im not sure why some fans think yao had foot replacement surgery or something...he doesnt necessarily have to slow down. Let's remember Big Z had the same procedure and he came back strong. first we need to make sure he can run on it again without complications, one he is doing that it's likely he wont have any long term issue because of the procedure.....after that the question is, did the realignment done solve the issue he has with stress fractures? If it did he should be ok like Big Z. If it didnt, then he'll be the yao of old, likely to crack by season's end. nothing is certain right now, they have to wait it out.
Nice rebuttal, This question has been going in the GARM for a while.... And Yao is NOT the best center of the league..
When we get Yao back... I think the AB/Yao pick and roll will be a force to be reckoned with. Should AB take it to the rack(most of the time NO!!), stop and pop, or dish out to Yao for a jumper? This already runs great with Scola but his jumper has been sort of off lately. Just wait until we get to do this with Yao again and an improved Brooks/Lowry. Yao can hit that jumper consistently all day. At least probably 92 out of 100 times.
Well if and when Yao can play again... He can then prove that he's the best center in the league... But at this point he's not... and for this current team DH is a better fit than Yao.
I think Yao will be back, but not sure how far back...I expect him to play a lot less, about 20-24 minutes a game..... DD
How easily the fickle forget. With Yao's work ethic and skill set, he'll be a powerhouse in this league again.
seriously, did the poster of this thread watch any games even last year. If this Yao is healthy(and that's a big if) he is the best center int he league. One can make a argument for D'wight but when they go head to head Yao always plays better. I just can't wait until next year to shut these haters up.
I pointed out his weakness: aggressiveness and mobility. Sitting out a year after surgery on a foot broken with a giant boot on are going to compound his weak points.
I think that the problem is that guys really have to get after it and crash the boards on offense in order to score as much as they do since they're not scoring at such an efficient clip. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that Morey has said that the offense isn't good enough. Besides, come on, we all know that the team as is isn't good enough to content regardless of how much we like them. His offense is a game-changer if he can get back to form, which remains to be seen, since he's such an excellent post player. In short, he should help the team be much better in terms of offensive efficiency, thereby creating a situation where our other guys can prosper (looking at Ariza).
He won't play enough though. I have never seen a team with their best player playing under 30 minutes a game win a championship...
You point out nothing that's never been argued before. And we've beaten both of those points to death in countless number of threads--back and forth, with not clear conclusion. So don't try to sum up the whole debate with two premature assumptions. You're just a hater, admit it and get on with your pathetic life.
I hope Yao comes back fine next season but I have a feeling it could be a longer wait than many might expect. Rockets need a lot more help than just getting Yao back they still have no shooting guard and outside of Yao have no real height to speak of. With Yao they could be a mid to low seed in the playoffs though.
Just lower his minutes for the regular season. Post season is a different story. We just need to follow the Spurs and Tim Duncan model during their championship years.
You yourself said that he's not a mobile player, so what would slowing down a step mean for him?? His shooting touch will never go away, nor will his size. I can't believe you would wait to start this thread after the Rockets have gone on a decline due to their obvious lack of size, and a go-to player. It's unfathomable actually.
I MISS Yao. And the thing I appreciate about him is that we know he's doing whatever he can do get back into game shape. I really hope he can come back strong, and I expect him to. He's a trooper.
A recovering Yao would still be one of our best players on this team. I'm just more hesistant for the extension/max money talks that will be in force next season.
