[Chronic] Yao and Howard together again. The big showdown? Not yet.

Pretty good piece by Feigan about the progression of Yao. Also an update on Dampier and the 15th roster spot...


link:
http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2010/10/yao_and_howard_together_again.html

 

Yao and Howard together again. The big showdown? Not yet.

Of all the oddities and challenges of the Rockets preseason schedule, starting Yao Ming's comeback against Dwight Howard is probably the least significant.

A preseason that has gone from Houston to Austin to Hidalgo, will squeeze three games into four days in Toyota Center before moving on to Beijing and Guangzhou. (Even typing that sentence was draining.) That schedule is daunting enough, it does not need the details of preseason matchups.

Yao does not need the test, not yet. Eventually, he will be ready to measure his progress against Howard. Yao has been phenomenal against him, and always has been his best against the NBA's biggest big men. But so far, Yao is a long way from being the player he was or will be again.

For Yao and the Rockets, the issue is not as much about how he is playing but how he is progressing. That's why a game — or a small slice of a game — against Howard is not an important test yet.

For now, every day is a test and a step toward returning to normal, or at least 24 minutes a night of normal.

Since the first training camp process, the Rockets have alternately raved about Yao's progress and dampened expectations. In watching him Saturday in Austin, I can understand why.

He looks good. The skills are still there, and still unique among players with such rare size. Yao can still drain turnaround jumpers or finish low post moves with remarkable ease. There are still moments that can only come from a player 7-6.

He also looks like a guy that was out for 16 months. His reaction time is late. His timing is off. It actually reminded me of his rookie year when he needed to catch up to NBA speed, but the potential and talent was obvious. The moves might be more well-honed now, but in some ways, it is as if he is starting over, with similar promise.

"I think his reactions, his timing is the biggest problem he has," Rick Adelman said last week. "He's kind of a step behind everything. When he gets the ball, he knows what to do with it. Defensively, rebounding, it's just not there yet. It's just going to take time. There's going to be days he looks better, other days he's not going to look so good. You have to expect that.

"I think he's better (than when camp started). When he gets the ball, the timing is a lot better than it was before. You can't expect a lot defensively. I want to see when he starts getting used to going after the ball on the defensive boards, his timing picks up there. Right now, he's a step behind and someone a little quicker gets his hands on it before he goes and gets it. That I think will come."

That is the point; it will come eventually. It's not there yet. If Yao hits a few shots on Howard, it might seem that he is further along than he is. If Howard dominates the way Yao had dominated him, it might seem that Yao has further to go than he does. None of that matters now. It's about progress.

Amid the other details of camp, that has probably been the most significant, no matter what happens Tuesday in Hidalgo. Yao is making steady progress.

"All I'm looking for now," he said, "is 'Is today better than yesterday?'"


• • •
Erick Dampier won't be banging Dwight Howard at all on Tuesday.

Dampier is still weighing his options, which might seem strange for a player that will have to earn playing time. But it might make sense. Dampier can understandably feel no rush to grab a spot on a Houston roster in which he likely would be third team or in Toronto where he would be on a rebuilding team and a long, long way from home.

He could be tempted to see what comes around. An injury here or there might bring an opportunity to join a contender or play a larger role.

The Rockets would still welcome him, but they are also becoming more ambivalent about committing their last roster spot. Jordan Hill has looked good, much better than he did at summer league, and Ish Smith has made a strong case for their 15th roster spot. They will not be happy to cut him and lose him.

For now, however, Dampier could take that job any time he is ready. While Yao Ming works his long way back and Brad Miller waits for the swelling to go down so he can get to work, the motivation to add a third center is still there. So far, Dampier just can't seem to cast himself in the role.

 

This. Thank you...