I do think there is a connection between his minutes and his propensity for injuries. He played nearly a full regular season with his minutes were way down. In 06/07, he missed a big chunk of the year, but just preceding that injury he was playing big minutes in December because Tracy was out. Before the playoffs, I said it was quite possible Yao wouldn't last for a long playoff run, knowing that in this situation his minutes would inevitably go up. Yao has played at least 39 minutes in 5 of his last 6 games, which never happened in the regular season. Going forward, playoffs or not, he shouldn't be playing those minutes.
Then we can't use Yao the maximum for the playoffs? Isn't that a horrible limitation for a "franchise" player? So, he shouldn't be our focal point. We can't rely on him too much. We have to develop other plays that don't depend on Yao posting up. Re-evaluate Yao at the high post. This will conserve energy for rebounding/boxing out and defending.
Yao hinted this during the season that he needs to drop weight. Look all around the league and you will find athletic and agile twiners. Yao needs to drop a lot of muscle and he should be able to reduce injuries and bring back some of that quickness.
For the Rockets to take the next step as a team, they can't be relying so much on Yao for offense anyways. Any NBA team that is dependent on a center for offense will never be a really good offensive ball club. The rules just aren't conducive for that style.
There is no way we give Yao a max contract. This is not good news when the SAME foot gets injured. I hate to think this way but there is no way Yao Ming lasts in this league after he's 33 or 34.
Im not trying to take anything away from Mutombo but Adelman barely used Mutombo during the regular season (maybe to save him for the playoffs). All I'm saying is that for a team that relies so much from its star center who is injury-prone, you would think they would be willing to spend more on a backup center who can play 15-20 minutes per game. I really think we should sign someone like Chris Anderson for next season.
i blame the the chinese team needing yao to play, but hopefully next season yao could have a good summer rest and come back strong.
yep, meanwhile, just find a qualified backup C to limit yao's time and avoid the situation we faced right now. deke's done, yao just done, who'd play C? chuck?
The Rockets did have a pretty good backup in Dikembe Mutombo, and though he's old he had been fairly durable as a Rocket.
I guess i wasn't clear enough when I said Yao's childhood nutrition was a possible factor. Did I ever eliminate the option that his size wreaks havoc upon his joints? No. But if two identical yao's grew up, one with less calcium in his diet and thus weaker bones, I'm pretty sure we'd see a difference in the durability of the two players. Sure Yao is big, but so is Shaq, and shaq hasn't had as many fractures, if any at all, if my memory serves me right..
His body is not meant to take the pounding of an 82 game season and playoffs. Once you become injured you need to let the body rest and neither Yao, Rockets, and CBA will let that happen. I hope we don't give him max money
Such as.. ? Yao is our best player and needs to be on the floor, and believe it or not, there are a significant number of games where Yao hardly sees the floor due to foul trouble. Dream fought for position, big deal. Yao does get fouled a lot, especially on entry passes, but that doesn't break bones in his freaking feet and Aaron Brooks is a scoring PG... you want to blame someone for him not passing? Blame Adleman, who has Kyle Lowry sitting on the bench. OH stfu. Mutombo got injured a few weeks ago, what did you want Morey to do? Cook/Deke was a completely serviceable bench combo for Yao.
Steve Francis was a "franchise" player...sometimes a consenus on a player's value is more hopeful instead of realistic. Just need to develop a lineup that doesnt depend on Yao playing big minutes.
If Morey can get "insurance" for Landry getting Dorsey, and James White behind Wafer, why not do that for the face of the franchise? Mutombo and Cook was servicable the last 1/4 of the season, but what about the other 3/4 of the season?
