RocketGuy tries to save face...

The Year of the Rocket Set to Begin
-by The Rocket Guy
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Jun 26, 2002, 9:00am


THE YEAR OF THE ROCKET?

Call it the eleventh hour, since that's what it was. Just as Moses parted the waters of the Red Sea and Germany brought down the Berlin Wall, the Rockets have toppled the Communist Curtain, at least long enough to force the Chinese to give in to Houston's sole demand. The Rockets were willing to give up anything during the offseason, but would not budge on one point: If Yao Ming is a Houston Rocket he is a Houston Rocket for 82 games plus the playoffs. Uninterrupted. No emergency recall. No "special leaves." No missing 18 games to play in a tournament. The Rockets made it clear that they simply would not budge on this one pivotal issue. Up until late last night the Chinese were saying would not guarantee that the Rockets would get that kind of commitment from Yao Ming. Well, money still talks.

It was scary. The Rockets told ESPN last night that they were prepared to draft Yao Ming even if they had not received the necessary letters of clearance. I went to bed with an extremely bad case of acid stomach, and I hadn't eaten anything all evening. I could envision the media ripping into the Rockets for drafting a player #1 who would not even play for the team. The Chinese were so badly spooked by the thought of losing Yao to defection that they were quoted in the LA Daily News yesterday as saying they felt Ming would continue to play in China. It's funny what a few million dollars and a chance to be in the international spotlight will do to help negotiations.

The Houston Chronicle reports this morning that the Rockets finally received the letter they have been waiting for in the wee hours of the night last night. The Chinese have guaranteed the Rockets that Ming will play 82 games plus the playoffs uninterrupted, and the Rockets have granted the Chinese access to Ming throughout the summer, allowing him to skip summer league, training camp and preseason to play in international competition. Time to lengthen the Chinese lunar calendar. The Year of the Rocket begins.

I have been skeptical, to say the least, about the possibilities that Yao Ming brings to the Rockets. The media has been all over the place in their evaluations of the possibility of Ming being an NBA player. Is he a bust? Is he the next Olajuwon? Is he 2-3 years away from being an impact player? Can the Rockets afford to wait 3 years for him to adapt? There are still many questions surrounding the Rockets next starting center, but there are a few things we know for sure.

1) Yao Ming will fill Compaq Center and put the Rockets in the international spotlight. NBC, TNT, and TBS will be falling all over themselves to get the rights to show Houston games, and you can bet the NBA will schedule Houston versus the Lakers on Christmas. Maybe on Super Bowl Sunday, too. If Ming is a bust, they will reschedule those games later, but to start with Ming will put the Rockets front and center in the NBA.

2) If nothing else, Yao Ming presence should light a fire under Kelvin Cato. He wants to start, and last year he had no competition. Cato did improve his game last season, but the elevation lifted him only to the status of "decent back-up." He will have to work a lot harder just to get minutes behind Ming.

3) Ming will not be an instant impact player. Details are still sketchy, but he may not join the team until after preseason, which means there will be an adjustment period. The big question is: how long will it take him to adjust. If he's as good as Rudy T says he is, Ming could be Rookie of the Year. I just hate to put that kind of an expectation on a kid who has never played by NBA rules and regulations.

The Rockets are front and center. Yao Ming is the most celebrated player in the world today. Can he live up to the billing?
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