-----Original Message----- From: Me To: Del Harris Date: Thu, 03 Jun 2004 08:15:36 +0000 Subject: Re: e-mail interviews Thanks a lot, I will do my best to make this as fast as possible. All the members at clutchcity.net are very grateful. The questions: - As Rockets fans, we're concerned about Yao's health and little time to rest; can you talk about if and how you will deal with this? - What specific parts of Yao's game will you and your staff focus on? Individually in practice and his role on the team in the games. - Have Rocket management had any input in how you use Yao? Yours sincerely, Dan Malberg and all the members of clutchcity.net ---------------------------------------------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: Del Harris To: Me Date: Thu, 03 Jun 2004 12:09:49 Subject: Re: e-mail interviews As you may know, Yao's obligation to his home country is separate from that to the Rockets. He is in the United States through the grace of China. As for rest for Yao, he played his last Rocket game about the 25th of May. His first practice with the China team will be the 20th of June. A person of 24 should be able to recover from major surgery in that period of time. In fact the Rockets asked for a month for him and Jeff thought that too much time off would not be good for him. We really will not have time to make much of a difference in his game, so we will try to utilize him in both the high and low post the best way we can. We play so many games after he starts that there is not a great deal of specific practice time.He will have 13 days in Dallas, but we have 4 or 5 games. Then we go to China, arriving on the evening of the 6th. We will have lite workouts on the 7th and 8th and then play 6 games in 9 or 10 days in 2 tournaments. Then we will have a short time and go to Belgrade for a tournament and to Lithuania for some workouts and games before moving on over to Athens. The Rockets are just happy that he now has an NBA coach working with him who will put him through an NBA practice instead of the 6-8 hour practice days that he has had before with the Chinese National team. The long workouts did nothing for his conditioning nor his intensity and now that they have him playing at the NBA level of intensity, they don't want him to go back to the slow pace required by marathon practices. ---------------------------------
Awesome. Trader Dan, you're the man. Thanks. Admins, can this be made a sticky? (Assuming of course Trader Dan isn't pulling a fast one.)
That some great stuff. Thanks a million Trader Dan!!! While I'm thrilled that Yao has a veteran NBA coach helping him along and protecting him, I am still deeply concerned that he does not have time to work on his own games like other NBA players. And he still seems to be playing a little too much
Great stuff! Man I am so happy Del is the coach of the Chinese team. I think that will GREATLY help Yao in the offseason! If we cant get Yao to participate in Houston in the offseason then having Del coach him in an NBA style practices are the next best thing.
TD, I'd point out that in your correspondence, you're still using clutchcity.net even though the site is now clutchfans.net. Otherwise, good work.
That's some great journalism you have going on there. If/when you email Del Harris again, be sure to genuinely thank him for taking time out to offer his insider insight to a bunch of internet fans. 'Cause we really appreciate it!
Ism't it amazing that the head coach of a NT would actually take time to answer emails from a fan? Del Harris is too nice. Hat's off to Trader Dan too.
Thank you, Dan for the work. Can you ask Del Harris: 1. Does Harris need to report to the Chinese sports bureacracy? Or does he have freedom to run the team to his liking? 2. Will the Chinese national team be supplied with enough food and equipments? (I heard Yao have to mail a NBA knee pad or something to his friend in China) 3. Does Harris think he'll play Yao extensive minute in Athen for his team to have a chance to win or is other guys capable to step up and not just rely on Yao (so the defense can gear to triple team Yao) Does he have a strategy (X and O wise) to better utilize Yao in fronting and triple team situations?
Is you coaching the chinese national team a way the mavericks are trying to attract yao during free agency.
Thanks everybody. He seems like a great guy. I’ll make sure to thank him a lot. About the clutchCITY.net-thing, it was a mistake we noticed after the first e-mail but I left it like that intentionally so he wouldn’t think something weird was going on… you never know It’s great to see you thinking about some new questions for the next interview. I’m sure some topics also will emerge as the week goes by. I’m thinking Thursday as the dead line. Couple of suggestions: - Do you feel there are parts of Yao’s game that we haven’t really seen as fans but that will emerge in the upcoming seasons? - You mentioned in the previous mail that you will use him in the high post some, is that something you feel should be the case for the Rockets? TD
Do the Rockets want Yao to continue bulking up? What weight do they want to see Yao level off at? What type of offensive and defensive sets do you expect to run with the Chinese squad?
Personally, I think you might wanna hold off on asking him more questions until he & Yao actually get together (in Dallas). Otherwise, you might just be pestering. Although, you COULD ask if he's spoken with Yao about his expectations of Yao's role on the Chinese National Team and that kinda stuff.
Great work, Trader Dan! I am enjoying the Q&A sessions immensely. You deserve some sort of award for this.
Kudos to Trader Dan for this great initiative. Kudos to the power of two to Del Harris for taking out time to feed us with such precious information. He is indeed one who loves to serve. PS. Watch Jonathan Feigen or some other Chronicle Journalist come by to lift some of this "sweet juice".
