consider why that is? Do you really think Deke is getting up and down the court faster than Yao could? Or even Landry (do you recall him ever finishing on the break)? Do you believe that Yao couldn't play a role like these guys play in the offense? No way. The Rockets are playing faster because when Yao is in the game, the coaching staff knows that their best option is to play through him, so the team waits for him to get position. They're playing faster only because it's their next-best option; nothing prevents them from playing like this when Yao is on the floor.

Finally, a few more things to consider:
- Yao carries this team at the beginning of every season. Tracy usually coasts through the All Star break.
- The Rockets had the 2nd most effective defense in the league with Yao, and have been one of the top defensive teams (interior defense especially) pretty much since he joined them. I find it funny that some posters in this thread have been deriding his defense. He's not a shot blocker like Deke, but he's a good positional help defender and good man defender against true bigs. Outside of Boozer, who regularly torches Yao? Anyone?
- Ironically, some of the same posters that deride Yao's defense are clamoring for a player like Gasol or Amare. Are you kidding? I'm not sure those guys even know what the word "defense" means. If you're just going to watch box scores, at least pay attention to what the opposing player does: for ever 25 point performance by Amare, you'll see the scrub he's guarding go off for 20+ too.
- Yao is the only player in the league that gets at least 20pts, 10rebs, 2blks, 2assts. His assist/turnover rate actually isn't bad at all for a center (notice that most centers with better rates never have to deal with double team pressure), and he gets a ton of "hockey assists" that don't show up in the box score.
- Yao is probably the most double-teamed player in the league (partly because it's easier to double a post player than a wing player, and partly due to his general offensive efficiency). If you can get the ball into Yao's hands, you're pretty much guaranteed either an open man (if he's doubled) or a very high percentage shot (if he's not).

I'm thrilled that we're winning without Yao. We're rolling right now and it doesn't seem to matter who is on the floor. It's a beautiful thing. Against the good teams, though, it's just ridiculous to think we're better without either of our two stars.

 

^^ man, very rarely do i agree every single point in a post, much less a long one. and this is your first post!

wanted to type something up like this, but was too lazy as usual. for this post alone, you should be the roy of this board.

 

I remember that there used to be a thread that said we were better without McGrady and now a thread that we are better without Yao. With that reasoning we should take both of them out and we will be UNSTOPPABLE.

 

You make it sound like post players who draw double teams that lead to open shots for their teammates on a consistent basis grow on trees. If everyone is doubled in the post then why doesn't every team just pound it into the post and play the inside-out game? Its a winning formula.

 

i'm glad the rockets are playing so well, but there could be one downside if we actually make some noise in the playoffs. for one, if we actually get past the first round and put up a good fight in the 2nd round, the Rockets may seriously consider trading Yao in the offseason. Only time will tell how good we can be.

 

Yao is untouchable for reasons that go beyond basketball. I'm confident (and happy) we'll never trade him.

 

Why would you trade the guy because the Rockets play well?

His absence is not the cause for the Rockets recent wins. The team did quite well with him in January and February. The fact that the whole team is finally doing what Adelman plans for them to do is what got the streat started. Back in December, the Rockets were not doing any better with Yao sitting, either.

 

Yao was sitting in December?

It's completely premature to make a statement like the Rockets are better off without Yao. But you have to admit, there are some things they do better without him. Yao is unique in that while he has strengths that can potentially make him impossible for opponents to contend with, he also has weaknesses that can be near impossible for the Rockets to mask. I think this requires special consideration, and it is why I hesitate to say that the Rockets are always better with him on the floor. Most of the time, I think they probably are. But there are certain matchups, and quite often these matchups occur at the end of games, where I'd prefer more quickness at the 4/5 rather than low post scoring and shot blocking.

 

IBM- Not that it means much, but I've seen as many rocket loses than u have seen games. My loyalty to the rox can't ever be discounted. Just because I'm a fan doesn't mean I can't give my opinion that people don't agree with about players.

If u read what I said is I said yao isn't a great player because he does nothing great. If u consider being a great free throw shooter something great, then Korver and steve kerr are great player.

Also using ur logic, yao was better than Shaq his 1st couple of yrs because he was voted to the all star game. Yao might be a 15 time all star and not make the hall of fame.

Look, we know that the guys that started following this team because of yao are a little sensitive. I know he is a basketball icon in china and is viewed as such. I watch yao every game and wonder why people call him great when he does nothing great.

I mean last yr he scored 25 - 10 in the playoffs vs utah. When u look deeper and u see 44% fg,4 to's per, and less than 1blk per game, how is that great, Did I mention 12 rebs combined in the last 2 games?

Yao is good 40 games,great 20 games and average to below avg 20 games if he plays 80 games.

Let me ask any guy that disagrees with me. Since yao has a history of injuries and most believe his minutes should be reduced to 30-32 mpg. In that time he avg 18ppg, 8..5rebs, 1.5blks, what is his value then? What kind of contract is that ming worth and can the rox win a title with that yao?

 

IBM,
Leebigez calls in as a regular to NBA RADIO on SIRIUS. he's always keeping it real for the Rockets on the national level. Just letting you guys know.

 

Yao didn't play 48 minutes a game. There were 10-12 minutes in which he sits each night. During these minutes, the Rockets were not exactly blowing out the other team as far as I could see.

There are some matchups in which a small lineup can be better than a big one-- although it isn't just a matter of which 5 guys you put out there, it's also a matter of how take advantage of them (see how they did in the last GS game vs in some previous ones).

However having Yao healthy does not and should not prevent Adelman from going small when it is appropriate (I think Yao was playing too many minutes prior to injury... we had enough decent big men to rest Yao more... I also think JVG probably should have used the small frontline of Juwan/Chuck more last season vs. Jazz).

Having Yao available shouldn't mean you don't consider all of your other options.