ESPN Rumor : Yao wouldn't protest too loudly if Steve and Cat are gone

It isnt Rasho shutting down Yao, its Rasho and Duncan double teaming down on Yao.. that makes a big difference to have a player that commands double teams but its also important to have players that make teams pay for double teaming.

J

I hope thats SF3 and JJ

 

I'm pretty sure the Spurs will trade Rasho in a second for Yao. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the Spurs want to be on national TV more. Stevie makes $10 million for the team, and he consistently chokes against the better teams in the Western Conference even though this is his 5th year in the league. At least Yao can say this is just his 2nd year. Yao is a very good defender in the paint who would complement Duncan. Yao should just wait his contract out if he wants to win a championship. The fact is this Rockets team is just going to be one of the teams like those mediocre playoff teams in NBA history. Steve is a guard making max contract money trying to lead this to a championship. Unless Steve becomes Michael Jordan, I do not see this happening.

 

I've yet to see a team go consistently with a single-team approach when defending Yao except in the Magic game. Double-teaming Yao with Duncan on the other side and Ginobli and Tony Parker on the perimeter is just asking for trouble. Coaches do not compromise their defenses by double-teaming if it is not necessary.

 

Genius .

In other news, the Bucks would trade Brian Skinner in a second for Yao and Celtics would trade Mark Blount in a second for Yao.

 

I agree with Rockets2k. I don't think YAO would say anything about Rox's trade.

I am quite sure that YAO hopes his team could work together for the playoff spot.

 

Steve has a tremendous market value, and he was just voted Houston's favorite sports player. You really think he's going to get traded just on those traits alone? As for "showing his true character", give me a break... have you ever skipped work? Been late to a meeting? I know that I have, and what do you know, I'm still punching in every day.

Best quote that I wish a lot of posters would realize:
"I don't understand the big deal," Rockets forward Jim Jackson said. "He made a mistake. He admitted to it. Come back and play basketball. Just let it go. It really is not that serious."

 

This is completely untrue, Steve and Yao have a great relationship. The only truth to this is that Yao wouldn't protest anybody leaving, because he doesn't protest anything.

 

This is complete BS.

 

Doesn't it depend entirely on who they were traded for?

Trade him for a cup of coffee and two biscuits... I bet Yao's pissed. Trade him for a shooter and a ball control PG... I bet he'd be quietly pleased.

Although the article is kind of pointless...

 

SamFisher was making an opinion about the Spurs being worse off with Yao than Rasho. In almost every single game the Rockets play aside from the powerhouses, the singular role of the guy playing center opposite Yao is to just defend Yao. Not only is one guy basically just guarding Yao the whole time, there is usually the quick double-team from a guy zoning the perimeter. How many other centers in the league garner this much defensive attention aside from guys who have won MVP? As much as Yao thinks he owes the Rockets for drafting him, I think he's going to start looking out for #1 soon.

 

No, I'm just saying that Rasho wasn't as bad as you made him out to be.

The few times I have seen him play this season, he basically locked down and outplayed the second best center in the league.
Yes, he had some help, but he fought him off in the post and was successful at denying him position and the ball, and I saw it with my own two eyes. And he outscored/outworked him on the offensive end too in at least one of those games, I believe. Can't blame that on the doubleteam.

That's not too shabby.

 

You know, I remember that Yao was even regretful that Moochie left. So I'm calling bs on this article.

 

Ever since the Magic game, Yao's touches have gone down dramatically. Yao has not just blatantly said to the Houston Chronicle that things need to be changed, but he's been quoted to other news organizations as saying his scoring opportunities have decreased. Then you've got the Marc Stein article coming out. Stein is no fool. He ran this article by Yao before he released it. The fact that Stein agrees that Steve's max contract should be moved is telling. Stein is not Peter Vecsey. He's not a shock-writer who just throws garbage out there and waiting to see if one rumor sticks. The same thing can be said when Stein said Kobe is considering the Clipper as his destination after opting out. Marc Stein is a mouthpiece for a lot of guys in the NBA. The fact that this article comes out days before the trading deadline is significant.

 

And more ESPN Rockets "scoop" from David Aldridge:

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Kevin Jones, Houston Texas: What's up David, What's going on with the Franchise? He missed the plane for the Phoenix game and reports were that he was at the Super Bowl. I don't think he cares too much for Van Gundy's system. His scoring is down this year...he is shooting below 40% and his defense never was that good. Do you think we will be moving the Franchise soon?

David Aldridge: (2:05 PM ET ) As I write today in a column, you need to keep your eye on things in Houston. I don't think a trade is imminent (meaning this season), but you have to--okay, I have to--start thinking that JVG and the Rockets will look around this summer.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=4719

 

Oh! Oh! There I am!! The "local witness"!! I told a friend of a friend of a complete stranger in the 200,000 person crowd in downtown Houston Super Bowl Saturday night to tell David Aldridge at the ESPN party, "Man, those two just aren't getting along." Although I was in a drunken haze, and I wasn't even talking about Francis and Van Gundy.

 

That scenario may be physically impossible. A solid, balding head butt - now you're talking.

 

Francis for LeBron?

If this were proposed last year, Rockets would be laughing at it. If this were proposed this year, Cleveland would be laughing at it twice as hard. What a difference does one year make!

 

This doesn't sound like Yao at all. In fact it contradicts his every word and action at this point.

 

To get a source that says Yao hates Francis and Mobley is very easy: Come to cf.net. I'm pretty sure that when Stein said "I am told. . . " he's not lying. He just checked this board.