I don't think the team is going to ask Yao to give up his post game at all but I do think they are going to ask him to run the high post a lot more so he can facilitate the offense more and prevent teams from trying to front him so much.
He will be very limited the first year like big z. Then hopefully he will improve in years to come. cannot be much lighter as he will lose strength and will get pushed around like the old days
If he doesn't loose a lot of weight he is just going to get hurt. Unless they want to put some metal in his foot.
Yao would have trouble getting adjusted to the NBA pace once he comes back. Any player taking a year off would have trouble trying to get their rhythm back. It is interesting to see how will he change his game and take the back seat to the improved Aaron Brooks and Landry. Remember, this team is no longer belongs to Yao but to AB and the rest. Yao would have to take a back seat here.
You Tmac fans never stop do you? Whatever, at least you will be gone when Tmac leaves. Yao is the leader and foundation of the team, go ask Shane Battier that. Unless you think you know more than him.
Sadly, but I haven't lost total confidence in him. I have much more confidence in him than She-Mac, who's bones aren't only made out of peanut brittle but also a complete slacker.
I see Yao as a Grant Hill-type guy. He's a load when he's healthy, but his career is going to be marred by nagging injuries. It's not like he suffered some freak accident; it's my understanding that injuries like Yao's are the result of cumulative stress. Also, about T-Mac and his injuries: I'm no fan of the guy, but it has nothing to do with toughness. If you're injured, you're injured.
It's one thing to be injured because of your crazy style and it's not another to be injured because you're soft.
I was watching some TV over here in Beijing last night: Yao has definitely gained weight. His face is fatter; he looks older. I know it's to be expected. But coming back is no cake walk, just ask T-Mac, Steve Francis, etc. Hard to tell here, from New Year's Eve or so, but I'll try to attach a pic:
uncertainty is really obvious on Yao...and I can't understand why Rox management is sold on having Hayes as our starting C right now...if this is our developmental year, why not get some big Center whom we can develop who can back up Yao big time next year or eventually replace him he deteriorizes..
i bet he wont be in any more posters, will just block the dunk attempts like its non of his besuiness :grin:
I'm hoping for the best but realistically the championship window for a Yao-centric team like last year is very slim. He'll be 30 when he returns to court next season and who knows how long it will take for him and the team to jell. I think the best we can hope for is about 3 seasons as an impact player on a championship contender, and 3 or 4 more as a complementary piece. That means he'd be playing until he's 36 or 37, which I think is being very optimistic.
Big Z has gone through the same surgery. Yao and Z keep in touch and I'm sure he will be there to assist Yao while he rehabs the injury, this summer is the summer of the Yao. Where he needs to just get in shape as best as he can. Yao coming back I believe the first 10-20 games will be the time wher he starts to get back in rhythm. Realistically I can see Yao doing 18 and 8. The trade deadline is nearly here so let's see what we will surround the great wall with.
Ilgauskus had the surgery when he was 25 (Brooks and Ariza's age) and it took another season to get his game back. By the time Yao hits the court later this year, he'll be just shy of 30. I'm not saying Yao can't do it, but the Big Z comparisons can only go so far, IMO.
