Chronic: Meet the newest Rocket -- the crowd gets larger.

http://blogs.chron.com/franblinebury/2007/10/meet_the_newest_rocket_the_cro.html

As if the practice courts inside the Cooley Pavilion at the University of Texas weren't already crowded enough, the Rockets brought another player into the training camp mix on Friday morning.

Tracy McGrady, for one, was ecstatic about the latest acquisition.

"He's a free agent that we picked up," said T-Mac, grinning ear-to-ear, after working out with the new arrival. "He played over in Shanghai. I was scouting over there this summer and I told the organization about him and, man, here he is. He showed up.

"Very cheap. We got him very cheap. He's very big, 7-6, got a lot of talent. Can run the floor for a big guy. Very fast. Very fast."

That's about as long as McGrady could hold a straight face in sizing up the new guy -- Yao Ming.

"It's good to have him back," T-Mac said. "He obviously knows the offense. We were making calls and he didn't ask any questions while we were going through it. So I guess he's been studying.

"He's in shape. Being married, he looks a little slimmer. So I wonder if that's stress. But seriously, he looks real good. He's getting up and down the court. He's in great shape."

* * *
For all those who are staying up nights worrying, fretting and climbing the walls, you can calm down and lower the dosage on your medication. Rick Adelman's plan is not to reduce Yao's effectiveness in the low post.

"No, no, no, that's the last thing you want to do," Adelman said. "You can't give that up.

"What I don't want to do is have him play 36 minutes where he just gets pounded the whole time coming down the court. Go into that low post and you get hit, get hit, get hit.

"The guy is just an unbelievable shooter. So why not try to get a little bit of variety into what he is doing? I think he's ready for that.

"I've said all along that Jeff did the right thing with him. Any young player, you've got to give him an identity first. Making him a post-up player, developing him into a really good post-up player. Now, after four years, he can start expanding and doing other things. That's what I'm hoping he can do. It's not gonna be constant post-up, post-up. He can mix in some other things. But the primary concern is getting him down in the post."

* * *

The new guy himself is relieved to finally be back in Texas, preparing for the new season.

"It's a long trip, obviously, to fly back to Houston," Yao said. "Now everything is done and I just need to focus on training camp and learning the new system.

"This morning we ran a lot of our plays and I think it's pretty simple. I just need to take time getting used to it and to play with my teammates and know all of the chances we can have in the new system.

"In the new system, everyone will get a chance to take care of the ball, creating plays. I think that's a lot of pressure on Tracy and me. I believe it will speed up our team....We'll play much faster and that will be a big challenge for my conditioning."

Yao is feeling the effects of a minor cold that began in China, but said he should be over it and at full strength in a few days.

Yao is very receptive to Rick Adelman's offense and the potential for getting scoring chances in different ways than just setting up in the low post.

"A lot of cuts, a lot of off-ball movement," he said. "A lot of outside shooting. Not 3-point shots. The middle range. Particularly, I like those off-ball cuts. That can make some easy baskets or open the perimeter shooting."

Yao then proceeded to go into his own stand-up comedy routine:

Question: Your first impressions of Rick Adelman?

Yao: "After Jeff Van Gundy, his voice is much lower. That's another big challenge for my ear. Everybody knows I have a bad ear. So I need to stay closer to Coach."

Question: Are you ready for your first season as a married man?

Yao: "Yeah, I'm off the market already."

Question: What's it like having Steve back out there with you?

Yao: Steve Novak?

* * *

Being reunited with Steve Francis is an added joy this season for Yao.

"It's great," Yao said. "I still remember my first two years here and he took care of me as a new guy who came to the United States. He's a very funny dude and everybody knows he has a tough heart."

* * *
Chuck Hayes shook off a bruise to the top of his left foot and was back on the floor Friday morning. He also stayed on the floor late, working on his free throw shooting. His form has changed slightly. He's standing more upright rather than leaning across the foul line. But he's still got that hitch at the top.

"He's shooting them pretty good in practice," said Adelman. "The next thing is to get that to carry into the games."

A career .627 free throw shooter, Hayes has been working with director of player development Kenny Atkinson.

"He's helping me trust my legs," Hayes said. "Over the summer, he had me shooting with just one hand. Now I've got my other hand on the side of the ball.

"It's all about making it a repetitive thing. And I have to work on running up and down the court, getting banged and being tired and then go and make them, like I'll have to do in games."