Sorry to open a new thread. China just announced the schedule of the coming Asian Basketball Championships. Time: 09.23-10.03 Place: Haerbin,China http://sports.sina.com.cn/bsgb/2003-07-10/1742496388.shtml
So our season ended last April. Yao began training, what, about 4-6 weeks after?? I am assuming he is still training and will do so until late Sept-early Oct and play tilll the end of the Asian Championships. Then, he flys over and dives into training camp for us. Yao is going to get burned out again.
Most basketball players play year round in some form or fassion. Westside, summer leagues, etc. Just because Yao is doing it in China in a more formal setting doesn't mean he'll keal over and die. I'd rather him be over there than learning how to take 20 seconds off the shotclock dribbling like Mooch is probably doing right now with some scrubs in a Philly pickup game.
????????????? You'd rather him wasting time on playing with college level players? You know what, Yao is going to re-learn all his BAD habits. Next season, Rox coaches have to teach him good habits again.
Hell and death. Anyone who thinks this isn't a big deal need only remember the last part of last season. The man is only human. He will no doubt play very well... much better than last year, one would assume, but the NBA's schedule is brutal. He will wear down when we will need him to be turning it up during the stretch run for the playoffs and he is , imo, in grave danger of having his career shortened. The man is 7'5" and at least 300 lbs. He's not a 6'4" guard, like Cat, who is been having his own problems with playing too many minutes and doing too much during the offseason. Big men are far more likely to break down. I'm deeply troubled.
What a f-cking joke. He is bigger than the Asian games. They should move them for him. This is a f-king disaster. The people at Chinese basketball are hurting Yao's development, and hence hurting Chinese basketball. Is Stu Jackson running that organization too?
I second the request to show the schedule in English, please. True, but the NBA mandates that no Summer League can play beyond Sept 1st, and no NBA sanctioned events of any kind can occur after Sept 15th. There's a reason for that. I would rather he not miss day one at Training Camp. Camp is only 2 weeks, then they start getting into game\travel schedules...as the preseason games start and last for 2 weeks or so. Every day of camp includes system training. You don't want to miss any of those as a young player, especially with a new coach/system. Look at it this way, not only would Yao miss the training himself, but (as important) Franciswould miss training WITH Yao. codell, I don't think it means he'll get tired out necessarily. Yao said he prefers being home to rest. He missed Shanghai. Plus, he is actually on a training regimen given to him by the Rockets. The NT probably only gets on the court for 2hrs a day, or so, and that's not necessarily full out scimmages, either. Francis says the John Lucas runs Westside scrimmages for like 2 or 3hrs, tops; the rest is working out. He needs that training schedule, and would be doing it here.
Looking at the original post again is THIS the correct date? 9/23/03-10/3/03 Last seasons first preseason game was 10/8. That's cutting it pretty close with only a couple of days practice before the first game...that's assuming he leaves China immediately after his last game there.
I agree missing training camp is a major issue, but I don't agree that the PT over the summer is wearing him down. Especially if he's just playing against weak scrubs as most people on here believe.