You should consider watching some basketball before posting. I said weak conference due to the fact that he kept using Dwight getting to the finals as a reason he is better than Yao. There is no way we could have beaten the Cavaliers last year? Orlando's perimeter defense, dominance in the paint and 3-point shooting gave the Cavaliers a matchup nightmare. Our team did have those tools last year. But no need to speculate. Also keep in mind, you take out Turkoglu OR Lewis, Orlando does not make it to the finals. They were key in the postseason last year. If Yao gets healthy, this team is capable of winning a ring. Brooks/Martin would be the greatest perimeter players they have ever surrounded around him, along with Sola/Ariza and a strong bench, this team can hang with the best of them. Adding Yao improves one of the worst defenses to one of the best while improving our post game and rebounding. Literally all the areas we are currently very weak in, Yao in the lineup could make us strong in. To say this roster is not built to contend is complete bullcrap. Maybe you should start following the Rockets instead of sounding like Jordan Schultz.
First of all, your whole theory is based on the glimpse of hope that "IF YAO GETS HEALTHY". The fact is, he will never be healthy long enough to have a team build around him. I am talking about playing every single game including the playoff for 3 to 5 seasons, consecutively. Yes, complementing Yao with perimeter players sounds good on paper, but how did our little experiment with Tracy and Yao turn out? Not to mention Martin also has his little history of injuries. Yao will definitely improve out post game and rebounding, but basketball isn't math. You don't add players together and get this magical team. If that is true, all the Suns have to do is replace Frye with Yao, and they will become this magical team that is good at both offense and defense. My point is, you also have to account for the downside of adding Yao. And no, the roster is not build to contend. To be considered a contender, you not only have to be an elite team but also have to be healthy enough to play through the whole 82 season while maintaining the energy you had at the beginning of the season. We will definitely be an elite team when Yao comes back next year, but we won't be considered a contender because Yao will most likely be out with injury again when playoff comes around. This also the reason why I don't consider the Celtics a contender next year.
I realize given the track record, the probability of Yao being healthy throughout the entire season and playoffs is not great. I am not going to say for sure he will break down, I cannot tell the future. I guess we will have to see. If Yao can stay healthy throughout the season and playoffs, we both agree that this team will be elite. Time will tell. As of right now, the difference between mediocre and elite hinges on this. And I doubt it is going to change in the immediate future. I am not going to say the team is built around Yao but I will say that Yao is a very key piece on this current roster and they cannot contend without him (and there are not many players in the league who can bring what he brings. Dwight probably can but we are not getting him. Not sold that Bosh is capable of anchoring a defense based on the nothing he has accomplished in Toronto). As for the Tracy/Yao experiment, the supporting cast around Yao/Tracy (during Tracy's best years) is not as great as the supporting cast around Yao/Martin/Brooks is. It is certainly not comparable to what Dwight has in Orlando.
lol no way would the rockets trade Yao away... RoCkets have soo many business opportunities with chinese companies/markets etc...and the billions of chinese for support. Alexander probably told Morey that he could trade anyone BUT YAO. but anyways i liked Yao more than Bosh...hes not a legit center(and we have legit PF: Scola) he will get bullied around by bynum, hayward, damiper, oden etc...the big centers.
Well what do you know, here is a post that Mr Rockets Forever so ignorantly overlooked. It is really quite sad that someone can come up with so many excuses. Even though I don't feel the need to have to prove the obvious, i saw it in someone's quote and just shook my head.
You are right, only time can tell what will happen. However, given Yao's history, I would rather trade him now when he is still very valuable for someone we can build around for years to come. By the time we realize he is done, we won't be able to get anything out of him. I am not saying we have to get Bosh, but a younger more promising star would be nice. What really ticks me off is when people say we can't trade Yao because of his marketing value. Since when did Rockets fans become Les's financial advisors? I have no problem with Yao. He is a great player and a great individual. But if we can trade him for a better asset, I say do it.
Beaner, learn to read. He said the team wouldn't trade him. He didn't say the team shouldn't trade him. I know it takes at least a 3rd grader to be able to comprehend the difference between the meaning of the two. I am now convinced that you just do not possess the intellectual ability to tell the difference. Maybe he was dumb to hold the belief that the team would put financial consideration in the higher priority. I am not even arguing whether he was right or not to think in that way. My problem is your lame attempt to make it out like he wishes the team not to trade Yao because of financial consideration. And then you tried to paint the picture that all Yao's fans have the same priority. You showed your true color there. That's why I said either you are really this dumb or you are just a liar to promote your own agenda.
Howard is just as impactful as Yao on both ends of the floor, if not more. Advantage to Howard because he's not as injury prone. But, Yao for Bosh is a whole different story. Bosh is a paper tiger, someone who puts up big empty stats but doesn't make his team better. Just look at Turkoglu, all star in Orlando but an average/mediocore player in Toronto. Howard made Turkoglu better, while Bosh didn't. If Bosh was as good as Yao, the Raps would've made the playoffs almost every year in that weak conference. BUT HE'S NOT. Yao and Howard both made Rafer Alston better. Thanks to both of them, Alston career lasted 2.5x longer than it should, most of it thanks to Yao since Alston was only with the Magic last year. Notice how he sucked bad on the Nets and Heat, two teams without commanding big men. Oh yeah, he was also on the Raptors with Bosh once, they missed the playoffs, hmm... Dwight Howard has also made Nelson better, while Yao has made scrubs such as Luther Head a starter at one point. With Morey surrounding Yao with good players instead of scrubs this time around, we're going to see a very good team next season. In conclusion, Dwight >= Yao >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Bosh.
YOFs have own agenda to make money for Les? Logic is not your forte i guess. Why would YOF be against the trade? Because the evil commie Chinese government forbid Chinese fans to watch games played in Canada? Can some of the bright minds explain that to me?
I do not know about all that financial stuff. The Rockets value has remained near constant since the addition of Yao Ming. In China, the highest selling jerseys are Kobe/LeBron/TMac/Iverson (in no order) so clearly the Chinese fans are watching more than just the Rockets. Yao might be a good addition for a small market team with low attendance but I do not think he has changed much for the Rockets. Given the lack of bigmen in the world today. There are not that many bigmen in the NBA who can give you Yao's impact. Orlando will never trade Dwight for Yao. New Jersey will never trade Brook Lopez. DeMarcus Cousins? He has the potential but right now it is just that. I doubt the team that drafts him would trade him. Aside from that, there are no bigmen in the league worth Yao. Any trade involving Yao would be a major downgrade.
Toronto would do that in a heartbeat. Houston would not. When healthy, Yao is the better team player. When not, he's the better cash cow.
