Yao seemed to fit in with them pretty well last year. And with an almost guarantee of Yao seeing reduced minutes there will be plenty of time where he won't be on the floor. But during crunch time it'd be nice to have Martin, Yao, and Brooks out there telling the defense to pick their poison.
So, listening to Drexler, who as I said many times before makes a lot of tool comments, he and Worrell were talking about The Rockets being a running team, blah, blah, blah and mentioned that Les Alexander wanted his team to run more and thus lead to McGrady being traded because they didn't think he could keep up (more or less explaining why Adelman wouldn't just put him back into the system as soon as he could play). Granted, McGrady was going to be on the block because of his contract, but if this was even partly true, how does Yao fit into this? If McGrady couldn't keep up, Yao can't either. Divac and Miller didn't just run the half court sets, they also ran the floor. It's still speculation, but many believe Yao got injured because of the milage put on his big frame.
Yao was frustrated most of the year for trying to adjust to the team and the offense... It was posted many times how frustrated he was...
Yao can say whatever he wants. The reality of the situation is that it works both ways. Are we seriously going to expect Yao to run up and down the court for every possession? This is an unrealistic scenario. Yao is 7'6 and weighs about 260 lbs. We want to keep him limber and ready for the playoffs, not have him break his foot on us again in the 2nd round. The rockets will have to adjust to having such a big presence clogging up the paint, whereas now they are free to roam the hardwood in his absence. Whoever thinks that the rockets aren't going to have to adjust to Yao's special needs is fooling himself.
Yao can try as much as he wants to adjust to the team's offense. I believe that he'll do everything his power to try. But in my opinion, he doesn't have the athleticism to keep up with Brooks and Martin. He is limited by what makes him a dominant center--his size. And the coaching staff will have to adjust the offense to take advantage of his strengths and minimize his weaknesses. The rockets cannot afford to make make Yao play a run and gun style or else they risk injuring him again. They don't want another year of an injured highly paid all-star. I think the logical outcome is that there will be adjustments on both sides.
So you want to take a young team that has shown that it can be successful running the coach's offense and without 2 superstars to adjust to 1 player because he cannot keep up.... If in the off season they go out and get a ton of veterans who will slow the ball down then you are correct... The Rockets are adjusting to Yao... But right now it doesn't look that way... They are moving forward with a young team that can run move the ball.... Look at the assist from Hayes and Scola tonight, look at how they were passing the ball. There was no Show stopper like T-Mac or Yao... I understand where you are coming from, but Yao will be 31 next year coming off of a major surgery, one that has a history of ending careers. There is no way they can afford to try and build this team or run this offense around Yao.
DD I just wanted to tell you that after tonight's game I am leaning more in your direction about Brooks & the point guard position. Brooks and Martin played very well together.
I'm looking at this from a "whats going to happen" perspective. I love our run and gun offense. I dont want us to slow down. I want us to win with whatever tactics we decide to implement. But Yao will slow us down because he is just so big. I want Yao to keep up with Brooks and Martin, but despite how much I like the guy, I don't think he'll be able to keep up. And the rockets can't afford not to play him. So we'll be throwing in half-court sets so Yao can do his thing and be effective for us. So to be clear, I want this team to remain a run and gun, read and react offense. But Yao's limitations will hinder us, as much as his length and skills with help us.
I agree Yao is so big and he is limited that's why I feel that Yao will hurt more than help. With Yao on the floor the passing, movement and creating will slow down or come to a complete stop. Yao will also demand the ball more and if not he will start to get frustrated as he did before with passing and setting screens. Everyone's numbers will come down not go up. Unfortunately by reading the article Yao is having similar thoughts.
...Um, are you guys kidding me? Yao will hurt us more than help us? Jesus... You guys act like the current Rockets can't play half-court even though that's where they've been getting most of their points the last month or so. You guys must be under the influence of the commentators, but you guys should of noticed that the Rockets have really stopped relying on a fast game, ever since Lowry's been out and Brooks was told to slow it down. Fast teams are fast because they have to be fast. Do you think that any of them would hesitate for a second to change their game if they had an opportunity to get a dominate big? Hell no, they'd do it in an instant. The defensive capabilities of a dominant big are massive. You guys have been hypnotized by the current Rockets but, um, make no mistake. You don't go deep in the playoffs without a big. The Rockets will adapt to Yao and Yao will adapt to the Rockets, and they'll be incredible for it. But don't blurt out short-sighted foolishness in even suggesting that we're better off with Yao. That's ridiculous.
Yao doesn't need to be part of the fast break. He can jog up the court, and if they have to pull it back and run a set once he gets there, that's fine. You don't need 5 players on the break anyway. Obviously the way the half court set is run will change once he's back, no question about that, but it will change for the better. I don't think Yao's presence effects the running game.
I agree about the run and gun.... But the way this current team is built they would benefit more from a Deke type of center than Yao... Basically a taller version of Hayes...
