Do you think Yao will stay with the Rockets once his rookie contract expires?

<b>hikoo</b>

like I say, we would have agreed on more points had we agreed on what makes a contender.

1. I didn't say contend for the playoffs. I said a contender either wins their division (1 or 2 seed) or made the finals. All 12 of those centers did that by age 25. If Yao and Francis win our division, I don't think Yao will switch teams unless he just wants to be a Hollywood star like Shaq. None of the centers I mentioned switched teams before being a contender except Mourning, and he left Grandmama, Hersey Hawkins, Dell Curry and Mugsey Bogues, so he had all 3 of your criteria, and 50 wins.

2. I said a Shaq playing from age 22 to 25 with this Rockets team would have a great shot at being a contender...almost a no brainer.

3. Robinson didn't have a true PF. SA started Cummings at the 4 and Elliott at the 3. There are a lot of cases of contenders with dominating centers not having a true PF.

4. In his 2nd season, Hakeem beat the defending champion, legendary Magic/Worthy/Jabbar team with no PG in 1986...Lucas and Leavell were both out. Passing centers like Walton had more assists than their PGs. If Yao is as good as Walton at running a high post offense, he won't need a passing PG.

<b>daoshi</b>

Whatever your argument was, Yao will not keep getting 10 spg for his first 4yrs in the league. If he does, then it will be because he is not as great as we thought...or he got injured.

Now that is a chicken/egg argument. You say he can't be great on 10spg, and I say he isn't great if he keeps getting/taking 10spg. I understand what you are saying; do you understand my point?

 

Man Yao is the most loyal human being there is. He'll be with us until his final days, just like Rudy T.!

 

hikanoo,

Shaq won with Horry
Hakeem won with Horry
Jabbar had Jim Chones and Mark Landsberger in his 1980 title... lol!!
Moses Malone had who? a 4.8 rpg 33yr old Billy Paultz?? in 1981...LOL!
Jabbar for several years with Kurt Rambis as a "traditional PF" is like saying Najera is a "traditional PF." No they aren't....they are scrubs.
Moses had Marc Iavoroni scrubbing as a starter before the ???protypical PF??? fastbreaking, Bobby Jones came off the bench in 1983.

 

If he doesn't, it will be a message to the Rockets front office that he's not happy with Rudy and Francis.

 

this year seems like a trial run. no real offense established due to no training camp for yao, our starting pf is barely getting in shape due to season ending injury, and stevie learning to work with a dominant big man. i gots nooo problems with this season. it has been way above my expectations so far. the poll questions is a no brainer. he will resign, because by then all those problems will be solved and we will be making strong showings in the playoffs.

 

I dissagree.

 

Heypartner and Hikanoo49,

Why debating if Yao can make us a contender or not? Whether he stays or not doesn't depend on it. If he really wants to leave, he can leave even we become a contender. Didn't Shaq leave Orlando after the year that they went to the Finals? Maybe he sees better potential of winning championship with Kobe and Phil Jackson than with Francis and Rudy. Maybe he likes to play with Kobe more than with Francis. Who knows?

 

Since some of the posters in this thread bringing David Robinson lonely yrs issue, i would give my take related to that.

In his rookie yrs, DRob had one of the best teammates in his lonely yrs (before TD). That's why he could made one of the best franchise turn around in history ( from 18 wins to 56 ).

But because SA is such a small market and financially tight, he then started to loose those decent role players, 'til finally there's some help in '95 season ( remember the playoff ? )

As far as i can remember, the PF who played in DRob early yrs was Terry Cummin. He also was a threept happy PF.

But, a big BUT, in those days, DRob was a MONSTER on rebound ( defensively and offensively ), so having a three pointer as PF actually more advantageous for the Spurs.

Unlike that Spurs team, your team now have a good offensive C but relatively weak on REBOUND. That's why having a solid rebounder ( and post defender ) a more pressing need IMHO, to make your team better.

 

Ok, why then?

 

correct me if I'm wrong Hikanoo, but carayip is not represting our discussion well at all regarding whether we think Yao can make us a contender.

Am I wrong about what we were talking about?

My point was to believe that Yao Ming with almost any complement of players can make us a contender by himself.

 

I actually agree with you.

But I think it's an irrelevant point on the main topic here (i.e. whether Yao Ming stays at Houston or not).

 

He'll stay. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would leave his team high and dry. I read a few of you guys saying to trade Yao in 3 years if the Rockets aren't contenders by then, and I'm appauled. You do realize it took about 9-10 years for Hakeem to deliver a ring to this organization. And that it took Jordan I think 7 or 8 before he delivered as well. I'm really surprised some of you guys even call yourselves Rockets fans and are so pessimistic. This team has a bright future ahead of it, and has a lot to be optimistic about. Yao will only get better barring a major injury. He'll be bigger, stronger, better conditioned, and well rested come next season, as well as the following seasons. I do think his career won't be that long by legendary NBA standards. I think he'll maybe last 8 years or so simply because I have a fear that he will sustain an injury that will eek and hurt his career and productivity, especially because he's a big man, and big men have a harder time recovering from their injuries then smaller guys. Hakeem was never the same after his injury, Shaq is still Shaq but you can tell he's in a world of pain. Walton was never the same, Alonzo Mourning might not even play in the NBA anymore. Sabonis who could of potentially been a sneak peek as to what we're seeing in Yao Ming now, still has never recovered from his injuries, and the list goes on and on. Every superstar goes through atleast one with the few rare exceptions, one being Jordan although he sustained a big injury early on in his career. Point is, I think as much as I think Yao will be loyal to us, we should be just as loyal to him. I think the only way the Rockets could lose a guy like Yao, would be by forcing him out rudely.