[Chron] 10/16/06 Time off weakens Yao's conditioning

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Time off weakens Yao's conditioning
Toe improving, but Rockets center not in game shape


By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

Yao Ming would have felt awful if his left big toe did not feel so good.

At this point, perhaps that is the way the Rockets would prefer it. He can rebuild his conditioning, but first he needed to bring his troublesome left big toe, now without the toenail that was removed a week ago, back on the court for Sunday's test drive.

After his first practice since last week's procedure forced him to sit out the week, Yao said he felt no pain in the toe.

But he said his conditioning fell off dramatically, changing the Rockets' focus to getting him back in shape.

"I think one week off took almost everything away from me," Yao said. "I'm not in good shape now after a week not running. I have to do more work after the team practice to get back in game shape. My foot, I feel good."

With that, Yao launched into an unsolicited testimonial for his basketball shoes. Sunday, he wore the model he wore throughout the offseason, as opposed to the tweaked version that had arrived last week.

Though no one asked about the shoe, he said again that he believed it had not caused the problem, even if he did not know what did.

"I was back in the shoes, the same shoes I used in the World games," Yao said. "I trained in the same shoes all summer long. Also the toe doctor told me it's not the shoes, it's something else.

"We'll try to figure it out. He doesn't think it's a shoes problem, he told me.

"I don't know (what caused the problem), but I feel good I can go back and play, no problem. The most important thing is I have no problem to go back and play now."

Still, Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy was not ready to rule out anything.

"I would say if you don't know what the reason is, you don't know what the reason isn't," he said. "I understand his predicament, certainly. I understand business-wise what he is saying, but without question, if you don't know what it is (causing) the problem, then you can't eliminate anything."

Yao had developed bleeding under the toenail in the Oct. 4 morning practice in Austin. The blood was drained and he practiced again that afternoon and the next day, before he was told to sit out the rest of the Austin training camp.

With the decision to remove the toenail, he went nine days between workouts.

Last season, similar problems with the toenail led to an infection and eventually surgery that cost him 21 games in December and January.

He has not shown any sign of an infection with this month's toenail problem, but when Van Gundy first was told of the condition, he saw similarities to the start of last season's problems.

He cited the delay in the delivery of Yao's newest shoes and lamented the efforts of Reebok representatives to say the shoes were not at fault without knowing what is, or how to prevent it.

"Initially the reaction was typical — it's not my fault, it's not the shoes," Van Gundy said. "I stand by what I said. I didn't say it to incite a reaction. I just said it because in my mind I was saying what is true.

"Last year Yao felt good about his toe situation before his situation became a situation. I don't feel as confident about Yao's situation as he would because I know what it developed into last year when everybody was saying the same happy talk they're talking right now.

"I think everyone has got to be diligent every day about monitoring that situation, hoping for the best, trying to prevent the worst."

But at least on the court, the goal shifted Sunday to getting Yao ready to play.

The Rockets have just five preseason games remaining, with a back-to-back beginning against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.

Asked if he expected to play Tuesday in Dallas, Yao said: "Yeah. Why not?"


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ROCKETS SUMMARY


By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle


Root canal for Wells
Rockets guard Bonzi Wells returned to practice Sunday. Whether he would be back today was unclear.

Wells was scheduled for a root canal procedure Sunday evening.

He said he had missed several practices this past week and Friday's preseason game in Little Rock because of tooth pain, headaches and dizziness associated with the problem. He also was unable to go through all of Sunday's practice because of lightheadedness related to the condition.

He said he hoped Sunday's procedure would be enough and that he could return to practice or games "in the next couple of days."

"I had a minor setback," Wells said. "I have a bad toothache. It's not a good week to be sitting out of practice.

"I felt OK (Sunday). Coach's practices are always tough so it's tough to get through them.

"Coach does an excellent job of letting me pick and choose my spots, and whenever I need a break, giving me enough break time to recover and still go at it hard."

Wells said the soreness in the groin muscle he tore last season that kept him out of most of the Rockets' practices in the first week of the preseason was gone.

"My body feels pretty good now," Wells said. "Now it's just from the neck up.

"After I get past that, hopefully I'll pull everything together and by the time the regular season starts, I'll be 100 percent."


No finishing kick
After a dominant first quarter led to a 21-point first-half lead against the Grizzlies on Tuesday, the Rockets had a dominant first half on their way to a 27-point first-half lead against the Hawks on Friday night.

They broke down in the second half, but the continued success of the starting unit was considered progress.

"I thought early in the first half we did a great job of coming out with great intensity offensively and defensively," Rockets forward Tracy McGrady said. "What I liked best is we really shared the ball, moved the ball, got great shots. We had some careless turnovers in the first half.

"With an athletic team like that, those guys are quick and fast and very athletic, I thought we did a great job of being on the boards.

"We didn't let them come over our backs and getting a lot of second shots in the first half (outrebounding Atlanta, 25-11, in the first half.) I thought we really did a great job on both ends in the first half."