http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/trainingcamp10/news/story?id=5612243 HOUSTON -- Just call Yao Ming the Houston Rockets' "Big Unknown." The All-Star center said Friday, the day before the Rockets open training camp, that he's still not sure what to expect from himself this season after foot surgery in July 2009 sidelined him all of last year. "After one year away, I keep telling myself, 'Be patient, be patient," Yao said. "This injury cannot be helped by one day. Last night, I was thinking, 'This season is about to start.' It's time to go." Yao was cleared by team doctor Tom Clanton to resume basketball activities a month ago. His reconstructed left foot has held up fine in individual workouts and scrimmages, but the true tests will come when the Rockets start playing exhibition games. Houston opens its preseason against Orlando on Oct. 5. "I haven't played in a real game yet," Yao said. "I don't know how it might react to the intensity. Hopefully, we can learn as soon as possible." Coach Rick Adelman and general manager Daryl Morey are as eager as anyone to find out. Following doctors' orders, the Rockets will limit Yao to 24 minutes per game, and it's up to Adelman to decide how those minutes are divided. In the meantime, Adelmam said it's up to Yao to build his conditioning to the point where he can even endure 24 minutes. "Yao is the big unknown," Adelman said. "I don't think it's fair to say he's going to play 24 minutes. It's got to be something that he feels comfortable with, and it's going to benefit our team, in the long run. It's something we just have to gauge." Morey says the 24 minutes are a "hard number" for now, but added that the Rockets will confer with doctors throughout the season to see if Yao might be able to play more. "As he progresses and as the doctors get more info, we may get new guidance on how he may be used," Morey said. "Right now, it's something we'll sort of take day-to-day, what's best for the team, what's best for Yao Ming? "Our constant focus is, we need him to help us win the regular season, more importantly, we need him to help us win in the playoffs if we can get there," Morey said. "Also, for his career, we're obviously taking a cautious approach." The Rockets went 42-40 and missed the playoffs with Yao on the sidelines last season. Chuck Hayes, at 6-foot-6, played center, and Houston relied on an up-tempo offensive style to win games. Adelman said the main directive in training camp is to improve defensively, and the players know it'll help to have their 7-foot-6 center back patrolling the lane, even in limited action. "It's going to take a while for the big fella to get in shape and get back into the flow of things," forward Shane Battier said. "But he'll get there eventually, and when he does, he's going to really help us." Point guard Aaron Brooks, who averaged 19.6 points last season, said Yao's presence will open opportunities for the perimeter players on the offensive end, as well. "From the time he gets on the floor, he'll definitely be a focal point," Brooks said. "We had a couple of games last year, where we went about five minutes without scoring a basket. We need him, he's going to help us. I'm just looking forward to playing with him again. I've played a couple of pickup games, and I'd forgotten how easy it was to play with the guy." Yao has averaged 19.1 points and 9.3 rebounds in seven seasons since the Rockets drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick in 2002. He turned 30 on Sept. 12, and says he's fought the urge to push himself too hard as he tries to regain his old form. Yao missed at least 25 games with injuries in three straight seasons between 2005-08, and ranks this ongoing recovery as the most challenging of his career. "Some of the days, I'm out of patience, I just want to do something," he said. "I would like to push myself a little bit faster, but in that situation, overdoing it will slow you down. You have to really manage yourself mentally, and keep yourself in a very good attitude. I'm not used to that." While Yao will practice with his team on Saturday, his backup will not. Brad Miller, signed in July, sprained his left ankle during a workout on Tuesday, and is expected to miss 10 days to two weeks.
Wow, they could've avoided all the fan panicking by coming out and saying this when the whole 24 mpg plan was announced. This is sensible. Saying something to the effect of "Yao will play at most 24 minutes per game, all season long, no exceptions" sounds extreme.
Adelman seems to have very low expectations for what Yao can contribute. It looks like it will be a while until Yao is even capable of playing 24 minutes in a game.
Always good to have low expectations. Either way I like our chances first game, at least we'll have our starting Center playing...not sure the same can be said for the Lakers unfortunately. I think thanks to Yao, Bynum, and Oden. A lot of the new Centers coming in will have questions about if they are just too big to survive 82 game seasons every year.
Man, i want so much to be positive...., but it's freakin' Yao Ming!! I just don't trust his body anymore. I would love for him to make through this entire season and post-season.
yao may not be able to play 20 minutes until the all-star break from what adelman is saying, and he's pretty realistic. look at what he saw in tmac's comeback.
The more I hear from or about Yao the worst his condition sounds. It has been a year, and he is still not fully recovered? Restrictions on time, on back to backs, his comments that his foot still doesn't feel right, good grief, the season is about to start. Now that Miller is going to limp into the start of the season, this is not shaping up like we had hoped. Who is playing center?
That is why Morey is busying looking for 3rd center ala Dampier and Fesenko. The rockets are not flying high as i expected without Yao Ming playing limit role!
And people wonder why FA and potentional one's don't see Houston as an attractive place. Too much uncertainty about Yao. Hell Yao doesn't even know how he'll return!
There managing expectations. People do that at my job all the time. They say they are going to spend x amount of dollars on there budget. But they plan on spending much less and then coming back and say look how much money i saved the company. To but that in basketball terms there setting the bar very low right now so when Yao plays well and his body is responding well , every one feels good because he out preforms the expectation that where originally set. Yao's game was never predicated around speed or explosiveness. His game is all about getting position and having a good shooting touch. Playing less minutes will mean that he will have to look for his shot more often when he is on the court then in pass years. These are the facts: Yao is still 7'6 He can still Shoot He is still a excellent foul shooter. He still commands a double team. Playing limited minutes is not going to change any of that.
Well. Here's food for thought. I find it refreshing Yao is completely honest about how he feels unlike a certain someone who claims he was 100%, back and better than ever.
24 Minutes is actually not that bad. 2 years ago he averaged 33.6. So that's like playing 1 quarter less. Ginobili has averaged 28 for his career. In the playoffs, he plays 35mpg. I expect Yao will play 32 mpg in the playoffs.
