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Chronicle: Definitive answer on the 53/38 pick debate, and more Yao-za info

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by NIKEstrad, May 26, 2002.

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  1. NIKEstrad

    NIKEstrad Member

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    Chronicle

    Yao Mania has Rockets back on map
    By JOHNATHAN FEIGEN
    Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
    Let the Rockets have their fun. After their dreary season, they were entitled to enjoy Yao Ming week. The buzz was about them again, and as loony as it might have seemed to general manager Carroll Dawson and his staff, the rest of the organization loved the spotlight.

    But the time will come -- and probably faster than they would like -- when they will have to look past the courtship, wedding day and honeymoon and consider the marriage.

    Yao Mania has been an unexpected and welcome diversion. The Rockets have enjoyed the ride so much that on Friday, chief operating officer George Postolos called a staff meeting to talk about their windfall. While careful not to declare Yao the team's one and only, the mood was decidedly triumphant.

    The Rockets grew accustomed to their mid-'90s most-favored-nation status. They were crestfallen when they fell from beloved to barely noticed. Then last Sunday, the switch was flipped back on. They could not help but enjoy becoming the show again.

    But over in the Westside Tennis Club offices, Dawson will have to sort his way through the hard realities. If choosing Yao were only a basketball decision, it would be just about made by now.

    But there is also a need to make sure the Rockets have not struck fool's gold. From the outside, iron pyrite looks enough like the real thing for Rockets officials to do the Walter Huston, Treasure of Sierra Madre dance while singing "It had to be Yao."

    But scratch the surface of fool's gold and it's a fraud.

    The Rockets have only begun to scratch.

    But the noise from the Shanghai Sharks has to be taken in context. The Chinese government and the China Basketball Association want Yao to go first and want Yao to succeed on the NBA's stage.

    It is clear they will not entirely give up the right to call Yao home for any reason at any time. Yao will spend this summer training for the Aug. 22 to Sept. 9 World Championships in Indianapolis. He will play in the Asian Games in South Korea from Sept. 29 to Oct. 14, keeping him from training camp and much of the preseason.

    Those absences are not nearly as troublesome as the potential for other sabbaticals. The Rockets won't know if they will have Yao around the morning after the next "axis of evil" speech, spy plane incident or bad Tonight Show joke.

    But those are questions that cannot be answered. For now, the Rockets will spend the next four weeks working to make Chinese officials confident they can be the ideal keepers of their precious loaner. Then they will seek his official letter of clearance and whatever assurances they can get about when they will have his services and when they won't.

    There will be all sorts of wild demands and declarations. The more tempting trade offers won't come in until after the Chicago predraft camp ends June 7. But if the Rockets get enough questions answered -- and don't be surprised if Dawson spends time in Shanghai -- they will pick Yao and never look back.

    Around the league


    Picked off
    -- The Rockets will have the 38th pick of the draft, unless they don't.
    Up to seven days before the draft, the Rockets can switch second-round picks with Miami, taking the 38th pick and sending the 53rd pick to the Heat as part of the Hakeem Olajuwon sign-and-trade deal with Toronto. The only reason to wait is to allow the Heat time to consider rewarding the Rockets for staying where they are.

    But the pick is a touch better than it sounds. If the Rockets claim the 38th pick of the draft, the player they choose will be the 37th taken.

    For what it's worth, the NBA will call the first pick in the second round the No. 30 pick overall. It is not. It is the No. 29 pick. Because Minnesota was stripped of its first-round choice after of its secret Joe Smith deal, the draft will jump from pick No. 28 (Sacramento) to No. 30 (Chicago).

    Nothing too exciting on the Yao front.

    But, Feigen at least cleared the 2nd rounder question...I doubt Miami goes to great lengths just to keep the #38 instead of #53.
     
    #1 NIKEstrad, May 26, 2002
    Last edited: May 25, 2002
  2. heypartner

    heypartner Member

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    I'd like to ask (more politely this time). Please do not post a Chronicle article the night before print with a thread title that tells the story beyond the true title of the article.

    think, spoiler!!

    Some wacko's like me like to read the morning paper as a ritual, without knowing the punch line to all the comics....

    thank you...please drive through.
     
    #2 heypartner, May 26, 2002
  3. Htownhero

    Htownhero Member

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    Screw that, post it as soon as you got it.
     
    #3 Htownhero, May 26, 2002
  4. NIKEstrad

    NIKEstrad Member

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    sorry heypee-forgot about that.

    It'll just be like you're having deja vu.
     
    #4 NIKEstrad, May 26, 2002
  5. heypartner

    heypartner Member

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    Post it is fine, just please use the title that the journalist used.
     
    #5 heypartner, May 26, 2002
  6. giddyup

    giddyup Member

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    Unless you have precognition, that won't help. How about a "From the Chron" lead in for each thread?
     
    #6 giddyup, May 26, 2002
  7. Clutch

    Clutch Administrator
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    NIKE - heypartner has no say here on the BBS as for what can and can not be posted. He can not tell people what to do and I don't want the BBS to cater to his morning waffles read. Please post away.
     
    #7 Clutch, May 26, 2002
  8. glynch

    glynch Member

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    Heypartner, I'm with you, but tell me the truth. Aren't you gradually becoming able to adapt to having the punchline revealed ahead of time? Even old dogs can learn new tricks.

    I have just read it online, first, but I can get nearly the buzz rereading it again in the Chronicle with my cup of coffee, lunch or whatever.

    Especially when it seems to be telling me things are going Yao.:)

    BTW a cryptic article worthy of Doc Rocket.

    If choosing Yao were only a basketball decision, it would be just about made by now.

    This is puzzling. Is the decision really that easy from a purely bb context?

    There will be all sorts of wild demands and declarations. The more tempting trade offers won't come in until after the Chicago predraft camp ends June 7.

    So how can the decision be already made if it was "only a basketball decision"

    But if the Rockets get enough questions answered -- and don't be surprised if Dawson spends time in Shanghai -- they will pick Yao and never look back.

    Looks like the reporter is predicting Yao.:)
     
    #8 glynch, May 26, 2002
  9. heypartner

    heypartner Member

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    back to topic, the reference to the "spy plane" is interesting given that Wang signed his first contract 2 days after that incident and while our pilots were being held hostage. He was on a plane to Dallas to play his first NBA game while that drama was still unfolding.

    as for bossing NIKE around...You understand the difference NIKE, right? Anyone who believes I'm trying to boss NIKE around, consider first that NIKE and I are good BBS friends, who enjoy talking under threads to each other. No need to take the comments between trusting BBS friends too seriously.

    No harm done.

    <font size="1">Hey NIKE...don't spoil it for me, OK?</font>
     
    #9 heypartner, May 26, 2002
  10. ROCKET!!!

    ROCKET!!! Member

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    HP,
    Great to see you with your moniker back!

    Now that WAS a poor bet! LOL:D

    It has been awhile. You know how it goes with work. Hot and cold, but when its hot all focus goes to it.

    Do you REALLY want Ming?

    My gut feel says this is not a good pick. I still want quality for this gift of a pick.

    From my sources, it looks like a decision has already been made. I pray they are correct. If so, we will have an incredible makeover for next year that will put us in the upper echelon for years.

    Again, good to see the HP back!
     
    #10 ROCKET!!!, May 26, 2002
  11. heypartner

    heypartner Member

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    WOW!! more sources. You show a lot of restraint not posting that in your own thread ROCKET!!! To answer your question, I like Ming. Incredible makeovers don't always mean for incredible makeovers; you know what I mean. I think Ming can make a great "make over" as well, regarding the offense and defensive strategies of the team. I like Odom an picks, as well. I really like Odom at Rhode Island. But after 3 yrs in the NBA, I'm starting to get a bad taste in my mouth about him. I want hard workers, who love to improve badly every year. That's the risk factor in Odom.

    Then again, Webber is proving everyone wrong about that label right now, isn't he?

    thx for the Howdy. That bet was really bad considering we also traded for Rice, and Terence usurped Langhi as well. Nice to have my 8yr moniker back (first at yahoo bridge and OKBridge).
     
    #11 heypartner, May 26, 2002
  12. ROCKET!!!

    ROCKET!!! Member

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    HP,
    I'm with you on Odom. That deal screams for a different player. The prob with that is...that it requires us to push speculative deals further down the line. Those maybe agreed to in priciple, but may not come to fruition once the first trigger is pulled. If locked in though, how could one possibly pass that up?

    Ah well, it never hurts to continue to have faith. Fathers D, T and A know best!

    Sorry, I didn't follow you on the yahoo bridge comment. I'm a little tired today. My wifeypoo has made it quite clear.....entirely too much golf. For some reason she just isn't buying the....
    "Yea, but honey my swing is really getting sweet!" argument. ;)

    Looks like no more linx for ROCKET!!! for the next couple of weeks

    SOL:D
     
    #12 ROCKET!!!, May 26, 2002
  13. dTown333

    dTown333 Member

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    clutch,
    as the administrator, you should know pretty well that these threads get out of hand when people can't respect eachother. all heyp is doing is letting us know what his wishes are. if we choose to respect them, your job will be all the more easier.
    -Dallas Thomas
     
    #13 dTown333, May 26, 2002
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